ST1100 or St1300 dilemma...

Wrigsby1

Well-known member
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
Aug 27, 2009
Messages
4,209
Reaction score
34
Location
60N
I tried for years not to own a Pan, picked a 12RT over and ST13 and now after a few other bikes I am using my project ST11 most of the time... It wasn't supposed to be like this, I have tried really hard not to like it too much but it's just great at everything and as an ex BM salesman amongst other bikey jobs, I always labelled it as blandola Honda…

I now know different and while its not sports bike it can hustle and bruise a few egos for a scruffy 20 year old bus in tacky gold...

So... I bought it for hundreds and had to spend the same again on various bits including alternator, swingarm, fuel tanks, head bearings, battery etc etc… The ABS doesn't work and I changed the rear hydro as that's what the diagnostic said but suspect the rear sensor... It would benefit from a rear shock, needs a change of front discs as one is slightly out... Might get a timing belt and all that crap if I keep it but... Should I flog on for cheap and get an ST13....? My ST11 will also always be irredeemably scruffy not that I am wanting super shiny in an ST13...


There's plenty about, I have had a quick go on one… The quality is better but is the difference big enough...? I don't want anything I can't do most of the fixing myself... I was left a bit cold by the 12Rt and annoyed at the stupid things you couldn't fix in the garage in 5 mins like the old ones... tickover, FD issues, canbus etc... TBH I had it Hilltopped and even then it was an effort 2 up for A road overtakes... rev rev clunk, next gear... The 1150RT was one of my sales fleet and even though they did handle well, they now feel slow...

Modern tourers with scrollable menus and multi adjustable everything are losing the proper riding bit and having worked at garages, I don't want or need to be a regular returnee to fix feckin niggles...;)


Experience feedback please...:thumb2
 
Stick with the 11 it’s more comfortable than the 13.

More gizmos on 13 to go wrong such as the screen, fi compared to the 11 but just as reliable. Some complain about the weird tyre sizes and choice but that’s more of a personal thing. Your familiar with the 11 foiables.

Having had both and liked them, but preferred the 11.

Both easy enough to work on.
 
And just for balance, having had 3 St1100s and 2 ST1300s, I preferred the latter.

It fitted me better, I preferred the look and the electric screen worked well for me.

Both are fantastic bikes and I’m ready for my third 1300 now!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
having recently (May) purchased a 56 plate st 1300, a few things to note, pillion comfort is according to the big gal astounding, for me its ok not good or bad, it is the weight of a small planet, the screen is very good, fuel economy varies massively depending on right hand, as low as 25mpg and as high as 50mpg. It tours superbly, easy enough to work on once the tupperware is removed, tire size as said above but a 180 section would get you out of trouble on the rear if needs be they do fit. Old style honda fit and finish is excelent and it handles way better than anything of this size and bulk should, so far i have covered 10000 miles on it with not one problem, and it had done 13000 when purchased.
 
+1 for the ST13, I've had two, both brilliant both easy to work on (I can only do the basics but it's easy) and as you know from your ST11 ownership can filter easily in traffic and hussle with the best of them. Fit and finish is excellent as is reliability. In terms of comfort, that's completely personal, I found the ST13 to be one of the most comfortable bikes I'd owned, others will completely disagree...they're wrong :D
 
Thanks so far gang... Some great feedback... I've had the later Honda v4 and even tho it was helluva quick it brained out on some fundamentals such a range and suspension... That's what's so funny about the st11.. Its the sum of its parts that matter and I hav ed a feeling that the st style bikes might be a thing of the past... Ownership numbers are up but I expect bikes are far less directed at everyday riders and function...

Its approx £600/750 fer the st11 in bits to fix/upgrade or just pitch in for a 13... My poor old 11gs has been sat in the garage for a couple of months n the r100r was sold on... We're firmly in the real world now... just about the miles... If I had bought the st13 instead of the 12rt I wouldn't have bothered with the crosstourer dct, k75rt, r100r, and even this st11... And the 11gs would have been long gone...

The st11 also has the pillion vote even with a 70k rear shock... And yep it speeds all day and filters like a bike half its size...
 
And if you get a white one, most people clear the road.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
I’m on my 8th ST1100 - had two 1300s but the 1100 fits me perfectly with nil mods.
The challenge now is to find a good 1100 as they’re getting old, though there are a few low miles ones out there if your search.
The brakes on the non-ABS 1100 are a bit weak, I’d recommend the ABS version from 96 onwards, which also has the 40amp alternator.
Most ABS faults are easily resolved cheaply - there are loads of used spares out there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Buckingham said:
I’m on my 8th ST1100 - had two 1300s but the 1100 fits me perfectly with nil mods.
The challenge now is to find a good 1100 as they’re getting old, though there are a few low miles ones out there if your search.
The brakes on the non-ABS 1100 are a bit weak, I’d recommend the ABS version from 96 onwards, which also has the 40amp alternator.
Most ABS faults are easily resolved cheaply - there are loads of used spares out there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

My 2000 ST1100 is non ABS and I know what you mean about the front brake being a bit weak, but it is adequate.... The rear is really good... Saying that my striped up work bikes from 1995 - 2008 were non ABS ST1100's and I don't recall ever wishing they had ABS. :thumb
 
Bryn said:
My 2000 ST1100 is non ABS and I know what you mean about the front brake being a bit weak, but it is adequate.... The rear is really good... Saying that my striped up work bikes from 1995 - 2008 were non ABS ST1100's and I don't recall ever wishing they had ABS. :thumb
Click to expand...

