I'm not entirely sure I should continue with this blog but what the heck...
I've just spent another year abroad and the Pan has been mothballed the whole time. I have cleared it out and fallen at the first hurdle as the battery has died a death. Two years from a battery seems a bit poor but this one has been deep-discharged beyond any hope of recovery.
I live out in rural France now and the cost of the replacement has been, er, frightening to say the least.
Also, the low use and storage for the last two years means that the tyres are looking perished so that is also on the replacement list as an urgent priority. I shudder to think what that is going to cost.
First things first, I guess. Let's get the battery in and the oil flushed and see how we go from there...
December 06, 2007
September 16, 2006
Getting away from it all.
A busy year spent mostly (far) abroad means that I've done almost no riding at all. A couple of quick trips down to France and that's pretty much it.
The 48000 mile service was, as predicted, horrendously expensive and there was another factory recall. This time the recall fixed potential issues around the brakes (in a part common to the VFR and the Blackbird apparently) and the extended wiring loom fitted for the heated grips and 12v socket. If anyone wants more detail, let me know.
Due to my current job, the Pan is now garaged pretty much all the time, only seeing daylight for the odd weekend trip. It seems a shame to make so little use of the bike but, in time, this too shall pass.
Thanks for dropping in to my cob-web site. :-)
The 48000 mile service was, as predicted, horrendously expensive and there was another factory recall. This time the recall fixed potential issues around the brakes (in a part common to the VFR and the Blackbird apparently) and the extended wiring loom fitted for the heated grips and 12v socket. If anyone wants more detail, let me know.
Due to my current job, the Pan is now garaged pretty much all the time, only seeing daylight for the odd weekend trip. It seems a shame to make so little use of the bike but, in time, this too shall pass.
Thanks for dropping in to my cob-web site. :-)
October 18, 2005
Another in our occasional series...
Time for the Autumn update.
Another busy year means that I'm almost up to 48000 miles (77000km) now and the dreaded, expensive 16000 mile service.
The bike has run very well since the last update (12000 miles ago) with few problems.
One of the electric screen motors failed and needed replacing, as did the battery. On a couple of occasions, the tickover has been inconsistent causing a couple of stalls while stationary with the engine cold. This has been quite rare, though.
More persistent has been a slight oil seep (definitely not a leak, if you see what I mean) from the near the rocker cover on the left side. No appreciable amount of oil is lost but if the bike is left for a couple of days, there's enough oil on the engine to give an unpleasant puff of white smoke as the engine warms up. Can't seem to sort this one.
Oh, and I broke the key off in the top box (original Honda fitting). Had to replace the lock but at least this was cheap and very easy to do. Thank goodness it happened when the lock was open!
There was also another factory recall based around the electrics which went without a hitch.
Apart from that everything has been good. The most recent front tyre went 14000 miles before replacement, the rear more like 18000. Pretty good, I thought.
Best of all, no sign of any clutch problems recurring.
Another busy year means that I'm almost up to 48000 miles (77000km) now and the dreaded, expensive 16000 mile service.
The bike has run very well since the last update (12000 miles ago) with few problems.
One of the electric screen motors failed and needed replacing, as did the battery. On a couple of occasions, the tickover has been inconsistent causing a couple of stalls while stationary with the engine cold. This has been quite rare, though.
More persistent has been a slight oil seep (definitely not a leak, if you see what I mean) from the near the rocker cover on the left side. No appreciable amount of oil is lost but if the bike is left for a couple of days, there's enough oil on the engine to give an unpleasant puff of white smoke as the engine warms up. Can't seem to sort this one.
Oh, and I broke the key off in the top box (original Honda fitting). Had to replace the lock but at least this was cheap and very easy to do. Thank goodness it happened when the lock was open!
There was also another factory recall based around the electrics which went without a hitch.
Apart from that everything has been good. The most recent front tyre went 14000 miles before replacement, the rear more like 18000. Pretty good, I thought.
Best of all, no sign of any clutch problems recurring.
February 08, 2005
Where does the time go?
In the blinking of an eye, it's February!
I managed to persuade myself I couldn't possible get rid of the Pan and I'm now up to the 36000 mile mark. (That's around 58000km). No major problems though, as expected, the 32000 mile service was hellishly expensive.
One of the motors for the electric screen went just before the warranty ran out (phew!) at around 30000 miles. At the same time, I had to have the clutch replaced again, too. This is the third clutch now as the first one burnt out at around 8000 miles, meaning I got 20000 out of the second one. Hardly dazzling...
Looking at the bike objectively, everything is in pretty good shape. There's a number of scratches that I've put there but apart from a small area where I've rubbed on the paintwork with my shin, nothing is looking at all ratty or worn. I'm impressed with the build quality thus far though I work the bike quite hard and it's certainly not in showroom condition.
Brake pads are doing between 8 and 12 thousand miles and, due to the Honda's Dual Combined Braking System they wear out front and rear at pretty much the same time.
My bad luck with punctures finally broke (though I'll probably regret saying it) and I've had 12000 out of this pair so far.
And one bulb has had to be replaced.
I managed to persuade myself I couldn't possible get rid of the Pan and I'm now up to the 36000 mile mark. (That's around 58000km). No major problems though, as expected, the 32000 mile service was hellishly expensive.
