From: forestel@oasys.dt.navy.mil (J. Lauren Forestell)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Subject: Calling ST1100 Owners
Date: 8 Sep 92 15:25:41 GMT
Reply-To: forestel@oasys.dt.navy.mil (J. Lauren Forestell)
Organization: David Taylor Model Basin, Carderock Division, NSWC

This post is for my husband who has no net access.

My husband bought a brand new '90 ST1100 the last week in December 91 
because he wanted a black one.  He has since put 12,000(!) miles on 
it, 6,000 before May.  Likes the bike a lot except for two things:  
a clunk when he takes off from a stop... sometimes (took it into the 
dealer, they took it apart, replaced some parts, still there's a clunk) 
and what has become major problem - numb hands. He tends to cruise at 
3000-4000 rpm (60-80 mph) and noticed after a while his hands start 
to buzz. His daily commute is 30 miles each way, but when he went on 
a business trip that was 700 miles each way he said his hands numbed 
out so badly that he has never recovered.  His hands became sensitized 
and are getting worse.

When he met up with another ST1100 owner, the first thing out of the 
new acquaintance's mouth was, did he notice his hands getting numb?  
The other ST owner knew yet another guy with the same problem. Well, 
he contacted the dealer where he bought the bike and they arranged for 
the Honda Tech Rep to come talk to the ST owners.  Unfortunately one 
guy couldn't make it (hey, it was the Friday before Labor Day, how's 
that for timing) and because the tech rep was an hour and a half late 
(!) the other guy left just before the tech rep arrived.  Anyhow, the 
tech rep rode Byrum's bike for 30 miles. (Gave him a piece of paper 
stating that he rode the bike and that the vibration was nothing more 
than what should be expected.)  The Honda guy said he noticed a characteristic 
performance for theas characteristic performance for the model. No apologies, 
no explanations.

The Honda guy wanted to know what kind of bikes Byrum had owned before 
(the last couple: 1983 Sabre (106,000 miles) and a 1975 CB750 (103,000 
miles) and was told that the last two presented no similar problems, 
that the only other bike he'd ever owned that numbed his hands was his 
first, his 1965 CB305.  The tech rep suggested perhaps holding the bars 
differently.  (Do YOU think that would be helpful?! C'mon. Get real.)

Anyway, the purpose of this post is to find other ST owners who may 
have experienced this problem. When you spend those kinds of bucks on 
this kind of motorcycle you shouldn't expect your hands to be vibrated 
into numbness like on the bikes of yesteryear. Since the tech rep was 
pretty non-responsive and had nothing to offer except his presence, 
Byrum wants to get their attention and generate some pressure on Honda 
because the Big Guys tend to only respond to numbers. Please respond 
by e-mail.  Thanx.

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Lauren Forestell   |  What? Me worry?                 |    AMA #663798
'88 FZ750          |             --Alfred E. Neuman   |    WERA Ex.#19 Retired
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Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles