Report Abuse

Report this review to the Review Centre Team

Here at Review Centre we work hard to make sure we are the best place on the internet for honest, unbiased consumer reviews - we are grateful for your help in keeping us that way!

1740233

Why are you reporting this review?

If you represent this business why not claim your page by creating a Free Business Account where you will receive improved review monitoring functionality.


★★★★★

“If this is the last bike I own I will be happy.”

written by Seroom on 25/10/2012

Having read a few reviews I felt compelled to add my own experience. The ST1300 Pan European makes Sport touring affordable for the average bloke and bloke’ess.

I was not in the market for a new bike at the time having just done a major suspension upgrade on my VS1400. However I had my eye on the ST1300 for about 5 years. Then Honda decided to have a sale on a number of their models the St1300 being one of them. Went for a look, took the bike and wife for a test ride and she said yes, what's a fella to do.

A lot of people complain about the lack of this and that but if you are into all the gadgets then go for the BMW and expect to pay $20k more. However I prefer the slightly bare bones approach and then you get to have some fun adding a little bit of this and that. As soon as I placed the order including cost and fitting of the heated grips, I was online sourcing top box and bar riser. Soon after I added the Stebel air horn and a power adapter in the glove box. So all up the total bike cost me a little over $21k less than half the BMW 1200 and it does everything the Beemer does.

Handling: I am a modest rider so I will never experience the rumoured speed weave. At a moderate pace the bike will take every corner without having to back off or take a radical racing line. The suspension is capable of two up with luggage and neither of us are light weights. In peak traffic I can do a walking pace and at times almost stand still with the bike balanced easily. In the rain it will keep both of us mostly dry without the need for extra gear. The stock screen is adequate to silence all helmet wind noise in full up position.

Range: I love it when I go out riding with my Harley mates and they are all looking out for the next gas stop "...aren't you filling up?", "naaah I've got another 300km in the tank, I’ll get there and back." "... crikey what ya riding a super tanker!!"

We recently did a 700km trip and the journey home was in the rain with a constant side wind of about 100kph, she was rough, but the tyres never lost grip once and the bike was very easy to read and conteract the gusts. I never felt my wife flinch once so she felt secure (at last). The bike is better in the sidewind two up but that is fairly common.

Her only complaint in the beginning was that she did not feel as safe. This was due to her being higher and the bike being more nimble and quicker on the corners with a bit more lean and quicker brakes than the old one. It took a bit of convincing that we are actually safer in the long run. So I backed off on the riding style a bit and then gradually added it back in, no more knee clamps from the back seat.

The ST1300 In short it is a pleasure to ride. It is a highbred of all the other sport tours on the market at an unbeatable price. Not as sporty as the GTR1400 but sporty enough, not as aggressive looking as the FJR1300 but just hiding it under a nice curvy body kit, not as tricked up as the Beemer but for a few extra dollars you can add the tricks you prefer and spend the difference on petrol.

I'll be keeping this one a very long time.

Cheers

Was this review helpful? 0 0