DaveWooster
'95 ST1100ALS and '98 Standard ST1100W
If you cannot read all of this post because it is too dark, see below, the first post dated Tuesday, for my other copy of it.
This is about all the STs in the 1100 Series. (This may not apply to the STs in the 1300 Series.)
What we can call the model type of an ST in the 1100 Series describes the general features of that ST when it was built. Honda recognizes three model types for their STs.
By discussing those three model types, we might, in the process, generate a general overview of the entire 1100 Series.
One of the three ST model types is the ABS model type. Honda invented the term ST1100A to identify this type. It was intended to be a Beemer Beater. An ABS type ST was built with a pair of special, brake strength limiters (one for each wheel) plus a special, engine power limiter abbreviated TCS. If some of that sounds a bit trick, then it will come as no surprise that, of the three ST model types, the ABS model type received the most press.
At the other extreme is the ST Police model type, which was not publicized at all among sport touring riders. This non-ABS type is like a standard ST1100 in specification but was built so that it could be easily tailored for use by emergency services. This model type has unique features that include a solo seat and four-way, hazard flashers. Honda invented the term ST1100P to identify their Police model type.
The third and final ST model type consists of all the rest of the STs in the 1100 Series. Honda originally used the now-overworked term "ST1100" to describe this model type. Both the Clymer and the Haynes manuals added the word "standard" to describe it. We can combine both of those two terms to form the term Standard ST1100. We can describe this model type as the Standard ST1100 type. (In other words, a Standard ST1100 is any ST that was factory fitted with neither ABS/TCS nor with Police gear.)
The Standard ST1100 model type incorporated many valuable features. Rather than listing those features, we note that the Standard ST1100 pulled out smartly ahead of the competing Kawasaki ZG1000 Concours (aka GTR1000) in long test rides. The Standard ST’s only real, sport-touring blemish, relative to the Concours, was its higher list price.
But pricing is relative. The early, ABS ST1100A models listed about one fifth, or 20 percent higher than the early, Standard ST1100s. To many riders, that made the winning Standard STs look like a bargain. Another plus for the Standard ST was its relatively widespread availability, compared to the other two ST model types. I looked at the ST production numbers for the first six years of most all STs. The Standard ST1100 model type was generally built then in larger quantities than were the other two ST model types combined.*
In summary, the 1100 Series of STs consists of the following three model types:
The Standard ST1100 model type, which was the most popular of the three types;
The Police ST1100P model type, which was tailored for special use; and
The ABS ST1100A model type, which was quite impressive but always the most expensive when new.
Every ST in the 1100 Series fits into one of those three types; no ST fits into more than one of those types.
And any ST frame number or VIN can be easily decoded to determine which model type fits that ST.
Honda invented the term ST1100/A for its service manual to indicate that the manual applies to both their Standard ST1100 and their ABS ST1100A model types. We can extend that Honda term to form the term ST1100/A/P and thus include also the Police ST1100P type. Then we can attempt a general overview, as follows:
The ST1100/A/P Line or Series or Family of motorcycles consists of the following three ST model types:
The Standard ST1100 model type,
The Police ST1100P model type, and
The ABS ST1100A model type.
That last statement provides a general overview of the 1100 Series of STs, but it discusses only the model-type dimension of STs. For example, the ABS ST1100A model type was extensively revised to form the ABS II models. Important year-to-year differences in STs, such as the ones in that example, suggest that we need to extend the above overview to include a second, important dimension, which is model year. (We should at least go on and discuss ST model years in the context of ST model types.)
*The “production numbers” I looked at were, at first, only the beginning and ending frame and engine numbers as are tabled near the end of Clymer’s chapter 1.
From those, I derived frame production quantities of all non-USA STs built for the first six years of STs, plus of all USA STs built for the first three years of STs, 1990 through 1992. (USA ST1100/A numbers seemed to be unobtainable after 1992.)
This is about all the STs in the 1100 Series. (This may not apply to the STs in the 1300 Series.)
What we can call the model type of an ST in the 1100 Series describes the general features of that ST when it was built. Honda recognizes three model types for their STs.
By discussing those three model types, we might, in the process, generate a general overview of the entire 1100 Series.
One of the three ST model types is the ABS model type. Honda invented the term ST1100A to identify this type. It was intended to be a Beemer Beater. An ABS type ST was built with a pair of special, brake strength limiters (one for each wheel) plus a special, engine power limiter abbreviated TCS. If some of that sounds a bit trick, then it will come as no surprise that, of the three ST model types, the ABS model type received the most press.
At the other extreme is the ST Police model type, which was not publicized at all among sport touring riders. This non-ABS type is like a standard ST1100 in specification but was built so that it could be easily tailored for use by emergency services. This model type has unique features that include a solo seat and four-way, hazard flashers. Honda invented the term ST1100P to identify their Police model type.
The third and final ST model type consists of all the rest of the STs in the 1100 Series. Honda originally used the now-overworked term "ST1100" to describe this model type. Both the Clymer and the Haynes manuals added the word "standard" to describe it. We can combine both of those two terms to form the term Standard ST1100. We can describe this model type as the Standard ST1100 type. (In other words, a Standard ST1100 is any ST that was factory fitted with neither ABS/TCS nor with Police gear.)
The Standard ST1100 model type incorporated many valuable features. Rather than listing those features, we note that the Standard ST1100 pulled out smartly ahead of the competing Kawasaki ZG1000 Concours (aka GTR1000) in long test rides. The Standard ST’s only real, sport-touring blemish, relative to the Concours, was its higher list price.
But pricing is relative. The early, ABS ST1100A models listed about one fifth, or 20 percent higher than the early, Standard ST1100s. To many riders, that made the winning Standard STs look like a bargain. Another plus for the Standard ST was its relatively widespread availability, compared to the other two ST model types. I looked at the ST production numbers for the first six years of most all STs. The Standard ST1100 model type was generally built then in larger quantities than were the other two ST model types combined.*
In summary, the 1100 Series of STs consists of the following three model types:
The Standard ST1100 model type, which was the most popular of the three types;
The Police ST1100P model type, which was tailored for special use; and
The ABS ST1100A model type, which was quite impressive but always the most expensive when new.
Every ST in the 1100 Series fits into one of those three types; no ST fits into more than one of those types.
And any ST frame number or VIN can be easily decoded to determine which model type fits that ST.
Honda invented the term ST1100/A for its service manual to indicate that the manual applies to both their Standard ST1100 and their ABS ST1100A model types. We can extend that Honda term to form the term ST1100/A/P and thus include also the Police ST1100P type. Then we can attempt a general overview, as follows:
The ST1100/A/P Line or Series or Family of motorcycles consists of the following three ST model types:
The Standard ST1100 model type,
The Police ST1100P model type, and
The ABS ST1100A model type.
That last statement provides a general overview of the 1100 Series of STs, but it discusses only the model-type dimension of STs. For example, the ABS ST1100A model type was extensively revised to form the ABS II models. Important year-to-year differences in STs, such as the ones in that example, suggest that we need to extend the above overview to include a second, important dimension, which is model year. (We should at least go on and discuss ST model years in the context of ST model types.)
*The “production numbers” I looked at were, at first, only the beginning and ending frame and engine numbers as are tabled near the end of Clymer’s chapter 1.
From those, I derived frame production quantities of all non-USA STs built for the first six years of STs, plus of all USA STs built for the first three years of STs, 1990 through 1992. (USA ST1100/A numbers seemed to be unobtainable after 1992.)
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