The auxiliary gas tank, removable trunk, custom saddle and tall windscreen on this 1997 Honda ST1100 project bike from the February 2004 issue make 400-mile days fly by.
When Honda introduced the V45 Sabre in 1982, everyone thought the V-4 revolution was at hand. Everyone at Honda, that is. With a few exceptions nobody else jumped on that bandwagon, though Honda continued cranking out sportbikes and cruisers with V4 engines. In 1991, maybe looking for another way to demonstrate its faith in the layout, Honda rotated the engine 90 degrees, put it in an all-new sport-touring chassis with all-enveloping bodywork and a huge underseat gas tank, and the ST1100 was born.
Though big and heavy?61.2 inches between the axles, and depending on the model anywhere from 679 to 737 pounds wet?the ST1100 worked well enough on smooth back roads to keep riders entertained. The 1,085cc ?flying? four had the same kind of low-end grunt as its cousins, cranking out a claimed 79 lb-ft of torque and about 100 horsepower. A quartet of carbs nestled between the cylinder banks provided glitch-free fueling, and the 7.4-gallon gas tank kept them fed for up to 300 miles between stops. As was standard on factory sport tourers of the day, a pair of locking hard cases blended seamlessly into the flanks of the bike, and could be removed and replaced with extra body panels. The OE windscreen kicked up a lot of turbulence, and was often shelved in favor of an aftermarket unit that produced less buffeting. For ...