Roadtrip 2006 Countdown: 3 days "The Bike"

My precious baby is a 98 Honda ST1100. She weighs about 700 pounds dry, pushes about 100 hp and gives me 275 to 300 miles from her 7 gallon tank. We rescued this beauty from near death and certain parting out. Her previous owner had been forced to sacrifice her against a concrete highway divider to avoid his own "parting out" by a cager. He made it just fine but the bike didn't.

The front end has been replaced as well as all the plastic except two rear tail pieces. My father-in-law is excellent with his hands and by just looking, you would never know the bike is on her second life. Of course, for those of us who maintain her, we see the blemishes, small cracks, mixed metric and standard bolts and screws, etc. Otherwise it runs like a dream, starts right up every time and not a single part or component has given us trouble. All I have done is change the oil, keep an eye on the other fluids and keep the fresh tires coming. I've put over 20,000 miles on this bike in less than three years including to SoCal and back twice and numerous trips to neighboring states and local runs.

This is the best bike I have ever owned. It tops the Kawi GPz 900 (my first big bike) and the newer VFR 800. Not only is it ergonomically comfortable while sporty, she has enough weight and shaft drive to smooth out some, but not too many, of the vibes and jolts that can make long distances unpleasant. I have always said that I can rip this bike through corners as well as any previous bike I have owned and she still lets me get off the seat and hang my ass over fog line. Granted, my "edge of the envelope" may not be as far out there as some people's, but my WHEEEE-HAAAWWWW threshhold is still enough to scare the shit out of others. The only thing this bike is short on is top speed. I believe this has more to do with the tall winshield, wider fairing profile and the hardbags than power or ratios. At 135 I still have a couple grand of RPM left before the redline but can't gain speed past that. Without the fairing, I'm sure we'd see 150, maybe 165. I'll sacrifice 30 miles an hour of Mach 2 in exchange for no rain, bugs or freezing knees.

In the shop:
After a tune-up, a gasket will be replaced and baby gets a new pair of shoes. I have a really hard time finding tires for this bike. The Dunlop D205 that I so love for the rear (also favored by the Washington State Patrol motor cops) has been discontinued, and the new version isn't thrilling those that have used it. "Spooky" is what they call it. No thanks. This time, I am going with the Michelin line. I have already been using their Pilot Road front tire with satisfaction so we'll give the rear tire the 4000 mile test next week.

Engine lube:
I have made the grand leap into the world of synthetic motor oil. A guy I work with is an Amsoil dealer and puts it in his truck, Harley, and 3 corvettes. (Wonder how much it costs to keep replacing it as it leaks from his bike?) He convinced me to give it a try, so 50 bucks, a filter and five quarts (one for topping off) the bike has gold in her blood. I can go twice as long between oil changes and I should see some increased mileage so, let's see.... If I get an extra 5 miles per gallon, at $3 per gallon, in 17 tanks or about 5 thousand miles it should pay for itself. 5 miles per gallon seems like a big increase, and hell, I don't pay for my normal oil and filters anyway - my father-in-law's bike takes the same filters which he buys by the case and the oil too. Maybe its time I should start buying my own. So who knows if the synthetic route is the way to go, but it's not all about money saved today, its about extending the life of someone you care about....wait a sec its the bike we're talking about right? Bottom line, just like a family member, pet or favorite tree, I want this thing to be around for as long as possible. At least until I sell it.