Date: Mon, 28 Nov 1994 01:01:35 -0800
From: jalexand@netcom.com (Jim Alexander)
Subject: STuff #12

November '94

Stuff #12 -- The Turkey STuffing - Can you still move?

The bird is off the table, so I knew it was time to get this issue out.
After this issue, I am going to be sending out a four part issue with
Charlie Woods story about his trip into the cold, wet fall weather in
Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. I think you'll like it.

Some people asked me if they couldn't receive the STuff without all of
this other addresses attached as the list is getting rather long. I am
sending this using a Mass Mail command which seems to work OK in my tests.
I would ask if you would reply to let me know you got this issue OK. For
those that don't reply within a resonable time, I will send a private
message so please do reply and it will cut my work do to a manageable
level.

Check out later in this issue about my STs rear end (yes, again!). Also,
I changed the timing belt and the front wheel bearings at the same time.
They cost around $400 with labor and parts. Not too bad.

You will see I have added an Open Questions section. If you have an
answer or another question ... don't be shy, send a message back so it can
be included in the future.

Still haven't heard too much on the '95 ST yet. Fred Ziglar sent some
info in his notes from a new STuff reader. If you have any information,
please write up what you have and we'll share it with everyone.

If I missed an item you sent me, please slap my hand and tell me. I
probably have it saved. BTW, yes I am going to finally put out the STuff
on radio & communication equipment very soon. I appreciate those who have
contributed and they are saved and will be included.

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving and I wish you all the best during this
holiday season.

Ride safe, but have fun while you're doing it!

Jim Alexander 1991 ST1100 (89k+) HSTA Electronic Ambassador
STOC#0009 HSTA#2307 HRCA#HM700461 AMA#415932 DoD #9388

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Traditional Cheesy Table of Contents:

Open Questions Anyone who has ???
The Catt report George A Catt
Got my Darien! Allen White
Two Brother Pipes and other Mods Robert Taft
My Third rear end (yes it's true) Jim Alexander
Tires & Wobble Q & A Various Authors
How I spent my summer George Catt
Battery Charger/Accessory Receptacle David Kennedy
Notes from a new STuff reader Fred Ziglar

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Open Questions Department:

>From the editor:

Anyone have any info about the new 95 ST yet?

>From George Catt:

Do radials last longer or shorter than bias ply?

>From Allen White:

1) Has anybody put a steering damper on the ST to solve the
headshake problem? Are there any kits available from
folks like Storz? Has anyone built their own kit?

2) When and where is the first STOC rally going to be held?
We need to start planning now for the 1995 touring season. 8-)

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The Catt report by George A Catt

Changed out the Michelin tires at 11,010. The front was worse than the
rear.

Gas mileage: got my best (50mpg) on a slow trip to Galena. Coming back
from Margy's on Sunday, got <40 against a strong head wind. Go figure.

One of the guys at Moose's had the TB pipes. Sounds GOOD. Still seems
expensive, though.

(Editors note - George sent some more comments)

Forgot to mention my new tires (tars?) is AVONS. Fred Ziglar (Southern
IL) had a very smooth Avon on the back of his ST at Margy's cookout. It
had (has?) 9,500 miles on it. He has one ordered from Eldon and one from
Competition.

Fred runs the red ST with Ferrari emblems. You may have seen it at
various gatherings. He is now the official HSTA state rep for Southern
Illinois. This time next year (October), there will be an event in his
territory. Stay tuned.

#############################################################################
# George Catt - Aurora, IL # I had this advantage, at least, #
# gac@intgp1.att.com # in my life, that my life itself #
# DoD 1463, AMA 407092, STOC 004, # was become my amusement and #
# HRCA 700802, WOW 5573-01, HSTA 3942 # never ceased to be novel. #
# '91 ST1100, 45K+ (and counting) # - Thoreau #
############################################################################

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Got my Darien! by Allen White

My Darien was awaiting me when I got home from work yesterday. I promptly
zipped the fleece liner in and went out for a cool weather ride. I wore
it on the 44degreeF ride in this morning and it was extremely comfortable
with just a polo type shirt on underneath. And the pockets are great! I
carried my breakfast in a pocket this morning! I've got a feeling I'm
going to love this jacket. I'll write up a review of it after my trip to
N. GA mountains next weekend. BTW, I got a red one. I think I may be
just a bit more visible now than with the black leather jacket. 8-)

+----------------------------------------------------------+
| Allen R. White arw@cypress.com 1993 ST1100 "STella" |
| O' Mighty Rider of STella The Magnificent |
| Cypress Southeast Design Center, Starkville, Mississippi |
+----------------------------------------------------------+

