Luckily, not yet... (Inevitable though I'm sure)

[GoodGuywitha9mm]

New to the forum, new to the ST1300. I owned a HD Sportster that I sold 2 days before I bought my 2003 ST1300 with 22K. Appears well taken care of, but immediately got 2 new tires, and a battery (previous owner didn't use a tender?).
I am STILL (about 2 weeks in) getting used to the weight of the bike! Have come close to tipping it to one side or the other too far at a standstill, and also find stopping smoothly is a chore. As I left the shop where I had just had tires put on, I came close to dumping her as I took off (slowly) with a hard left turn to point her in the right direction.
I must mention I am only 5'7", so the seat height IS playing a role in this. I found it is mandatory for me to have my steel toed boots on (extra inch higher) or I find myself balancing it from toe to toe. I am hopeful this is just a getting used to it thing, but it can be unnerving to say the least. Once I am rolling, I am golden. Love how it handles the twisties, and looking forward to installing a 2 inch Heli Riser I bought but haven't stopped riding to take the time to install. I found immediately the leaning forward takes a toll on my "old" wrists, and wanted to lessen that. Other than that I love the bike!

 

[paulcb]

Welcome from TX 9mm! Or is it 45?

If it does decide to go over, just let it go, but gently. You might invest in some tip over bars that mount in front of the panniers. Note there there's an engine guard under the black plastic.

 

[cjames431]

Welcome, I don't count tip overs anymore as I don't have enough fingers. Yup, as @GryST said one foot down is enough to balance the bike for us midgets. I am 5'7" w/ a 30" inseam.

 

[GoodGuywitha9mm]

Welcome from TX 9mm! Or is it 45?

If it does decide to go over, just let it go, but gently. You might invest in some tip over bars that mount in front of the panniers. Note there there's an engine guard under the black plastic.

I'll look into the bars in front of the panniers... I couldn't make my 9mm pic to fit without pixelating!

 

[mortenk]

Welcome to the forum from Seattle! I would recommend that you find an empty parking lot and practice some low speed maneuvering - large circles, 8-shapes, etc. until you feel more comfortable. It shouldn't take too long to start feeling better I would think. However, I have only owned larger/heavier bikes, so second nature for me now...

 

[Cheddarhead]

5'10" with a 28" inseam. I've dropped my ST a total of five (5) times over the years. Each of them has been a "zero-speed" drop...most of them have been with the engine off / maneuvering the bike around the garage etc. I've found that as long as I plan ahead / shift my position to the left on the seat, my left leg can hold the cycle quite comfortably. Just need to be cognizant of any dips in the asphalt etc that'll cause you to reach further than you're expecting.

I'm realistic enough to know that, if I lose control of the ST, she's going to go down at zero speed / low speed. I've had to replace on LH mirror (glass only) and a couple of the tipover covers over the years...but nothing other than that.

Once mounted / under way, there is no instability...so I keep reminding myself to study the area that I'm planning to stop at / park at before I slow down too much.

 

[ddemair]

And don't forget to use the friction zone in slow speed turns. The throttle on the ST is notoriously abrupt. You get used to it, but the friction zone is still needed even then.

I find the ST a little top heavy and maybe my balance isn't the greatest, but when I'm coming to a turn where I have to turn my head sharply to look and I'm moving very slowly (such as a yield where traffic is still coming or exiting a driveway), I often find it easier to come to a complete balanced stop before turning my head too far.

 

[SmashVol]

Welcome and hope you have many good mile that are tip-over free!

 

[ToddC]

Welcome from WA STate!!! You will get used to the slow weight...you know it Rocks after 20mph. Like others said..find a place to practice idle speed manuvers. You will love this bike. T

 

[Bikeric]

Welcome to the forum from Cornwall UK! Early mornings or late evenings I used to practise slow speed riding in my local supermarket car park before it started to get busy.

 

[GoodGuywitha9mm]

"because this bike is the most friendly to shorter people of all sport tourers."

How so? I'm not disagreeing, just curious about how you decided that?