Lack of that knowledge can bite ya
Article [11] ST1100 - Basics / Buying Guide
- Thread starter paulcb
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- 1100 reference
Uncle Phil
Site Supporter
Note on removing the rear wheel for buying purposes -
I believe you would have to remove the mudguard also to get the rear wheel out of the way, not just the saddlebags.
I believe you would have to remove the mudguard also to get the rear wheel out of the way, not just the saddlebags.
OP
OP
Forgot that part, thanks Phil. As a long time 4X ST11 owner, I hope you can critique this thoroughly as well!
Uncle Phil
Site Supporter
I'm looking at it as you add stuff. Looks pretty good but I don't know if other people need to know just how good ST1100s really are ...Forgot that part, thanks Phil. As a long time 4X ST11 owner, I hope you can critique this thoroughly as well!
kiltman
Site Supporter
The ABSII comes with a fork brace.
You also have to swing up the rear calliper to remove the rear wheel
The North American models require shims for H4 bulbs and are a pain in the butt to change
Both low beams should be on for the NA models
You also have to swing up the rear calliper to remove the rear wheel
The North American models require shims for H4 bulbs and are a pain in the butt to change
Both low beams should be on for the NA models
Awesome article - should help both types of riders: those new to the ST1100 and those new to riding in general. This is one heck of a community. Been on several ride specific forums and this is by far the best!
Wish I had stuff to add but I'm fairly new to the ST myself.
Wish I had stuff to add but I'm fairly new to the ST myself.
I agree. This is a very useful post. I wish I found it earlier. I want to add that in case you are going to buy a used bike or car, it is better to check its history and vin code beforehand. It is easy to do with the help of the comprehensive resources. Personally I used this website and was pleased with it. I hope, this info will be useful for someone.
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In calendar year 1990 a black 1991 model was sold. My bike... A holdover purchased in January of 1991. They didn't sell well that first year. It was $1,000-1,500 more than the Concours of the day and the market didn't see the value... yet.
In calendar year 1991 a silver 1991 model was sold. (not a fan of the silver)
Minor differences even between those first years. The left fairing pocket cover was made from a flexible plastic that didn't like being flexed. It cracked and ripped across the midpoint and refused to remain closed. I saw that the silver '91 had a more durable cover; got my dealer to replace under warranty. That replacement is still on my bike.
First year also had very fragile paint finish and Honda issued the clear scuff pad kit to owners of the black '91 no charge. Silver '91 and later could buy the kit.
I can't recall if the silver '91 or the first year of burgundy added a hole in the right side cover to access the rear damping adjuster with a screwdriver. I copied that with a Dremel on my black '91.
I'll think of more I'm sure.
Great work on the original post Paul. You pretty much hit everything I can recall. Sometime later I'll share my bank angle sensor moment.
I doubt if there are any of those around at least ones that have not gotten the recall repaired
OP
OP
Thanks again for everyone's input... I've updated it with several of the suggestions. Keep 'em coming...
DaveWooster
'95 ST1100ALS and '98 Standard ST1100W
There are three types of ST1100/A/P models. They are antilock ST1100A, police ST1100P, and standard ST1100 model.
Worldwide, at least one model type was offered every year from 1990 to 2003. When all the manufacturing smoke cleared, Honda had built twenty-nine combinations of model type and Honda model year (which is the year assigned to the ST at the factory).
Those twenty-nine type/year combinations have been put into a table form that displays on one page. For that table, see the Attachment here, taken from the last post in the nearby ST1100 technical thread called
"For a general overview: Talk model type, without much hype." Here is a link to that thread:
www.st-owners.com
The Attachment mentioned is at the bottom of this post.
If you want an overview table for North American markets, just delete the police ST1100P model type for Honda model years 1993, 1995, 1996 and 2000 from the attached World overview table. That leaves 25 model type/model year combinations for NA, namely 13 standard ST1100s, 11 ABS equipped ST1100As, and one 2003 police ST1100P model. (I'll try to post said NA overview table here as a second attachment.)
For an overview table of ST1100 Pan imports in Europe, start again with the attached World overview table; delete Honda model years 2001, 2002 and 2003 entirety; and then convert the remaining model years, 1990 to 2000, to year codes L through Y, for best results when talking across the Atlantic.
For an Australian overview table, start with the European overview just described; eliminate standard ST1100s for 1991 and 1992; eliminate antilock ST1100A models for 1992 thru 1994; eliminate the 1993 police ST1100P; and supplement all remaining model year codes, L and P thru Y, with year codes, 1990 and 1993 thru 2000, for best results. (Some Aussie States ignore the Honda model year; some do not.)