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Two Brother Pipes and other Mods by Robert Taft

Just a few comments regarding my TBR exhaust system and other
modifications.: As of 29 Oct 4, I have traveled approximately 2500 miles
since adding the TBR slip-ons. As a writer in STuff 11 noted the pipes
increased in loudness within the first 500 miles or so. However, I have
not noticed any significant increase since then. Frankly, I don't find
them that loud or objectionable. The slip-ons are most loud under hard
acceleration. At highway speeds the sound is a faint roar. At highway
speeds I've traveled alongside my father (on his Goldwing) and his
comments were that the sound was noticeable but not loud. And I've passed
lots of police cars and have received no unwanted attention. Granted that
loudness is subjective but I find the sound delicious. When I was in
Daytona last week for OctoberBike fest I went to the Speedway infield. In
order to get to the paddocks you have to go thru a narrow tunnel. I
couldn't resist (nor could the Softail rider in front me) twisting the
throttle. Sounds great!! The prime benefit (other than visceral) is that
I am able to pass cars and feel that they are aware of my presence. With
the stock pipes, I sometimes felt it necessary to sound my horn to make my
presence known.

As the writer in STuff 11 noted the pipes trend to lean out the engine.
That was not a problem until I added a K&N air filter. The combination
increased the amount of backfiring under deceleration to a level I was not
happy with. I took the bike to a local sport cycle repair shop where they
richened the mixture. That eliminated most of the backfiring condition.
The addition of the slip-ons and filter have made a noticeable difference
in mid-range acceleration. Cycle seems to pull much better in the 2 to 3
to 4 gear change.

Installation was extremely easy, although be careful when removing the
existing exhaust gaskets. TBR does not supply new ones with the kit (at
least when I purchased them) and the old ones may be stuck on the old
pipes. When I was in Daytona, I ran into several other ST owners and all
liked the sound of the system and most were surprised that a system
existed for the ST. After 2500 miles the finish on the system still looks
new. Also I saw a ST whose owner had buffed to a mirror finish the stock
pipes and frame and had his wheels chromed. Looked great.

The only other modifications have been the addition of a short tinted
windscreen in place of the stock unit. When I was visiting my folks in St
Augustine Fla. I stopped by the Gustfasson windshield "factory". The
"factory" was about the size of a one and 1/2 car garage. They made a
dark tinted windshield while I waited. The quality of the shield was good
(although I have heard from one ST owner whose tall screen broke in half).
My mistake was letting Gustafsson install it on my bike. Because of the
dark tint, the original holes were difficult to see and consequently the
new shield holes were misdrilled and the screen did not fit properly.
After much sweating in the 98 degree heat trying to make it fit
(Gustafsson was convinced that it just needed gasket material, additional
adjustments etc.) I decided to take it home and fix it myself. After
enlarging the holes, the windshield sat down fine. I like the shorter
tinted screen. The cleaner air reduced the wind noise generated by the
stock shield and in the Ga/Fla heat has made for a much cooler environment
not to mention that it makes the bike look much sportier. When winter gets
here (lasts all of two months or so) I can always reinstall the stock
screen.

I also added my garage door opener to the ST. I purchased a black and
red rectangular push button switch (from Radio Shack) and mounted it in
the removable square on the left fairing (I believe the piece is use to
get access for carb draining). After installing the switch I soldered wire
from the switch to a spare garage door opener and placed the opener under
the seat. Now as I approach my house I either reach down and press switch
or I slide my body forward and upward and press my kneecap against the
switch.

Now my next major purchase is a aftermarket seat, either the Corbin or
I'm going to stop by Sargent in Jacksonville Fl. and see if the can modify
padding and recover stock seat. The last trip back only covered about 185
but my bottom was smarting. The stock seat after 10,000 miles seems to
have collapsed in front near the tank area and tends to slide me forward.
In addition to the seat I'm planning on replacing the stock tires
(Bridgestones Ex"slide"stras ) with the Avon ST22 and 23s.

Rob Taft

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My Third Rear End (Yes its true!) by Jim Alexander

While changing my tires at 88k miles, I noticed that the splines were
rather worn. In addition, the flange that the splines come out of had
been wobbling and slapping against the dust cover for the five rubber
shock mounts that are inside the rear wheel. There was considerable wear,
especially since the last person to touch the rear end was a mechanic in a
Honda Shop. I was concerned as I had had a problem before and was afraid
that this time the warranty may not cover it (I don't know why I felt this
way, but I did). Also, when the shop that was mounting my tires tried to
balance the front, they found the wheel bearings were to bad to allow for
balancing it properly. OK, with 88k miles, I guess the bearings might
just need to be replaced. I knew that at 90k I had to replace the timing
belt, so I decide to order both the belt and the front wheel bearings.

