St1300
ST1300
Europeans invented sport-touring. What's their take on the new Honda?
MATTHEW MILES
DELAYS ARE AN UNfortunate fact of life. Freeway logjams add eons to your already protracted commute. Maxed-out super-market checkout lines spill into the produce section. Doctor visits alleged to take 20 minutes last hours...
Such setbacks are no less common-or frustrating-in the world of motorcycles. For example, the much talked-up Honda ST1300, replacement for the decade-old ST1100. While officially tabbed a 2003 model, it will be in showrooms this fall. Foreign journos sampled the Euro-spec model, called the STX1300 Pan European, in France this past May. The latest issues of the leading overseas mags are bursting with glossy pics and mostly upbeat descriptors of the redone sport-tourer.
Stateside, all ain’t so rosy. Our bags were already packed when American Honda unexpectedly postponed plans for the V-Four’s U.S. debut in posh Santa Barbara, California, leaving the magazine with blank pages to fill. Quick! E-mail our pals at Bike in England, Motorrad in Germany and Tut to Moto in Italy for their impressions of the bike. Okay, so overseas how’d-it-goes aren’t exactly the equivalent of a firsthand, butt-in-the-saddle review, but the following excerpts nonetheless shed some light on the bike and help to position it within the marketplace. Anyway, on to the (apparently soggy) South of France...
“There are motorcycles that live a number of years without aging,” began Tutto Moto's report. “The original Pan European was one of these, for 10 years doing a great job as one of the fastest, most comfortable GT bikes. But now, the time has come for a change. And it’s not just a mere facelift. Styling is radically new, with hints of the X-Wing showbike, though as on its predecessor the full fairing leaves its cylinder heads poking out, and the two thick plastic ‘fins’ on the lower panels are still with us, ready to protect the bodywork in the case of a tip-over.”
Added Bike, “This may be an allnew bike, but the fundamentals are pure Pan European. Mount a big V-Four north-south between two wheels and you can’t stray too far anyway, there just isn’t the Space.” y^^
That trademark 90-degree engine now displaces 1281cc, courtesy of increases in both bore and stroke. H It’s fuel-injected, too. In Europe, i claimed output is 126 horsepowà er at 8000 rpm and 92 footJ ÁI pounds of torque at 6000 rpm, f versus American Honda’s declarations of 116 blip and . Aí
85 ft.-lbs. Maybe the Euros are taking readings at the crank, Jr
while the U.S. figures are at the rear wheel? Whatever, our last
... j * ST 1100 testbike made 94 rearwheel bhp at 7250 rpm, with ■ 77 ft.-lbs. at 5500 rpm.
W: M “In addition to shrinking its
m overall dimensions,” reported .... . Tutto Moto, “the WmJ/r motor gets a i
/ repositioned Æ mi,, Â crankshaft, Jr ¿sÆk lowered 3/4 of an inch. But the real novelty concerns the twin counterbalancer shafts. No vibration is perceivable at any rpm.” Bike agreed. “With a whispering exhaust and a complete % absence of seat vibration, only a shimmy through the bars lets you know the new V-Four is alive. Whacking open the Pan brings about instant but ordinary acceleration that’s so predictable, you feel you’ve ridden the bike in a previous life. The V-Four may not be a gear-driven, hand-built RCmonikered testament to HRC ’ s engineering prowess in the mold of the RC30 or RC45, but it is soulful. The 1100 has a blotch-free reliability record, and there’s every reason to suppose this one will be the same.” Also new are the aluminum frame and swingarm, upgraded suspension and a shorter wheelbase-58.7 inches, down from 61.2-all of which help improve handling. Said Motorrad,
“The suspension is responsive and comfortable, and the STX offers excellent handling in the face of its ample weight. This 650-plus-pound luxuryliner tackles even switchbacks with surprising agility.”
Bike's attendee was blown away, too-and not just by the foul weather!
“On nirvana mountain roads that God laid down in His RVF400 days, the STX was a revelation. Not once did I curse its bulk or suspension or doubt its grip. The big Honda just tumed-in easily, leaned way over and drove out without squat or shaft-drive twist. The shaft is worth a mention simply because you otherwise wouldn’t know it was there.
