Honda ST1300 Pan European (2002-current)

I'm on my second 1300 Pan. The first one, an '05 plate, had a very vague front end at high speed and a fair bit of movement as well from side to side and i'm guessing that this is what everyone calls the notorious 'weave'. I am meticulous about tyre pressures etc and tried different preload settings on the rear shock to solve it. I sold it because of the police version fatal crashes which got into my head and was affecting my riding. Recently though I have bought another one, a mint '02 model that belonged to a friend of mine which he said displayed no such behaviour and he's right. This '02 model is much better than my '05 one? Not only the handling, which is truly perfect but the motor feels smoother/stronger and the brakes are better too. So I can only guess that all of them are different in the handling department though I can't think why this would be? All I can say is that I am perfectly happy to give this particular Pan a 5 star rating in every category, it's utterly brilliant.

well today i tried to make it handle badly and it did not it stayed true. me and my Police buddy sat at 100 mph with the screen fully up NO WEAVE and 130 with it down NO WEAVE test complete when set up and good tyres shes a fantastic bike now back to normal speeds after testing this bike was built to tour and cruise, if you want to go mad buy a sportsbike and hit the track. thanks and safe riding

I have had a few and ridden a few they need to be set up correctly and make sure 42pis front and rear also the d220 tyres are very stable no wobbles at all dont be put off also how often do you spend at 110 120 130 mph think about it

I was intending on buying a Pan European to replace my somewhat dodgy K1300 GT, but having done about 120 miles on a demo bike (admittedly an 05 with 24K on it) I have to say that the one I borrowed weaves quite a lot. Everything else is fine and dandy, goes like a train, stops really quite well, has a fantastic screen which does tend to keep most of the windblast off me,and by the way the screen being fully up is not the cause of the weave as it happens regardless of what position I leave the screen in!. I'm not going to give up on the idea, Just try and find a current 2009 model as opposed to a 2005 model, although was told today theres NO difference..... Any one care to comment on that????. A really rather nice bike spoilt by a weave that is unnerving to say the least and potentially bloody dangerous at worst. Ah well back to the drawing board. This style of bike is what im after so if anyone can think of a really smooth cruiser with large engine, non suspect handling(Oh and non shitty build quality AKA BMW!!) then I'd be interested to hear about it!!!

NEW 2009 MODEL just got it and yes it handles why correct set up 42 psi front and rear tyre pressure and Dunlop D220 tyres no top box and it handles I have just found out the previous model i had the dealer was dishonest about the model i had it was not current but old stock and poorly set up hey i admit i got it wrong im man enough this new one is a good bike very good bike sorry Honda about before

it was a new bike muppet, and I have more experience in my life than you will ever have and at a very high level. So re think it I speak from total experience Pan does not handle end of it is dangerous Ive had over 500 people say the same to me over the net. its crap simple buy a FJR 1300 or GTR 1400 or BMW far far better Honda Fucked up Thanks

I have a 2005 ST1300 and it's great. Had it solo and two-up at 110mph on several occasions - no terrible weave, no massive tankslappers. In fact it feels more planted than my old CBR. Now YES there can be some buffeting at speed, usually when overtaking lorries on the motorway - especially with the screen up and a top-box on. What would you expect? - in these circumstances the pan has the aerodynamics of a fridge. If it bothers you, ride closer to the speed limit! My fave things about the pan: - Excellent low-speed balance and handling - Grunty motor with bags of power, even two-up - Electric screen allows you to ride with your visor open if you want - Loads of luggage space in the panniers - 200+ miles from a tank - I think the linked brakes work well Some criticism - A heavy bike to move around the garage at 300kg wet (but if I can do it at 5'7", it's not the end of the world) - The panniers get dirty because they act like a mudguard for the back wheel. - Not exactly pretty, especially from behind - The V4 engine sounds dull - Makes 90mph feel like 60!

I don’t understand the bad press from the Police and other contributors to this forum. My ST handles just fine for a sport tourer. I ride to the edge of the tyres, and it’s never done anything I wouldn’t expect from a 600+ lb bike. It’s not a Fireblade or 1098, but for what it is, I’d highly recommend it until Honda come out with a Blackbird replacement with another 200cc and ABS!

I bought this bike new in 04 and now the bike has over 43k miles on it. First of all i am a seasoned rider and have owned many bikes over the years so this is not the only bike i have had. I read some reviews on this bike and i can say i have never seen , felt or experienced this high speed problem. I have had the St many times to the red line and to me if feels as stable as any bike if not better. I have a givi trunk and i have had it over 100 mph a few times and it does make it handle differant as it would any bike. The only thing i had go bad was one of the head lights burnt out last year. It still has the original battery and i dont keep it charged either. I removed the oddly looking cans back in 05 and replaced them with the two brothers and i also added a K&N air filter. These two upgrades really makes this bike stronger. I have a friend that i ride with sometimes he has a 05 FJR1300. He has installed a full muzzy system with a power comander and K&N air filter. We have over the years ran from a low start to a 140 mph blast side by side and let me tell you that the St kept right beside him the whole way. He is a very experienced rider as well and knows how to ride. This is the best bike i have every owned, its more touring than sport to me but has the power to run sport. What i mean by that is i have rode my friends FJR for many miles, i feel the St is more comfortable to me than his FJR. Dont get me wrong i like his FJR it is a nice bike and when or if i decide to get another bike would probably get a FJR since the St is the same bike and only the color has changed. Yamaha does seem to make improvements over the years to the FJR and Honda has forgetten about improving anything to the ST. The paint seems to scratch easier than i seen on past bikes and road chips on the paint is present on the lower part of the St. Engine whine is loud on this bike and it dont sound like most bikes but once you get by that you can really relax and ride.

WORD OF WARNING THEY HANDLE BADLY AT SPEED FROM NEW AND DO NOT GO TO HONDA CHISWICK TO BUY YOUR HONDA UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET A SHIT DEAL AND RIPPED OFF GO ELSE WHERE VOTE WITH YOUR FEET TIMES ARE HARD SPEND YOUR CASH WISELY DO NOT BUY FROM CHISWICK HONDA