Motorcycles · Honda · Adventure & touring
IllustrationIllustration (AI-generated) of a 2008 Honda ST1300, not a photo of a specific motorcycle. Free to use under CC BY 4.0: credit The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Download and credit text
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, 2003 to 2014 models.
3 of 14 describe engine heat on the rider.
5 mention the wiring harness.
5 of 12 describe the linked brakes, some locking up.
4 of 10 describe the brakes, most often the rear brake dragging or locking.
2 mention tires.
After 2006, no model year drew more than 5.
Fewest complaints on file: 2009 (1), 2010 (1), 2012 (1). Few complaints is not a clean bill of health, just fewer owners filing.
What each year's complaints describe comes from reading their text. These are counts, not rates: there are no sales figures per motorcycle model year. A complaint is not proof of a defect.
Popular years get more complaints just because more were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect them. There are no U.S. sales figures by motorcycle model year, so these are counts, not rates.
When the rear suspension of the motorcycle is repeatedly bottomed out (fully compressed), the rear brake reservoir hose may become damaged and leak brake fluid.
On certain passenger vehicles and motorcycles, the owner's manuals contain incorrect contact information for the national highway traffic safety administration's (NHTSA) vehicle safety hotline.
Certain motorcycles equipped with combined-brake systems have a proportioning control valve (pcv) that mechanically proportions brake force when the rear brake is applied.
On certain motorcycles, the main wire harness has a ground distribution connector that is incorrectly assembled.
On certain motorcycles, the routing of some wire harnesses may allow a connector to contact and chafe against the fuel tank.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check a specific bike's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
~116 hpClaimed crank figure
From the makers' U.S. spec sheets (the EU sheet for horsepower where the U.S. one leaves it out), checked against a sample on Nov 11; years and versions differ.
Filed as: ST1300, ST1300A, ST1300P, ST1300PA. Source: NHTSA owner complaints (model years 2000-2026) and recalls. Every motorcycle
More adventure & touring: Harley-Davidson Touring · Can-Am Spyder · BMW GS (R1200/R1250GS) · BMW RT (R1200/R1250RT) · BMW K 1200 / K 1300 S, R, GT · Harley-Davidson Street Glide · Honda Gold Wing · Harley-Davidson Road Glide · Every motorcycle
A new bike every day: follow @lemonindexmotorcycle on TikTok and Instagram.
Updated
The Lemon Index