Doing without any BMW Paralever complexity, the unit is immaculately behaved.”
Stability, however, was a bit of a question mark, at least for the autobahn junkies at Motorrad. “Even at the French speed limit of 80 mph, the Pan European gets on one’s nerves through ceaseless tilting around the roll axis. And on country roads taken hard, the oscillations are intensified by uneven ground. A small complaint about a motorcycle with otherwise ideal rideability.” Neither Bike nor Tutto Moto commented on the trait.
Mostly high marks for the linked binders. “The braking department deserves special note,” wrote Tutto Moto, “because it proved super-effective, particularly on the ABS-equipped edition. It is the most effective setup in the class, ensuring total control, with no risk of lock-up even in tough conditions.”
Added Motorrad, “For medium deceleration, moderate hand pressure
alone suffices, but if the wants to stop abruptly, then the strength of an old sea dog is required. A combination of lever and pedal offers ideal stopping power with minimal exertion.”
Bike was likewise impressed. “The brakes are just plain good, feeling oddly sharper on the non-ABS model. That said, the anti-lock system never intrudes in normal riding, which it shouldn’t.
The traction-control system of the ST 1100 has been dropped. Apparently, riders didn’t consider it worth the added weight, cost and complexity.” Adjustable ergonomics are another significant area of change brought on at the request of the legion of ST owners. “The rider’s seat is adjustable vertically three ways and slides in the two upper positions simultaneously to the rear, so that almost anyone can find an ideal sitting position,” noted Motorrad. “The powerplant was moved farther forward, thanks to more compact chains rather than the previous toothed belts driving the four cams. Further modifications shrank the engine’s length by nearly 2'/2 inches. For this reason, the rider is enthroned, regardless of saddle height, closer to the handlebar than on the old ST.”
Tutto Moto: “The ST 1100 was known for its rational ergonomics, but the STX 1300 goes one notch farther.
Setting the seat in its lowest position makes the bike easier to handle at lower speeds. It also gives a greater feeling of togetherness with the bike, without sacrificing one bit of leg comfort for 6-footers. It took only a few miles to feel fully comfortable on the big sport-tourer.”
Has Honda squelched the wind noise associated with the earlier version?
“On the ABS model, with its motordriven screen, yes,” says Bike. “You can find silence, but the price is looking through the screen. Which sounds fine until the drizzle falls, and visibility goes all North Sea. It’s distracting and uncomfortable peering through the grime. I found myself laying the thumb-actuated screen down low and out of sight on proper roads and raising it up in the dull stuff, at which point it cut out wind noise like closing an air lock. The manual screen requires some work with a screwdriver to adjust and obviously can’t be set on the move.” Anyway, weather protection shouldn’t be a concern, even in terrible conditions as at the press launch. Tutto Moto: “The wind that stormed across the road was so strong that one had to compensate by leaning the bike against it, while a monsoon-style rain poured down with a vengeance. Yet I was all smiles inside my rainsuit: The new Pan European made everything easy, and this early test run in such horrible weather proved to be the final confirmation.”
Overall, then, a winner? Absolutely, said Tutto Moto. “The STX plays the intermediate role between the Gold Wing and Interceptor, possibly offering the best compromise between long-haul comfort and performance.”
Ditto Motorrad. “The Honda really comes through, even in the worst weather conditions. Yet all these features, the excellent comfort and the exemplary wind protection come at a price: $14,499 U.S. for the ABS version ($12,999 for the standard model).” Okay, but what of the Honda’s leading competition, the new Yamaha FJR1300? “Not once was the FJR1300 mentioned,” wrote Bike. “Talk was of the odd BMW and a couple of other Hondas, namely VFR and Gold Wing. Maybe the omission was deliberate and justified-younger buyer, different objectives. Maybe it was a move to avoid some awkward questions. Questions like why the bigger V-Four Honda still can’t arm wrestle the Yamaha.”
Shootout, anyone?
