Used 1996 honda st with 600 miles

TPadden said:
Nope no jest. Buying a 27 year old bike because you think it is cool is just what an aviator would call buying a hangar queen.
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You are coming across as an impeccably practical and extraordinarily pragmatic individual. Not that that's a bad thing.
Yet you ride a motorcycle, introducing the possibility of a conundrum nearby... that's odd. I shall have to reevaluate my assessment.
By contrast, it looks more and more like my life is run by the seat of my pants, and now you're making me feel like I need to clean the garage.
 
Sadlsor said:
By contrast, it looks more and more like my life is run by the seat of my pants, and now you're making me feel like I need to clean the garage.
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... and I kept my 75 Moto Guzzi rideable for almost 40 years but only rode it once or twice a year for the memories; but mostly to remind me how far motorcycles have come. Reclaimed the garage space in 2013. :thumb:

Tom

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Too expensive. Depends on how it was stored. 27 years in an old chicken coop with a tarp on it? Or 27 years in a proper garage? There is a difference. Too many naysayers. For $1000, its a deal. Maybe need a gas tank? Easy to come by. Tires, hoses, freshen the brakes, etc. Maybe $1000-$1500 and of course, you time. And you have a dead reliable, and damned near new, ST1100. I know, I did almost the same thing and mine does 400-500 miles a week without any issues. Perfect reliability. I'd ride any distance, any time.
 
TPadden said:
See you at a STowners event or 2? We already seem to have more ST1100's show up than 1300's... but mostly BMW's :rofl1:.

Tom
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Tom, I would love to. I actually came very close to trying for the GTG at Nashcats. But it was 1000 miles away and that seemed a bit much. I'm probably in the minority as my riding is 98% commuting, not just for fun. I also have 3 young kids and limited time off, so I don't really get to just disappear over the horizon on my motorcycle for the better part of a week. Most of my off time I dedicate to my family. I know in the not to distant future that they will no longer need Mom and Dad, or even want to hang around with us. Until then I enjoy every moment.
 
My comments are purely my opinion on what I would do. It's great when you find a bike that does everything for you and you may glance at other bikes but are connected to your bike(s) and just don't feel the need.

I wish that was me, would have saved me a lot of money over the years... I think.... But, I like to try out different bikes and see if I ever find that gem that is good for the long term... honestly, the Super Tenere was real close... The ST1300 was a very close 2nd or maybe even a tie.. both had opposite pros/cons.. one lighter, one heavier, one better at touring, one better with off-pavement situations... etc etc.
 
I picked up one of the first yellow goldwings with spoke wheels many years ago from the owner of a Honda shop.
It was a museum piece and had less than 500 miles on it etc.
It was in the corner of the dealership on a pedestal.
I paid a couple grand for it to own a piece of history.
There was no rust in the tank (the only good thing) but the engine had to be pulled, and torn down to the crank for a complete rebuild, because every rubber seal was dry rotted and cracked.
It leaked worse than a British bike.
Fork seals, tires, all the bearings were dry, carbs needed to be completely torn down and rebuilt etc.
When it was finally finished we had a beautiful museum piece that cost just south of 10k.
Was it worth it?
To make it rideable, no.
To have the experience of bringing it back to its glory days? Maybe.
Sad thing is the next guy who bought it put it in his house on display where it is dying a slow painful death!
 
Here is a 20 year old Harley I rescued with 20k miles on it after the owner ended up with health issues.
It sat for 5 years without being started, but at least he stored the fuel tank properly.
I still had to replace tires,seals,fluids, wheel bearings,belt, plugs, fuel lines, battery, and replace the fuel pump, cam chain adjusters, lifters,push rods etc.
It now rides like a new bike (better than a Milwaukee eight) but it is what it is, a 20 year old bike.
But I ride it weekly to keep it going.
 

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I love restoring the old iron and riding it, keeping in mind its limitations.
 

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Mellow said:
My comments are purely my opinion on what I would do. It's great when you find a bike that does everything for you and you may glance at other bikes but are connected to your bike(s) and just don't feel the need.

I wish that was me, would have saved me a lot of money over the years... I think.... But, I like to try out different bikes and see if I ever find that gem that is good for the long term... honestly, the Super Tenere was real close... The ST1300 was a very close 2nd or maybe even a tie.. both had opposite pros/cons.. one lighter, one heavier, one better at touring, one better with off-pavement situations... etc etc.
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Agreed. Nothing wrong with upgrading or buying a different bike as people have their reasons. I have friends that I meet once a month on a 180 mile RTE. One guy has had 3 ST"s. 1 ST1100 and I think 2 1300's. The reason why he traded them off is the man is a high miler and wears em out. He likes different types of riding that the ST's are not well adapted to do. Finally people that can afford it I say go for it. I keep mine because I've found none no better but I will admit that I haven't been looking either:)
 
I appreciate that we are all different, and have different needs. One may spend their money any way they choose, its not my business. Whatever makes you happy. What does make me scratch my head however is when people state things that are simply incorrect. Like how difficult it is to find parts for an ST1100. Yes, you can't simply walk into a dealership and purchase every single part you need. But any part, and I do mean any, is readily available. If not new Honda or aftermarket, then used through Ebay, Craigslist, FB, and the bike breakers. Its all available and simply takes a Google search to find. Run the part number, and there it is. Does anyone even check before saying "Oh, thats unobtainium!" ??? When I see those posts and look for myself, in 5 minutes, there are usually 3-4 vendors ready to take my money for that exact part. Now I'm sure someone will point out that I'm talking about used parts. Yes, that I am. Were you really going to spend premium Honda OEM bucks on a $2000K machine? Doubtful. The ability to order OEM Honda parts is entirely irrelevant to keeping a 20+yr old machine on the road. Since the ST1100 is as reliable as an anvil, it doesn't matter.
 
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