Today may be my last day of BMW ownership!

Tomorrow I am going to the Honda dealer to test ride a 2012 ST1300. The bike is freaking beautiful! It only has 2100 miles on it. I just may be a Honda owner as of tomorrow afternoon. Good riddance to the R1100RT!? Maybe,..we will have to see if the ST1300 is as smooth as every one tells me it is.

Just remember, smooth isn't everything.

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oldnslow said:

Tomorrow I am going to the Honda dealer to test ride a 2012 ST1300. The bike is freaking beautiful! It only has 2100 miles on it. I just may be a Honda owner as of tomorrow afternoon. Good riddance to the R1100RT!? Maybe,..we will have to see if the ST1300 is as smooth as every one tells me it is.

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I have owned a number of Hondas, including four 4's, two of which were V-4's. Honda knows how to build a sweet engine. My guess is that you will be very happy on the Honda.

It's about the ride.

I have owned a ton of bikes over the years, keep coming back to Beemers for no reason that I can explain. I took an ST out last year at the Honda test ride and I was impressed. I also took their CTX out, WOW.

I own three Beemers and a 1982 KZ440LTD, the Beemers will go, the Kaw will stay, it's just such a simple, forgiving, fun to ride little girl. She's made for day trips and that is all I expect of her.

Being brand loyal is one thing, bleeding the corporate colors makes you a follower. You know what they say, the second dog gets to see the same a---ole the entire trip.

Good luck on your choice but that ST is a sweet ride and BMW could learn a bit from that bike.

Honda

I still own a AirHead, but I sold my newer BMW and got a Honda NT700V(which many call ST700). I can tell you Honda made a great bike in the NT (which is no longer made). I ridden it at 85 through Tennessee and on the Tail, and it does everything very well. I could not find a middle weight BMW that has the same protection as the NT. At 250 miles per tank it makes a great touring machine. Honda does make some very good motorcycles While you at the dealer be sure and sit on the CTX1300 (cruiser version of the ST).

Back in the 90s, when the ST1100s first came out, I rode my K100RS 16v over to the Honda dealer to check one out. I wanted to do a back-to-back comparison.

The K was buzzy, made very little power in the mid-range, and had much hot air coming from the radiators. The ST was smooth as glass and rev'd out effortlessly, pulling strongly right from the bottom. It seemed like it would go way beyond what the red line said. All of a sudden I was going 80mph with so little drama that it stunned me.

And... that is kind of the story, it was kind of like riding a refrigerator ... a little lacking in the soul department.

Now that I am 30 years older, maybe that's not such a bad thing.

I bet you really like the bike.


Here's the Honda I want.... a CRF 1000

(I am also waiting for them to upsize the CRF250 into a 300/350)

Visian said:

And... that is kind of the story, it was kind of like riding a refrigerator ... a little lacking in the soul department.

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That's the way I feel. I have and have had a number of Honda products and quite a few Honda motorcycles- never had a bad Honda product. They are designed to be trouble free and I think it to the "mass engineering" of the models. They don't seem to, for example, push the limits of "possible horsepower" that is contained in the engine design (except in the race/dirt bikes) and therefor the reliability goes up. If you are looking for something that you may never have to touch, Honda is a good bet.
You can always keep the BMW as a fond memory of the "old days". Be sure to add a picture if you go for it.
Good luck.
Gary

I bought a barely used ST1300 a couple years ago to replace my aging K1100LT. Sold it within a month. Yes, it had that awesome V4, and they are extremely reliable, but nothing else stood out. Steering was heavy at low speeds, and the bike was very hot and heavy. Boring. In comparison, an R1200RT like I have now is so much more fun to ride. That ST1300 is badly in need of an update in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I have a Yamaha Super Tenere in the garage next to the RT, so I have nothing against Japanese bikes, but they have to be fun, or what's the point?

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Been touched on a few times, some bikes lack personality, they are great and reliable bikes, but fail to stir the senses. And many of us want that "feel" when we ride. I am the same with cars, when I drove a few of the new Lexus in the early days, they were just too quiet and sterile. I wanted toi feel the road and hear the byproduct of internal combustion. Very few cars or bikes I have owned have stock exhaust, I don't like loud, but I do like tone.

Appliance.

pffog said:

when I drove a few of the new Lexus in the early days, they were just too quiet and sterile. I wanted toi feel the road

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Hmmm...........You could be talking about a late model BMW car.

That's too bad but Good Luck anyway. I have a '96 r1100rt. One of the finest bikes I have ever owned and while it could also be one of the last bikes I own (2 wheeler anyway) it's getting a bit heavy for me. You sound like you may have had some problems with yours?

