Has Honda revamped the ST's V4 (doesn't look like it), or is it the same-ol same-ol?Pat according to the service manager at a honda dealer near me it has the same power characteristics as the ST1300 but in close quarters....e.g.....parking lots etc. a GL1800 has it beat...I sat on one the other day....Just didnt feel right ...My Wing feels a lot more ready to play in curves...There are heat shields on the headers but I doubt that will disapate the heat a 1300 emits....Tiller bars feel too far away....practically no windscreen although a taller shield is available....Seat is comfy...To be honest if I was in the market for a new bike I would opt for a Wing which does have a sporting nature for a big bike or better yet a left over ST....I'm thinking the inmates have taken over the asylum at Honda...Too bad I've been a Honda believer since 1972....Sochiro is probably having a fit in Honda Heaven....The only consolation is the fact that the the CTX1300 has that wonderful V4 and Sochiro WOULD approve of that.....
Yes, actually the 1300 V-4 has been retuned to deliver more torque in lower RPMs over a wider range. that means 'only' 84 hp and 78 ft-lb, and a redline just north of 7500. But don't let that fool you -- it goes. it's got the same transmission gearing as the ST, but the final drive is a bit lower to give it more bottom end punch. It does this while still spinning at a very comfortable RPM on the highway.
So far, the engine throws off no heat whatsoever. None. I was actually hoping for some heat while riding in cooler temps last weekend, but there wasn't any.
So you've sat on a Wing, and you still think the bars on the CTX1300 are too far away? Maybe it's the instrument panel that sits pretty far forward that's throwing off your perspective, because actually riding it, the bar position is perfectly natural. I haven't seen them side by side, but it looks like there's at least as much pullback on the Wing's bars as on the CTX's.
As for 'sporting', the CTX handles and responds extremely well for a bike of this size and weight. I've never ridden a Wing, but I have owned an ST1300 and several large cruisers, including a Triumph Thunderbird, which Triumph boasted as having sport bike-like handling. Well, that claim did turn out to be just a bit optimistic; but the new CTX feels many times lighter than the T-bird, even though they're both about the same weight. I wouldn't quite classify its handling with a sport tourer, but it's darn close.
Of course this bike isn't for everybody, but no one bike is -- especially the two you mention you're considering. Me, I've been itching for Honda to put that V-4 into a cruiser-like platform since I unloaded the ST over 10 years ago. So far it is totally living up to my expectations.
