Honda ST series
The Honda ST series started with the ST1100, aka Pan European released in 1990. Its successor, the ST1300, was introduced in 2002, making the original Pan European (commonly referred to as Pan) one of the longest lasting motorcycle models.
Motorcyclists either love the Pan or hate it, there aren't many without an opinion on the bike. It was introduced by Honda to fill the gap between the humongous Honda GL1500 (also known as the "Gold Wing") and the CBR1000. The Gold Wing is very popular in the United States, but too large and heavy to handle well in European traffic. The CBR1000 is a sports touring motorcycle that doesn't offer the comfort required on long trips.
The ST1100 is known to be virtually indestructible. It runs smoothly, does not require much maintenance and has a drive shaft as opposed to a chain. Standard equipment includes panniers, making it easy to carry luggage and travel long distances.
The ST1100 features an 1100 cc (actually 1083 cc) V4 engine with the four cylinders in a 90 degree angle pointing sideways. This combined with the fuel tank below the saddle (the tank at the usual location is actually a dummy) give the ST1100 excellent riding behaviour.
In 2002 Honda decided to do a major upgrade and introduced the ST1300. The engine is upgraded to 1260 cc. It has a sleeker, more modern look, but had some problems associated with it. Riders reported it to be unstable at high speeds (above 160 km/h). Honda took these comments very seriously, even took the ST1300 out of production for some months in 2003 but all problems have reportedly been solved.
Whether or not the ST1300 will be as popular as the ST1100 remains to be seen as a lot of riders still keep their ST1100s and are waiting for more news on how the ST1300 actually handles.
ABS is an option on both models. The ST1100's ABS package includes a traction control system which was not carried over to the ST1300. While ABS is still under discussion for motorbikes (some claim it is actually dangerous), most agree that the Honda ABS is superior to any other motorbike ABS on the market.
