known st1300 problems

[maurice]

Hello all. Not looking to buy for awhile but like to do my homework ahead of time. I will read many posts here, but wonder if you could tell me if there are know problems with this bike, not older versions than 05, but from there on up to current models.
Would like to sit taller, more comfort for longer rides. thanks


maurice

thanks

 

[STDaveNW]

Only that it has dashing my ability to dream. There are not a lot of better all around bikes on the market at any price.

 

[okckeith]

I bought mine new Apr. 2007. I bought the four year extended warranty for around 500.00. It is unlimited milage. And transferable. I have had one warranty issue. It was a 20.00 brake light switch. That was after 31,000 miles. I had a 1500 Goldwing before I bought the 07 ST1300. I can ride the ST just as far. And it is so much more fun to ride!
And the best part of all! Is all the help and wonderful people, that I have met on this site since!

 

[NoBull]

Mine has a few issues you should be aware of before you buy. The bike has a nasty habit of making you ride farther than you planned. Pretty soon all you will think about is going for your next ride. So be careful what you wish for.

I have had zero issues with mine, the original seat was a torture chamber. I changed handlebar risors because the stock position was a little far forward for me. T stat sticking at 20 or 30 k miles is common. Valve checks every 15k miles is about the only real expense, besides general maintenance and tires.

 

[sennister]

The biggest thing you will probably read about is that the Thermostat seems to fail early. Once it is replaced though the second one lasts longer. Other than that, they keep running out of gas every 300 miles or so.

 

[lmckee]

Welcome! I was riding an '07 Shadow Sabre when I joined, and I really liked that bike, until I rented an ST and went riding around Tennessee one weekend. Somewhere between being amazed at how well the big beast handled in a wet parking lot to the first time I passed an 18 wheeler on a 2 lane country road, I knew I'd have to sell the Shadow. ;-)

As some have noted here, these things are addictive, and beg to be customized!

You will find a great group of riders, whose primary interest is riding, not what you ride.

Lynn

 

[roginoz]

There are no problems that are deal killers. Anything that comes up is easily dealt with.

 

[maurice]

thanks for the great and "wanted to hear" comments.
I met last night with a few kaw. concours owners for group dinner. went to parking lot to look at bikes. Group organizer said" yeah, i rode an st1300 and why i didn't want it is it was too quiet, bland" . I said I love quiet and bland, as long as it is dependable and strong acceleration.
My buddy who rides a bmw r1150r said later, those concours when they have a few years on them look horrible. bad paint or something. I think he is right. I said I must find some older st1300 and see if it keeps it's appearance up.

maurice

 

[Geoff]

One of the problems with the ST is you get to meet police officers more often than you would like. The bike has an affinity to get to triple digits very quickly and the "unsuspecting" rider is sometimes rewarded for his efforts.

 

[LeeMan]

From what I've read and experienced these are the most common issues:

* thermostate sticking
* electric windshield gears stripping
* misc coolant leaks
* rear wheel bearing failure
* bike pulls to the right
* high speed wobble
* high heat from engine

Not all ST's have these issues and it's a great commuter.

 

[dduelin]

Maurice,

I live in Jacksonville and would be happy to get with you for a ride. Sunday morning I'm meeting a few friends in Gainesville for coffee. Maybe you would like to ride along with me and you can check out my bike and some of the others. Likely to be BMW heavy as it is a group I met through BMW Northeast Florida but all marques are welcome. PM me with a phone number if you like.

 

[kckbiker]

Nobody has mentioned coolant leaks yet. That's very common. The hose clamps come loose. That and the thermostat seem to be high runners. Other "issues" are rare.

The "pull to the right" problem affects about a third of the bikes, if I remember correctly from a pole done a while back. It'll be obvious on a test ride.

 

[dduelin]

I believe most pulling to the right problems would be fixed when the front wheel is installed in the correct sequence. That's my experience anyway. Poll of one.

 

[Blrfl]

* thermostate sticking

Can't argue with that one.

* electric windshield gears stripping

Keeping it lubed helps.

* misc coolant leaks

Many seem to be clamp-related. It's fixable. Failures in the water pump mechanical seal have been seen, but not so many that I'd call it a common problem.

* rear wheel bearing failure

Haven't had that one either. I'm a little puzzled about why some fail and others don't.

* bike pulls to the right

Known to be caused by dealers not installing the front axle according to the set-up procedure. It's 10 minutes to fix.

* high speed wobble

The wobble is seen a lot more in Europe than here for some reason. This shouldn't be confused with the way the bike behaves in the dirty air coming off a truck.

* high heat from engine

That one's subjective. It's a large engine, and proper gear seems to provide enough insulation. I used to ride in jeans and didn't find it all that bad, even on hundred-degree days.

--Mark

 

[maurice]

Maurice,

I live in Jacksonville and would be happy to get with you for a ride. Sunday morning I'm meeting a few friends in Gainesville for coffee. Maybe you would like to ride along with me and you can check out my bike and some of the others. Likely to be BMW heavy as it is a group I met through BMW Northeast Florida but all marques are welcome. PM me with a phone number if you like.

