Honda ST1100

2000 Honda ST1100 PanEuropean

This is my second ST1100. My first was a '91 model, Ol' Blackie. Perhaps the highest compliment I can pay the ST1100 is that, though I seriously considered the ST1300 and the Yamaha FJR1300, in the end I ended up buying another ST1100!

Note - this page was originally written about my '91 ST1100. The bikes are so similar that I haven't felt a need to change much. The '00 is basically identical to the '91, but with upgraded suspension and heavy-duty electrical system. Therefore, I have only lightly edited the original content.

I’ve seen the ST1100 referred to in print as "The Gentleman’s Express".. and I think that line sums the bike up perfectly. The darned thing is so civilized and comfortable. And versatile? I should say so! You can ride to work in a suit and tie, detach the spiffy removable panniers, and use one as a chic, albeit cartoonishly bloated briefcase. After work, go profiling down Hot Rod Boulevard. Or take to the backroads and play Captain Apex Strafer. You can effortlessly cruise the US super slabs at 105 to 110 mph all day long.. with one hand on the bar and a cold Gatorade in the other.. two up! A little jaunt up the Alaskan Highway? No problem!

Yes, it weighs well over 54 stone.. yet it will hustle down a Mississippi backroad like nobody’s bidness. Trust me on this.. :-) You won’t hang tight with your crotch-rocket riding buddies.. but neither will they run away and hide from you. Not unless they’re very, very determined, that is. And in that case maybe you’d better switch to a different mouthwash. ;-)

The rundown’s like this;

Specifications

Engine	Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 16-valve DOHC 90° V-4
Bore x Stroke	73 x 64.8mm (2.874 x 2.551in)
Displacement	1,084cm3 (66.15ci)
Compression Ratio	10 : 1
Carburetors	34.5mm CV-type x 4
Max. Power Output	100PS/7,500rpm (DIN) (74kW/7,500min-1) (99.23hp)
Max. Torque	11.3kg-m/6,000rpm (DIN) (111Nm/6,000min-1) (81.73ft-lb)
Ignition	Computer-controlled digital transistorized with electronic advance {Traction Control System (TCS)}
Starter	Electric
Transmission	5-speed cassette-type
Final Drive	Enclosed shaft with integrated dampers
Dimensions LxWxH	2,285 x 935 x 1,405mm (with panniers) (89.96 x 36.81 x 55.31in)
Wheelbase	1,555mm (61.22in)
Seat Height	800mm (31.5in)
Ground Clearance	145mm (5.71in)
Fuel Capacity	28 litres (7.4 gallons US)
Wheels Front/Rear	Hollow-section triple-spoke cast aluminium
Tires Front	110/80 ZR18 {120/70 ZR18 w/ ABS/TCS}
Tires Rear	160/70 ZR17
Suspension Front	43mm (1.69in) air-assist fork with TRAC, 150mm axle travel (5.9in)
Suspension Rear	Single-side conventional damper with adjustable preload and rebound, 120mm axle travel
Brakes Front	296mm (11.65in) dual discs, Dual Combined three-piston calipers, sintered metal pads {ABS}
Brakes Rear	296mm single disc, Dual Combined three-piston caliper, sintered metal pads {ABS}
Dry Weight	297kg (654.7 lb)
Quarter Mile	12.0 sec @ 105 mph (167 kmh)
Top Speed	152 mph indicated (245 kmh)

Click photo to super-size

But the mere numbers don't tell the real story on this bike. It is also built to last.It's with good reason that the ST is so popular in Europe for Police / Paramedic / General commercial duty. The bike is Industrial Strength, plain and simple. The average ST is barely broken in at 50,000 miles, and will easily go 100,000+ miles if given anything approaching proper maintenance. Treat one really right, and you can expect 200,000+ miles of trouble-free service. Not many bikes can lay claim to such reliability and longevity!

Mind you, there have been a few changes over the years. The pre-1995 PanEuros have an electrical system with only about half the capacity of later models. When the Europeans began to use them in Police and commercial applications, it quickly became evident that this was the bikes weak point. So Honda, being Honda, simply upgraded all PanEuros, instead of making a special Police model. Good on them! This way, we all benefit. The suspension system was also upgraded with adjustable dampers in.. err, 1998 I believe it was. As I'd added quite a few electronic gizmos, and Ol' Blackies shocks were a bit tired, the upgraded electrics and suspension were my main reasons for moving up to a late model.

I've upgraded the new bike with a few extras, too, all aimed at functionality and safety. Front to rear, roughly, they are:

Plexiglass headlight guard
Headlight / brakelight modulator
Givi +4" vented windsreen
Dash shelf for quick mounting of radar detector, garage door opener, etc.
Hot Grips heated handgrips
LH fairing pocket flexi-lid replaced with a flip-open Euro-spec Police unit
AutoCom Pro-7 Sport onboard comm system (Rider-pillion intercom, music, cel phone, radar detector, 2-way bike-to-bike radio)
Onboard charger for MP3 player (iRiver H140)
Delphi Roady 2 XM Sattelite Radio w/ hard-wired power supply
RAM Mount system for above (and more!)
12V accessory power outlet
Travelcade and Corbin custom seats. (Why two seats?)
Givi E52 Maxia tail case
Classic Industries tow hitch

I've also seen the ST1100 referred to as "politically correct". Now, while I bristle a bit at that statement.. the fact is, there's a grain of truth there. My personal take on the bike, and one of my original reasons for buying the '91, is that it's a 'Stealth Bike'. You can cruise down the road at 90, yet cops hardly give you a second glance.. I mean, you're sporting bloody great panniers, and you're obviously so understessed. You don't appear to be in a hurry at all. Indeed, while red ST1100's are cool, I found that Ol' Blackies understated color helped keep the gendarmes attention from meself.. ;-) So while I do like the burgundy color of the new bike, I kinda sorta wished I'd found another black one.

But above all else, this motorcycle's greatest strength, in my humble opinion, is that it's so undramatic. It just gets the job done, with no fuss whatsoever. Even if that job happens to fall well outside the norm!

Update! New gadgets. Click here...

Update! The ST is now tow-capable. Click here...

Running the Dragon! Click here..