Sold the ST

the Ferret said:
That's really good. Are you running an oiler? Think it will see 40K?

I got 23,405 miles out of the original, 19,432 out of my second.
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No oiler but I've learned to give it a minimum of attention. Overcleaning or over lubrication shortened the life of my previous chains. Modern chains don't really need much care. I don't think it will go much more than 30,000 miles.
 
On my chain driven bikes (Sportster's, Triumph's, Norton's, BMW F650 Track bikes, and of course dirt bikes, when I stopped listening to the BS marketing about the latest, greatest, chain paste, chain wax, PJ blue, black, and whatever other color they market, and all the silicone chain sprays, and Honda chain lube etc., and started listening to what the Chain Manufactures recommend for their chains, my chains went from many adjustments (often) and the chains stretching and wearing out around 3k miles or so, to lasting 30+K miles on each chain, with very few adjustments needed during the life of the chain.
All the spray on crap just collects dirt, and turns into lapping compound and destroys your chain in short order.
And yes, no matter what you watch on Youtube, or what the Adventure riding BMW guy says is safe, WD 40 is a water dispersing solvent, NOT a chain lubricant.
Clean with Kerosene, and lube with 90 wt. gear oil.
A needle oiler, and one (1) drop on the inside roller per link is all you need about every 300-500 miles depending on the roads you ride on and the weather you ride in.
There is even a Fortnine video with "never buy chain lube again" type video, and he tested everything on the market, and came to the same conclusion as the chain folks recommend.
Keep it simple, Keep it clean, and your chains and sprockets will last much longer.
:WCP1:
 
It also bears the question if any spray-on lubricant can even reach the pins/rollers on those sealed O-ring/X-ring chains...
IMO would it be a sign of already failing seals if it does... :unsure:
(back in my 50cc times we'd remove the chain, clean it with petrol or alike, submerge it in a pot filled with mentioned gear oil, heat that till it stats to show a little steam, recover the chain, let it drip off and carefully dry with a clean rag, install again...)
 
wizel said:
Even in the European spare parts catalog there are no prices for the side cases individually.
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And bad news for those who bough the 1st gen NT1100 (and logically complained that the panniers wouldn't hold a helmet):
this years edition comes with enlarged panniers that now will hold a helmet...

and of course they're not compatible with the mounting hardware of the previous model...
Want side cases that suit your needs? Buy a new motorcycle...

BTW friend of mine still waits for the dash/TFT replacement on his 1st gen NT1100... thankfully covered under warranty, cause € 3700,- for that "mouse TV" is quite harsh... :oops:
 
I made my switch to a lighter bike for the 2021 season when a purchased a Tracer GT and sold my ST1100. About 750 lbs to 500 lbs, huge difference + the Tracer handles better.

I miss the turbine like smoothness of the ST and the fairings in the rain. It was an all day bike and the Tracer is not its equivalent, but it works OK for me with the mods I've made to it.

I use mostly gear lube for the chain and a spray chain lube when I'm on the road. In 25,000 KM I've adjusted the chain twice I think. I do miss the shaft drive.
If I had to buy bags for the NT1100 I'd be looking at an aftermarket solution vs OEM. Example below.

 
When I first heard about the NT1100 I was excited! Further reading showed that we wouldn't be getting them in the States so that quashed my interest a bit. Then the fact that it was chain drive was a negative for me, but I have since come to grips with that and I could live with it. But my biggest gripe was that it was a 2-cylinder bike!! Who uses a 2-cylinder engine on a sports tourer?? Heresy I say! Nobody in their right mind would buy a 2-cylinder touring bike...


Ahh, err... Wait a second.

What is it I ride again? A motorcycle which has (gulp) just 2-cylinders. The nerve of those Teutonic b@stards. Never mind.
nevermind-ignore-it.gif
 
I agree with all of the above comments that there is life after the wonderful, smooth, fast, quiet and reliable Honda ST1300....and I don't care if it can only do a buck-60 all day - but the replacement bike MUST have a shaft drive, luggage bags, a comfy seat, keep you dry in the rain, handle well, have decent brakes, have a 200+ mile fuel range, and it must be stone-cold reliable and dependable......but it can't weigh 700+ lbs.

