Guy Boutin's Motorcycle Touring and Travel Pages

Adventures in Sport Touring with the Honda ST 1100, 1300 and the BMW 1200RT

Exploring North America...One Road at a Time

March 16th, 2004

After a 250 mile drive the night before, through hard rain and sometimes thick fog, and after a restless night in a Corinth flop house, my wife and I breezed through the front door to pick up my NEW 04 STX 1300 ABS.

Lakehill Honda in Corinth, Mississippi is one of the largest volume Honda dealers in the country.  They sell Hondas at prices very few others can compete with.  I bought my 1100 from here in Dec 2000, after trying to buy it from my local dealer.  He could not come within 2000 dollars of Lakehill's price, and the 1300 was the same story.   

My local dealer quoted me full retail for a 1300 ABS, even after I told him what my price was going to be at Lakehill, and all he had to do was get close.  I have a good relationship with my local dealer, and was sad I was unable to buy the bike there, but business is business.  

Lakehill sells the 1300 at a substantial discount even though he could garner full retail for the hot selling bike.  On this day he had 6 1300s, 4 non ABS and 2 ABS.  All were presold and waiting to be picked up.  I was the first joker to arrive for one of the precious babys.  The other 5 belong to Long Riders scattered throughout the country.

My bike was still in the uncrating process when I arrived.  I waited patiently while the secretary typed out the paperwork and then I  handed over my money.

I walked back to the service area to check on my bike, and I was just in time to see it go in the wash rack.

 
     Almost ready to go.  Wash rack at LakeHill Honda

After checking on my bike I went back to the showroom and inspected a 1973 CB 750K, in excellent condition.  When I asked Dan how much he wanted for the bike he told me it wasn't for sale.  It was the same bike my dad rode for a short time.

At last the technician brought my bike to the showroom.  It was gorgeous.  I suited up in the Roadcrafter and left Debbie making small talk with a few salesman.

I was taken aghast when Dan wheeled my bike around from the floor without help, It leaned over and I prayed he wouldn't drop it.  If he did the deal was off.

They rolled the exit door up and the bright Mississippi sun greeted me.  I punched the starter and brought the STX to life.  I wanted it to finish warming it up while I took pictures and gloved up.

      The shining moment in every Long Rider's life.

We adjusted the seat to the lowest setting, which allows me to almost stand flat footed when astride the bike.  I'm not even close to doing that on the 1100.  It will take a while to get use not to tip toe at red lights.

Right away I noticed the 1300 has a distinctly different sound than the 1100.  It sounds very high tech.  It has a whirling growl that reminded me of something out of Star Trek.  I reset one of the trip meters, dropped into gear, and took off for the 250 mile ride home.  My wife followed behind in the Accord.

The only thing for a man that compares to riding a new motorcycle for the first time, has something to do with being with a lady for the first time, but I can't get into that here.

I headed back east through the city to US 45 south, after stopping for gas at a Exxon to top off the tank.  It took over 5 gallons to top the tank off.

Debbie was unable mimic how I bolted out of the Exxon parking lot, so I had to take the shoulder to wait for her.  The Accord just doesn't have the speed and agility of a 1300.

The 1300 is shorter, and not as tall as the 1100, making it easier to maneuver in parking lots and lean.  She inspired a lot of confidence when heeled over in the limited curves I experienced on this day.  The true test will come in a few days when I take it to SR 25, but for all intent purposes the STX is a better handling motorcycle than the 1100, and I have yet to even dial up the quick adjusting rear shock with its myriad of settings. 

US 45 south is a 4 lane highway to Tupelo.  The air temp gauge on the STX read 55 cool degrees, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the sun was bright.  Every touring bike should have a air temp gauge.  It is important for a Long Rider to KNOW what the temp is, getting cooler? Warmer?  No matter what anyone says, weather is always a factor.  The gauge is a nice touch.

At 65 mph the a STX feels like it is in slow motion.  Breaking this baby in is going to be really hard.  With the Accord practically tethered to me, I cruised through quiet farmland.  There was little traffic.

Man, this bike is smooooooooooth, quiet, and very refined feeling.  Trees in north Mississippi are still bare, but showing signs of budding.  

