Four days ago...

Sparebiker

Joined
Mar 23, 2026
Messages
15
Age
66
Location
Duluth
Bike
ST1300
I just bought an 03 ST1300. Bit of a whim, but not exactly an impulse buy. I have another bike waiting (forever) for parts and did not want to waste any of our short riding season so I bought a spare.

Couple of questions and a couple of observations.

Observations: STs are really good bikes. Guessing everyone here already knows that. It is the best bike I have ever ridden in regards to cold weather. The day I rode it home started at upper 40sF and ended at 34F. 100 mile ride. I was only vaguely chilly when I got back. The rearviews gives one a great picture of gloves rather than what is behind you. Even after adjusting this way and that. There is a surprisingly quick transition from jet engine noise to serene calmness regarding head position behind the windshield. Bar risers are possibly in order, but waiting on a bit more saddle time before I make that change. Mrs. Spare likes the ergos a lot. Sealed the deal.

Questions: I expect to use this for long distance rides and general touring so I need a tank bag. Never owned one though. Will a strap mount bag work on these? Also the windshield is not tall enough and the manual adjustment appears to be at its tallest option. (That's how I discovered the noise reference above). Am I safe in assuming a new windshield is the only other option. As it sits I am looking over the windshield and crouching down to sublime comfort I am below the top edge. Doesn't seem to be a sweet spot in between.

All in all I am quite happy with this bike. Older than I usually buy, but did not want to get to deep into it financially yet. If Mrs. Spare likes it enough I will possibly sell both current bikes and get a newer ST.
 
Congratulations on your ST1300.

Mirror. You look over your hands at the mirror, but the mirror should be adjusted to view UNDER your hands. You will catch the ball end of the brake/clutch lever in the inside corner. The view is clear, unrestricted, straight back, looking above the pannier, and under your elbow. I like it adjusted so that the pannier is just in view- to give a point of reference.

Screen. The standard screen seems to direct the airflow into your face. I used a flip-up screen - moulded to lift the airflow over my helmet while being able to look over the top of the screen. Take a look at styles like that produced by Bike-Quip. https://www.st1300-accessories.co.uk/windscreens. (Uk)
 
Unlike cars, motorcycles don't have rear view mirrors on centerline. Side view mirrors on the ST can be adjusted to pick up just a hint of the panniers and not your hands. Like this the views from each will converge a car length or two behind the motorcycle thus completing an approximately 120 degrees visibility . That's how I adjusted mine. I didn't need to see something in the center of the lane 10 feet behind me, 30 feet behind was fine.

I used magnetic Cortech tank bags on the ST.
 
dduelin said:
Unlike cars, motorcycles don't have rear view mirrors on centerline. Side view mirrors on the ST can be adjusted to pick up just a hint of the panniers and not your hands. Like this the views from each will converge a car length or two behind the motorcycle thus completing an approximately 120 degrees visibility . That's how I adjusted mine. I didn't need to see something in the center of the lane 10 feet behind me, 30 feet behind was fine.

I used magnetic Cortech tank bags on the ST.
Click to expand...
Bar risers lift your hands out of the view in the mirrors. For dealing with turbulence I use Saeng anti-swirl edging, it works for me.
 
Spending a little time sorting things out I now see the windshield is a Cee Bailey not an OEM. Good condition for the most part, but likely installed by a PO that must have been either noise tolerant or shorter than I am. No idea what the original windshield's height was, but maybe have to play with that. Never heard of Saeng before, will look into that. Or I saw a, used once, big ol' CalSci windshield on another forum for pretty good price. Goofed with the mirrors and discovered I was setting them to low in an attempt to get "below" my hands. By raising them I brought the road behind into alignment with the lower part of the mirror. I think I have spatial dyslexia, seemed counterintuitive to me.

And I also discovered the adjustable seat (never had one of those before!) was set all the way down. Test ride was with no riding gear. After riding with textile riding pants I slid forward like a kid on a saucer. At the same time I also discovered a flip out lever which I am assuming is for hoisting the bike onto the center stand. Ain't that handy.

Thanks all.
 
I also use a quite large magnetic tank bag for touring. As far as the mirrors, using stick on convex mirrors, attached to the existing mirror glass, has been a lifesaver for me. And I also installed bar risers for a more upright riding position. Welcome. There is a world of knowledge here.
 
Welcome to the forum and congrats on your
:slv13: :hat3:

I also use the Cortech magnetic tankbags, but early on, I got hit in a crosswind that just about blew the tankbag off! So I connected a strap to it at the front, connecting it to the HEI handlebar riser.


DSC01367.JPG

I also have a connection for power from a "Quartet Harness".

QuartetHarness1-s.jpg
 
I had a Chase Harper magnetic and it also straps a clips to the edges of the tank. Also like riding old school and it has a map pouch window on top. Congratulations on the ST. It’s a great bike.
 
I liked my 2007 ST 1300 which I had for a little over a year before a distracted driver ran a red light and totaled it.

The mirrors were a big weakness I’m a wide guy and I had trouble seeing past my own body I never found a fix so I learned to live with it,

but I wish Honda had designed that bike with the mirror fairings extending the mirrors out another 6 inches on each side away from the bike .

I learned that even though the bike will run with 87 octane gas you’re making the onboard computer work extra hard, so you should use premium fuel as the owners manual recommends. I hated doing that because it costs $.70 a gallon more.

My ST-1300 definitely baked my thighs and groin when sitting in traffic in the summer and I live near Atlanta where traffic is always a problem. Igofar (expert mechanic regarding these bikes and frequent poster here ) advised that running full synthetic oil makes this problem worse and recommended I go back to dinosaur oil — which I did for the last oil change before the bike got destroyed.
 
PS: My ST had an aftermarket windshield wider and a little taller than factory standard it did a good job of keeping wind off of me but I found that it didn’t help much in the rain because raindrops would arc over the top edge of the windshield and come down at a 30 to 45° angle and hit me in the face anyway.
( they didn’t hit me hard enough to sting my face if I used my open-face helmet, but the drops definitely got my face wet.)
 
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