Honda ST1300 Pan European (2002-2018): Review & Buying Guide

Price: £2500-£8999 | Power: 124.7bhp | Weight: 321kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating:4/5

The Honda ST1300 Pan European needs no introduction. A machine that, after a somewhat controversial start to its life it has to be said, went on to set the benchmark in the full-dress touring market, the Pan is a bike that continues to be held in very high esteem. Blessed with not only a superb V4 motor but also high comfort levels, impeccable reliability and a real attention to detail, the Pan European ticks every box. Relied upon by not only serious tourers but also the emergency services for years, the fact the Pan remained basically unchanged throughout its 16 year lifespan tells you all you need to know. If you are after a used bike to take touring or even act as a long-distance commuter, the Honda Pan European won’t let you down. It may still be quite highly priced in the used market, but you pay for what you get and in the case of the Pan, it’s a quality product throughout.

Honda ST1300 Pan European (2002-2018) Price

As you would expect from a full-dress touring model, the Pan was never a cheap option. Costing £11,299 in 2002 and finishing its life at £14,999 in 2018, the Pan was quite a hefty investment and even nowadays its high quality sees it retain its value. If you don’t mind a bike that has covered the miles (over 50,000!) they can be picked up for as little as £2500 but realistically, this kind of mileage will put most owners off and instead a bike that is showing in the region of 20,000-30,000 miles and costs £3500-£4500 is a more sensible (and just as common) purchase. It’s not that the Pan can’t handle big mileages (bikes for sale with 70,000 miles and more are quite common) it is more the fact that at these numbers parts such as discs, shaft drives, suspension etc start to wear out and that can be costly to replace, negating the saving over buying a bike that hasn’t travelled as far in its life.

Engine and Performance

The Pan’s 90-degree V4 motor is a real star and despite only having a five-speed gearbox (which nowadays seems quite an odd decision) the rest of the motor is hard to fault. Producing an impressive 124.7bhp and with 92.3ft.lb of torque, the V4 delivers effortless drive throughout its rev range and that makes for extremely easy mile-munching. You can just sit back and relax on a Pan, keeping gearchanges to a minimum and instead relying on that mid-range punch to pull you along. A motor that is hard to fault, it is also incredibly reliable and merrily shrugs of high mileages with no major concerns. Naturally there are a few grumbles from owners with sticking thermostats and the occasional coolant leak topping the list but overall, it’s about as solid as they come. If, it has to be said, a little hot-running in the summer months...

With 4000-mile service intervals and its valve-clearances requiring checking at 16,000 miles the Pan may seem quite service-intensive for a tourer, however owners report that this isn’t the case. Yes, the valves should be checked every 16,000 miles but they very rarely close up and oil changes are simple to complete yourself (a full service kit is only £99 online) and thanks to its engine’s layout, even swapping the plugs is no drama with the oil filter also easily accessed. The air filter is a bit more complex as it is under the tank but again, nothing too tricky and there is an excellent Haynes manual to assist and loads of online videos and Honda even include a prop to hold the tank up (located in the underseat area). While you are swapping the oil filter (located by the centre stand mount) give the stand’s mechanism a good squirt of penetrating oil to ensure its movement remains nice and smooth. Happily, unlike the ST1100, there is no cam belt to worry about, only longer-lasting cam chains!

When buying used always take a Pan out for a test ride and check for clutch slip (it’s not too hard to change but as it is located on the front of the engine, the bolts holding the cover on can get horribly corroded and seize/snap off) and also listen out for any rattle from the cam chain tensioners, especially on higher mileage bikes. New tensioners are about £120 each from Honda and there are two. A few owners report the bearing in the rear wheel failing is fairly common, so get the bike on its centre stand and feel for play, and inspect the exhaust system for any holes due to corrosion (owners often replace with a stainless steel one) and also the radiator. Duff alternators on high mileage bikes are common but a new unit is only £250 and the standard one can be rebuilt by a specialist for about £150.