Be that as it may you will undoubtedly find a massive difference between a 1998 anything and a 2012 anything.

Honda makes a great product whether it's a car, generator, lawn equipment or a bike. My first brand-new bike was a 1974 CL450.
Currently have a Honda 6500 Generator/Inverter, 1998 Honda Lawn Tractor/Snowblower and a 1966 Honda ca95 Benly 150cc (Baby Dream).

The mini-herd (there were more) out for maintenance grazing yesterday. Final Drive fluid change in the Beemer and added a farkle to the Ural. The little Honda was my go-to-the-auto-parts-store and go-to-the-hardware-store vehicle of the day.

Turncoat, lol. jes kidding, you will love that honda for many many trouble free years of riding. i still have a couple of em layen around the barn, i call em the go to bikes. when nothing else works they do.

Funny, lots of talk about 'no soul' on certain bikes. That's the way it is with this R1100RT. I just don't feel the connection. It is the most beautiful bike ever. It has great weather protection. It holds a ton of gear. But I feel like I am riding on a tractor! That boxer motor does nothing to excite me! The K100 I had before this was a different story. Loved riding it but it was just too cramped for a 6' 2" guy, and lacked the nice things that modern bikes have. But I loved to ride it. It broke down 3 times on a 3000 mile trip to N. Carolina, but I never cussed it once!

The Honda ST1300 may not be the bike I crave, but something has got to be out there for me!

I want Goldwing comfort, K1300GT speed, nimble like my son's Majesty scooter, and reliability like my '94 Corolla. Is that so much to ask?

jrbelknap said:

I bought a barely used ST1300 a couple years ago to replace my aging K1100LT. Sold it within a month.

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Yes indeed.

Back in 1988, I was riding an R65 after ten years on /2 bikes. I wanted something different, and found a very clean Yamaha FJ1200. Smooth, fast, quiet, comfortable...and I just hated it. The only thing I could see at the time was I didn't like how the controls felt. Sold it 13 days later and bought a K75S.

ratze said:

Turncoat, lol. jes kidding, you will love that honda for many many trouble free years of riding. i still have a couple of em layen around the barn, i call em the go to bikes. when nothing else works they do.

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+1
I believe you will really like the ST. I have an ST1100 now with 85K on it. I have ridden the ST1300's and Honda has solved some of the issues the ST1100 had.

As to the "Soul" issue...W.T.H? The two K100's I had were nice. But so is the Honda. The nearly 7 gallon tank is really handy feature. Granted it didn't handle as well as the K's. Until I found the right tires and had the suspension replaced with proper spring rates, Traxion Dynamic cartridges, and Penske rear shock. I'm keeping this simpler, smoother, dare it say better bike a long time.

Will I be back to BMW? for now, no. Too many gizmo's, to many electronic potential failure features.
But then, a nicely restored airhead...
jim

Set in our ways

Every riders has his style and like a mate they choose the one that suits them best. Everyone likes a different dog. I sometimes find it kind of funny how some riders have little respect for another band then they ride. H-D and BMW are the most loyal I find and the most likely to put belittle another brand. Bavarian Manure Wagon I been told by may a H-D rider: maybe all in fun. On the whole I find owners of Japanese brands, will be more open to other motorcycles makes and riding styles. BMW is all most all touring, H-D is all about the group ride (many with load pipes), and some Japanese is about the aggressive sport riding. Honda has made the Goldwing the great tourer, and of course the big K's keep pace (of course I think when the Goldwing was made in USA it gave a lift to many, which cared on). The ST has been a stable for Iron Butt type rides for many riders. I still amazed that you need a 1000 plus CC bike for the average rider, mostly by ego. I not sure why anyone needs over a hundred horse motorcycle for most riding.

I find only my Airhead seems to be accepted almost any where. So in closing of this bias comment, Ride what you like, the way you want, and I try and stay out of your way.

Emoto said:

Appliance.

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Ridiculous

"Appliance?" Well my refrigerator has run flawlessly for 22 years so maybe it's a good thing.

Seriously, if you want some "character" slip on a pair of Staintune mufflers. And the first time you lean the big ST hard into a curve, you'll be impressed. Honda did a nice job with the ST1300.

pete
(Had a 2003 ST. Now on a 2011 RT. Both excellent machines.)

pffog said:

Been touched on a few times, some bikes lack personality, they are great and reliable bikes, but fail to stir the senses. And many of us want that "feel" when we ride.

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That's why I just haven't connected with my K1200GT. It's a great bike, but lacks soul. I really want the new RT and have a test ride lined up mid May on the demo day at the dealer. We'll see if it has the character I desire. If so, look out savings!