Honda ST 1100 in the garage

[trevor]

Think some of you know that I grew up in SW Ontario....have family and friends there....last year I did my first motorcycle ride back there from BC...the total trip was around 10,000kms (6300 miles)
I want to make it an annual trip but the cost and the time away is a lot....so I have been mulling around the idea of buying a cheaper touring bike to ride back to Ontario and leave it there with family and fly home....this way I could fly out a couple of times a year and have something to ride without having to spend so much time and money riding back in fourth....
So yesterday a 1992 Honda ST1100 came up for sale 15 min from me....139,000kms...lol...timing belt was changed at 100k
The bike has been wonderfully taken care of...the gentleman selling it has been dealing with Parkinson's and no longer feels comfortable riding.
He's rode all his life too...sad really. I rode over on my Cooley to look at the bike and of course he said "I had a 1981 GS1100E...best bike I ever owned"!
Well I bought it....came with lots of goodies too....nice Givi top case....new boots, two Joe rocket jackets and a nice gell Corbin seat.
Not exactly my style but friends that have owned them sure do like them....should be a good bike to get me to Ontario
Anyway, enough talk...here she is...
Not bad for $1800cdn
I cleaned her up today to apply for collector plates

 

[alke46]

Nice find Trevor.

Are you sure that's a 92? I had one identical to that but it was a 93. I had to search long and far for the 93 because of it's color.

That bike would eat up hundreds of miles like it was nothing. And it was happy to do it all day at 90+ mph.

I had mine for 23 years before selling it in Arizona. Mine had 145,000 miles on it when sold. Same story with me, I left it in Az. at my sister's house so I could fly out in the winter and ride.

I could go on and on about it but since you didn't ask, then I won't. Enjoy the mileage eating machine.

edit: corrected the amount of time I owned it.

 

[trevor]

Nice find Trevor.

Are you sure that's a 92? I had one identical to that but it was a 93. I had to search long and far for the 93 because of it's color.

That bike would eat up hundreds of miles like it was nothing. And it was happy to do it all day at 90+ mph.

I had mine for 27 or 28 years before selling it in Arizona. Mine had 145,000 miles on it when sold. Same story with me, I left it in Az. at my sister's house so I could fly out in the winter and ride.

I could go on and on about it but since you didn't ask, then I won't. Enjoy the mileage eating machine.

Haha...please go on.
Yep a 92

 

[alke46]

I developed a love/hate relationship with mine. I loved the fact that you never have to do anything to it, but the hate part came when I had to remove all that tupperware and then once when I had to remove the throttle bodies to access the coolant lines. Mine developed a leak and of course once the v-4 engine is exposed, you find other stuff that needs to be looked at.

I also installed aftermarket electronic cruise control and wow, what a difference that made for cross country traveling. My longest trip lasted just over 5,000 miles, going down to the gulf coast and then back up through the southeastern US before returning home. Great trip and beautiful scenery.

 

[rphillips]

Both "92" & "93" came in the Candy Glory Red, I'd looked it up, back when a couple I was riding with had one and I thought it was the same color as my "83" CB1100F. Very close, but the CB1100F was Candy Pearl Maui Red.

 

[Cipher]

Think some of you know that I grew up in SW Ontario....have family and friends there....last year I did my first motorcycle ride back there from BC...the total trip was around 10,000kms (6300 miles)
I want to make it an annual trip but the cost and the time away is a lot....so I have been mulling around the idea of buying a cheaper touring bike to ride back to Ontario and leave it there with family and fly home....this way I could fly out a couple of times a year and have something to ride without having to spend so much time and money riding back in fourth....
So yesterday a 1992 Honda ST1100 came up for sale 15 min from me....139,000kms...lol...timing belt was changed at 100k
The bike has been wonderfully taken care of...the gentleman selling it has been dealing with Parkinson's and no longer feels comfortable riding.
He's rode all his life too...sad really. I rode over on my Cooley to look at the bike and of course he said "I had a 1981 GS1100E...best bike I ever owned"!
Well I bought it....came with lots of goodies too....nice Givi top case....new boots, two Joe rocket jackets and a nice gell Corbin seat.
Not exactly my style but friends that have owned them sure do like them....should be a good bike to get me to Ontario
Anyway, enough talk...here she is...
Not bad for $1800cdn
I cleaned her up today to apply for collector plates

]

The savings in tires alone will pay for the bike in 3 to 4 trips.
Avoiding those murderous level TCH level crossings is a huge bonus.
175 for gas round trip saved. It does add up fast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHOUEhLZ-MA
check this series. There's actually an engine under all that bodywork.
the 1300 version is supposedly on par with a k1300.

 

[trevor]

The savings in tires alone will pay for the bike in 3 to 4 trips.
Avoiding those murderous level TCH level crossings is a huge bonus.
175 for gas round trip saved. It does add up fast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHOUEhLZ-MA
check this series. There's actually an engine under all that bodywork.
the 1300 version is supposedly on par with a k1300.

Yeah my thoughts exactly on the tire savings alone.
thanks for the link, I’ll check it out

 

[cowboyup3371]

Very nice bike Trevor, congratulations

 

[Redman]

Nice Trev !
Looks really great condition.

