ST1100 and splitting lanes

So I currently have a Shadow Spirit. Which I love. I am, however looking at a ST1100. I drive about 80 miles in California traffic everyday. The Shadow is great and is easy to use in slow traffic and while splitting lanes. Does anyone have experience doing this on either an ST1100 or ST1300? How does the bike do? Thanks!

The mirrors on the ST1100 are about level with the side mirrors on most cars. On the ST1100 it seems more tricky than most other bikes because you're always close to bashing someone's mirror with yours. I have a gash on my right mirror where that happened many years ago. It knocked the mirror out of the mount, no big deal since there's a retaining strap (plus the wiring) and the mount just snaps into the fairing, its not bolted in. So I just popped it back into the fairing at the next red light. If you plan on splitting traffic daily with the bike, I'd say that's a negative against the ST1100.

Thanks dwalby. Yeah that is what I was thinking. Bummer.

As stated before by dwalby, the ST's mirrors and their covers, unfortunately seem to be at the same height as the side mirrors of most modern cars.
When first changing from a Honda CBR600R to my ST1100, the problem is one of judging the gap distance and getting used to the extra width of the ST1100.
Once you get used to the width of the ST Honda and judge the gaps between lanes of traffic to suit, filtering on any of the ST's is no more a problem than with any other bike.
While the mirror covers of the ST's 'pop off' on most impacts, saving them from damage most times, (sometimes just requiring a quick touch up with a dab of paint and a polish) - you'll find that car mirrors don't fair so well - thus getting car owners/drivers somewhat upset.
Think in the first few months of riding my ST1100, I had to stop, get the details from the car drivers and pay for about a dozen of so car mirrors.
Haven't clipped any car side mirrors for about 6 years now.

Flip said:

While the mirror covers of the ST's 'pop off' on most impacts, saving them from damage most times, (sometimes just requiring a quick touch up with a dab of paint and a polish) - you'll find that car mirrors don't fair so well - thus getting car owners/drivers somewhat upset.

Click to expand...

I would think so....Maybe if you grease your mirror covers and ride faster? How about jumping the bike OVER car mirrors like that Japanese Police Bike Video elsewhere on this site?

In my 9 years of splitting traffic on a ST1300, I have only had a few "encounters" that involved my mirrors. Only one hard enough to knock off the cover (no damage).

While I can't speak for the ST1100, the ST1300 is a great commuter bike (best I ever had). It is extremely agile in tight traffic. And yes the mirrors do match up with autos, but like I said, in the 235K miles I've put on ST1300s (many of those miles commuting between Murrieta and La Jolla), the mirrors cause no issues for me!

Oh yeah, one other thing. If you're going to split, add a Headlight Modulator! It is just amazing how people will move over to let you by!

I live and ride in Los Angeles (LA) and have owned/ridden both the ST1100 and ST1300 in LA traffic.
Both bikes are heavy and wide, too wide and heavy for serious lane splitting duties.
I committed via motorcycle for 30+ years in LA traffic, my bikes of choice; the Honda Nighthawk. Put 98K miles an my 1985 700S, and 78K on my 1992 CB750 Nighthawk.
Other bikes I've commuted on; Suzuki V-Strom 650 and Bandit 1200/S, Honda VFR750 and VFR800.
TINK
http://www.photosbytink.com/rockstorephotos/

Just before you're about to hit the car mirrors, tap the front brakes, the nose comes down and your mirrors sail under the car mirrors. Timing is crucial!

Old dispatch rider trick.

The Goldwing is a little wider than the 1100 and the 1300, plus the mirror covers do not pop off when bumped.... guess that's why all the cages gave me a wide birth when I split lanes while visiting California! Really, it seems they checked their mirrors and when they saw me, they opened up and almost "invited" me to split! Maybe they were just being nice???

mrpinkshadow said:

I drive about 80 miles in California traffic everyday.
...
Does anyone have experience doing this on either an ST1100 or ST1300?

Click to expand...

I'm inclined on suggesting to also have a look at "big scoots"... despite the auto-tranny, some 600~700cc models haul *** at traffic lights, literally... also free-way/I-state riding comfort and weather protection aren't that bad... excellent gas mileage, insurance and tax might be another argument...
Cons:
their short wheelbase and small wheels (good for scurrying through dense traffic though) might make the buffeting/wake of semis, RVs, etc... a bit too noticeable...
limited payload space...
visually not impressive/less noticeable by other traffic participants...
not the ideal choice of some serious w/e touring with pillion an luggage...
I would not like to get hit by a car on them... a rear tourer line an ST does provide better impact protection due the fairing, panniers, etc...

Comparing the 1100 with the 1300 in dense urban traffic, I'd actually prefer the old 1100...
visually its appearing more "massive", therefore better seen/recognised/accepted by drivers (the stance of the 1300 seems to suggest "scooter", so drivers don't take it as serious...)
especially at low speeds the 1100 handles more stoic, more stable, untouched by longitudinal grooves/steps in the deck (seams, gaps, tar snakes, white-lines...), so less risk of a sudden, unintended side-"jolt" just while passing by stopped cars in close proximity...
The mirrors are the widest part of the bike, if they fit though, so will crash bars and panniers...
Better visualization of head- and especially: tail-lights/rear turn-signals...
Black anodized end weights and clutch/brake levers won't cause flashy reflections in the rear-views during daytime...
Easier access to side- and main-stand pegs... (the 1300 gives me a hard time to sort them out...)