WOOHOO! PM SENT.

maurice

 

[Nevada]

* thermostate sticking - CHECK
* electric windshield gears stripping - CHECK this is the Warranty Justifier!!!
* misc coolant leaks - ONE TIME SHOT. Essentially a "breaking in" matter.
* rear wheel bearing failure
* bike pulls to the right - huh?
* high speed wobble - Never experienced even in triple digits, two up with trailer.
* high heat from engine - varies by bike, and by your definition of "high heat". Legitimate complaint, but not a mechanical/breakdown issue, simply a comfort/tolerance issue. Like the seat.

The first three are the most common, #1 & #2 are, 8 years into the production of the bike, inexcusable from Honda. #2 wouldn't actually be that big of a deal, except that to restore functionality when the $5 plastic worm gear strips, you have to replace the entire mechanism at a cost upwards of $400!!! Honda simply doesn't make the parts available separately. Thermostat sticking, only because Honda is too pigheaded to re-spec the cheap crappy t-stat and use a decent one. These two failings really ding that "legendary Honda engineering and constant improvement" myth.

 

[maurice]

* thermostate sticking - CHECK
* electric windshield gears stripping - CHECK this is the Warranty Justifier!!!
* misc coolant leaks - ONE TIME SHOT. Essentially a "breaking in" matter.
* rear wheel bearing failure
* bike pulls to the right - huh?
* high speed wobble - Never experienced even in triple digits, two up with trailer.
* high heat from engine - varies by bike, and by your definition of "high heat". Legitimate complaint, but not a mechanical/breakdown issue, simply a comfort/tolerance issue. Like the seat.

The first three are the most common, #1 & #2 are, 8 years into the production of the bike, inexcusable from Honda. #2 wouldn't actually be that big of a deal, except that to restore functionality when the $5 plastic worm gear strips, you have to replace the entire mechanism at a cost upwards of $400!!! Honda simply doesn't make the parts available separately. Thermostat sticking, only because Honda is too pigheaded to re-spec the cheap crappy t-stat and use a decent one. These two failings really ding that "legendary Honda engineering and constant improvement" myth.

And I thought the bmw boxer problem with rear drive was a bummer. that is quite a list. So to clarify, I am assuming you are saying
1. the windshield gear stripping is result of just moving it up and down. Ok I won't move it.
2. coolant leak. Easy one time fix? cheap?
3. rear wheel bearing failure. under warranty, early mileage?
4. pull to right. ?
5. wobble. i read all about the easy fix on the forum to reinstall front wheel correctly.
6. heat. i don't like being hot, but hey, if it's hot outside...

The concours i think i have just about eliminated from the selection process because of "fit and finish". It seems to me older models really look bad, the ones I've seen. Can't put my finger on it. Paint, cheap plastic ?

maurice

 

[dduelin]

If you believe the internet all ST's have these problems but out of thousands out there not all do. I had a sticking thermostat and one time it pulled to the right after a new front tire. I replaced the thermostat with another crappy OEM one 60,000 miles ago and got on with life. I read the manual and reinstalled the front wheel correctly and fixed that problem when it occurred. Mine weaves occasionally over 120 - 135 mph but I rarely ride that fast and even when it does it's not a front end wobble or tankslapper that comes on quickly and builds in amplitude without warning. It's a weave not a wobble. Simply back off a few mph and come at it again or ride through it. My overall experience is great for an 80,000 mile motorcycle.

 

[Blrfl]

If you believe the internet all ST's have these problems but out of thousands out there not all do.

What he said. On the whole, the ST (either of 'em) is a solid bike. and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

1. the windshield gear stripping is result of just moving it up and down. Ok I won't move it.

Move it all you like; just make sure you go in once every year or two and get the exposed bits cleaned and lubed. Again, it's not a common problem.

2. coolant leak. Easy one time fix? cheap?

Most of us who've had the problem live in colder climes where our bikes sit idle over the winter. Being in Florida, you're less likely to have this problem. But if you do, it's not a problem that will leave you stranded at the side of the road and can be fixed for about $30 in constant-torque hose clamps when you have the bike apart to change the coolant. (That's my preferred fix, anyway. Honda just picked clamps that lose their grip over time.)

The concours i think i have just about eliminated from the selection process because of "fit and finish". It seems to me older models really look bad, the ones I've seen.

If by "older" you mean the ZG model, those bikes are a product of the mid-1980s, which is a completely different era as motorcycles go. I haven't spent much time around the new ones, so I can't comment on how well it's built.

--Mark

 

[maurice]

I guess the noted problems and fixes seem not too bad, except the "chestnuts roasting on an open fire". I havn't read all posts on the fix, but wraping the engine doesn't to me seem like a good idea. I really appreciate the posts, and look forward to riding with dave in the morning.

maurice

update: I read on this forum removing the inner cowl fairing works pretty well. I like that.