Pop-Pop
Site Supporter
- Joined
- Feb 29, 2020
- Messages
- 2,452
- Age
- 68
- Location
- Pagosa Springs Colorado
- Bike
- 1996 ST 1100
- STOC #
- 9037
The short story is that i went 40 yrs without a bike and bought the 1100, which was much larger than anything id ever ridden.I still love that bike. What a good find !
When I re-started riding in 2000 after the family time layoff, I had three bikes in mind The Yamaha Diversion 900, the Deauville NV 650 (it would have been in 2000), and the ST1100.
I sat on all three, but the 1100 was way out of our price range. It was going to be a Deauville. After all, it was shaft drive, faired, and had a tad more power then the 1979 Yamaha XS650E that I used with a sidecar for the young family for a good many years. I'd made my mind up.
The on the way home after spending a day searching, I spotted a little bike 'showroom' with bikes outside up a side street. We called in. Inside were a number of models - but locked in amongst the others was an 1100 which didn't look as though it wasn't going anywhere fast. And it turned out to be £5 under our budget.
So that was a no-brainer. But I still wave enthusiastically at the owners of this kid brother to the Pan. It's a lovely machine. It would have been my choice of a 'getting too old' for the the ST1300 bike if it had still been available. But I'm not ready to give up the 1300 just yet. Although I have just put it up on the ramp and came away thinking that I'm really getting too old to be balancing a third of a ton beast with bars at shoulder height.
Im pretty solid on that. Cant tell u how much j missed the meets this last year. A good bunch of people!@Pop-Pop if you are going to NatSTOC, let me know and we could possibly meet here in Northern Colorado and ride up to Spearfish with the 3 other ST's planning on going up with me.
Ha! My daughter ownes kips! Thanks for the contribution! We had a guy a week or so ago do the same thing. Hairpins in the snow! R there motorcycle chain laws?The https://www.nt-owners.org/forums/ has a lot of conversation and ideas about external latches for the NT.
Also crossing Wolf Creek Pass in April is a crap shoot. Here are a couple of pictures of a buddy an I crossing Wolf Creek Pass in the middle of May a few years ago on our way home from a BMW gathering in AZ. Spent an extra night / in Pagosa Springs drinking beer at Kip's Grill and Cantina.
Sounds familiar.The short story is that i went 40 yrs without a bike and bought the 1100, which was much larger than anything id ever ridden.
So, i, as i aged, found myself a bit uncomfortable with the weight and size.
so, i sold it and have been looking at smaller bikes. I suspect the loss of approx 175 lbs will be good for me. And, i also suspect the 700 will be a tour worthy bike.
yay!!! No chain!!!!
A maniac? Im a transplanted masshole! I loved the shaft on my 1100. Five tours without a hitch!Sounds familiar.
My first bike was a 125 cc Harley dual sport in 1979-1981 while I was in the Navy. That was so my wife could keep the car while I was at work... which was 17 miles away.
Then we moved from Maine back to Iowa and the bike didn't follow me. So I went close to 19 years without a bike and then hopped onto a Vulcan 750. After 2 years on that my wife suggested I get a Gold Wing so she would be comfy riding with me! Didn't see that one coming. I thought the jump from a 125 bike to 750 bike after 19 years of no riding was a big jump. That GW was the monster bike. Took me more than a month before she trusted me to ride pillion with me. Then I felt I didn't want to be constantly wrestling with the massive bulk of the GW and went down to a Burgman 650. Opps, thought that was too far so back up to a ST1100 and a CTX1300. Lighter than a GW and manageable. Finally remembered the fun I was having with my Burgman so returned to that and shaved 115 lbs off my ride (ST=730, Burgman=615). Now my current bike is only barely 500 lbs and I'm happy. Don't really feel any loss of performance on the highway since I can still blast past slower traffic the same I did on my ST but a lot easier in town and in parking lots as well as in the garage. My current ride doesn't have a chain nor a shaft but a belt drive. I'm getting to like the belt drive.
I actually did have the NT on my list for a while.
Good dealer and lots of great roads as you ride west through southern Missouri. I live about 40 miles from the dealer and ride the area a lot.Just put a deposit on this little sweety! 2010 with less than 9000 miles on it. Will b flying to mo to pick it up and ride home this april. Like someone once said to me, touring is a day ride, day after day!
i could not get my head around a bike with a chain, and this bike is 175 pounds less to lift.
My last three tours were pretty much at the speed limit. Im certain this 700v can do this easily.
my thanks to all who, again, advised me as i searched for a new ride.
Yea, mark, a manager(?) spent the time with me and i feel pretty good about the whole thing. Getting from st louis to the shop might b a bit tricky, but it will all work out. Ive ridden Missouri a bunch and and have enjoyed every mile.Good dealer and lots of great roads as you ride west through southern Missouri. I live about 40 miles from the dealer and ride the area a lot.
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You need this for all those gravel and dirt roads out near Pagosa https://www.st-owners.com/forums/threads/great-mini-adventure-tourer-for-sale-versys-x300.186069/A maniac? Im a transplanted masshole! I loved the shaft on my 1100. Five tours without a hitch!
i totally agree with rhe weight and in town bike management. Here in pagosa we have a ton of gravel roads, so being able to pich the bike up matters a ton.
R there motorcycle chain laws?
Too late to worry about that!yay!!! No chain!!!!
Does that mean i have to wear a skirt and lipstick? Been reviewing vids on dealing w the plastic. Im getting st flashbacks!Got one for my GF in 2020 (read the introduction here) and she rides the wheels off that thing...
Nifty bike, corners just as solid and predictable as an ST1100... a bit throaty and noisier though, the V-twin requires at least 2400rpm, gets alive above 4000... great brakes, stops on a dime... with the classic TOE concept a tad top-heavy, so beware during those parking lot U-turns...
Mellow runs the other pub dedicated to the NT, quite some info floating there...
Not as service friendly as an ST1100 though, another full overhaul dawning on her's, undressing it takes like forever (re: the motorcycle! ), tank off for checking valves, radiator off for doing so on the forward jug... removal/installation of the rear wheel is a Chinese Puzzle (I'd learned soon how to do it without pulling the silencer ), but in its sum a solid piece of engineering...
As her's is a '07 I'd upgraded it with the later years cowl stay plus garnish and windscreen tracks for easy height adjustment...
Doesn't like tall screens, had the V-stream on it, dirty air behind semis will cause serious, concerning front end wave, went back to the OEM very quick, GF happy (and safe!) again...
Removal of fairing juST isn't as STraight forward as on the ST1100... lots of hidden tabs to unlock, plastic fasteners out of sight etc... taking the instrument bezel off can turn into a frustrating procedure unless you've the OEM workshop manual at hand, a highly valuable asset!Does that mean i have to wear a skirt and lipstick? Been reviewing vids on dealing w the plastic. Im getting st flashbacks!
I've only seen a few pics of Martin's GF, but always in riding gear.Does that mean i have to wear a skirt and lipstick?
If you're out for a laugh I suggest a flannel shirt, net-skins and high-heels while riding... a full beard would complete that assemble though...Suggest you do the same when on the bike.
Lipstick optional for you, although I doubt it would hurt or help in a crash, unless the EMTs at your crash site are too busy laughing to help.