At 90,000 miles (actually 90,150), I took the beaST into the shop. I
indicated I wanted them to inspect the rear wheel as I knew there was
damage. This was the same shop who had done the work last year on my rear
end, R&J Honda / Yamaha in Vallejo. BTW, if you live in the area, make
sure you stop in sometime if only to visit. The Hubert family all work
there and they will even buy you a cup of coffee.

When I called Steve Hubert a few days later, he told me that the whole
rear end and the wheel were being replaced under the extended warranty I
had purchased in July at the prodding of Gene Hubert. I was glad I had
the warranty. It had cost around $400. The wheel alone was $550! There
has been some change in the spacers in the wheel, but I don't any
specifics yet. I am going to see if I can find out what has changed as it
me be something other people might want to do.

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Tire & Wobble Q&A between Allen White & various other STuff readers:

I saw your report on the Michelins in the latest STuff (#11) and I've
got a couple questions I was wondering if you might answer. BTW, I've
got the Michs on my ST as well and have about 3K miles on them.

1) What pressures are you running? I've pretty much settled on 40psi
in the rear and 34 up front.

2) You have the tapered steering head bearings, right? Do you get any
headshake with the Michs around 45 mph? I know about the shimmy
up around 115. I found it too. 8-) I don't have the tapered bearings
in my ST and the Michs give me pretty good oscillation around 45. It
doesn't matter if I'm decelerating, accelerating or steady speed. The
stock Dunlops did it a little, but no to the extent that the Michs do.

Also, a comment, I've noticed the front wearing at about the same rate as
the rear as well. I'm also considering going with the Avons at the next
tire change, but I do love the grip of the Michelins.

Thanks.

Allen R. White

***********************

Answer from George Catt:

Allen, I didn't have any 45mph wobble with the Michelins, but I didn't put
them on 'til after the tapered bearings. The high speed oscillation seems
to go away as the tires wear, which indicates to me that it can be
attributed to tread pattern. The latest comments in the ST1100 Newsletter
indicate that properly torqued stock head bearings do a fine job. My
opinion is that the tapered bearings do help, even if by introducing a
level of friction akin to an old-fashioned friction steering damper.
Whatever the reason, you won't need the end weights anymore.

My experience is that the Avons stick better than the Michelins, but don't
last as long. I agree that the Michelins stick pretty good, but when they
decide to slip, they WON'T hook back up. You are in for a slide. I had
three separate occasions where they went away. One resulted in a crash
which resulted in a $300 recovery. In a similar situation on a (worn out)
Avon, I levered the rear wheel completely off the ground. As soon as I
slowed down enough to get things back under control, the tire hooked up
and we motored on. This little incident ground a distinct bevel in my
rear stand.

(This also raises a question about the validity of certain claims that you
can touch down the engine guard covers. I didn't!)

I ran 36psi front and 42 rear. (The higher pressure seemed to help the
high speed oscillation.) I ended up with 11,010 miles, and replaced them
with Avons last Friday. The only reason I got them in the first place was
'cause I was at Honda Hoot when my last set of Avons ran out, and these
were the only things available. Interesting about the front wearing out.
Mine was actually worse than the rear. With the Avons, the front lasted
through 2+ rears.

I installed these latest Avons 'cause I already had them. I think I'm
going to try some upgraded Dunlops next time, unless someone gives me a
good reason not to. I'm on my fifth rear tire since I bought this thing
last Dec. I can't afford it!

Open Question: Do radials last longer or shorter than bias ply?

************

Allen's response to George's answer:

Honda says the ST will wobble with the Michelins. Their recommended fix
is to run the tires they recommend in the owner's manual. They did say,
however, that re-torqueing the steering head may help.

[Editors note: In response to the Michelins breaking away & Avons not]
Interesting...fellow STOC member Toney Cummins is running the Avons now.
On a recent trip to Deal's Gap he really pushed them pretty hard. He had
problems with the front end "wallowing" when pushed really hard. I'm not
sure how he feels about the Avons now (Toney, jump in if you get this.
He's currently experiencing technical difficulties with his email). He
tossed his ST at Deal's Gap, but I'm not so sure it was a problem with the
Avons as much as he hit the turn too hot. I didn't push the Michs as hard
as much as Toney pushed the Avons, but the Michs never felt like they were
about to let go at all. I guess I'm a pretty conservative rider and we
don't really have much in the way of twisties in Miss. either, but they
felt really good at Deal's Gap (except for the wobble 8-).