Back now to the North American imports, it is often said that 1991 was the first ST model year for the USA. Less often you will hear that 1990 was the first Honda ST model year for Canada. While both of those statements are true, you will seldom hear the reason behind them, which is:
American Honda apparently asked Honda manufacturing in Japan to intentionally mislabel the first 1508 ST1100s built for the USA as 1991. I say mislabel because those STs were built from the same (aside from national differences) parts list as the 1990 Canadian ST1100 model, which was being built at the same time. So those 1508 ST1100s "should have been" labeled as 1990 also, but they weren't. (Later, Honda built an additional 1006 USA 1991 STs which were "true" 1991, as were all 1991 Canadian STs.)
Worldwide, at least one model type was offered every year from 1990 to 2003. When all the manufacturing smoke cleared, Honda had built twenty-nine combinations of model type and Honda model year (which is the year assigned to the ST at the factory).
Those twenty-nine type/year combinations have been put into a table form that displays on one page. For that table, see the Attachment here, taken from the last post in the nearby ST1100 technical thread called
"For a general overview: Talk model type, without much hype." Here is a link to that thread:
For a general overview: Talk model type, without much hype. | ST1100 Related
If you cannot read all of this post because it is too dark, see below, the first post dated Tuesday, for my other copy of it. This is about all the STs in the 1100 Series. (This may not apply to the STs in the 1300 Series.) What we can call the model type of an ST in the 1100 Series describes...
If you want an overview table for North American markets, just delete the police ST1100P model type for Honda model years 1993, 1995, 1996 and 2000 from the attached World overview table. That leaves 25 model type/model year combinations for NA, namely 13 standard ST1100s, 11 ABS equipped ST1100As, and one 2003 police ST1100P model. (I'll try to post said NA overview table here as a second attachment.)
For an overview table of ST1100 Pan imports in Europe, start again with the attached World overview table; delete Honda model years 2001, 2002 and 2003 entirety; and then convert the remaining model years, 1990 to 2000, to year codes L through Y, for best results when talking across the Atlantic.
For an Australian overview table, start with the European overview just described; eliminate standard ST1100s for 1991 and 1992; eliminate antilock ST1100A models for 1992 thru 1994; eliminate the 1993 police ST1100P; and supplement all remaining model year codes, L and P thru Y, with year codes, 1990 and 1993 thru 2000, for best results. (Some Aussie States ignore the Honda model year; some do not.)
Back now to the North American imports, it is often said that 1991 was the first ST model year for the USA. Less often you will hear that 1990 was the first Honda ST model year for Canada. While both of those statements are true, you will seldom hear the reason behind them, which is:
American Honda apparently asked Honda manufacturing in Japan to intentionally mislabel the first 1508 ST1100s built for the USA as 1991. I say mislabel because those STs were built from the same (aside from national differences) parts list as the 1990 Canadian ST1100 model, which was being built at the same time. So those 1508 ST1100s "should have been" labeled as 1990 also, but they weren't. (Later, Honda built an additional 1006 USA 1991 STs which were "true" 1991, as were all 1991 Canadian STs.)
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DaveWooster
'95 ST1100ALS and '98 Standard ST1100W
I would add this site that had a lot of European and Australian ST1100 owners:
www.my-mc-phoenix.co.uk
(It was developed by Steinar Fremme of Norway and revived, with considerable archives, by a Dutchman, the late Pieter Huizinga.)
And this next one includes what I call global parts lists for almost all 29 combinations of ST1100 model type and model year. (The 29 or so lists there apply to ST1100s built for any and all of the 15 known ST1100 importing markets in the World.)
www.st-1100.com
I recommend just mentioning ST1100 items that are common to other bike models. (Your fine, initial post is getting lengthy enough, IMO.)
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OP
OP
Thanks for the input Dave. I've added those two sites.
DaveWooster
'95 ST1100ALS and '98 Standard ST1100W
It sounds as if you own an ST from the first vintage of North American STs. (You don't wish to share some of its VIN, or its month of build, do you?)
Your black paint is lacquer; later black ST paint was urethane.
Cycle World burned out the early ST clutch while testing, which I think led to clutch mods in about 1991 or 1992. (How is your clutch doing?)
I no longer own a 1991, so am not really motivated to make a list of changes between your black, and the subsequent silver STs.
If you report your bank angle sensor moment, it will be the first report I've heard directly from any bike owner, or from any ST1100 owner.
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Which digits would you like?
Fine after replacing the driven plates at about 40k mi. Just turned 88,888
Okay, since you asked. June 1995. I know for sure because I was on my way to Lake George, NY for Americade. Before moving to Oregon I lived in Vermont and was volunteer staff at the Americade rally running one of the guided mini-tours for 17 years. Before the recall I'd read reports of a problem with the bank angle sensor on both the ST1100 and GL1500. On the ST the sensor is located in the faring behind the clock. It consists of a pendulum in an oil damped housing which in the event of a tip over - or crash - would kill the ignition causing the engine to stop running. Defective materials allowed the oil to seep out and aggressive riding or hitting a bump in mid-corner could trip the sensor and shut off the engine unexpectedly (understatement), possibly leading to a crash.
