The ST1100 gained most of the Gold Wing's other characteristic engineering elements, such as shaft drive, a full fairing and integral panniers.

Introduced to the European market a year before it was available in the United States, the ST1100 supplied within a sportier package the features required by touring riders, thereby filling a niche between the Honda VFR750F sports tourer and the larger Gold Wing.

In November 2013, following deletion of the ST1300 from the model line, Honda announced the CTX1300, a cruiser motorcycle powered by a version of the ST1300's engine modified for better fuel economy and increased torque at low RPMs.

The engine forms a stressed member in a lighter aluminum frame, the layout giving a low centre of gravity.

During the 2000 bike show season, Honda presented a prototype sport tourer called the X-Wing, featuring a 1,500 cc V6 engine, single-sided front and rear suspension and an automatic transmission.

[13] Speculation in the press that the X-Wing was the ST1100's replacement was partially confirmed when Honda introduced an all-new ST1300 Pan European in Europe and Australia for the 2002 model year.

[11] The revised engine layout and a split fuel tank shift some of the weight downward, making the ST1300 less top-heavy than its predecessor.

In April 2007, subsequent to the death of a police motorcyclist riding a single seat ST1300, the emergency service version of the ST1300, a British coroner announced he would warn all Chief Constables in England and Wales of the "serious threat" to riders' lives posed by the ST1300 and the "catastrophic result" of the high speed weave.

[23] They made a strong recommendation to have "qualified personnel evaluate a motorcycle fitted with all intended equipment under the anticipated speeds and conditions before the vehicle is placed into service."