[Editor's note: In response to George's open question about longevity]
Good question. I'll be interested in what others think. I do, however,
like the ride of the radials a lot better than the bias ply. At least
better than the stock Dunlops. What is Honda putting on the '94 ST? I
heard they had a new style Dunlop on there. Is it radial or bias ply?

******************

Charlie Wood's [STOC #0002] response to a question from Allen about
Michelins Longevity

Allen, I may not be the person to ask about front Michelin's.... I've had
4 replaced free of charge from the dealership, 1 with splits in the tread,
and 2 with wobble problems, the last replacement being a stock Dunflop
which eliminated the wobble.

Additionally, someone said that re-torqueing the head bearing would solve
the wobble. We you don't exactly torque the stock ball-bearings but you
can readjust them which probably was the real resolution to my wobble
problems.

******************

Some more info & responses from Allen White

I took my ST in this morning and had them re-adjust the steering head
tension. I picked it up at lunch and can report that it's a lot better
than it was. The wobble isn't gone, but it's not as vigorous as before
and the region where it's active is now more closely centered around
45mph.

George, regarding bias ply tires, I've thought about maybe trying the
Dunlop K591 sport compound (they also have a racing compound). They come
in the right sizes for the ST and I've heard good things from owners of
other bikes about the K591s. They're relatively inexpensive as well.
Have any of you heard of anybody putting them on a ST? Might be worth
looking at.

I think I may eventually put the tapered bearing set in my ST, but I may
try another brand of tire first. Toney Cummins has the headshake with the
Avons now, but I don't think it's as bad as I'm having with the Michelins
so I don't know if I'm going to try the Avons first or just go with the
K591s. I read somewhere recently where Avon has a new front tire that can
be mated with the ST23 rear. That might be worth checking out also.

*****************

George Catt had an answer to my question about the new Avon
front tire. He originally sent the name as ST27:

Jim, the new Avon is the AV27, not ST27. It's supposed to match up with
the ST23 rear, or other manufacture's rear tires. See the ad in the new
Cycle World.

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How I spent my summer, by George Catt

Let me preface this by saying none of it would have happened without my
Debbie. Thanks, Honey.

My summer really started last winter, when Debbie and I decided to light
a fire under the Illinois Squadron. Letters to Moose, Mike, and Baron
Hansen got the fire started. Then letters to all the Illinois and
Wisconsin members kindled the flames. A call to Curt Gonstead turned into a bon fire when he offered to
set up a route for an EVENT. What a way to start the season!

Mike Morris' encouraging instructions gave us what we needed to make this
event happen: direction. The most important one he stole from NIKE: just
do it! With Curt providing the route, and Debbie providing the
organization, things just fell together. Betty Bachorek, Larry Lawson,
and several other local members contributed time and effort to our
ultimate success. And the first annual TWISTAR (The Wisconsin STAR) was a
success. 29 bikes and 32 people combined to provide me with one of the
best times ever. It will happen again in '95. (By the way, we pronounce
twist ar.)

In addition, I attended lots of other rides: Texas Hill Country in April;
Honda Hoot and STAR in June; Women on Wheels National in July; River City
Ride and Margy's Cookout in October. That's not as many events as Eldon,
but not bad for my first full year of participation. Debbie did all these
as well, except for Hill country and the Hoot.

We also began a monthly ride, starting from a donut shop in Elgin. From
here, we did several shorter rides, ranging from 75 to 275 miles. These
monthly "non-events" will continue through the winter (brrrrr) and on and
on. It only takes one bike to make a ride. If you're in the area on the
second Sunday, give us a call!

Not everything was sunny in '95. I lost my favorite riding partner. He will
never be replaced, but I will never stop riding. I miss you, Derek.

Plans for '95 already include TWISTAR '95, a second event in SE MO, and
several non-events. Everyone is invited, of course. I'll make sure Mike
has all the dates.

Bottom line, we organized one event and 5 non-events. We had more than 60
different members and potential members at our rides. We attended
everything we could reach. And we have published 4 issues of the
Illinois-Wisconsin Newsletter. Why am I telling you all this? Because,
I've never done anything like this before! I've always been a follower,
just taking advantage of others efforts. Now, I feel like I'm giving
something back. And, it ain't that hard! I encourage anyone (everyone!)
to: plan a ride; write a letter; help with the organization; become a
state director if one is needed; just help out! You'll have a good time,
meet more friends, definitely ride more; and generally improve your life.