I have commuted from my home into London (England) , a round trip of about 85 miles for nye on 19 years using various ST1100's. I think with leave , snow and sick days that works out at around 8 times round the world so far.

Each way I have 10 miles which are approximately suburban single carriage way, 28 miles fast(ish) dual carriage way, which is always stuffed and slow moving during the commute and the remainder , city traffic through an environment designed for Horse Buses, infested with cyclists, black cabs and construction traffic. A two block war where you can rarely get out of 1st gear

That said the '11 is an extremely easy bike to ride slowly , I can get down to a slow walking speed and stay 'feet on pegs'. Head up, feathering clutch and rear brake you can go where you aim it and between 5-10 mph is money for jam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-BDrAxjAFI

Any number of clips on You tube, but I suppose that Ride-like a pro, is as good as any other.

Perhaps the wing mirrors are the same height as many modern cars, but so what ? It will help keep you honest and awake.

I take the view that I am getting to and from work, I am not blue-lighting it nor am i being pursued by the agents of Hydra , so a 2 minute variation on when I get there really makes no never mind. The success is eating your tea at the end of the day, not breaking your personal best. And I can honestly say that 99 times out of 100 , hanging back and letting the picture develop for a couple of minutes more has invariable led to safe passing opportunity opening up.

At the risk of sounding like Dirty Harry : do you really trust yourself and others to travel consistently at speed through a dynamic envelope that is less than 6 inches wider on either side than the width of your shoulders ?

Which is what you are really saying when you say the width of a Pan means you keep on hitting wing mirrors when you pass through traffic

I live on the freeways out here and see several ST 13s splitting. Lots of HDs but mostly sportbikes & even some BMW pilots--those babies are wide with hard bags. The VFR slides under all cars but the Tiger mirrors are just the right height for SUVs & pickups--wide bars too.

If you run during peak work traffic hours, I find that many/most will pull over & give you room. Those guys run the same route every day, know where their turn off is and are mostly courteous. Not so much later on and on the weekends. Those people have no clue & usually won't move for you. I just hang back a bit & zip by when I get the chance. You will still get there first.... Just give the ones that move over for you a nice wave as you pass. I find that doing that, the next two or three in line will sometimes move over too. Biggest thing is, you have to read the traffic and make sure you know what is around you & coming up.

Don't worry about it, just ride with your eyes open. You'll do fine.

VFR said:

If you run during peak work traffic hours, I find that many/most will pull over & give you room. Those guys run the same route every day, know where their turn off is and are mostly courteous. Not so much later on and on the weekends. Those people have no clue & usually won't move for you.

Click to expand...

I agree wholeheartedly on that "phenomenon"...
There significant time slots where "professional commuters" are out, keeping the traffic flows smooth and unobstructed and they have no issue whatsoever with bikes filtering/sharing lanes, obviously thankful that this isn't another car adding to the queues...
And within 5 minutes that changes into complete havoc due to "technically less capable" drivers joining... armchair-athletes, soccer-mom's, cell-users, etc... and then the problems start, in particular ignorance and envy towards motorcycles trying to get by...
Top managers in their Jags, 7-series beemers, Aston Martins have no ego-issues in moving over to give you a few inches clearance, whilst shrew-faced secretaries in their micro-cars raise hell to block you...

Rather than waving which means taking your hand off the bars when you may need it for the brake, horn or clutch in a hurry we, in France, use "le leg". You can do this to both sides so don't have to take your hand off the throttle/brake.

VFR hit the nail on the head. I split daily and the week day commuters are generally way better than the weekend Sunday drivers at noticing you and giving space. The ST's are pretty wide so I split at pretty low speeds. There have been a few times I've been splitting in a long line of stopped traffic where I've come up to cars that are too close together and I've had to wait stopped between lanes until the light changed because I couldn't get through.

I'll take a bike any day that is pretty wide and not being able to split every once in a while versus being in a cage and being stopped ever time!!!

VFR said:

...
just ride with your eyes open. ...

Click to expand...

Dang, I thought I was doing something wrong! 4:

It really boils down to what you are use to. My ST1300(s) is not too big, nor do I have problems splitting with it...But it's not that I didn't have to get use to it first, coming off of a '84 V65 Sabre!

All this information is great. You guys have me convinced that I have a lot to think about.

I split while towing my one wheel trailer a couple years ago. No issues.

Lane splitting wont be a pbm with st1100. currently do abt 40 miles roundtrip on packed bayarea freeways

I filter/split daily for anywhere between 3 and 15 miles each way, most of it around Amsterdam and the ST1100 handles just fine.
Took some getting used to the width after coming from a CBR600F1.