I really liked the linked brakes on the ABS where the pedal operates rear and front, unlike BMWs current system.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Buckingham said:
I’m on my 8th ST1100 - had two 1300s but the 1100 fits me perfectly with nil mods.
The challenge now is to find a good 1100 as they’re getting old, though there are a few low miles ones out there if your search.
The brakes on the non-ABS 1100 are a bit weak, I’d recommend the ABS version from 96 onwards, which also has the 40amp alternator.
Most ABS faults are easily resolved cheaply - there are loads of used spares out there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...



Like I said, I bought a scruffy 50th anni Metallic gold :eek: one for a project and fixed all the usual... Alternator, welded and strengthened swingarm, pristine fuel tank from southern Europe... Still it has a pretty hard life and I had to clean up a fair bit of rusty stuff amidships where no one looks... That's my dilemma... It is a known quantity and I really like it but am debating whether the ST13 would fix some of the minor shortcomings... Sometimes slower steering, better quality and a bit more "sit in"... I am still dilemma-ing… I have ridden the ST11 through Autumnal winter shitey wind and gales up here in Shetland for the last couple of weeks and with the 11GS during last winter and it does look after you... I serviced the front brakes last week which was a major improvement but highlighted one of the discs being out a bit...
That's the prob... Start spending and keep it or sell for cheap and buy one of the plethora of good deal ST13's out there... Hmmm...
 
Bryn said:
My 2000 ST1100 is non ABS and I know what you mean about the front brake being a bit weak, but it is adequate.... The rear is really good... Saying that my striped up work bikes from 1995 - 2008 were non ABS ST1100's and I don't recall ever wishing they had ABS. :thumb
Click to expand...

My ABS doesn't and I haven't managed to fix it yet but the braking is fine without... The linked brakes are pretty will balanced even if they are the most complicated mechanical set up I have ever seen... So many bloody lines and pivots... I'm still stuck on this and TBH the ST11 isn't really slow... Its feels as quick or quicker than my 12RT and winds up far more smoothly with gears that change well whether 2k revs or 6k...
 
There are guys breaking ST1100s on the Facebook group ST1100UK with endless parts available at sensible prices. So anything you need is readily out there & you’ve already sorted out the usual culprits.
You could swap it for a 1300 which has more power, looks more modern but still probably has some depreciation in it and, IMO, is no better to ride, especially in everyday use.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Buckingham said:
I’m on my 8th ST1100 - had two 1300s but the 1100 fits me perfectly with nil mods.
The challenge now is to find a good 1100 as they’re getting old, though there are a few low miles ones out there if your search.
The brakes on the non-ABS 1100 are a bit weak, I’d recommend the ABS version from 96 onwards, which also has the 40amp alternator.
Most ABS faults are easily resolved cheaply - there are loads of used spares out there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

they're so good you 8 of them? Greedy boy lol
 
Depends on what you mostly use it for , I have had 3
1 1100
2 1300
3 1300

For me the 1300 was just a better machine in all respects , the motor is a peach and is very sound , I did a valve check on the last one at 24 k and the settings were all bang on dead centre and the cams looked like they had never event turned once , the engineering and quality is first class :thumb2
 
boatman said:
Depends on what you mostly use it for , I have had 3
1 1100
2 1300
3 1300

For me the 1300 was just a better machine in all respects , the motor is a peach and is very sound , I did a valve check on the last one at 24 k and the settings were all bang on dead centre and the cams looked like they had never event turned once , the engineering and quality is first class :thumb2
Click to expand...

Ha ha.... That's what I love... I had a cbr6 in the 90s for approx 70kmiles.... Woefully abused and crashed, at 70k it had had 3 shim checks and never an adjustment... And it taught me about rev limiters...�� also before that an xj9 that I rode as a courier for just ovr a year and about 45k... Same as... Change oil was all it needed...

Shetland has tons of really good shed engineers who are always working on bikes etc... I have tried but even though I fix my own shite if I can, I have found i will never be or wish to be a shed eng/restorer... Hence a semi reluctant return to the whiles of bulletpoof Honda...
The st11 has a moon and back engine but some structural weak bits but the 13 seems very well build throughout... My old crosstourer was the same but just didn't do it fer me..
 
The st11 has a moon and back engine but some structural weak bits but the 13 seems very well build throughout...


I think that sums up the difference pretty well.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Ten years behind you but the same feeling- I had one of yours it was great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Yeah I remember that one Simon - now on my third green one


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

sycomoto
Well bugger me.
Replies
4
Views
403
sycomoto
sycomoto
A tale of two or three bikes and a starter. (Or my trail to GS happiness)
Replies
6
Views
283
Paul Young
Paul Young
Davey B
XT/XT2 or Montana 700
Replies
17
Views
738
Wapping
Wapping
Gelandestrasse
Re-building R80G/S (or ST) rear wheel hint needed, please?
Replies
4
Views
386
Gelandestrasse
Gelandestrasse
Cam chain noise.
Replies
6
Views
512
Pale Rider


Back
Top Bottom