Happy new ST1100 owner; general questions

Artimuxmaximus

Joined
Oct 4, 2025
Messages
1
Age
55
Location
Lacrosse, WI
Bike
ST1100
So, with a history of Hondas (I need to make a list while I can still remember, but I'm going to say I've had around 20 different Hondas over the years), I just took the plunge and bought a 1993 ST1100 with 35k miles, in decent shape but some scratches from a low speed drop. Biggest bike I've ever owned, otherwise I've stuck mostly in CB-land, but have also had a few GLs and a PC800.

Price was great, and I want to do everything that needs to be done over the winter, although I'll be riding it as is because fall is a great time to ride.

My question is, besides the obvious stuff like fluids and filters, anything I should take the time/money to do? Word is these bikes are very reliable, but I want to set things up for success.

Any and all advice is appreciated!
 

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Good timing! Another fellow just bought a '93 as well and he has been going over it, as you would like to do.
Follow his thread and input there if you have more questions.

First ride on my 1993 ST1100 | Photos

I bit off the big one, I live in Tulsa, Ok and purchased a 93 ST1100 from a motorcycle shop in Houston. I flew down two days ago and began the 507 mile ride back to Tulsa. I hit the Houston lunch traffic which was bumper to bumper for about 4 miles. Once I got out of Houston, I was headed for...
www.st-owners.com www.st-owners.com
 
besides the obvious stuff, the one thing that isn't obvious is under the carbs there are a pair of hoses, one from each cylinder head to the t-stat housing. Those hoses heat up and swell over the years and need to be replaced periodically. The reason they're a critical maintenance item is when they fail, they tend to split along the length of the hose, and you lose all the coolant immediately, leaving the bike stranded.

While you're in there, the parts you need are the two hoses, new pot metal elbows to which the hoses attach, and the O-rings in the elbows. And you'll need 4 new carb boots as well.

Many of these maintenance items are written up in a guide or two, but I don't know exactly where the guides are located. Someone will likely post them eventually.

another question is the timing belt. Experience of the forum suggests the belts will last pretty much indefinitely, even 15-20 year old belts have looked almost new upon removal.

The real issue with these bikes is many of the parts are discontinued, so its a crapshoot if something fails and you need a replacement part. Specifically, the alternators on pre-96 models are lower capacity and unavailable for replacement. There are options for upgrading to the newer 40A alternator, but even those options are dwindling fast.
 
These bikes are bullet proof......but old is old. I would keep an eye on your rubber/hydraulic bits and replace when convenient or necessary. I replaced my timing belt despite being perfect when inspecting my water pump. I am a new owner(1997) with 70K (12k under my ownership). Only issues I have had are my fuel pump is beginning to crap out which will be sorted before my next refill. And my clutch slave had a very slow leak(now fixed). Fan thermal switch crapped out but I haven't hand an old vehicle that hasn't.
 
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