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.
October 18, 2005
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
July 05, 2004
Ebay
Its been a long time since my last update. Whats new then...well, quite a lot has happened in fact. Just returned from the first "away " trip of the year, a 600 mile round trip to Cognac in France. Pretty uneventful but fun to be able to get away on the bike and use it to its full potential, and to ride some decent roads at speeds above 40 mph !
Being just over 6 foot tall means the wind buffeting from the standard screen does get somewhat tiresome on the motorway, but I dont really do the mileage at speed to warrant a taller screen. However I am keeping an eye on Ebay for one, which is where I found the single seat conversion that now sits proudly on the Pan.
It was spotted back in November, a complete kit with the hump, bracket to move the seat lock, and the single seat, and I thought, well, why not, its something different, plus I ride solo most of the time anyway. Having done the business it arrived promptly, but I knew it had to be sprayed to colour match the bike - it was from an ex-AA bike and was bright yellow. Getting the colour matched, even with the colour codes, was quite an ordeal, to the point where it had been forgotten about by both myself and the spray shop. A quick call at the end of May, and a visit to them with the bike to get a match, and it finally went on in June, to my delight. It looks very smart and quite unique, and has turned the heads of a few fellow Pan owners too, mainly as a potential way to stop their other halves from getting on the back ! They appear quite regularly on Ebay, so maybe there is a business opportunity coming my way...he he he
I also spotted on Ebay, but missed out on, a shorter, sports style screen for the Pan. I've never seen anything like this before or since, and havent found it online either, its like a cut down version of the std screen. It looks very smart and might be just the thing for summer riding when you need the breeze to cool you down. If anyone else has seen this please let me know where I can get one from !
The bike was serviced before the trip, about 1000 miles shy of its scheduled 32k mile service, but there was nothing major except for new front wheel bearings. I had heard a rumble from the front end for a while, but had assumed it to be the worn front tyre, which has also been replaced. Is 30k miles from a set of wheel bearing normal ?
I have moved house too, within walking distance of work, so the bike is sadly no longer the weapon of choice for the daily commute. I say sad because it means I dont get to ride daily now, but conversely the fuel bill has dropped, and when we do go for a ride it is for fun now, which is so much more enjoyable than fighting with the rush hour traffic.
This also means I have no excuse for having a bike that looks "used" and will have to get the polishing cloths out......
Anyways, Safe riding as always and enjoy the warm summer nights out
Craig
Being just over 6 foot tall means the wind buffeting from the standard screen does get somewhat tiresome on the motorway, but I dont really do the mileage at speed to warrant a taller screen. However I am keeping an eye on Ebay for one, which is where I found the single seat conversion that now sits proudly on the Pan.
It was spotted back in November, a complete kit with the hump, bracket to move the seat lock, and the single seat, and I thought, well, why not, its something different, plus I ride solo most of the time anyway. Having done the business it arrived promptly, but I knew it had to be sprayed to colour match the bike - it was from an ex-AA bike and was bright yellow. Getting the colour matched, even with the colour codes, was quite an ordeal, to the point where it had been forgotten about by both myself and the spray shop. A quick call at the end of May, and a visit to them with the bike to get a match, and it finally went on in June, to my delight. It looks very smart and quite unique, and has turned the heads of a few fellow Pan owners too, mainly as a potential way to stop their other halves from getting on the back ! They appear quite regularly on Ebay, so maybe there is a business opportunity coming my way...he he he
I also spotted on Ebay, but missed out on, a shorter, sports style screen for the Pan. I've never seen anything like this before or since, and havent found it online either, its like a cut down version of the std screen. It looks very smart and might be just the thing for summer riding when you need the breeze to cool you down. If anyone else has seen this please let me know where I can get one from !
The bike was serviced before the trip, about 1000 miles shy of its scheduled 32k mile service, but there was nothing major except for new front wheel bearings. I had heard a rumble from the front end for a while, but had assumed it to be the worn front tyre, which has also been replaced. Is 30k miles from a set of wheel bearing normal ?
I have moved house too, within walking distance of work, so the bike is sadly no longer the weapon of choice for the daily commute. I say sad because it means I dont get to ride daily now, but conversely the fuel bill has dropped, and when we do go for a ride it is for fun now, which is so much more enjoyable than fighting with the rush hour traffic.
This also means I have no excuse for having a bike that looks "used" and will have to get the polishing cloths out......
Anyways, Safe riding as always and enjoy the warm summer nights out
Craig
May 06, 2004
Archives fixed
For those who care about such things, I've finally got round to sorting out the Archives dropdown.
Thanks are due to Phil Ringnalda and his marvellous scripting tools and advice.
Happy browsing!
Thanks are due to Phil Ringnalda and his marvellous scripting tools and advice.
Happy browsing!
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