Building an ST1300 from the ground up.

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71
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Hereford, AZ
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2020 Moto guzzi V85T
I know this is not a tire thread but I am considering going with the T30 on my ST1300. I am on my second set of T30's on my st1100 and got over 9000 miles out of the first. I run it pretty hard and was very pleased with the overall performance and wear of the tires. I have PR3's on the 1300 and really do not like the way the feel. They feel how can I put this squirmy although the wear seems good. I have over 9000 miles on the PR3s and there are several thousand left but the feel of the tire is not really to my liking. I am running 42/42 psi on the PR3s and 38f and 42r on the T30s.
 
OP
OP
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Apr 11, 2013
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148
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Out in the garage.
Finally got around to moving the coils from their stock locations to under the tank. It really cleaned things up and it even runs a little better, probably due to the new wires.

 

SupraSabre

48 Years of SoCal Lane Splitting/Commuting-Retired
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Nov 20, 2005
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9,499
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Cedar City, Utah
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12/04 ST 1300s
2024 Miles
000145
STOC #
5901
Finally got around to moving the coils from their stock locations to under the tank. It really cleaned things up and it even runs a little better, probably due to the new wires.


Old thread, but my oldest son was poking around on Pinterest and started talking about this build.

So, any updates on the bike? still running good?
 
OP
OP
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
148
Location
Out in the garage.
Long time no post!

The bike is still running fantastic and continues to blow the minds of those that ride it. About a month ago, I did the valve clearance check. You guys are going to hate me for this, but start to finish, it took me 52 minutes. Easiest damn bike to work on that I've ever owned, period. :)

I stopped riding on June 13th last year due to a string of extremely close calls that made me question the risk vs. reward of riding. I won't go into the details, but at one point, I was seriously considering just pulling over and calling someone to come get me with a trailer because I was not sure if the universe was going to let me survive the ride. It was that bad.

I've been out on the bike a few times this year, but it's just not the same. I keep finding myself asking aloud "why are you doing this?" in the helmet as I ride. I know I said a few years ago that I was taking a break, but that was due to being burned out on the maintenance side of keeping six bikes up and going plus building this project. This time it's different. This is about the ride itself. The spark hasn't gone out, but it's certainly dimmed. Instead of looking forward to throwing the leathers on and meeting up with the guys on a Saturday, it feels like I'm just going through the motions and while I don't ride scared, I fear the cages a lot more now. Maybe my time with bikes is coming to a close and this project was my swan song. Maybe I just need a few years off.

Either way, I do not intend to sell the bike, and do intend to finish what I started, and that does include the GL1800 swing arm swap talked about years ago, as well as the power adders and the cosmetic end of things. I just don't know when that will be now. I do promise that any developments will be posted as they come. :)
 

BakerBoy

It's all small stuff.
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Jan 31, 2008
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Golden, Colorado
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52 minutes?! Shame that you don't have to invest much into that effort!! :D

...
I stopped riding on June 13th last year due to a string of extremely close calls that made me question the risk vs. reward of riding. I won't go into the details, but at one point, I was seriously considering just pulling over and calling someone to come get me with a trailer because I was not sure if the universe was going to let me survive the ride. It was that bad.

I've been out on the bike a few times this year, but it's just not the same. I keep finding myself asking aloud "why are you doing this?" in the helmet as I ride. I know I said a few years ago that I was taking a break, but that was due to being burned out on the maintenance side of keeping six bikes up and going plus building this project. This time it's different. This is about the ride itself. The spark hasn't gone out, but it's certainly dimmed. Instead of looking forward to throwing the leathers on and meeting up with the guys on a Saturday, it feels like I'm just going through the motions and while I don't ride scared, I fear the cages a lot more now. Maybe my time with bikes is coming to a close and this project was my swan song. Maybe I just need a few years off.
....
This thread may represent your thoughts as well: https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?152393-Riding-in-our-present-day
 
OP
OP
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
148
Location
Out in the garage.
52 minutes?! Shame that you don't have to invest much into that effort!! :D
I almost did it twice just to make you feel better. ;)

Yeah, that thread has some good points. I can't really put my finger on it, nor have I really given much thought. The bikes just haven't been talking to me, really.
 
