Review of my ST after 3000 mile trip to Estes

[schoeney]

I have had a some questions from a few of you regarding my ST regarding several issues so I thought I would post this review.

After 1000 miles of local riding and my 3000 mile trip to the Estes Rally through 39-102 degree temps, mountains, twisties, sweepers, and lots of super slab I have a real good feel for the bike's pros/cons.

The Pros;

1.The power windshield is amazing! I doubt I will ever own another bike without one. Great protection from the rain and just a push of a button helps calm windy conditions or simply stabilizes the bike as you pass a semi. Don't get me wrong, it does not make the wind go away but it sure makes the ride as smooth as possible in wind. I think having a frame mounted fairing helped a lot as well. When I went through a couple good rain showers other bikes were pulling over to gear up and add face shields. No need for that on the ST as legs are well protected and I just raised my shield high and left my open face shield on. I did gear up when it got cold.

2. Power to pass/merge almost instantly. I felt very safe keeping trouble out of my "bubble"

3. Smooth power at speed. It seems the faster you go the more planted it was up to about 90 (speedo is off about 6% 100 speedo is actually 94). It really liked cruising 85-90 (80-85) range. The power windshield allows you to dial in a calm rider "pocket" at just about any speed. I did take it to 110-115 a couple times out of curiosity but I just don't like going that fast.......especially in the WalMart parking lot It had plenty more to give but I don't need to see it. Maybe at a race track some day but not where critters can jump out.

4. Fuel range. When riding alone I typically went 220-230 miles between fill-ups (that is not a mis-print it holds 7.7 gals!). On my last leg home I went 267 miles and still had 1.5gallons left. I am not sure if that 1.5 is all useable, need to find that out. I know my Nomad had a certain amount that was not useable.

5. Fuel mileage. If I rode the speed limit (tough to do!) I got about 50 MPG on the highway. One tank I averaged over 51 but part of that was riding 35-40 on Trail Ridge Road. If I kept my average highway speed 75-85 (speedo) I averaged about 45-46 MPG if wind was not terrible. I discovered the MPG gauge on the dash is off about 10% by doing manual calculations.

6. Center Stand. Made loading stuff on my pillion seat easier. But once loaded it was tough to get off the center stand.

7. The pegs. I liked being able to stand on the pegs (need to slow to 60-65) to get some air flow and butt relief. I allowed me to go 220-230 miles at a whack.

8. Quietness. Man this thing is quiet at speed.

9. Handling. It just loves the twisties. Seemed very light in the corners. I felt very confident cornering.

10. Gearing. Perfect gearing. You were right Dank , no need for a 6th gear.



The Cons:

1. No self cancelling signals. A pain. I think I am now in the habit to turn them off.

2. The heat. I rode in 100 degree heat for my 800 mile day. It was hot on the bike but I think it is hot on any bike at 100 degrees. It did not seem overly hot at anything below 85. I felt most of the heat around the seat/tank. Luckily I had a hydration pak in my tank bag so I was sucking cold water all day long. I would just add ice and filtered water every other fuel stop.

3. The seat. The previous owner had the seat reworked. It did not work for me. I could go about 75 miles then I would need to stand on the pegs every 30 miles or so to get relief. About the same as my Nomad seat. Day long Russell here I come! As Kris says, it will only hurt once.

4. Leg position. I don't mind the position for long periods but eventually you look for a new position. Looks like I will need to invest in the highway "blades". I was hoping not to spend the $275 for them (ouch...expensive).

5. The horn has got to go. When I honked I felt like a grown man walking a Chihuahua I miss the Stebel on my Nomad. Seems like the Fiamm Freeway Blasters are what most ST owners use. Anything is better than the Roadrunner beep beep.

Overall I am very pleased with my new bike. There are simple fixes for the few drawbacks it has. The exception is riding in 90-100 degree heat. I will just need to take more breaks and ride shorter distances. 800 miles was a bit much in that heat. Took me a couple days to recover.