....sort of like.....

BMW R100RS w Honda Top Box.jpg BMW_Honda - top box LS front view.jpg BMW_Honda - top box LS rear view.jpg

....my 1983 BMW R100RS - Gretel!
 
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MaxPete said:
I agree with all of the above comments that there is life after the wonderful, smooth, fast, quiet and reliable Honda ST300....but I don't care if it can only do a buck-60 all day - but the bike MUST have a shaft drive, luggage bags, a comfy seat, keep you dry in the rain, handle well, have decent brakes, have a 200+ mile fuel range, and it must be stone-cold reliable and dependable......but it can't weigh 700+ lbs.

....sort of like.....

BMW R100RS w Honda Top Box.jpg BMW_Honda - top box LS front view.jpg BMW_Honda - top box LS rear view.jpg

....my 1983 BMW R100RS - Gretel!
Click to expand...
Eventually BMW realized “Rubber Cow” wasn’t a term of endearment but the RS led the way for sport touring enthusiasts.
 
MaxPete said:
I agree with all of the above comments that there is life after the wonderful, smooth, fast, quiet and reliable Honda ST1300....and I don't care if it can only do a buck-60 all day - but the replacement bike MUST have a shaft drive, luggage bags, a comfy seat, keep you dry in the rain, handle well, have decent brakes, have a 200+ mile fuel range, and it must be stone-cold reliable and dependable......but it can't weigh 700+ lbs.

....sort of like.....

BMW R100RS w Honda Top Box.jpg BMW_Honda - top box LS front view.jpg BMW_Honda - top box LS rear view.jpg

....my 1983 BMW R100RS - Gretel!
Click to expand...

...and having said all of that, I agree that Honda has really muffed making a viable replacement for the ST bikes. Sorry, but the GL1800 (lovely as it is) is too big, too complex and too heavy to replace the ST.

If they came out with a nice 650-850-class shaft drive bike in the 500-540 lb range...well then, I'd be lining up for that.
 
I'm afraid the only bikes with shaft drive going forward are going to be Goldwings, larger BMWs and Moto Guzzis.

Other than the Wing, Japan is no longer interested in making shaft drive motorcycles, even though they used to make them down to 500cc (CX 500 for example)

I think the main issue is they realize that the "average" motorcycle rider rides about 3,000 miles a year and at that rate a chain drive system will often last longer than the person will own the bike. Shaft drive systems cost more to produce and therefore require more initial upfront costs to the average buyer, who will see little benefit from it in the time he owns the bike.

Those of us that ride a lot of miles, realize the benefit of a shaft, and are willing to pay more, but Japan would rather sell more units overall, than less more expensive units that don't sell as well.
Even a belt drive system would be better, with longer wear, less maint and less costly (in the long run) repair and they won't even give us that.

then again. the shaft vs chain vs belt benefits arguments are almost as fun to read as oil, battery and tire threads.
 
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MaxPete said:
I agree with all of the above comments that there is life after the wonderful, smooth, fast, quiet and reliable Honda ST1300....
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At this point in my young life, this is the tip of the iceberg of the many reasons i really don't see letting go of my 1300.
So I elect to maintain my existing life, rather than put myself through the frustrating and ultimately fruitless pursuit of a close-enough replacement in some perceived "life after ST."
Not to mention, the lovely and unique V4 engine layout, and the sublime sound which reminds me of a Lear jet spooling up before takeoff. (Maybe it doesn't sound like that to you at all, but don't track your muddy boot prints through my imagination!)
So, knowing the obvious answer to the question, I'll just ask in an offhand manner... "where ya gonna find another ride with the combination of all these attributes so eloquently laid out for you by @MaxPete ?"
Much less at today's prices?
[In my best courtroom lawyer voice]
Objection, your honor! Asked and answered!
[/lawyer voice]
Yeah, ...no.
It is much too unique and irreplaceable, except for another ST.
Ad an aside... I recall being very interested in this model back in the 2000s, but dismissed it at the time, knowing I could not begin to afford the $16k retail asking price.
 
the Ferret said:
Even with a shaft drive, I can't see a Chinese made motorcycle making much headway in the U.S. Not that they couldn't make a good motorcycle, they undoubtedly could, but a lack of history here in the states, the lack of dealer network etc are huge obstacles to overcome. I'm definitely not an early adopter. Personally, I'd buy a BMW or Moto Guzzi long before I'd buy a CF Moto and I'm not one eager to buy European made bikes. I keep test riding BMWs and Moto Guzzi's, but a test ride always turns me off of them. Too much "character " for me lol. I'd much rather buy a Japanese made bike.