Joined
Aug 8, 2015
Messages
471
Location
CT USA
Bike
07 ST1300
Long time no post!

The bike is still running fantastic and continues to blow the minds of those that ride it. About a month ago, I did the valve clearance check. You guys are going to hate me for this, but start to finish, it took me 52 minutes. Easiest damn bike to work on that I've ever owned, period. :)

I stopped riding on June 13th last year due to a string of extremely close calls that made me question the risk vs. reward of riding. I won't go into the details, but at one point, I was seriously considering just pulling over and calling someone to come get me with a trailer because I was not sure if the universe was going to let me survive the ride. It was that bad.

I've been out on the bike a few times this year, but it's just not the same. I keep finding myself asking aloud "why are you doing this?" in the helmet as I ride. I know I said a few years ago that I was taking a break, but that was due to being burned out on the maintenance side of keeping six bikes up and going plus building this project. This time it's different. This is about the ride itself. The spark hasn't gone out, but it's certainly dimmed. Instead of looking forward to throwing the leathers on and meeting up with the guys on a Saturday, it feels like I'm just going through the motions and while I don't ride scared, I fear the cages a lot more now. Maybe my time with bikes is coming to a close and this project was my swan song. Maybe I just need a few years off.

Either way, I do not intend to sell the bike, and do intend to finish what I started, and that does include the GL1800 swing arm swap talked about years ago, as well as the power adders and the cosmetic end of things. I just don't know when that will be now. I do promise that any developments will be posted as they come. :)
I had one bad day about 30 years ago and I decided I was no longer willing to crash. I HAD been willing to crash for may years. I sold my superbike and got a BMW R60/6. Enjoyed that a while at a sedate pace then just kinda gave it up.
Fast forward and I am back riding big bikes at a sporting pace, but still unwilling to crash. We lifetime bikers have a sixth sense about what is around us and that never goes away. That is NOT a guarantee we won't get squished by some blue haired old lady but it helps.
I have the Flu and forgot my point. Good luck!
 
OP
OP
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
148
Location
Out in the garage.
Hey guys, just a roughly two year anniversary of the first ride update...

I finally- FINALLY- got around to fixing the tail. If you go back to page 19, you'll see some electrical tape covering a huge hole I butchered in the tail in my tail light experimentations. Shortly after I did that, and before the bike was on the road, I bought a Hotbodies fiberglass tail that's just been sitting ever since. So last week, I was bored and grabbed the full face gas mask and Dremel and had a go with integrating the tail light in the new tail.

The hole's been cut, and as I find time and desire, I'll JB putty and bondo french the light in to the fairing. Pics when it's done. In the mean time, I've been rediscovering and getting silly with this li'l *******...

View attachment 175892

View attachment 175893

View attachment 175894

I cannot express how much more fun a YZ85 is with the addition of 17's and 125GP slicks.
 

paulcb

- - - Tetelestai - - - R.I.P. - 2022/05/26
Rest In Peace
Joined
Jun 4, 2013
Messages
4,652
Location
Celina, TX
Bike
'97/'01 ST1100 ABSII
STOC #
8735
Any chance the OP could post a few new pics and/or videos? Seems 99% of the existing ones are missing. I'd just like to see a couple during the build and a few after.

Thanks!
 
Joined
Apr 23, 2017
Messages
101
Location
Nantahala
Bike
2008 ST1300 ABS
I have a feeling he's gone because the last post I see was in 2016. None of the links to anything work for me. But here's what it might have looked like??? :confused:
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jan 31, 2018
Messages
27
Location
Cumbrian lake district
Bike
07 ST1300
Mandrake's last activity according to the site was in January of this year.
I'd like to see some pic's because I've got the idea to do something similar and it would be good to see what Mandrake accomplished.
 
Joined
Jun 30, 2015
Messages
29
Location
Dardanelle, AR
Bike
2006 ST1300
STOC #
8957
Has anyone had any contact with this member, here or otherwise? I am in the process of doing a similar build and would love to pick his brain.....I did converse with him once by PM here and sent him another PM today. Hope he responds......... Here are the two bikes I intend to use.......Bodywork, bits and pieces and front end from a 2007 Yamaha FZ1.
ST build.jpg
 
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