The Estes Rally and trip was fun. Sure liked those Kansas people. Maybe Antlers will be my next long ride.

[a340driver]

Thanks for that ... wish I could have made it !

[elvis]

Originally Posted by schoeney

I am not sure if that 1.5 is all useable, need to find that out. I know my Nomad had a certain amount that was not useable.

No need to find that out in the middle of nowhere unless you're carrying an emergency gas canister. (ran out of gas once, 4 miles to the nearest gas station, it was not fun).

Glad you're enjoying your ST1300!

[caribou]

Glad your happy with your ST, looks like a great ride. But 800 mi. in that heat? By the way, we enjoyed meeting and riding with you. Tam and I had a great time. Ride safe.

[schoeney]

Originally Posted by caribou

Glad your happy with your ST, looks like a great ride. But 800 mi. in that heat? By the way, we enjoyed meeting and riding with you. Tam and I had a great time. Ride safe.

You too Tad. You have a great looking bike. Look forward to riding with you and Tam in the future. Hopefully my wife will be along next time.

[Monkeyman]

My Vision has a e-shield, too. Like you, I don't know that I could be happy without one. All the way down gives me some nice wind in the face and all the way up keeps 90% of the rain (and cold) off of me. As I raise it, I can feel myself start to lean forward as the windscreen takes the air away.

I'd get a 1 gallon gas jug and run the bike down to fumes, just to see what's what. That way, you'll know for sure how far you can go. Especially helpful if you're riding in the middle of nowhere.

I must be one of the few who prefers non-self cancelling turn signals. Mine (on both the Nomad and the Vision) seem to shut off long before I want them to. (Both are similar, cancelling after a certain distance above a certain speed.)

What are "highway blades"?

I don't know that any bike is all that comfortable in 100+* heat for long. Either a beaded or sheepskin seat cover will help as both allow a bit of air between your ass/man parts and the seat. Keeps the man parts cooler and helps to avoid monkey butt (they've really got to rename that). The cooler those parts are, the cooler the rest of you is (same with feet).

Glad to hear you're enjoying your "new" bike!

[schoeney]

Originally Posted by Monkeyman

My Vision has a e-shield, too. Like you, I don't know that I could be happy without one. All the way down gives me some nice wind in the face and all the way up keeps 90% of the rain (and cold) off of me. As I raise it, I can feel myself start to lean forward as the windscreen takes the air away.

I'd get a 1 gallon gas jug and run the bike down to fumes, just to see what's what. That way, you'll know for sure how far you can go. Especially helpful if you're riding in the middle of nowhere.

I must be one of the few who prefers non-self cancelling turn signals. Mine (on both the Nomad and the Vision) seem to shut off long before I want them to. (Both are similar, cancelling after a certain distance above a certain speed.)

What are "highway blades"?

I don't know that any bike is all that comfortable in 100+* heat for long. Either a beaded or sheepskin seat cover will help as both allow a bit of air between your ass/man parts and the seat. Keeps the man parts cooler and helps to avoid monkey butt (they've really got to rename that). The cooler those parts are, the cooler the rest of you is (same with feet).

Glad to hear you're enjoying your "new" bike!

Highway blades are highway pegs that look like switchblades. They pop out from under a cover. I did use a beaded seat it helped but like you say its so hot at 100 degrees I don't know that it would matter what you did.

I did find out that 7.4 gallons are usable. Depending on how you ride that could be over 400 miles. Plenty for me and I won't be testing the limits.

A guy on a vision showed up at our Estes hotel but went in the lobby then left. I was hoping he would stick around so we could learn more and see more and compare against the text XCT.

Oh well you will just have to show up one of our rallies on the west coast.

