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Magazine Bonus Extras -- 2007 Honda ST 1300

Magazine Bonus Extras

Magazine Bonus Extras: 2007Honda ST 1300

The ST1300's got plenty of storage. So much in fact, that staff shooter Bob Feather was
able to strap all of his camera gear on-board for the bike's photo shoot.

2007 Honda ST 1300

NAME: JOE RUSSO
AGE: 29
HEIGHT: 5’9”
WEIGHT: 175
POSITION AT TAM COMMUNICATIONS: Sales Manager, RoadBike
BEEN RIDING FOR: Six years
PERSONAL RIDE: 2001 DUCATI 750 Super Sport

The ST 1300 is an awesome bike. When you have the chance to jump on many bikes you really get a grasp for what a bike is capable of and whom it is built for. My impression at first sight was it’s a nice looking bike, very sharp and sporty from the side view, slightly less sharp from the front with a scooter-looking front end. First riding impression? Tons of power, very comfortable, a great bike for long rides.

The bike had plenty of power even in the lower RPM band. The power was present and strong even with a passenger and with some items in the saddlebags -- which was great when cooking past slower-moving vehicles on the highway. I was impressed at the quietness and the comfort of the ergonomics of the ST.

This is a great bike for long rides one- or two-up, and has plenty of bag room. It’s quiet, comfortable, and has an electronic windshield that works great at deflecting rain or wind when the weather forces you to press the button.

I even got my pops on the back for a four-hour ride up through Westchester and Litchfield Counties in New York and Connecticut. He is in his early 60s, and said the ST was one of the most comfortable bikes he’d ever been a passenger on. The comfortable sissy bar and suspension offer a smooth ride that’s a pleasure for passengers, and the bike also has plenty of legroom.

This bike was a delight to ride. It almost felt too perfect. It’s nimble, fast, has lots of storage, is very comfortable for a passenger and had cool features. I would consider buying this bike if I did long rides and wanted an all-around bike that had a little bit of everything to offer.

My only gripe is, where’s the radio?

NAME: Jon Langston
AGE: 42
HEIGHT: 5'11'
WEIGHT: 185
POSITION AT TAM: Associate Editor, RoadBike
BEEN RIDING FOR: Street, two years; Dirt, since age 10 or so
PERSONAL RIDE: '83 Kawasaki KZ1100LTD, aka "The 'Saki Bomb"

Are you kiddin' me? An electronically adjustable windscreen? That feature alone puts the ST1300 far and away above any other sport tourer I've ever ridden. After a leisurely cruise along the backroads, we jumped onto the Interstate in an effort to make some time. With a flick of the left thumb, my passenger and I could continue our conversation (sure, we were yelling, but still) at highway speeds, no problem.

Honda's got a special bike here, IMO. This baby combines the best of power biking and finesse riding in one nimble package. The 1300cc engine drives the bike confidently and quietly forward. No kidding -- this is the quietest bike of its size that I've ridden. It's almost got that wimpy, whistling whine that large scooters have. But its power is formidable, up and down the band. Even at highway speeds, give it a little twist and you've got plenty of juice to get out of the way of the clueless guy in the Lexus who just sauntered over into your lane.

With plenty of luggage space in the hard, removable saddlebags, the ST was ideal for a weekend getaway for two. (If you want to hear about my skydiving experience, you'll have to ask me over on the forums; in a word, "Wheeee!"). It was so stable that, until I felt the squeeze, I occasionally forgot my Better Half was behind me. And she couldn't stop talking about how comfy the back seat was for her; she felt safe, and not at all cramped.

One complaint: The fairing kept the breeze from flowing onto the lower half of my body; ideal, perhaps, in colder conditions, but on this late summer afternoon? Man, my legs were cookin' like drumsticks at Colonel Sanders' Fourth of July barbecue.

Overall, I'm with Russo, and want to know: Where's the radio? Everything else is right here at your fingertips. Some smooth Coltrane as we tooled along the river at sunset would've been perfect....

PS: I can't say enough about SR209, which runs along the Delaware River on the Pennsylvania/Northern New Jersey border -- short, but incredibly sweet. And for a nice lunch break, try the quaint town of Milford, Pennsylvania. Nice folks there.

Open Saddlebag

Seat Lever

Seat Adjuster

Side Cover Off

Storage

Dash

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