I thought about the 15 inches of snow Cedar Rapids, Iowa got last night.  I spent the night in CR on my Heartland trip, and was glad not to be there today.

It excited me to know I was riding one of the few 04 STX ABS units in the country.  I felt special.

I played with the windshield all the way to Tupelo.  It was awesome to fine tune how much wind I wanted at the press of button.  Most of the day I rode with the screen at a slightly higher level than that of my 1100's.  Even at this level buffeting and noise were at a minimal, and compared to my 1100, I was in a biosphere.  When I wanted NO noise and wind, I brought the screen full up, but that caused me to look through and not over.   

As the day wore on, I found myself bringing the screen up every once in a while to take a break from the wind.  The best position for me is chin level.  This position saves me from buffeting, but gives me just enough wind to know I am on a motorcycle.  In city traffic I trimmed the screen all way the down to better observe traffic.

I pushed on through Tupelo without stopping.  If my wife had not been with me, I'd had carried out a quick ride by of the house Elvis Presley was raised, but since she wanted to get home as quick as possible, I passed.  

The gauges on the 03 seemed to have a problem in bright light.  I don't know if they did anything different on the 04, but I could see them ok.  In fact in bright sunlight was when I saw it the best.   Without the sun and in dark Oakleys, it was a little dim.  I could still read it, but not as bright as those on some other bikes.

The closer we came to Columbus, the more I knew Debbie was wiggling around, so I found a Shell gas mart on the main drag for a butt break, 100 miles after leaving the dealer.

Early Spring with blooming Dogwoods.  The STX enjoys
his first Mountain Dew break.

I used the break to set the clock.  It was reading 3 am something before I corrected it.

In Columbus I turned east on US 82, and a few miles later went in to Alabama.  The highway alternated between 4 lane and 2, and a lot of trucks were on the road.

The gauges on the right were telling me all kinds of stuff about my mpg.  Something I never paid any attention to before.  The readings fluctuated between the high 40s and low 50s, to the high 30s on the low end.  Much of it depended on where the windshield was and wind direction, along with cruising speed. 

On the west side of Tuscaloosa we turned off and took the toll bridge, this route saves the trouble of riding through the city.  It probably knocks of 20 minutes of drive time. The toll road loops us around to I-59 where I exit on the east side of town and pick up US 82 again.

US 82 is 4 lane to Centerville, and I bring the STX up to 90 mph for a few miles.  I leave Debbie waaaaaaaaaaaay behind.  In a matter of seconds she almost disappears in the excellent mirrors of the STX.  The roll on power of the STX is one of the bikes best assets.  It will leave my 1100 behind without breaking a sweat.  The motor on the 1300 is really sweet.

After following me for 250 miles, Debbie says the rear light lay out on the 1300 could be better.  She thinks everything is too cramped up.

US 82 reverts back to 2 lane east of Centerville, and air temp reaches 72 perfect degrees.  The sensor for the gauge is in the fairing so I'm sure there are things that affect the reading, but at highway speed the gauge is close to correct.

I met a westbound local police cruiser and I glance down at my speedo, I'm 6 to 8 over the 55 mph speed limit, but he makes no move to intercept me.

I think I'd trade all the mpg info for a built in compass and gear indicator.  Listening Honda?  A number of times I wasn't sure what gear the smooth running motor was in.

The STX brings me to a slow moving 18 wheeler with a truck pulling a U haul trailer in front of him.  I was stuck behind them for 10 miles or so when I finally couldn't take it anymore and shot pass both vehicles like a meteor.  Geezus this bike is fast.  I couldn't even begin to imagine how fast the FJR must be, because it easily takes the STX in that department.  

It was a hopeless situation for Debbie to try and pass both vehicles, and knowing that, I proceeded to Prattville.  She's a big girl and close to home, she won't have a problem.

By late afternoon my new bike and I are entering Prattville and making our way to its new home.   I left the 1300 on the street while I dismounted to raise the garage door.  I eased the 1300 to the open spot in my garage next to my beloved 1100 and dropped the stand after a delightful 275 miles. 

                
                                    Stable Mates

What a great day and ride.  The weathers was perfect and so was the ride.  I think this is the beginning of wonderful relationship.