Looking at High Mileage ST1300

maverickfhs

Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
188
Location
No VA, DC
As the title suggests, so far my attempts of finding a ST has been unsuccessful and I am keeping my eyes open for a good deal, so please excuse my 'noobness'.

Owner said he has used moly grease on rear splines, is it acceptable? Understand St1300 has a timing chain(Sorry, what I meant is, it has a chain and not a belt unlike ST1100)and SMC issue, will check for rear wheel drag after putting it on center stand. Heat is another issue, so to speak, but not concerned about it.

Any other thing I be paying attention to or looking out? Known failure point? Anyway U-join can be checked?

As usual, thanks for any advice and help :bow1:
 
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maverickfhs said:
As the title suggests, so far my attempts of finding a ST has been unsuccessful and I am keeping my eyes open for a good deal, so please excuse my 'noobness'.

Owner said he has used moly grease on rear splines, is it acceptable? Understand St1300 has a timing chain and SMC issue, will check for rear wheel drag after putting it on center stand. Heat is another issue, so to speak, but not concerned about it.

Any other thing I be paying attention to or looking out? Known failure point? Anyway U-join can be checked?

As usual, thanks for any advice and help :bow1:
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Timing chain issue? Where did you hear that? My first ST1300, an '05, has over 185K on it and no timing chain issues...

If it's the original owner, it really depends how well he maintained it. There are a few ST1300s with well over 250K on them, still running.

But that doesn't mean that they are all running everything original. Parts do wear out, but mainly the engines themselves seem to have few problems, other than self inflicted problems...like not doing valve adjustments, or dropping a valve shim into a sparkplug hole, etc...

Like any older machine, the older ST1300s will require work to be done.

Best thing you can do is to check out this site for buying tips.
 
Sorry what I meant it, it has a chain and not a belt unlike ST1100 :)

I am just curious, how often you have done valve adjustments and what other parts(major and expensive ones) you have replaced?
 
The u-joint will feel clunky if it's bad. The only reason I had to replace mine was due to the fact that the protective rubber boot dislodged and rainwater washed the grease out. My ST1300 has 135K on it; I've replaced the water pump seal (not much of a leak, but better safe...,) had the suspension refreshed a couple of times, and replaced the front wheel bearings. I wouldn't be afraid of a higher mileage ST, just understand that some things routinely wear out after a while. The bike ought to be good for 200K.
 
Not sure where you are on the "Earth", what your price range is or if you're up to a fly-n-ride, but ST1300s are pretty easy to come by. Check the For Sale section on this forum as there are several ST1300s there. As an example, this one would be a hard deal to beat, if the miles don't scare you away (they shouldn't, IMO). For a few more shekels, there are several others with lower mileage. If an ST1100 is on your list, this looks like a pretty good deal on an ABSII model. Personally, I wouldn't get a touring/commuting bike without ABS. Buying from a reputable owner on here would be relatively low risk. I also see them just about everyday on CL and Cycle Trader.

I would not be too concerned about a high mileage (>100k) ST1300 (or ST11) that has records. I think the biggest issue for the ST13 is the SMC, which is relatively easily checked and fixed, if necessary. The 2008 and later models have a revised SMC that is supposed to solve that problem. Heat seems to be an issue for some, but not others. Everything else is pretty much bullet proof, especially the drive train.

Good luck with your search!
 
Agree with all of the above. Certainly, the timing chain on the ST1300 has no history of problems and the belt on the ST1100 has also been robust. The valve clearance check is a bit involved, but doable. I’ve read quite a bit on it and it seems that actual adjustments are relatively rare - but the check is worth doing.

In my view, the key things are oil changes and brake checks. If the rotors get scored by running the brake pads too thin - a new rotor is expensive. Similarly, the plain bearing engines in Honda’s live a loooooonnng time - unless the oil changes are neglected. Then things get complex and expensive.
 
Sorry, should have been clear about timing chain vs timing belt difference between ST1300 vs ST1100 :)

Can anyone please elaborate, if bike is in running condition then what would be the most expensive thing to replace? As long as shifts well and engine is good.
 
Ask for images of the drive splines. If not lubed, they can go bad quickly. This would be expensive. Depending on maintenance history, you may need to replace brake and clutch fluid, fork oil/seals, brake pads, tires, coolant, engine and final drive oil, all of which are regular maintenance items. Depending on miles, maybe clutch, although they generally last well beyond 100k miles. Same with wheel bearings. As mentioned earlier, the SMC could also be a problem but not sure of price, maybe $200.
 
Can drive splines be seen without removing a rear wheel or no? Owner is saying he has used moly grease on it, not Honda Moly paste.

Thanks paulcb
 
maverickfhs said:
Can drive splines be seen without removing a rear wheel or no? Owner is saying he has used moly grease on it, not Honda Moly paste.

Thanks paulcb
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No. You must pull the wheel, but that can be pulled off and put back on in 30-60 minutes. I (probably) wouldn't buy it without doing that, unless I knew the owner/history or trusted the seller.

In reality, I think it's pretty rare that those go bad... they have to have practically never been lubed. We've seen a few of those on this forum, but only a few.

Edit: another thing I forgot to mention is the final drive cush rubbers. They tend to get hard and deformed, resulting in more play in the drive system. I don't know the limits, but you can put it on the centerstand and see how much rotational play is in the rear wheel. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable on this will chime in.
 
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Thanks again. I'll be going to look at it today and see if I can get all of this information from the owner/seller.
 
maverickfhs said:
Thanks again. I'll be going to look at it today and see if I can get all of this information from the owner/seller.
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Good luck! Don't listen to Bob (SupraSabre), he just likes to stir the pot! ;)
 
Wohooo, I legally 'stole' the bike with a title :D

Any guess, how much I paid for it? It needs few things here and there, but overall in great condition and yes it does run HOT ;)

Now my next action item is to change oil and do filter at next change, clutch fluid and clean air filter.

Where can I download a service manual and a user manual?
 
Nice! We need some pics! Can't help with the manuals though. Probably have to buy the service manual. A paper one is much more handy than digital in the garage.
 
Nice!!

As for a shop manual - you can still order a hard copy new from Honda or just download one, take it to Staples / Office Despot and print it, punch it and put it in a 3-ring binder. That’s what I’ve done and that binder is a huge resource because, while the Honda ST1100 & 1300 are awesome bikes and remarkably durable, they are danged complex.

Trying to accomplish nearly any significant repair or service task on an ST without the help of a manual - and this forum, would be....unwise (IMO).

48CC1DFD-DBCB-4FFE-8406-671DC01C005F.jpeg
 
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