The Honda ST series, also known as the ''Pan-European'' in Europe, is a duo of
Sport Touring
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
s comprising the ST1100 and the later ST1300.
Following the launch of the
Gold Wing
The Honda Gold Wing is a series of touring motorcycles manufactured by Honda. Gold Wings feature shaft drive and a flat engine. Mooted by press in September 1974 as "The world's biggest motor cycle manufacturer's first attack on the over-750cc ...
, which was very successful in the US, Honda's marketing team perceived that the European market (hence the "Pan European" moniker) would appreciate a lighter, sportier, and more manoeuvrable motorcycle. Introduced in 1990, the ST1100 was given a water-cooled 90-degree
V4 engine
A V4 engine is a four-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The V4 engine is less common compared to straight-four engines. However, V4 engines have been used in automobiles ...
mounted inline, instead of a
flat-four
A flat-four engine, also known as a horizontally opposed-four engine, is a four-cylinder piston engine with two banks of cylinders lying on opposite sides of a common crankshaft. The most common type of flat-four engine is the boxer-four engine, ...
engine (as in the Gold Wing). The ST1100 gained most of the Gold Wing's other characteristic engineering elements, such as
shaft drive
A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connect ...
, a full fairing and integral panniers. Introduced to the European market a year before it was available in the United States, the ST1100 supplied within a sportier package the features required by touring riders, thereby filling a niche between the
Honda VFR750F
The Honda VFR750F is a motorcycle manufactured by Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda from 1986 to 1997.
The model was initially displayed to the press after the 1985 Bol d'Or before it was officially introduced in 1986. The motorcycle is ...
sports tourer and the larger Gold Wing.
Its successor, the ST1300, (also called the "Pan-European" in Europe), was introduced in 2002, becoming available in the US in 2003. Production continued through the 2012 model year. In November 2013, following deletion of the ST1300 from the model line, Honda announced the
CTX1300, a
cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...
motorcycle powered by a version of the ST1300's engine modified for better fuel economy and increased torque at low RPMs.
ST1100
The ST1100 had a 1,085 cc
longitudinal
Longitudinal is a geometric term of location which may refer to:
* Longitude
** Line of longitude, also called a meridian
* Longitudinal engine, an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, ...
90-degree
V4 engine
A V4 engine is a four-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The V4 engine is less common compared to straight-four engines. However, V4 engines have been used in automobiles ...
. The fuel tank was located below the saddle (the tank at the usual location is actually the cover for the air filter) to lower the
center of gravity
In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the balance point) is the unique point where the weight function, weighted relative position (vector), position of the distributed mass sums to zero. Thi ...
and thus improve the handling.
[ It was manufactured by ]Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
between 1990 and 2002. A police variant, the ST1100P, was available for several more years.
The ST1100 was optimized for long-distance touring with the following features:
* A longitudinal
Longitudinal is a geometric term of location which may refer to:
* Longitude
** Line of longitude, also called a meridian
* Longitudinal engine, an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, ...
V-4 engine layout with low maintenance shaft drive
A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connect ...
* Optional antilock brakes
An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a safety anti-skid braking system used on aircraft and on land vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. ABS operates by preventing the wheels from locking up during braking, thereby maintainin ...
(ABS) and traction control system
A traction control system (TCS), also known as ASR (from german: Antriebsschlupfregelung, lit=drive slippage regulation), is typically (but not necessarily) a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) on production motor vehicle ...
(TCS). ABS model years from 1992 through 1995 have conventional separate front and rear braking systems. After 1996, ABS-equipped bikes have front-rear linked brakes (LBS).
* An exceptionally large 28 L (7.4 US gallon) fuel tank
A fuel tank (also called a petrol tank or gas tank) is a safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propel ...
, giving a range of about 300 highway miles (480 km).
* A large 40 amp, air-cooled alternator
An alternator is an electrical generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current. For reasons of cost and simplicity, most alternators use a rotating magnetic field with a stationary armature.Go ...
to power multiple accessories such as auxiliary lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylig ...
and electrically heated clothing
Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...