As I said, I'd heard about this before, but I also read that in the event it did happen, all you had to do was turn the ignition key off, then back on, and the engine would start. Key piece of information. Tuck that away...
So, I was on my way to Lake George from Vermont toward the end of the day, shortly after it had turned dark. I was on Lakeshore Dr (Rt. 9N) which runs along the west shore of Lake George until it passes over Tongue Mountain between Sabbath Day Point and Bolton Landing. This is one of my all-time favorite roads. A road that I knew well and had no qualms about riding at supra-legal speeds any time of day. Well, I was healed over quite far doing at least 50 in the middle of a 30mph corner when I encountered the bump - nothing new, I'd hit the same bump many times with nary a wobble. But this time my engine died. I immediately pulled in the clutch as I recovered from the abrupt engine braking. I think the rear wheel even stepped out at least a foot; or so my calibrated sphincter told me so.
Now the bike is coasting at about 45mph - lights on, engine dead. And it's dark. I knew immediately what happened and remembered the remedy as I considered the short, precious stretch of straight road ahead of me. I reached for the ignition key and turned it off; immediately plunging me into total darkness. Turned it back on and hit the starter. Life! The engine lit, I released the clutch and was on my way. My shorts were thoroughly browned. All of this occurred in the span of about 4 or 5 seconds. There was much celebration of life after I arrived at my hotel (read; alcohol).
I took it easy until I found found out how to disable the sensor by jumping the connector. I reported the problem to my dealer. They were hesitant to order a replacement for fear of putting in another defective unit. Honda announced the recall within just a few days. They replaced it and I haven't had a problem since.
My black 91 has a build date of 3/90, so is this one of the 1508 mislabeled ones?
The 99 build date is 9/98
John OoSTerhuis
Life Is Good!
The USA 1991s have sleek three spoke front wheels. Other years have ugly ABS ring bosses cast in (drilled and tapped if an ABS model). Also, the early models (91-9{4?}) front wheels have 42mm wheel bearings versus the laters’ 47mm. And lastly, the 1991s are unique with the external crankcase breather chamber and water pump w/o through-port for a breather hose all other models use.
FWIW, my 1991 Sparking Silver Metallic ST1100, last four of VIN:’1946 (my birth year!), is stamped 10/90, so will be 30 in Oct this year!
John
FWIW, my 1991 Sparking Silver Metallic ST1100, last four of VIN:’1946 (my birth year!), is stamped 10/90, so will be 30 in Oct this year!
John
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DaveWooster
'95 ST1100ALS and '98 Standard ST1100W
This post is primarily for North Americans.
Attached is an overview table of all the ST1100/A/P models imported into Canada and into the two USA markets (which Honda calls California and 49-state).
For such STs, Honda assigned a model year and put that year in large digits on the VIN sticker. (I have also left the corresponding model year codes in the table even though North Americans do not generally speak of those codes.)
The second column lists all ST1100A ABS, with the ABS II in the upper half of the table, and ABS I in its lower half. (Red coloring is used there for the ABS type.)
The third column lists the Standard ST1100s. (Green coloring is used for them.)
What I might call the fourth column is for the police model in 2003. (Blue coloring is used for it, but there is only one police model, listed at the very top right of the table.)
The offerings for Canada and the USA were the same, with the following exceptions:
The one police model was imported only into the USA.
Canada received both 1990 and 1991 models; the USA received two 1991 models.
If I might simplify, the national differences were only that at least as much anti-smog stuff was put onto USA models as was put on Canadian.
Canada imported some green ST1100s, but I think they were built for Australia. I think they were all standard STs from the same model year. (To check, Aussie VINs start out JH2SC26U ....)
Zooming in now on model years 1992 through 2002, in the attached table:
* Two ABS models were imported per year (California and Canadian) thru 2002.
* Three standard ST1100 models per year (49 state, California and Canadian) through 2002.
* No police model during those years, or prior to them.
* By year 2001, American Honda had started calling the California, standard ST1100 the "50 state/California" model (or 50/California, for short).
[Source: American Honda's Model Identification Guide for 2001-2005.]
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DaveWooster
'95 ST1100ALS and '98 Standard ST1100W
Yes, your '91 is from the first vintage, which I call the 1990 Vintage. Can't tell if it is California or not. It could even be Canadian without seeing the eighth character in its VIN.
The 1999 has normal labeling. The bike and all of its parts were made in 1998.
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