Hondast1300

HONDA ST1300

RIDES 2K3

The waiting game is over

MARK HOYER

THEY SAY ANTICIPATION IS THE BEST PART. PART OF WHAT, we’re not sure, but the anticipation Honda ST 1300 buyers had before they finally got their long-awaited mounts had to be tough.

When Honda’s promised summertime delivery turned finally into late December, there were, no doubt, some unhappy people. Hopefully after a few long rides, they’ve cheered up.

We sure did. It was a pleasure to saddle up once again on this muscular and competent long-hauler and head out on the highway.

What took so long? Well, the ST 1300 hit the streets of Europe long before the scheduled stateside rollout, and during that time a couple of freaky things happened-like some oil pans got bashed open. Apparently, the pan shape made it vulnerable to certain unusual obstacles (curbs, loading ramps), so rather than have a possible safety issue on its hands, American Honda decided to fix the STs before they were released here. Also, in response to radiant-heat complaints, various under-tank “heat-guard mats” were fitted, and additional fairing vents were added (in the formerly enclosed “tip-over wings”), both meant to keep you cooler.

Okay, so the oil pan we didn’t know was vulnerable now isn’t vulnerable, and our ankles have cooled considerably, even if the tank still gets pretty warm. But what about the EFI hiccup, that snap of abruptness from off-throttle to on that mars the otherwise superbly polished surface that is the ST 1300? Perhaps if the rest of the bike weren’t so overridingly competent and damn integrated, we wouldn’t complain about this so loudly.

Other news? Perhaps the biggest concerning the ST 1300 is Yamaha’s FJR1300, as in the tuning-fork folks are rolling out a new-and-improved version for 2004. Same overmuscled powerplant, but anti-lock brakes become an option, a storage bin is added to the fairing and in response to our greatest complaint about the F JR, Yamaha has fitted a larger windscreen to reduce buffeting and wind noise. No word on price for the early-release ’04 or how much the ABS will cost, but the current FJR’s $11,499 leaves some wiggle room before matching the $12,999 of Honda’s non-ABS ST and the $14,499 of the ABS model (which also adds an electrically adjustable windscreen).

Honda was mum about future ST mods, and options available in Europe such as the stereo and CD changer still aren’t part of the list in the U.S.

Toss in the new BMW K1200GT with its impressive array of standard features, and optional niceties such as a GPS nav system, and clearly the heat is on. Even if our ankles are cooler.