Illinois-Wisconsin '95 Calendar

Events:
TWISTAR '95 May 19-20-21 Spring Green, WI
FOF-3 Oct 14-15 Park Hills, MO

Non-events:
Roll 'N Donut 2nd Sunday Elgin, IL
ELLISFEST 2 to be decided Davis, IL

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Battery Charger/Accessory Receptacle by David Kennedy

A friend of mine bought a new BMW R1100RS one week before I bought my
ST1100. I noticed the battery charger/accessory receptacle factory
installed on his bike and thought it was a great idea. After checking with
Honda and discovering that they didn't offer anything similar for my ST, I
paid a visit to the local BMW dealer and purchased the accessory plug kit.
The P/N BW 61132303048 kit's cost was $27.19 + tax, (not cheap), and
included the accessory receptacle, associated wiring and a plug, which
mates to the receptacle.

Installation of the receptacle was easy when I finally decided on a place
to mount it on the bike. I wanted it easily accessible, but out of the
way. Also, I didn't want to drill into any of the extremely expensive
shiny black parts or pocket fairings, but wanted to be able to return the
bike back to stock, without spending a small fortune doing so. I decided
on the grey, plastic pivot cover on the lower, left side of the bike,
beside the gear shifter. The cover is easy to remove and offers enough
room for the receptacle and wiring behind the panel. The fused, hot wire
was routed directly to the battery (+) terminal and the ground wire to the
frame. A black, spring loaded cover keeps water and other debris out of
the receptacle and looks good mounted to the pivot cover. I've not
experienced any interference between the receptacle and my left foot, as
the cover is nearly flush.

Install the included mating plug to a battery charger or any 12V accessory
of your choice and you're ready to go. I purchased an extra plug, P/N BW
61138060106, $10.21, and made up a short cable with a standard cigar
lighter receptacle on the opposite end. I can use this cable to power
almost anything that has a cigar lighter plug, ie., portable air
compressor, cellular telephone, spotlight, etc..

My 1991 ST was purchased new on 10-05-93. Here one year and a month later,
it has almost 12,000 miles on the odometer and I'm getting ready for back
tire number 3. I got 6,650 miles out of the OEM Dunlop K505 rear and 7,025
out of the front. The rear Avon ST23 currently installed is down to the
wear indicators, but the front ST22 is hardly worn at all. It looks like I
may use two rear Avons to one front Avon. Need to stay off that throttle,
I guess. NOT!

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Notes from a new STuff reader by Fred Ziglar

I just have a couple of items they you may want to use for the ST1100
newsletter you have on line.Honda now has a very attractive trunk and rack
combination for the ST. I have a red one that matches the factory color
perfectly and they also make one that is black and grey. The trunk removes
in seconds and the rack is both attractive and useful. I heard a rumor
that these were available in Europe for some time and are just now being
offered in the States.
Part numbers are: 08L42-MT3-B00 for the rack,
08L55-MV1-860 for the black trunk,
08L55-MY3-E40 for the red trunk.

I had also heard a rumor that there would be no 95 ST because they were
going to do major changes and come out with an early 96. Well they may be
going to change the 96, but I saw a picture of the 95 model yesterday at
Niehaus Honda. It is red, but it looks like it isn't a metallic red like
the 93, more of a normal red like the Nighthawk was. It looks like they
may have changed the front of the fairing a little. It appeared a little
taller in front. They may have done a little redesigning to provide more
wind and weather protection for the hands. It looked like there were 2
vents in the windshield and they also extended the black rubber piece
around the rectangular hole in front of the saddlebag area. It now comes
forward in a triangular shape, I don't understand that one, mine hasn't
gotten scuffed up there or anything. Personally, if they provided better
weather protection for the hands and changed to a 180 degree crank like
the VFR, I would trade my 93 tomorrow. If not, I'll keep it for a long
time, it's just got 27k on it and is barely broken in.

I have been riding the back roads of southern Missouri and will be hosting
an HSTA event there in Oct. 95. I think they have some of the most
enjoyable and lightly travelled roads in the country and I am looking
forward to sharing them with other HSTA members.

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If you make a submission to the STuff newsletter it implies that
you have granted permission to use and distribute that information.
Under the laws of a compilation copyright, I grant rights for this
information to be distributed, providing that it is done for
non-commercial purposes and is distributed freely. I certify that
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free distribution, providing that the authors receive credit for
each contribution.

Jim Alexander CIS: 73373,2113 jalexand@netcom.com