(Early models had a problematic 28 amp alternator which could be upgraded to the 40 amp version)
Weighing around , the ST1100 was no lightweight. The bike was fitted with wing-shaped tipover protectors projecting from the side of the lower part of the fairing. These would not only protect the bike and cylinder heads in a crash, but, should the rider drop the bike on its side, would prevent this very heavy bike from leaning over so far that it would be nigh impossible to pick up again; the panniers also helped in this matter. The ST1100 low-mounted rear-view mirrors were particularly effective.
ST1300
The ST1300 1,261 cc V4 engine
A V4 engine is a four-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The V4 engine is less common compared to straight-four engines. However, V4 engines have been used in automobiles ...
had a cassette-type five-speed transmission and a two-element fuel-tank. The engine forms a stressed member in a lighter aluminum frame, the layout giving a low centre of gravity
In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the balance point) is the unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. This is the point to which a force may ...
. Just like the ST1100 that it superseded, the ST1300 features a standard riding posture, a liquid-cooled longitudinal V4 engine
A V4 engine is a four-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The V4 engine is less common compared to straight-four engines. However, V4 engines have been used in automobiles ...
with shaft drive and a fully faired body with integral hard pannier
A pannier is a basket, bag, box, or similar container, carried in pairs either slung over the back of a beast of burden, or attached to the sides of a bicycle or motorcycle. The term derives from a Middle English borrowing of the Old French ''p ...
s as standard.
During the 2000 bike show season, Honda presented a prototype sport tourer called the X-Wing, featuring a 1,500 cc V6 engine, single-sided front and rear suspension and an automatic transmission. Speculation in the press that the X-Wing was the ST1100's replacement was partially confirmed when Honda introduced an all-new ST1300 Pan European in Europe and Australia for the 2002 model year. For the U.S. market, the new bike would be imported in limited numbers (about 2,200 per year) starting in 2003 as the ST1300. ''Motor Cycle News
''MCN'' or ''Motor Cycle News'' is a UK weekly Motorcycle, motorcycling newspaper published by Bauer Verlagsgruppe, Bauer Consumer Media, based in Peterborough, United Kingdom. It claims to be "the world’s biggest weekly motorcycle newspape ...
'' reported in 2009 that Honda would replace the ST1300 with a new touring bike powered by a V4 engine mounted transversely, similar to the Honda VFR1200F
The Honda VFR1200F is the 7th generation Honda sport touring motorcycle from the VF and VFR line motorcycles powered by a transverse mounted V4 engine. The VFR1200F has several new technologies including the first dual clutch transmission offer ...
layout. In 2011, Honda announced that development of the next generation Pan European motorcycle was on hold.
The ST1300 incorporates many of the X-Wing's lines but none of its running gear. Power comes from a lower-slung 1,261 cc V4 engine
A V4 engine is a four-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The V4 engine is less common compared to straight-four engines. However, V4 engines have been used in automobiles ...
mounted as a stressed member
A motorcycle frame is a motorcycle's core structure. It supports the engine, provides a location for the steering and rear suspension, and supports the rider and any passenger or luggage. Also attached to the frame are the fuel tank and battery. A ...
in a lighter aluminum frame. A major difference from the ST1100 is the use of balance shaft
Balance shafts are used in piston engines to reduce vibration by cancelling out unbalanced dynamic forces. The counter balance shafts have eccentric weights and rotate in opposite direction to each other, which generates a net vertical force.
Th ...
s for smoothness, allowing the engine to be directly mounted to the frame. The revised engine layout and a split fuel tank shift some of the weight downward, making the ST1300 less top-heavy than its predecessor. The rear wheel is driven through a cassette-type five-speed transmission and shaft drive
A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connect ...
.