Heck my 270 P-Twin NC 750 has about all the character I can handle lol, but my 1100cc I-4 CB 1100 is sweeeet! Wish it had a shaft!
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They have been selling cfmoto in my area for 2 yrs I think. Have yet to see one on the road. They look ok in the showroom but I wouldn’t buy one.
 
Sadlsor said:
At this point in my young life, this is the tip of the iceberg of the many reasons i really don't see letting go of my 1300.
So I elect to maintain my existing life, rather than put myself through the frustrating and ultimately fruitless pursuit of a close-enough replacement in some perceived "life after ST."
Not to mention, the lovely and unique V4 engine layout, and the sublime sound which reminds me of a Lear jet spooling up before takeoff. (Maybe it doesn't sound like that to you at all, but don't track your muddy boot prints through my imagination!)
So, knowing the obvious answer to the question, I'll just ask in an offhand manner... "where ya gonna find another ride with the combination of all these attributes so eloquently laid out for you by @MaxPete ?"
Much less at today's prices?
[In my best courtroom lawyer voice]
Objection, your honor! Asked and answered!
[/lawyer voice]
Yeah, ...no.
It is much too unique and irreplaceable, except for another ST.
Ad an aside... I recall being very interested in this model back in the 2000s, but dismissed it at the time, knowing I could not begin to afford the $16k retail asking price.
Click to expand...
I second all of the above, and I work with LearJets all day every day, so I appreciate the comparison! Personally, I like the heft of the ST, because early in life I rode a '73 CB500 Four in all kinds of weather in the plains of Kansas -- in other words, in tornado alley. I like a bike that the wind won't knock off the road, even if it threatens to knock me off the bike. And for all the stability of the weight, it still handles like a dream.

Speaking of Lears, and relevant to the "life after the ST" discussion, I talk with a lot of folks who are spending massive amounts of money on their 30-series, and occasionally 20-series, Lear Jets. Many of them are spending far more than they could ever recover by sale, on Jets that are up to 60 years old (have a '65 Lear 23 in the shop now). As one gentleman put it many years back, "yeah, I know I could never recover the money, but how much would I have to spend on a new one to get a jet that can do what this one does?" Well said, and as applicable to the ST as to the Lear.
 
It is sad letting go of your ST, but the most important thing is to ride the bike that suits you best. That can change over time.

The ST13 was perfect for me for a while, but my riding changed and some of my personal compromises started to irk me. The ST13 is probably the best bike I ever had, but my nt700 checks a few more boxes for me over the last three years. I occasionally miss the turbine and the big tank, but I really appreciate the better wind management, better fit for my body, run on 85 octane, and way better tire wear of the "little" bike.

There's always lust though, and I've been eyeing stelvio NTXs for about a year...

OP, the super T is a fabulous bike. Congratulations! While the v4 is a gem, most of my favorite bikes have been twins.
 
I wish they would bring back my old Yamaha TDM 850, that was a fantastic do everything bike before they started trying to pigeon hole categories for marketing motorcycles.
 
Igofar said:
I wish they would bring back my old Yamaha TDM 850, that was a fantastic do everything bike before they started trying to pigeon hole categories for marketing motorcycles.
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I saw one on marketplace a few months ago and was really tempted, however it didn't seem like a great owner and the prospect of a 30 year old bike gives me a lot more angst than it used to. They were certainly a cool bike. I hear parts availability for them has gotten quite slim.
 
The TDM had 70 hp and 50 lb ft torque ...the Honda NC 750X has 58 HP and 51 LB ft of torque. The new 800 Suzuki DE has 83 hp and 57 lb ft torque, the Yamaha Tenere' 700 has 73 hp and 50 torque, so there are several choices "close" to the TDM spec wise, although like Cincykz pointed out, maybe a little less sporty looking.
 
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