A quick ride on a used ST1100

Over the weekend I came on a Black 1991 Honda ST1100 at my local Honda dealer when I was there buying some parts for my big bike. The 1100 had 13.000 original miles and was absolutely spotless. I have been considering a lighter bike for commuting back and forth to work as the Valkyrie Interstate is a pain to horse around in urban traffic every day. A salesman came out and asked if I was interested in a test drive, that's like asking a vampire if he is interested in biting a nice neck. I signed the appropriate paperwork, looked the bike over and in true biker fashion took off. The 1100 is very light in comparison to what I ride now and handles very well. My only complaint is that I am not used to leaning over the bars, which is a literal pain as I have a touch of "Arthur-itis" in my left hand from an old injury I sustained while battling the Communist hoards when I was twenty years old and immortal.

The bike goes like a shot for a sport tourer, and I particularly like the rev-limiter which I found in second gear trying to see what this old machine would do. The bike was quieter than I had expected and handled very well in slow tight turns when I took it into a small narrow parking lot. The pegs were a little higher than I like them and don't think it would make a real good long distance rider for me , but, I have a Valkyrie Interstate for the long rides. This bike would more than likely be a good bet since Honda reliability is almost something you can bet on. I could turn this bike over to my son as it doesn't have the raw acceleration of my V65 and he could get used to this easily and not be ridiculed for riding an old man bike since the styling is still current and racy enough for a young guy to be seen riding in public. The seat was especially comfortable for a Honda, who I don't think spends nearly enough on seat development. And the rear of the seat has plenty of room and seat area for a passenger.

All in all it was a fun 30 minutes and the price was right. I will have to see how things go, if I bought it I would have to get aftermarket risers and bars to move everything up and back a little, other wise it's a fine ride.

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