[dank]

Greg, the most I have used is 6.9. But the computer counting down miles to empty actually cuts out, which made me nervous, so I filled it. Mine switches for the average miles per gallon to miles left at roughly 6.1 gallons used, and will typically say I have 55-60 miles of gas left at that point, which seems a bit conservative given total tank volume. But by then my "tank" is usually full, so I need to stop anyway.

It is a shame someone altered your seat. I find the stock seat very comfortable.

[blowndodge]

I'll throw my 2 cents in here and expect change in return.

My stock 18 inch clear shield I couldn't look over. I bought a 14" smoked flip shield that I can see the ground 50 feet in front of me. I have no wind whatsoever in my face or remotely near my helmet. It's weird to have that kind of view with nothing blowing in your face. E shields? yea it would be cool but I'm not missing much the way I'm set up now.

I have a 5.9 to 6 gallon tank. I averaged 44 MPG's the entire 2550 miles. Low of 36 mpg's hauling the mail from St. George to Beaver Utah at 80+ with Teri Conrad. In EP I averaged 50 mpg's for the rides I took and 2 full tanks with Scott on the way home. Normal 75 MPH and not fighting a headwind I get over 200 miles before the 1.2 gallons left warning light lights up. That's long enough for me to want to get off the bike.

Seat? I have a rider and passenger Air Hawk seat cushions. With the proper air in them I can easily ride the entire tank without "Chris' butt

I will probably get a Day Long rider and passenger saddle next year.

[cactusjack]

For the record, I averaged 42.336 MPG for the entire trip. I have about a 10 MPG swing between relatively flat, 60-65 MPH riding and 75-80 MPH going up grades. I got nearly 47 MPG from Estes Park to Glenwood Springs and about 37 MPG from Camp Verde to Flagstaff, which is 75-80 MPH up long 6-7% grades.

[smbke]

Keeps the man parts cooler and helps to avoid monkey butt (they've really got to rename that).

They have, It's called swamp ass!!

[dank]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

For the record, I averaged 42.336 MPG for the entire trip.

CJ, where did you find pumps that measure out to thousandths of a gallon? Your Harley must have a fancy odometer too. Tenths is the best we get back here in Michigan!

[Monkeyman]

Originally Posted by schoeney

Oh well you will just have to show up one of our rallies on the west coast.

You guys are just gonna have to have the next rally a little closer to the middle of the country. :) (Or I need to get a job out west.)

[Monkeyman]

Originally Posted by blowndodge

E shields? yea it would be cool but I'm not missing much the way I'm set up now.

I have a 5.9 to 6 gallon tank. I averaged 44 MPG's the entire 2550 miles.

"Chris' butt

My e-shield is awesome. When I'm on the highway and my body is getting battered by the dirty air semis produce, I can run the windscreen up and eliminate the wind. When I'm not around that dirty air and it's hot, the screen comes all the way down. If it gets cooler, it goes back up. If it starts to rain, I don't even bother stopping. I run the screen all the way up (on the fly) and nothing but my helmet and toes get wet.

You have a 5.8 gallon tank. How are you calculating your fuel mileage? If it's with the onboard electrics, it's probably off although I can see 44 mpg on a long trip. I ride hard and I don't do as much long stuff as I'd like and I get an honest 38-41 mpg based on math (not the dash readout). The dash readout usually shows about 4mpg better.

"Chris butt"? Better than "swamp ass" but there's still got to be a better term for it.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by schoeney

I have had a some questions from a few of you regarding my ST regarding several issues so I thought I would post this review.

After 1000 miles of local riding and my 3000 mile trip to the Estes Rally through 39-102 degree temps, mountains, twisties, sweepers, and lots of super slab I have a real good feel for the bike's pros/cons.

The Pros;

1.The power windshield is amazing! I doubt I will ever own another bike without one. Great protection from the rain and just a push of a button helps calm windy conditions or simply stabilizes the bike as you pass a semi. Don't get me wrong, it does not make the wind go away but it sure makes the ride as smooth as possible in wind. I think having a frame mounted fairing helped a lot as well. When I went through a couple good rain showers other bikes were pulling over to gear up and add face shields. No need for that on the ST as legs are well protected and I just raised my shield high and left my open face shield on. I did gear up when it got cold.

