Does Honda hate ST Owners?

[SupraSabre]

I just did a 1,100 mile ride over the last few days. I had zero issues with my , and yesterday I put on 531 miles to get home before the hurricane weather hit. Pulling out of a rest stop, I felt the rear tire spin, due to the rain and wet roads. I'm sure glad it had the weight, which helped it get traction, or I might still be out there, (out in the middle on nowhere) waiting for a tow!

I'm old enough, and now broke enough (thanks to forced retirement) that I couldn't afford another bike if I wanted to!

So I'll be sticking with my ST1300s, for as long as I can still ride.

, , and basketcase

 

[dwalby]

yesterday I put on 531 miles to get home before the hurricane weather hit.

glad to hear you were able to get out of here and get home before the TS hit.

I'm still waiting for the wind to show up, nothing here but light steady rain with no wind as of 3:30PM, but I think the center of the storm is still a couple hours away. Since our ocean/wind patterns are much different here than in the typical hurricane zones I wonder if they're just guessing at what its going to do once it makes it to soCal. Its not looking very organized any longer on the satellite, just a bunch of broken up clusters of rain, so we'll see in a few hours if it has anything left of any strength.

P.S. you also missed the 5.1 quake centered in Ojai a little while ago.

 

[ChriSTian_64]

Honda don't make them anymore... but, those bikes last forever.
As long as Honda gives us replacememt parts for maintenance...
What do you mean "not anymore" ?
With the large quatity of ST1100 still on the road?
That is the real shame...

Just reach, this week, 50 000 km (31 068 miles) on my 2000 ST1100.


I bought her at 32 000 km, in 2020.
I am 59, and this is my first road bike. This bike is all I want. Period.
Hope to keep riding her for the next 20 years and reach 160 000 km / 100 000 miles. She deserves it. She spent too many years inside a garage. And she's ready to bring me wherever I want.

 

[Jeff F]

Does Honda hate ST Owners?
Vitaliy

Yes, Vitaliy Honda hates us. We didn't buy enough from them.

Motorcycles are not a big revenue generator for Honda - around 10% of their total sales. Its been that way for decades. Even Honda's financial service revenues (mostly car loans) are bigger than their motorcycle revenues.

And, big bikes are not their focus, and haven't been forever either. India is their biggest motorcycle market in revenues and numbers sold, and that's selling scooters and small cc bikes. A heck of a lot of them.

And you're riding & fixing an 2006, like many. Kinda explains it all.

 

[motornut]

Just checked, A RT cost about 4000 more than my St did, I can put on a lot of stuff that I want for 4000 bucks

 

[drrod]

This bike still brings me joy after 23 years of ownership doubt another bike could do that.

How many different ones have you lived with, and ridden enough, to judge?

 

[dduelin]

Just checked, A RT cost about 4000 more than my St did, I can put on a lot of stuff that I want for 4000 bucks

JD Power lists the difference in 2005 as $2691 USD. By the time you add cruise and fix the suspension you lose most or all of the $ difference and still wouldn’t have the markedly better braking & handling, 120 lbs less weight, no engine heat, 6 speed transmission, better mileage longer range. In the bargain you would have the ST’s suspect high speed handling, coolant leaks, weak ground circuits, and the Rube Goldberg linked brake system.

 

[SupraSabre]

...
P.S. you also missed the 5.1 quake centered in Ojai a little while ago.

And I rode down the 126, so I would have felt it in Santa Paula. LOL

 

[red one]

How many different ones have you lived with, and ridden enough, to judge?

Only about 3 of them. Your question reminds me of one that is shopping for a wife. If you found one that checked all the boxes and you were extremely satisfied would you still be looking or would you quit looking? So it is with my motorcycle

 

[red one]

Honda don't make them anymore... but, those bikes last forever.
As long as Honda gives us replacememt parts for maintenance...
What do you mean "not anymore" ?
With the large quatity of ST1100 still on the road?
That is the real shame...

Just reach, this week, 50 000 km (31 068 miles) on my 2000 ST1100.


I bought her at 32 000 km, in 2020.
I am 59, and this is my first road bike. This bike is all I want. Period.
Hope to keep riding her for the next 20 years and reach 160 000 km / 100 000 miles. She deserves it. She spent too many years inside a garage. And she's ready to bring me wherever I want.

You said it better than I ever could

 

[cruise_carter]

The Honda Mothership loves us (sometimes)
The NT1100 tourer is not coming to Canada. Shame because its based on AT engine, I had a 2016 AT DCT and sold that during covid and regret that decision still.
In garage, have my ‘03 ST1300A, ‘14 HD Ultra Limited, ‘18 Goldwing Tour DCT.
Was out on the Goldwing for a long ride today, about 350km total.

This gen of GW is substantially lighter than prior years, great power and pulls very easily.
Doesn’t have nearly the heat of the ST but Honda finally figured to shove heat out the sides, not let the rider cook.

They did reduce the luggage capacity a lot and fuel capacity.
I ride solo so I can cope with it but if I’m going on a trip with a companion, its the Harley for the comfort and capacity.

Honda sometimes stubs their big corporate toe….