One of the motors for the electric screen went just before the warranty ran out (phew!) at around 30000 miles. At the same time, I had to have the clutch replaced again, too. This is the third clutch now as the first one burnt out at around 8000 miles, meaning I got 20000 out of the second one. Hardly dazzling...
Looking at the bike objectively, everything is in pretty good shape. There's a number of scratches that I've put there but apart from a small area where I've rubbed on the paintwork with my shin, nothing is looking at all ratty or worn. I'm impressed with the build quality thus far though I work the bike quite hard and it's certainly not in showroom condition.
Brake pads are doing between 8 and 12 thousand miles and, due to the Honda's Dual Combined Braking System they wear out front and rear at pretty much the same time.
My bad luck with punctures finally broke (though I'll probably regret saying it) and I've had 12000 out of this pair so far.
And one bulb has had to be replaced.
October 06, 2004
To sell or not to sell?
I'm almost at the 32000 mile mark now and have had the Pan for over two years. I still love the bike to bits but there's no getting away from the fact that it costs a lot of money to run.
The 16000 mile service cost a fortune and this next one promises to be no different. Added to the fact the clutch needs replacing, it'll be a huge bill.
My preference would be to keep it but with a house requiring major restoration, I may have to make some sacrifices. Now, I still need a bike as I go through the City a lot (free parking and no Congestion Charge) and need to park at airports frequently (again, free on a bike). The question is: Can I justify keeping such an expensive machine indefinitely?
The 16000 mile service cost a fortune and this next one promises to be no different. Added to the fact the clutch needs replacing, it'll be a huge bill.
My preference would be to keep it but with a house requiring major restoration, I may have to make some sacrifices. Now, I still need a bike as I go through the City a lot (free parking and no Congestion Charge) and need to park at airports frequently (again, free on a bike). The question is: Can I justify keeping such an expensive machine indefinitely?
August 22, 2004
A new shed but not much riding time...
Hi folks.
Work commitments have taken literally all my spare time for the past month so there hasnt been much riding, or doing anything else for that matter. In fact the most the Pan has moved is from under her cover in the garden, to her new shed in the garden, so at least she is warmer and dry. Incidentally the cover I use is from www.dbcovers.co.uk and it has been fantastic and fits the ST1100 very well, but the new shed is a better arrangement altogether. However I still havent got the polishing cloths out.....
A big hello to Mick and Jill from St Lawrence, who have recently upgraded their 11 to a 13. They bought a second hand 11 after taking mine for a spin a few years ago, and I had heard a rumour that they had upgraded recently. Well, I saw their beasty yesterday and she looks lovely, so I might ask you guys to return the favour and let me take her for a blast next time I see you.
Which fits in quite nicely with Johns comments from the last post. John, I test rode a barely used 1300 from the local dealer last year, it is a great bike and if money is no object then go for it and upgrade. For me however I just couldnt justify spending that sort of money when my 1100 still does the job. Its very difficult to know what a bike is like from a short ride, I have heard great things about the 13, and also heard from 1100 fans who dont think the new bike is a great leap forward. I will almost certainly upgrade mine when the time comes that I can either afford it, or my 1100 is past it, which will probably be a long time whichever way. If Honda UK read this though, I'd be more than willing to have one from you as a long term tester !
Gary, thanks for your comments, however I have the 1100 which is why I commented on the screen buffetting, which I gather it is one of the more common complaints amongst Pan owners. I didnt know that the screen had two mounting positions though, thanks for the info, maybe I can try it if I get that long term test bike !
I'll leave you with the news that the Pan is top of the sales charts for Tourers in the UK at the moment, it will be interesting to see what the RIDE survey says about it this year too.
Safe riding
Craig
Work commitments have taken literally all my spare time for the past month so there hasnt been much riding, or doing anything else for that matter. In fact the most the Pan has moved is from under her cover in the garden, to her new shed in the garden, so at least she is warmer and dry. Incidentally the cover I use is from www.dbcovers.co.uk and it has been fantastic and fits the ST1100 very well, but the new shed is a better arrangement altogether. However I still havent got the polishing cloths out.....
A big hello to Mick and Jill from St Lawrence, who have recently upgraded their 11 to a 13. They bought a second hand 11 after taking mine for a spin a few years ago, and I had heard a rumour that they had upgraded recently. Well, I saw their beasty yesterday and she looks lovely, so I might ask you guys to return the favour and let me take her for a blast next time I see you.
Which fits in quite nicely with Johns comments from the last post. John, I test rode a barely used 1300 from the local dealer last year, it is a great bike and if money is no object then go for it and upgrade. For me however I just couldnt justify spending that sort of money when my 1100 still does the job. Its very difficult to know what a bike is like from a short ride, I have heard great things about the 13, and also heard from 1100 fans who dont think the new bike is a great leap forward. I will almost certainly upgrade mine when the time comes that I can either afford it, or my 1100 is past it, which will probably be a long time whichever way. If Honda UK read this though, I'd be more than willing to have one from you as a long term tester !
Gary, thanks for your comments, however I have the 1100 which is why I commented on the screen buffetting, which I gather it is one of the more common complaints amongst Pan owners. I didnt know that the screen had two mounting positions though, thanks for the info, maybe I can try it if I get that long term test bike !
I'll leave you with the news that the Pan is top of the sales charts for Tourers in the UK at the moment, it will be interesting to see what the RIDE survey says about it this year too.
Safe riding
Craig
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