Hi all, I'm new here, former HD owner making the switch to a sport-touring bike. If I win the lottery it's a brand new Trophy or BMW for me, barring that I found a 2004 ST 1300 (no abs) for $6000 firm. It's a stock bike except for "cruise control" and a pretty decent GPS. The current owner has replaced the thermostat and maintained the bike well. They also have 4 helmets that go with the bike and a cover - cover's nice but I don't have the means to x-ray the helmets so I'm kind of wary. Anyway, couple of scratches, doesn't look like the bike's been dropped and it has 39,000 miles. Any advice? My thinking is that it's a solid motorcycle that should go forever. It rides great and my wife likes it too - we're just worried about paying too much (Western MD). Thanks in advance! M.
Up here they would ask around $ 7000. for that year of bike, so it sounds reasonable. Do some searching on Craigslist/Kijiji or whatever other online service that you have that sells stuff. You should be able to find several of these bikes as they are very popular on the resale circuit and then you'll get a feel for what you should pay.
Buddy of mine bought another 03/ABS for 6k with 23,000 miles in perfect shape all stock. He replaced his standard 03 that had around 70,000 on it. He wanted to try ABS. Its all about condition and location. I would suggest holding out for ABS, I've had both types and on a heavy ST13 the ABS is very welcomed. I would also not go with a manual wind shield either, maybe the 04 had the powered one, can't remember.
It does have the powered windshield. The brakes make that much of difference, huh? I hammered 'em at about 80 and they felt really good - there was no hint toward locking. Thanks for input all!
Thats a good price, if I was in the market I would buy it.You won't find one much cheaper unless it has twice the miles. Personally, I would rather not have Abs, but that is very subjective.
That sounds like a very good price to me As far as ABS goes, I can take it or leave it. If the bike doesn't have it, it's not a deal breaker in my mind.
If the condition looks good and the maintenance has been done the bike is priced well. In particular the ST1300 can have some problems with the brake system if the recommended services are not followed. ABS or not it makes no difference in the service and interval. Mine had 39,000 once - that marvelous V4 is barely broken in at that mileage.
st1300 are typically rock solid. However they do through off alot of heat onto the rider, my opinion from having owned one. ride it to see if it bothers you and if not go for it. I am a believer in ABS.
I don't know it seems high to me. But then I just bought a 12 dl650 with 3.5k miles for only a little more. The ST is a great bike. I would suggest following the market for a while to really know if prices like these are where your local market is at.
I never owned an ST1300 , but do lots of riding with ST owner. Lots use them for long distance mounts & do quite well , but the owners i talked to would not buy that bike without ABS. It is on the heavy side , so buy what you like . Personally , i would never buy another bike without ABS (save my butt too many times) No i`m not slamming this bike & would really like to see what Honda does with it. If done right , there might be one in my garage.
The price seems a little high for a 2004. As others have said, pay attention to the heat. HDs are hot at slow speed, the ST will roast your legs on hot days at higher speed. I'd personally never buy a street bike without ABS. Cakeeater
I would also look for an ST with ABS. The system on the Honda is excellent and could very well save your bacon if you have to suddenly brake hard in slick conditions.
Thanks for the info folks! Now I have a new conundrum. I found a 2004 ABS model with (get this) only 1800 miles. Story goes that the guy who bought it got hurt (at work) and it sat in the garage for 7 years and then outside under a cover for another year. A kid bought it, cleaned the rust out of the tank and replaced the fuel pump and realized the bike is too big for his taste. He'll take $6500 for it. There is rust on the lip of the tank but nothing inside that I could see with a flashlight. There's also a thin layer of rust on the top of the shifter. Other than that the bike is immaculate and runs fabulously. I figure I could put filter on the fuel line and get new tires - but I worry that there's some unseen damage from all the sitting around. Any ideas what I should look for? There's a part of me that likes the one with the miles that was ridden by someone who actually rides, knows the bike and took care of it. Then there's the part of me that says "1800 MILES and ABS for $500 more!" Like I said, conundrum. Thanks again! I'm glad my buddy recommended this forum and I can't wait 'til I actually get a bike!
Grab it, you can be the guy who actually rides, knows the bike and takes care of it! I wouldn't worry too much about damage from being parked, it's a top of the line Honda. Just give it a good inspection and take it for a test ride.
Did the kid de-rust just the top tank , or did he do the sub tank also. If bought i`d replace the wheel bearings F&R . The brakes i`m sure are either sticky or possably a piston or 3 stuck on one or all of the calipers. You would also have to replace the brake hoses & pads of course. Oh & don`t forget the tires , & you might have trouble with injectors sticking or a little gummy. I have done alot of resurecting older bikes & nothing suprises me any more on a bike that sat. Id offer 5k to 5,500k
A bike that hasn't been ridden can have alot of unknown issues that will continue to pop up as you ride. You can do the obvious as previously stated but sitting for 7 years is scary especially if it was not prepped for storage. Scary for me but maybe a challenge for you, but budget money off the asking price in anticipation of issues.
Low mileage scares me with an ST that shows ANY rust in the fuel system. I knew a guy that got a real deal on a low mileage Concours that was a flood bike from New Orleans but of course the seller didn't reveal that. With a lawyer he got the shop to take the bike back but it stlll ended up costing him plus the times it quit running before he got rid of it. There are too many complicated systems on the ST that can run into money to fix and the good deal will sour in time. There is little room to install a filter before the fuel pressure regulator and besides, they pull fuel from an internal pump with integral filter. That is one that clogs if the lower tank is rusted. ABS is good but most USA market ST's don't have it and they run up very high mileages without killing their owners on slick roads. Take it out of here and go to ST-Owners.com
As an 04 st owner with 59,000 miles I can vouch for their reliability. I had some initial warranty work done when I first got it; some ground wire recall and a weird head gasket leak. Otherwise no problems. They are like toasters- little maintenance required. If nothing is leaking or sounds funny, some mileage won't matter. I personally would go with the former bike with more miles. Anyone that lets a new bike sit needs to have their head examined! Too many questions with a bike sitting that long with rust in the tank.
I would take it to a shop and have it gone through, or take a good bike mechanic with you to go over the bike as closely as he can. If I couldn't do that I would pass for the next one. I personally would buy a bike off of St-Owners.com. St 13's come up for sale occasionally there, and those bikes are meticulously cared for.
a 9 year old bike with less than 2,000 miles is a red flag, particularly on a bike as complex as an ST. They are exceptionally well made but things allowed to sit for years can develop problems unless they were stored properly. I think you'd be better of with a higher milage bike that has been well maintaned. These things will do 100k+ without breaking a sweat, the differrence between 30 and 60,000 miles really isn't that significant. Take your time. the right bike will show up. By the way, I road a Road King cross-county several times including thru the dessert southwest. I don't find the ST to be any hotter than a big air-cooled twin, in fact its no where near as hot in traffic. You will find the range, power, smoothness, and handling addictive tho.