Is sticking a proven engine into a new bike a recipe for success or disaster, asks Jane Omorogbe.
Any vehicle that can last more than a decade in turbulent markets is onto a winner, but it’s no surprise that Honda’s imperious ST1300 Pan European is 12 years old.
Its smooth and powerful V4 engine has remained untouched since its introduction. It’s that good. Now, more than a decade later, the Japanese have tweaked the 1,261cc lump to power a different motorcycle: the futuristic-looking CTX1300.
At first glance, the long and low cruiser is superhero cool. Its brave, original design speaks of 12 years of technical evolution. The dashboard, for example, is well conceived and includes all the usual and expected information, with the exception of a gear indicator.
You scroll through the menu via the neatly-integrated buttons that lie flush against the fuel tank. Although stylish and well finished, in a world where we access information with a tap of a fingertip, it’s surprising that they aren’t on the handlebars.
Two large speakers embedded in the inner front fairing promise tunes to accompany your ride, but you’ll need to prepare your own playlist as the Bluetooth-capable stereo system doesn’t include anything so old-fashioned as a radio.
The rather large mirrors flanking either side of the front cowl are also curious. Sometimes mirrors are just impractical, like on the 1994 MV Agusta F4, and in those cases you really don’t have reasonable grounds for complaint. But the sheer size of the CTX’s mirrors suggests that you should be able to see the entire width of a three-lane motorway in them. You can’t.
Once you’re sitting in the low 735mm saddle, the mirrors are obscured by the brake and clutch reservoirs that are perched on top of the handlebars, rendering them useless unless you lean forwards and hunch down.
Honda are known and respected for their attention to rider safety, so how such ineffective mirrors made it through to a production model is bizarre.
The CTX1300 does boast switchable modern-day traction control, combined brakes (the rear brake is connected to the front), a 12-volt socket, self-cancelling indicators and a discrete button on the handlebars that activates the heated handgrips. Nice.
Assuming you’re not fussed about checking who is tailgating you, the CTX1300 can easily dispatch over 200 miles in one sitting from its brimmed 19.5-litre tank.
The modest-sounding 84bhp and 78lb/ft of torque flood collectively from the detuned V4 engine, sweeping you forwards on a tidal wave of power. Another plus point.
The CTX is also a comfortable, pleasant ride and the centre of gravity is low enough to turn the 338kg bike around in a single lane road, as long as you can reach the wide, outstretched handlebars. It is a typical ‘Bagger’; a tourer that has been stripped of everything except its panniers, just like Honda’s own Goldwing F6B.
It is basic and beefy and you feel like you’re sitting in the belly of the bike rather than on top of it as with the donor Pan European. The riding position is far from extreme and it actually feels quite intuitive and practical.
Given its cruiser orientation and focus on the American market, footboards would have suited the CTX1300’s image. But the normal footpegs are fine, as long as your feet are a size eight or smaller. Otherwise it’s a squeeze to position your feet on the ‘pegs without your heel pressing onto the side stand, which is slightly disconcerting when it digs into the asphalt through a left-hander.
The bike is surprisingly agile given its bulk and it can offer a rewarding ride, but the ground clearance is limited. So if your best mate is a sportsbike rider, or an ST1300 owner, ask them politely to wait at junctions for you.
Badly surfaced roads can test a bike’s composure, but the CTX has meagre suspension tuning options. It’s rear preload adjustment only, and to do it you’ve got to remove the panniers with Allen keys from the tool kit housed under the saddle. And those panniers aren’t even spacious enough to house a full-face helmet. Just saying.
CTX represents comfort, technology, and experience, says Honda. It is comfortable, it does have a degree of technology and it is a fun ride. But after 12 years of experience, Honda’s CTX1300 isn’t as revolutionary as it looks.
Facts & figures
Model: Honda CTX1300
Price: From £14,999
Engine: 1,261cc 90-degree V4 producing 84bhp @ 6,000rpm and 78lb/ft @ 4,500rpm
Weight (kerb): 338kg
Seat height: 735mm
Fuel capacity: 19.5 litres