ST1300 Buying advice

Joined
Jun 18, 2012
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1
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Kansas City
I foolishly sold my ST1100 4 years ago and regretted the decision immediately. I have found a 2007 ST1300 for about the same amount that i sold my 1100 for. The only question I have; it has 95,000 miles on it, it appears to be in great shape but I haven't had a chance to check it out personally yet. The miles don't phase me at all, my 1100 had 105,000 miles on it when I sold it and I rode that one 8 hours to deliver it to the new buyer. Are there any gotcha's on the 1300's that I need to look out for?
Thanks
 
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Hi Skid_Pilot: nothing as far as I am aware.

It would be worthwhile to have any maintenance history on the bike, but the ST1300 is a solid ride (and the 2007 is the pick of the litter IMHO).

Cheers,

Pete
 
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Depending what you want in the bike, the color is the only important aspect, since some colors are faster than others. :bow1: If you've been reading the forums for a while, you know this already, and have read the threads on what to do when you buy a used bike. There are no major issues and a few minor ones. You should check the SMC for proper actuation of the rear wheel (if it jams, it can lock the back wheel). Otherwise, the usual things should be examined. The bike is 20 years old, so you might have some rubber parts to replace and some minor gremlins to chase down.
 

SupraSabre

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As long as they have some sort of maintenance record so you can see that proper maintenance has been done, you shouldn't have any issues.

Almost 5 years ago, I sold my '05 with 174.3K miles to one of my sons, he has put another 11K, mostly trouble free miles on it. Mostly little things, like coolant leaks and spark plugs, stuff like that!
 
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Orange County California
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If you search Craigslist in several states, your will find many good deals out there to consider. There are are some lower mileage ST1300s in excellent condition that sellers are having a hard time getting buyers for. It has become a buyers market for ST1300s. Used prices a re way down in the past 12 months. I just recently searched the entire US for ST1300s for sale with highway pegs and talked with the sellers. If you are willing to fly and drive, check around before you buy local.
 
Joined
Jul 6, 2017
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135
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Surf City NJ
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2007 ST 1300
Depending what you want in the bike, the color is the only important aspect, since some colors are faster than others. :bow1: If you've been reading the forums for a while, you know this already, and have read the threads on what to do when you buy a used bike. There are no major issues and a few minor ones. You should check the SMC for proper actuation of the rear wheel (if it jams, it can lock the back wheel). Otherwise, the usual things should be examined. The bike is 20 years old, so you might have some rubber parts to replace and some minor gremlins to chase down.
My math makes the bike 11 years old - at least That's how old my 2007 is :slv11:
 
Joined
May 12, 2016
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Virginia
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2004 Honda ST1300ABS
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8954
Depending what you want in the bike, the color is the only important aspect, since some colors are faster than others. :bow1: If you've been reading the forums for a while, you know this already, and have read the threads on what to do when you buy a used bike. There are no major issues and a few minor ones. You should check the SMC for proper actuation of the rear wheel (if it jams, it can lock the back wheel). Otherwise, the usual things should be examined. The bike is 20 years old, so you might have some rubber parts to replace and some minor gremlins to chase down.
Blue is the fastest color, that's why they only sold it on one model year. I got mine at around 70k and the only thing I've had to do besides normal maintenance is to tighten the clamps to the thermostat housing. Unfortunately all the paperwork I had was the bill of sale from the original owner to a BMW dealer in North Carolina. I think I'm at least the 3rd owner. I went from a CBR F4i to my 04 ST and haven't looked back. I'm alm ost up to 88k now. . All leisure miles. Next thing to buy after the ST is a service manual.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
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Yes - 2018-2007=11 so yup, that’s how old mine is too!:rolleyes:

Aside from colour (and as noted, silver is to be preferred), the only other variables are:
- ABS or not;
- electrically actuated windscreen - or not.
Others may differ, but I find the electric screen to be worthwhile, although mine is down all the way about 95% of the time (I only raise it in the rain) and ABS is simply a good idea for safety.

The linked anti-lock brake system is rather complex, but it has been shown to be highly reliable and could save your bacon some day. In addition, there is tons of expertise on this forum if you do need to perform any work.

Pete
 
Joined
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Surf City NJ
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2007 ST 1300
Which color is the fastest seems to be contentious but it is irrefutable that the silver 2007 models have the best looking owners so if you qualify I suggest that is the year to buy. I regret that I can't advise on reliability/ longevity issues from personal experience .
While I have owned my 2007 since new it is very low mileage - only 11k or so - but not a hicup in those 11 yrs / 11k miles . My passion is for my old Norton's but I wouldn't want to do distance trips on them and the ST is an absolute joy for that . As may be obvious I don't ride it as much as others on this site but each time I do I fall in love with it all over again.
 

dduelin

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The ST1300 is bullet proof and the few things owners run into are well documented. (Rear brakes dragging, coolant leaks, ground wire issues). Seriously I don't think 10 of us will ever wear out a ST1300.

Service history is important of course but given the potential problems with the linked brake system I'd rather have a bike ridden 10,000 miles a year with no long gaps in use vs a bike whose owners log half that or less. The hydraulic system needs to be flushed regularly and low mileage examples keep fluid in the system well past the use by date.
 
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houston, tx
Make sure
* it has a front axle nut
* the oil level in the sight glass is not spot-on on its side stand
* it's not almost a quart low on coolant
* the oil filter was not tightened to 63 ft/lbs
* it has a full tool set
* the fork seals arent leaking
 
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I foolishly sold my ST1100 4 years ago and regretted the decision immediately. I have found a 2007 ST1300 for about the same amount that i sold my 1100 for. The only question I have; it has 95,000 miles on it, it appears to be in great shape but I haven't had a chance to check it out personally yet. The miles don't phase me at all, my 1100 had 105,000 miles on it when I sold it and I rode that one 8 hours to deliver it to the new buyer. Are there any gotcha's on the 1300's that I need to look out for?
Thanks
Before you plop over the money, do a quick check for a secondary master cylinder (SMC) problem that occasionally pops up on the ST1300. To do this, put the bike up on the center stand and check for a dragging rear brake by going around to the rear of the bike and flicking the rear wheel with your foot as hard as you can. If you can get 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 revolutions or more, you're ok. If you get one revolution or less, one of the common reasons is a bad SMC. Not a terribly hard task if you have to replace it but it does cost money and you'll want that to be a consideration in your purchase negotiation. If it is a long way it back home, you'll want to get it fixed before you leave because the rear wheel can completely lock up while on the road if the SMC is bad enough, a significant safety hazard.
 
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Lots of info on here, my summary, to add:

Get one with ABS.
Be aware that driven hub bearings in the final drive tend to go out at about 20k miles. Some don't.
Make sure the tires are less than five years old and the valve stems are relatively new.
 
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
195
Location
New York
Before you plop over the money, do a quick check for a secondary master cylinder (SMC) problem that occasionally pops up on the ST1300. To do this, put the bike up on the center stand and check for a dragging rear brake by going around to the rear of the bike and flicking the rear wheel with your foot as hard as you can. If you can get 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 revolutions or more, you're ok. If you get one revolution or less, one of the common reasons is a bad SMC. Not a terribly hard task if you have to replace it but it does cost money and you'll want that to be a consideration in your purchase negotiation. If it is a long way it back home, you'll want to get it fixed before you leave because the rear wheel can completely lock up while on the road if the SMC is bad enough, a significant safety hazard.
Very wise advice IMHO. Read up on the SMC issues and question the seller about how often he changed the brake fluid. SMC definitely a possible issue on the ST13! :eek:
 
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