First Impressions and Getting Started
So, I finally got my hands on this 1999 Honda ST1100. Been wanting to try one of these for a while, heard all sorts of things. It wasn’t exactly mint condition when I picked it up, let me tell you. Looked like it had seen a few miles, which, for a bike from ’99, ain’t surprising. The guy I bought it from, well, he was a character. Said he kept up with maintenance, but you know how that goes. Always gotta check for yourself.
First thing I did, even before really riding it much, was get it into my garage and just stare at it for a bit. It’s a big bike, no doubt. Solid. Definitely gives off that ‘Pan European’ tourer vibe. You can tell Honda built these things to last, or at least they look like they were. The paint was okay, a few scuffs here and there. Nothing a bit of elbow grease couldn’t sort, or so I hoped.
The Initial Teardown and Checks
Alright, so the real work began. I decided to start with the basics. Fluids, filters, and a good old-fashioned look-see. That V4 engine is tucked in there pretty good, so getting to some stuff wasn’t a walk in the park.
- Changed the oil and filter. The old oil was… well, it was old.
- Checked the coolant. Looked a bit tired, so I flushed that and put fresh stuff in.
- Air filter was surprisingly not too bad, but I had a new one, so in it went.
- Pulled the spark plugs. They told a story, a bit sooty. Cleaned ’em up, gapped ’em. Considered new ones, but these looked like they had some life left.
The battery seemed okay, holding a charge, which was a relief. Fiddling with electrics on old bikes can be a nightmare. I remember this one time with my old CB750… but that’s a story for another day. Anyway, with the ST1100, the wiring looked mostly untouched, which is always a good sign. No weird splices or dodgy aftermarket alarms, thank goodness.
Tackling a Few Quirks
Every old bike has its personality, right? This one was no different. The previous owner mentioned the brakes felt a bit “spongy.” He wasn’t wrong. So, bleeding the brakes was high on the list. That took a bit of patience. Those linked brakes, they can be a bit fussy. But got there in the end. Much better feel after that. Cleaned the calipers too while I was at it. Amazing how much gunk builds up.
Then there was a slight hesitation just off idle. I spent a good afternoon checking vacuum lines. Found one that looked a bit perished. Swapped that out, and bingo! Smoothed things out quite a bit. It’s often the simple things, isn’t it? People always want to jump to rebuilding carbs or something, but sometimes it’s just a leaky bit of rubber.
Riding and Living With It
So, after all that fiddling, it was time to really ride it. And yeah, that engine is smooth. Like, super smooth. For a bike that old, it just pulls and pulls. No drama. You can cruise all day at decent speeds, and it just hums along. The gearbox is solid too. Click, click, click. No fuss.
It is heavy, though. You feel it in slow-speed stuff, parking lots, that kind of thing. But once you’re moving, it’s surprisingly agile for its size. The fairing does a good job keeping the wind off too. Makes sense, it’s a touring bike after all. I haven’t done any mega-long trips on it yet, just a few decent day rides. But I can see why people used to munch miles on these things. It’s comfortable, got a good seat, and that engine just doesn’t seem to care how long you ride it.
It’s not like those new bikes with all the fancy electronics and riding modes. This is just… a motorcycle. A well-built, solid motorcycle. And sometimes, that’s all you need. It’s been a good project, getting it sorted. There’s always something to tinker with on an older machine, keeps you busy. And honestly, I kinda like that. Beats staring at a screen all day, that’s for sure. Back when I was working that awful desk job, I dreamed of having time for projects like this. Glad those days are over.