Yah, bike in distant location is a great idea.
THat was my idea of having bike (BMW RT) in San Diego for 5 years and going there 2 -3 times a year. Biggest problem (other than the dern thing self destructing the first year) was that I only went there once a year. Did ride it home (and it self destructed again 1500 miles into the 2000 mile trip).

Did it come with a battery tender? If not, will want to get one to keep with the bike.

 

[trent]

Nice bike and story trev,

Few days ago found this, not comfortable spending any money now, but this looks like a good deal

https://columbiamo.craigslist.org/mcy/d/jefferson-city-honda-st1100/7629561793.html

 

[Rkz!b]

Congratulations Trevor on adding a Honda to your Susuki garage. Looks like an extremely clean motorcycle. Cheers

 

[trevor]

Took the Honda out today up Island for a couple of hundred kms....and I noticed it wanted to "wonder" at times....sure enough steering head bearings are notched.....not sure if I will or should be riding it to Ontario. I wanted to leave Saturday and won't likely be able get it fixed before then.
A buddy says it won't hurt anything more to ride it.....hmmm

 

[storm 64]

Took the Honda out today up Island for a couple of hundred kms....and I noticed it wanted to "wonder" at times....sure enough steering head bearings are notched.....not sure if I will or should be riding it to Ontario. I wanted to leave Saturday and won't likely be able get it fixed before then.
A buddy says it won't hurt anything more to ride it.....hmmm

Yeah, it will be alright, It's a Honda. I wouldn't worry about it to much... In my opinion...

My biggest concern would be riding the Honda with a paper bag over your head with two holes to see out of !!!

My brother said "you should get a Goldwing" I said "Yeah, but where would I park it"! No Hondas in my garage! Lol

Just kidding folks...

 

[trevor]

Yeah, it will be alright, It's a Honda. I wouldn't worry about it to much... In my opinion...

My biggest concern would be riding the Honda with a paper bag over your head with two holes to see out of !!!

My brother said "you should get a Goldwing" I said "Yeah, but where would I park it"! No Hondas in my garage! Lol

Just kidding folks...

Oh man that made me laugh! Glad you think it will be fine. I need to get it to Ontario as quick as possible and out of my garage!!!

 

[bonanzadave]

Buddy has one I tried to buy for years. He finally had a west coast shop mount a sidecar. They added dual swingarms in place of the front forks. ????

Kinda like this

Some dirt out there on ST11/13 speed wobbles
Honda ST1300 Speed Wobbles / Weaving? | ST1300 Related | ST-Owners.com​

 

[Grimly]

Buddy has one I tied to buy for years. He finally had a west coast shop mount a sidecar. They added dual swingarms in place of the front forks. ????

Kinda like this

Some dirt out there on ST11/13 speed wobbles
Honda ST1300 Speed Wobbles / Weaving? | ST1300 Related | ST-Owners.com​

Yeah, leading-link front forks are the hot poop for sidecar outfits, by all accounts.

 

[srsupertrap]

I developed a love/hate relationship with mine.

IMO, a sleek super slab sport tourer which sucks down interstates, ST's can be fun in the twisties (If the tank isn't too full) and get 50 MPG too. For a cheap touring bike you can best a ST1100. I was enamored with the ST when it was introduced in 1991.I owned my 92 St1100 for 12 years but used mine for commuting to work which the ST is not suited for. The candy glory red was the best color!

Some issues you already heard about.

• 1991-95 models had charging issues. If I recall the 96 model incorporated an enhanced alternator which drops right in. alke46 could confirm
• Most riders replace the stock seat because you slide forward when braking.
• I put a K&N air filter in and never touched the carbs

Great buy & safe riding.

Steve

 

[alke46]

I must have been lucky with mine as it never had any electrical problems. Charging was always good and battery life was good.

Agreed on the seat. Mine was aftermarket also.

 

[trevor]

IMO, a sleek super slab sport tourer which sucks down interstates, ST's can be fun in the twisties (If the tank isn't too full) and get 50 MPG too. For a cheap touring bike you can best a ST1100. I was enamored with the ST when it was introduced in 1991.I owned my 92 St1100 for 12 years but used mine for commuting to work which the ST is not suited for. The candy glory red was the best color!

Some issues you already heard about.

• 1991-95 models had charging issues. If I recall the 96 model incorporated an enhanced alternator which drops right in. alke46 could confirm
• Most riders replace the stock seat because you slide forward when braking.
• I put a K&N air filter in and never touched the carbs

Great buy & safe riding.

Steve

Cheers for the post....but if you are talking to me, I sold the bike in Ontario and flew home,
But I have an update....this experience with the v4 ST has made me revisit the Honda VFR1200F....I really liked them when they came out but at the time they were out of my price range. The bike never sold well with new models staying on the sales floors for years.
A lot of people jus didn't understand them...they sold a lot better in Europe ...it's a lot like my k1300r...didn't sell well here but did in Europe....they have way better tastes in motorcycle than we do imo.
170hp, shaft drive, single sided swingarm

I found this one in Thunder Bay...3000kms away...I will fly and ride in a couple of weeks

 

[Rob S.]

Good on ya, buddy. Giving a warm, safe home to motorcycles regardless of make, model or serial number. :loyal: