2004 Honda ST1300 from United States of America

Summary:

A keeper that I will have for many years

Faults:

There was a recall, re an electrical connector and a check of the rear brake bypass proportioning valve. On my bike the electrical part was done and a "check" of the valve revealed no faults.

General Comments:

This bike is easy to service, I do a lot of my own and this one is simple to do a minor service {oil, filter and if you wish the rear end oil}. Per Honda the work is done on the center stand. It takes but 4 qts. of oil. I did learn a trick; whilst changing the oil the bike should be placed on a large baking sheet to catch any oil spilled when the filter is removed. It will run down the left leg of the center stand.

There is a small plastic cover that has to be removed to access the oil fill. If you are at it and have an extra set of plugs handy, remove the same cover on both sides and there are all four plugs easily gotten to.

Ridden with some restraint, it will return 50 mpg to you.

For a bike that weighs in at over 600 lbs, it handles well, and as I mentioned, economy is good; I frequently get in the 40s around town.

Highway mileage depends upon one's right hand; on a trip to Daytona Beach one year, the speeds were high and so was consumption. Another trip to Two Wheels Only, economy was improved on largely due to the lower speeds.

The stock seat is something that needs to be improved on, and I will. Fit and finish is what is to be expected of Honda, mine is Pearl Dark Blue..

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 26th August, 2007

7th May 2008, 22:29

I plan to buy a new 2006 ST1300. Everyone says the seat sucks after 100 miles. Don't know; I am six feet tall with no butt. I just want some ideas. Thanks.

22nd Jun 2008, 00:58

I have had my '04 ST1300 since Oct '04. second owner, it had about 9500 miles on it...

The seat comfort has never become an issue with me, mostly local driving, 100-300 miles per ride...

The first tires were Dunlops, which I wasn't too happy with, about 15000 miles, Metsingers lasted another 17000 miles, and, now have put Michelin Pilot 2 tires, which seem better in handling and ride comfort... but I have only driven about a thousand miles on these Michelins, but I like them...

Still no issues with the seat..

2004 Honda ST1300 from United States of America

Summary:

I love my top quality, long-distance touring mount!

Faults:

Factory recall for a wiring harness ground connector, and test for rear wheel linked brake operation. Connector replaced for free, no problem with the rear wheel linked brake.

General Comments:

Honda perfected the long-revered ST1100 with the ST1300. This is a top-quality long distance performance motorcycle. I've ridden mine as much as 3000 miles in a single trip, including Deal's Gap and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Handling is excellent at high or low speeds.

On a recent LA to Orlando ride, I had two 600+ mile days, never missing a beat. Ride, eat, sleep, repeat!

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st May, 2006

2004 Honda ST1300 from United States of America

Summary:

The ST 1300 is the perfect bike for my riding style

Faults:

Mine had the well known coolant leak - very slow but annoying. It was leaking for about 6 to 8 months, but for some mysterious reason, seems to have stopped. I haven’t seen any coolant on the ground for the past 2 months.

General Comments:

The ST 1300 has plenty of power and torque. It handles like a sport bike when you need the quick acceleration, and is comfortable for long distance touring, except for the stock seat. An Airhawk cushion makes a huge difference.

When you roll on the throttle, there is a bit of jumpiness between first and second gear. I have heard of a fuel regulator to correct this, but it doesn’t annoy me that much.

I absolutely love the huge fuel tank. The 7.7 gallons means I can go 300+ miles on one tank. The average MPG for me is around 42. I find this to be satisfactory considering I have a 110 mile round trip ride for work. This ride is 95% highway where I average 70 – 75 MPH.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th May, 2006

14th May 2016, 03:12

When you own it for a while and put some miles on it, you'll find all kinds of faults.

1. $550 fuel pump fails.

2. Top heavy bike.

3. Heavy bike.

4. Speed wobble when speeding, and we all speed.

5. Oil leaks.

6. Alternator is $700, and it went bad too.

7. Can't read the gauges in sunlight, really poorly designed for day time use.

8. HOT on the legs, HOT on the butt, HOT bike to ride.

9. Discontinued, many over price their bike and therefore they don't sell them.

10. Engine makes more noise than any other sport touring bike on the market.

11. Service is expensive, labor intensive to work on.

The good:

Good engine exceeds 200,000 miles, good transmission, goes a long distance, adjustable windshield, good brakes, acceptable acceleration, fuel injected (better than the ST1100), modern tire sizes.