Honda ST series
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The Honda ST (for Sport Touring) series fills the gap between touring-oriented sport motorcycles such as the CBR1000 and full-dress tourers such as the Gold Wing.
Introduced in 1990, the ST1100 (Pan European in Europe or just Pan to some owners) provided many of the ameneties required by touring enthusiasts in a sporty package better suited to European roads than the Gold Wing. Its successor, the ST1300, was introduced in 2002.
The ST1100
The ST1100 is known to be extremely reliable. It runs smoothly, does not require much maintenance and has a drive shaft as opposed to a chain. Standard equipment includes panniers, making it easy to carry luggage and travel long distances.
The ST1100 features an 1100 cc (actually 1083 cc) V4 engine with the four cylinders in a 90 degree angle pointing sideways. This combined with the fuel tank below the saddle (the tank at the usual location is actually a dummy) give the ST1100 excellent riding behaviour.
The ST1300
During the 2000 bike show season, Honda began showing a prototype sport tourer called the X-Wing which featured a V6 engine, single-sided front and rear suspensions and an automatic transmission. Speculation in the press that the X-Wing was the ST1100's replacement was partially confirmed when Honda introduced an all-new Pan European in Europe and Australia for the 2002 model year. For the U.S. market, the new bike would be imported in limited numbers (about 500 per year) starting in 2003 as the ST1300.
The new ST incorporates many of the X-Wing's sleek lines but none of its running gear. Power comes from a lower-slung 1261 cc V4 engine mounted as a stressed member in a lighter aluminnum frame. The rear wheel is driven through a cassette-type five-speed transmission and the familiar shaft drive. The revised engine layout and a split fuel tank shift some of the weight downward, making the ST1300 less top-heavy than its predecessor. A long list of minor differences improve on the ST1100's already excellent comfort, handling and performance. Honda's well-regarded ABS package continues to be an option on the ST1300, although this version does not include a traction control system. In 2002 and 2003, models with ABS included an electrically-adjustable windscreen which became standard equipment in 2004.
Riders of the 2002 model reported a severe wobble at speeds above 160 km/h (100 mph), a problem which Honda considered serious enough to halt production of 2003s. The problem was eventually solved, the 2002s were recalled for a replacement of some chassis parts and the fix was applied to early 2003s. Other than the wobble and some complaints about the amount of heat reaching the rider at high temperatures, owners with 80,000 km (about 50,000 miles) on their ST1300s have reported the bike to be solid and reliable.