The V4 shaft-drive tourer
Extinct in 2026
The ST1100 (1990-2002) and ST1300 (2002-2014) were the only V4 dedicated tourers from a Japanese factory. By 2026: parallel-twin NT1100 (Honda), parallel-twin Tracer 9 GT (Yamaha), boxer-twin R1300RT (BMW), Hayabusa-engined GTR1400 (Kawasaki, dead 2020). The V4 grand tourer survived only as the BMW K1600 (boxer-six anyway). Honda's V4 tourer era is over.
ST1100 → ST1300 transition
+176cc, FI, 2002
2002 ST1300 update: 1085cc → 1261cc, carb-to-FI, aluminium frame replaced steel-tube, +17bhp peak (100 → 117bhp), +10Nm peak. Same V4 layout, totally redesigned chassis. The 2003 model year had a serious recall for front-end shimmy at speed, fixed by 2004.
Why it ended 2014
Police shift, Euro 4 cost
UK Police Forces switched from Pan European to BMW R1200RT around 2008-2012, removing Honda's biggest UK customer. Combined with Euro 4 emissions costs hitting in 2017, Honda chose not to redevelop the V4 longitudinal engine for tighter emissions targets. Killed 2014 — no direct V4 successor.
Real cost trajectory
−27% real
£8,500 ST1100 in 1996 (£17,000 today) → £12,499 NT1100 in 2026. Significantly cheaper in real terms. Modern NT1100 has cornering ABS, traction control, ride modes, DCT auto-clutch option, full LCD dash, smartphone connect. Used market in 2026: ST1100 £2.5-4.5k, ST1300 £3.5-6k for clean low-mile. Police bikes are particularly common used.
ライダーエイド数 (1996 → 2026)
0 → 8
ST1100 had nothing. ST1300 added FI and optional ABS. 2026 NT1100 has cornering ABS, traction control, ride modes, DCT auto-clutch option, cruise control, IMU on DCT, full LCD, heated grips standard. The grand tourer class has gone from analogue to fully electronic.
最安の入口
£2.5k
A clean ST1100 from 1995-2001. 100bhp longitudinal V4, shaft drive, panniers fittable, comfortable for distance. Police-spec bikes (ex-Police) are particularly cheap and well-maintained. Pay attention to final drive splines, reg/rec, carb sync. The cheapest path to a Honda V4 — bombproof if maintained.
Why riders miss it
V4 character
The Pan European's longitudinal V4 had a totally different character to modern parallel-twin tourers — silky-smooth high-rpm power, V-twin-like character through low-mid revs, that classic Honda V4 sound. NT1100's parallel-twin is more torquey but less refined. Riders who owned both consistently rate the V4 more rewarding to ride hard.