Honda ST1300

This was no contrived 'chance' encounter planned by the Honda Australia boffins for the Queensland media launch of the all-new ST1300. But the timing was brilliant.

After a particularly feisty stretch between Monto and Eidsvold, east of Bundaberg (Qld), on day two, five gleaming ST1300s pulled up outside a primary school for a few minutes breather - and to allow time for the sweep vehicle to play catch up. There in the school grounds stood a posse of 11 or 12-year-olds enjoying the little lunch sun, eyes transfixed firmly on the beauty that lay beyond the school perimeter - the steeds, not the journos.

"Are you riding Hondas," the self-proclaimed leader of the gang barked.

"Yeah, we are."

"Yaaay...."

If there was ever a moment that encapsulated sheer adulation, this was it. Not that the ebullience had anything to do with the ST1300 per se - just exuberance about Hondas in general, or a more cynical person would say that it was a function of traffic actually passing through the town for once...

However, it looks like a couple of entry-level Hondas might be leaving showroom floors in six or seven years time...

LIGHT YEARS AHEAD
Actually, there is a fair bit to get excited about with the all-new V-four ST1300, because it represents a long-overdue overhaul for the ST1100A, which has served Honda with distinction in Australia since 1995 - and for five years before that in ST1100 guise. That's more than long enough for a model to shoulder the mega sportstouring burden, particularly in a cut-throat market niche that counts fellow shaft-drivers like BMW's R1150 RT ($23,225) and K1200 RS ($23,430) and Yamaha's superb FJR1300 ($21,099) in its ambit. That's quite a troika to go up against.

However, that's the type of challenge which Honda thrives upon, and the ST1300 does justice to the Big H rhetoric - it's well and truly in for the title fight. Simply, the ST1300 is light years ahead of the 1100, in terms of outright performance, comfort, convenience, aerodynamics, ergonomics and sex appeal. And that sentiment was a wide-ranging one.

After covering 1530km over two very full days - which equated to a ride from Townsville to Brisbane - I certainly had ample time to arrive at that conclusion, which became more self-evident after a 40km blast on one of two ST1100s which tagged along for 'comparative' purposes.

The main things that stood out for me between the old and new included the 50 percent more leg room that the 1300 provides, in addition to a far more efficient screen and just lighter controls all round. Additionally top gear (fifth) roll-ons confirmed that the fuel-injected 1300 is far more competent throughout the entire rev ranges - as it should be with extra cubes and recent technological advances to call upon. And a claimed 15kg less weight (281 versus 266) to lug around.

Honda claims 126ps at 8000rpm for the Australian model (120ps in Pan-European guise), alongside 12.75kg-m of torque at 6000rpm. At a leisurely 120kmh, the 1300 motors along at 4000rpm, but it's not until around 6000rpm that the bike is mobilised into some real action, and pulls hard in a linear fashion all the way until the 8500rpm redline.

At the other end of the rpm scale, there's not a hint of transmission snatch, even when it's sitting on 2000rpm in top gear at 60kmh. And vibration isn't even a factor, thanks to the fitment of two balance shafts in the engine, which also acts as a stressed member.

Most of the opening day action along the uninspiring Bruce Highway from Townsville to Rockhampton - sugar cane country - was spent in the 4000-4500rpm zone, where the bike was using a litre of fuel every 15km, according to the average fuel consumption gauge on the comprehensive instrument panel. Times that by 29lt (there's a 20.8lt upper tank and 8.2lt lower) and that works out to a range of about 435km.

In addition to average fuel consumption, there's also a real-time figure, which just happens to operate on a delay of about 10 seconds - a petroleum oxymoron. However, that's dealing in semantics - it was nice to have something to help whittle away the 728km on day one and 892km the following day.

NEEDS SOME ADJUSTMENT
One part of the ST1300 that fell under my control was the three-step adjustable seat, which alters height between 775mm and 805mm - and takes seconds to change.

I eventually arrived at a middle-of-the-road setting, which still allowed me to put my feet on terra firma with confidence, at the same time providing a relaxed reach to the handlebars. As a consequence of changing the seat height, I also had to tinker with the manually-adjustable screen, lifting it to the highest setting.

Unfortunately, the Australian-spec ST1300 doesn't come with the power-assisted screen (or ABS for that matter), which is standard fare on the likes of the FJR1300 and R1150 RT. That's okay, but at $22,900, the ST is $1800 more expensive than the FJR1300 - but lacks a feature which is a central tenant on such a motorcycle.

The inconvenience of manual adjustment was one thing, but that was exacerbated when riding through small towns when a little fresh air on the face would have been most welcome. Well, I suppose I could have ridden it like a motocrosser and stood on the pegs...

However, it's not all doom and gloom, as Honda has plans to bring in the higher-spec ST1300 at a later date, but at a fair premium on the current machine. Probably expect something in the $25-26K zone. But there is some positive spin to report on the screen - it is quite magnificent, and doesn't suffer from a nasty case of the shudders that the FJR's was prone to at high speeds.

The front-end of the bike is also home to a few other niceties, including excellent mirrors and weather-resistant side pockets (one of them is also lockable). One minor gripe is that in direct sunlight, the LCD displays on the instrument panel are sometimes hard to see. Perhaps another level of illumination is the remedy.

Like the FJR, the 35lt detachable panniers are standard fare on the ST1300, and are big enough to hold a full-face helmet, bowling ball or anything of a similar ilk. The panniers certainly look the business, and are a step above the items on the ST1100 - both in aesthetics and performance. While on the subject of beauty, the triangular mufflers are an interesting exercise...

REINVIGORATION
Day two provided a striking contrast to the opening instalment, with plenty of twisty roads to test the ST's mettle. Like any bike in this market segment, the ST can twist, turn and jig with the best of them - at a level not too far from what you'd expect from a dedicated sportsbike. These bikes are that good, and in the hands of an experienced pilot really have the capacity to shine.

The frame is an all-new aluminium twin-spar design, matched to 45mm forks and a linkless rear shock absorber. There's preload adjustment at both ends, with the rear adjuster an externally mounted control knob for easy access. I backed off the preload one turn on day one, on the premise that I was carrying minimal luggage and was sans a pillion.

The third generation D-CBS linked brakes were perfectly fine, and so to the Bridgestone BT020 tyres, although both were only tested in quite pristine conditions.

Available in red only, the ST1300 will hit dealerships in late September/early October, with a list of accessories as long as your arm: 45lt topbox, tankbag, heated grips, radio, CD and various pads of various sizes. Yep, Honda has totally reinvigorated the ST in one fell swoop, and it's got the pedigree to frighten the established class leaders - only time will tell whether that's enough to win the sales race.