Honda's ABS and linked brake package is an option for all years on the ST1300 in the United States, but became standard on the European ST1300 Pan European 2004 (A4 models). Unlike the ST1100, the ST1300 does not include a traction control system
A traction control system (TCS), also known as ASR (from german: Antriebsschlupfregelung, lit=drive slippage regulation), is typically (but not necessarily) a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) on production motor vehicle ...
. In 2002 and 2003, models with ABS included an electrically adjustable windscreen. The electrically adjustable windscreen became standard equipment on all bikes in 2004. A long list of minor differences improved upon the ST1100's comfort, handling and performance.
Pan weave
Evidence indicates the ST1300 can exhibit a weave instability mode at high speed — known in the case of the ST1300 as ''Pan Weave''.
In April 2007, subsequent to the death of a police motorcyclist riding a single seat ST1300, the emergency service version of the ST1300, a British coroner
A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into Manner of death, the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
announced he would warn all Chief Constables in England and Wales of the "serious threat" to riders' lives posed by the ST1300 and the "catastrophic result" of the high speed weave. Later safety checks resulted in one examiner sustaining several broken bones in a similar incident. UK police forces subsequently withdrew the ST1300 from police service; London Ambulance Service
The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS) is an NHS trust responsible for operating ambulances and answering and responding to urgent and emergency medical situations within the London region of England. The service responds to 999 phone cal ...
continue to operate the ST1300.
''RiDE Magazine
Ride may refer to:
People
* MC Ride, a member of Death Grips
* Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut
* William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicent ...
'' reported in October 2007 that a team replicated weave instability mode with a civilian Honda ST1300 — reproducing the instability at a speed of under certain loading conditions. The rider noticed a rear wheel maximum yaw of 11 degrees per second, described as "a consistent and alarming sideways movement." The editors named the behavior "Pan weave". The intent of the testing was not to determine the cause of the weave, but to confirm its existence. Also, the article reported that 43% of surveyed ST1300 owners had experienced the weave.
Honda's response
American Honda published an advisory in August 2007 on the proper selection, installation, and use of equipment on the ST1300PA police motorcycle. They made a strong recommendation to have "qualified personnel evaluate a motorcycle fitted with all intended equipment under the anticipated speeds and conditions before the vehicle is placed into service." The advisory also contained guidelines for the selection and installation of attachments, including:
*Place equipment as low and close to the center of the motorcycle as possible;
*avoid exceeding the maximum load limit for the vehicle;
*comply with weight limits for each saddlebag and fairing pocket;
*ensure attachments and equipment are balanced on both sides of the vehicle.
By 2010, the ST1300PA was again popular with police departments in the UK and in the US, competing with police bikes from Harley-Davidson, BMW, Kawasaki and Yamaha on both price and performance. The Automobile Association
AA Limited, trading as The AA (formerly The Automobile Association), is a British motoring association.
Founded in 1905, it provides vehicle insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans, motoring advice, road maps and other services. Th ...
and other groups providing roadside assistance or emergency services have also chosen the ST1300 for their motorcycle fleets since 2010.
See also
*List of Honda motorcycles
The following is a list of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds produced by Honda.
List by engine size
Mopeds and light motorcycles
*A-Type
*AirBlade
* Ape series
* Chaly
* Cub series
* Cub F
* CT50 Motra
* CY50
* Express
*Grom
* MB/T/X series ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Honda St Series
ST1100
The Honda ST series, also known as the ''Pan-European'' in Europe, is a duo of Sport Touring motorcycles comprising the ST1100 and the later ST1300.
Following the launch of the Gold Wing, which was very successful in the US, Honda's marketing tea ...
Sport touring motorcycles
Motorcycles introduced in 1990
ST1300
The Honda ST series, also known as the ''Pan-European'' in Europe, is a duo of Sport Touring motorcycles comprising the ST1100 and the later ST1300.
Following the launch of the Gold Wing, which was very successful in the US, Honda's marketing tea ...
Shaft drive motorcycles
ST series