Honda ST1300 Pan European (2002-2018) Handling & Suspension

Ok, at the risk of opening a can of worms here, ignore stories of ‘Pan weave.’ Yes, there were a few issues when the bike was released but these were sorted and generally if you fit modern tyres (each owner has their personal preference), keep their pressures correct and don’t over-load the bike a Pan handles perfectly well at UK motorway speeds. Ok, that’s covered...

Honda made a lot of effort to ensure the Pan didn’t feel like a lardy full-dress tourer and despite a wet weight of 321kg it’s an impressively good handling bike. You can certainly enjoy the Pan on an Alpine pass and although its ground clearance is a bit limited and it is undeniably heavy at low speed (Honda’s standard fitment crash protection often gets tested...) once up and going it’s a fine handling bike with a good natural balance.

As standard you get Honda’s C-ABS system, which isn’t bad, but does mean you need to keep an eye on both the discs and calipers. The three-piston sliding design of caliper (front and back) is quite prone to sticking on its slider and the weight of the Pan can mean discs approaching their wear limit. Both are quite simple things to check when buying a used bike. During a test ride, feel for a clunk from the rear that may indicate the hub is worn and also give the suspension a good check. The forks seals are fairly simple to replace but the shock isn’t rebuildable, so see how it feels and check the preload adjuster moves freely. Assume about £300-£500 for a replacement aftermarket shock.

Comfort & Economy

Very comfortable and more than happy to cover big distances, the clue is in the Pan’s name. This is a dedicated tourer and it is very happy to take a rider and/or pillion as far as they want. And record fairly decent economy with 48mpg about average – giving it a tank range of just over 300 miles from its huge 29-litre tank. A few owners add wind deflectors or a taller screen but generally in terms of protection, it is fine in standard trim unless you are tall.

Honda ST1300 Pan European (2002-2018) Equipment

Alongside C-ABS, the Pan does have a few bits of tech that you need to keep an eye on. The first is the electronically-adjustable screen, which is a great thing to have but its activation system can break and that means quite a big bill. Usually it is the gears stripping on the motor assembly and that means a new (second hand) unit, which is expensive, or replacing the gear and that involves trying to locate a good quality replacement. Either way, check all is working nice and smoothy and try to avoid using the system at speed at that puts strain on it. Next worry is the HISS immobiliser system, which requires the key to be coded to the bike. If the bike only comes with a single key, get another one coded ASAP (about £120) as if you lose the original, you are in a world of bother. It’s not horrific, new keys can be coded to the ECU, but you may need to remove the ECU and send it to an expert...

Honda sold an official top box to go with the Pan’s panniers as well as a soft tank bag, heated grips, a 12v socket and wind deflectors. Surprisingly effective, if you plan to cover big distances, these deflectors (or aftermarket alternatives) are very good and fitting a bigger screen is also recommended. Some owners also change the Pan’s seat, which is more personal taste, and fit extra crash protection. The seat itself can have its height adjusted by 15mm either way, which is excellent.

Honda ST1300 Pan European (2002-2018) Rivals

Pan Europeans are generally bought by those looking at covering serious mileages. Some upgrade from the ST1100, many have had Pans before, but generally they are attracted by the Honda’s reputation for reliability, comfort and its ability to cover miles.

BMW R1150RT (2001-2005) | Approx Price: £1500-£3500

Power/Torque: 95bhp/63lb-ft | Weight: 255kg

Yamaha FJR1300 (2001-2020) | Approx Price: £3000-£11,500

Power/Torque: 144bhp/102lb-ft | Weight: 292kg

Kawasaki GTR1400 (2007-2015) | Approx Price: £4000 - £8500

Power/Torque: 139bhp/94lb-ft | Weight: 304kg

Honda ST1300 Pan European (2002-2018) Verdict

The Pan European is a bike that can be relied upon to ensure not only that you reach your chosen destination but you do so with minimal hassles. Reliable, comfortable and extremely well designed and manufactured, it says a lot that its replacement, the VFR1200F, was a failure mainly because it wasn’t as good as the Pan! If you want a tourer that is fun to ride as well as practical, the ST1300 Pan European is a hard act to beat. It’s quite expensive in the used market for a very good reason – it’s worth the money.

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Honda ST1300 Pan European (2002-2018) – Technical Specification

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