 

[motornut]

I have had a Gold wing, I have a Kawasaki Concours. I have had a CL 450 honda, a cb 750 honda, a cb 1100 honda , two ZRXs a 1100 and a 1200 as well as my ST 1300 and none of them needed much of anything beyond luggage space and handle bar risers ( my arms couldn't take lean on them ) except for the Goldwing. The high speed question never arrived, even at at around 135mph. The Goldwing had cruise control, but for me and me only I didn't use it, I did not like the lack of control. But that was me not the cruise control.
Never did anything to the suspensions either, never needed to.
And as to the weight I know that makes a difference at spirited riding, but personally all of these were better than I am. I am not as good as I thought I used to be.
Now for the disclaimer, these are my opinions and work for me only, I can share but not demand. The difference between our needs and wants are what make riding fun. Talking to the rest of the community is always interesting and enlightening

 

[STmark1300]

At least Ford had the decency to tell you they were discontinuing the line. A business decision.

 

[cruise_carter]

Honda did reduce weight on the current generation of GW by a lot.
It’s got a lot of power, this is my DCT model. Put it in ‘sport’ mode and hang on tight.
Its fast, handles the road very well with the electronic suspension.

Problem is that here in Canada, the price is $40k taxes in.
Very big chunk of change for most people for a seasonal toy.

Honda has the smaller bikes like the NC750 and Rebel’s which are more cost effective for the average rider, people think (or should) before they drop that kind of money.

 

[jrp]

Yes.

 

[TPadden]

Honda has the smaller bikes like the NC750 and Rebel’s which are more cost effective for the average rider, people think (or should) before they drop that kind of money.

Disagree; once needs are covered people pretty much manage to get what they want. They just no longer want to tour on motorcycles. Look at the number of expensive pickups or SUV's on the road with one person on board. Cost effective?

We are a diminishing minority.

Tom

 

[Al st1100]

Why would anyone stay in the American market?

The Honda Mothership loves us (sometimes)
The NT1100 tourer is not coming to Canada. Shame because its based on AT engine, I had a 2016 AT DCT and sold that during covid and regret that decision still.
In garage, have my ‘03 ST1300A, ‘14 HD Ultra Limited, ‘18 Goldwing Tour DCT.
Was out on the Goldwing for a long ride today, about 350km total.

This gen of GW is substantially lighter than prior years, great power and pulls very easily.
Doesn’t have nearly the heat of the ST but Honda finally figured to shove heat out the sides, not let the rider cook.

They did reduce the luggage capacity a lot and fuel capacity.
I ride solo so I can cope with it but if I’m going on a trip with a companion, its the Harley for the comfort and capacity.

Honda sometimes stubs their big corporate toe….

Why would anyone care about the American market with poor sales. From Adventure rider "
The United States is out of step with the rest of the world when it comes to motorcycle sales.

We’re not coming close to punching our weight, if our weight is measured by population and income level. Statista have produced a graphic that illustrates how weak the North American market (in which the US is the biggest player) is compared to other regions in the world."

 

[Sadlsor]

We are a diminishing minority.

Tom

That just makes us EXCEPTIONAL.
(I always knew I was "special.")

We’re not coming close to punching our weight, if our weight is measured by population and income level. Statista have produced a graphic that illustrates how weak the North American market (in which the US is the biggest player) is compared to other regions in the world."

Again, someone is making the grave mistake of comparing the USA with the rest of the world.
A LOT of differences, on innumerable counts. Culture likely first, purchasing power (waning) for generations a good second, the expanse of the land mass many of us travel, and much, much more.
Human beings have our human nature in common, but when it comes to contrasting attitudes, ethics, values or virtually any other measure, Americans are NOT like the rest of the world.
Sometimes that works to our advantage, and other times, much less so.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Disagree; once needs are covered people pretty much manage to get what they want. They just no longer want to tour on motorcycles. Look at the number of expensive pickups or SUV's on the road with one person on board. Cost effective?

I suspect that spending more than is necessary on a primary four-wheeled vehicle that is a necessity is not the same to most people as spending more than is necessary on a motorcycle that is not a necessity, and is therefore easier to justify in their mind, especially in Northern climates. I wonder how much being in a Northern region changes this calculation in people's minds. It would be interesting to see how much of a difference there is in the way people prioritize their vehicular purchases and what they are willing to spend on them based on where they live as this influences their needs. With all other things being equal, I wonder if people who live in more motorcycle friendly Southern climates prioritize their motorcycle needs higher than Northerners do.

I, as an example, will never consider my motorcycle as my primary vehicle, and it will never take priority in the financial equation over making sure that I have a reliable four-wheeled vehicle of some sort because of the necessity due to winter. For most people there is only so much money available to be spent on transportation needs of all kinds. What that means in my case is that money from the transportation budget for a motorcycle purchase is not the money that is left over after the necessities have been covered. It is the money that is left-over after the left-over money has been used to make sure that I have a reliable four-wheeled vehicle. The amount of money that a new Goldwing represents is pretty significant. I suspect that a lot of people would find it harder to justify that money on a second vehicle that in this climate is hard to sell as a requirement rather than a luxury. Spending more than need be to get the SUV as a primary vehicle rather than the compact car is probably an easier sell to one's self.

Of course, if a person can easily afford both, none of this matters does it?

We are a diminishing minority.

Tom

Of that there seems to be little doubt.

 

[TPadden]

Again, someone is making the grave mistake of comparing the USA with the rest of the world.

About the same level of mistake as comparing Honda Motorsports to BMW Motorrad.

Tom