2. Power to pass/merge almost instantly. I felt very safe keeping trouble out of my "bubble"

3. Smooth power at speed. It seems the faster you go the more planted it was up to about 90 (speedo is off about 6% 100 speedo is actually 94). It really liked cruising 85-90 (80-85) range. The power windshield allows you to dial in a calm rider "pocket" at just about any speed. I did take it to 110-115 a couple times out of curiosity but I just don't like going that fast.......especially in the WalMart parking lot It had plenty more to give but I don't need to see it. Maybe at a race track some day but not where critters can jump out.

4. Fuel range. When riding alone I typically went 220-230 miles between fill-ups (that is not a mis-print it holds 7.7 gals!). On my last leg home I went 267 miles and still had 1.5gallons left. I am not sure if that 1.5 is all useable, need to find that out. I know my Nomad had a certain amount that was not useable.

5. Fuel mileage. If I rode the speed limit (tough to do!) I got about 50 MPG on the highway. One tank I averaged over 51 but part of that was riding 35-40 on Trail Ridge Road. If I kept my average highway speed 75-85 (speedo) I averaged about 45-46 MPG if wind was not terrible. I discovered the MPG gauge on the dash is off about 10% by doing manual calculations.

6. Center Stand. Made loading stuff on my pillion seat easier. But once loaded it was tough to get off the center stand.

7. The pegs. I liked being able to stand on the pegs (need to slow to 60-65) to get some air flow and butt relief. I allowed me to go 220-230 miles at a whack.

8. Quietness. Man this thing is quiet at speed.

9. Handling. It just loves the twisties. Seemed very light in the corners. I felt very confident cornering.

10. Gearing. Perfect gearing. You were right Dank , no need for a 6th gear.



The Cons:

1. No self cancelling signals. A pain. I think I am now in the habit to turn them off.

2. The heat. I rode in 100 degree heat for my 800 mile day. It was hot on the bike but I think it is hot on any bike at 100 degrees. It did not seem overly hot at anything below 85. I felt most of the heat around the seat/tank. Luckily I had a hydration pak in my tank bag so I was sucking cold water all day long. I would just add ice and filtered water every other fuel stop.

3. The seat. The previous owner had the seat reworked. It did not work for me. I could go about 75 miles then I would need to stand on the pegs every 30 miles or so to get relief. About the same as my Nomad seat. Day long Russell here I come! As Kris says, it will only hurt once.

4. Leg position. I don't mind the position for long periods but eventually you look for a new position. Looks like I will need to invest in the highway "blades". I was hoping not to spend the $275 for them (ouch...expensive).

5. The horn has got to go. When I honked I felt like a grown man walking a Chihuahua I miss the Stebel on my Nomad. Seems like the Fiamm Freeway Blasters are what most ST owners use. Anything is better than the Roadrunner beep beep.

Overall I am very pleased with my new bike. There are simple fixes for the few drawbacks it has. The exception is riding in 90-100 degree heat. I will just need to take more breaks and ride shorter distances. 800 miles was a bit much in that heat. Took me a couple days to recover.

The Estes Rally and trip was fun. Sure liked those Kansas people. Maybe Antlers will be my next long ride.

Does your bike have cruise control?

With a tank like that, you should get some real range out of it. Mine is 7.1 and I have to get gas at 275-280 and I usually have .5-.7 gallons left. I use an app called MPGforFree to keep track of my mileage when I fill up. Lately my mileage has been 40-41, which is a little low. I remember I was getting 43-45 last summer, so I am not sure why the drop. That said, once it gets over 105, it's damn hot on any bike. I can't imagine riding a bike that throws off a lot of heat on the rider in these temps. I am glad to hear the ST works well in the heat.