# The Motorcycle BBC calls “A Serious Threat to Life” - Honda Pan European Review Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWFVPA3ANSw Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/wWFVPA3ANSw Generated: 2025-12-17T16:38:05.879+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The Honda ST1100 Pan European motorcycle earned a reputation as a "serious threat to life" following a 2007 coroner's inquest where a police officer died due to high-speed weave instability, leading 22 UK police forces to withdraw the bike from service, despite Honda maintaining its safety and noting that later generations addressed the issue with design changes like a steeper rake and shorter wheelbase. **Key Points:** - A 2007 BBC News report highlighted a coroner's inquest where a police bike was deemed a "serious threat to riders' lives" due to high-speed weave. - Following the death of PC David Shreeve, 22 UK forces withdrew the Honda ST1300/ST1100 models from service after comprehensive safety checks. - An examiner reported that the problem was "the worst weave on any bike he had tested in his career," after breaking his leg and fracturing both wrists in a separate test. - The original 1990 Pan European featured a V4 90-degree, 1085cc engine timed by a belt, which was lighter than the chain used on race bikes. - The successor Pan European (Gen 2) featured a steeper 27-degree rake and a shorter 61.2-inch wheelbase to mitigate the weave instability issue. - The host notes that the bike's massive size and weight (heavy engine, huge seat, large fairings) contributed to its stable, but stubborn, handling, particularly in adverse conditions like snow. - Despite the safety controversy, the Honda ST1100/ST1300 models were known for excellent range (up to 500 km) and features like integrated audio and linked braking systems (CBS-ABS). ![Screenshot at 0:05: A screenshot of the 2007 BBC News headline, "Police bike is 'serious threat'," detailing the coroner's warning about the Honda model causing a "catastrophic result" due to high-speed weave.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/wWFVPA3ANSw/00-00-05.png) **Context:** The video reviews the Honda ST1100 Pan European motorcycle, a popular touring bike from the 1990s, contrasting its high-mileage reliability and touring comfort with a serious safety controversy that erupted in the UK around 2007. This controversy stemmed from an inquest into the death of a police officer who crashed due to high-speed weave instability, leading to the temporary grounding of the police fleet of these motorcycles. ## Detailed Analysis The video analyzes the Honda ST1100 Pan European motorcycle, focusing heavily on the stability issues that led to its police use being suspended in the UK. The host begins by showing the bike (0:01) and referencing a 2007 BBC News headline (0:05) stating the bike posed a "serious threat" to life after an inquest involving PC David Shreeve, who was thrown off during training due to high-speed weave. This incident caused 22 UK police forces to pull their ST1300 models from service (7:05). The host details the bike's engineering, noting the original 1990 model had a V4 90-degree, 1085cc engine timed by a belt, which was lighter than a chain (3:31), contributing to its smooth power delivery but perhaps also instability at high speeds. Later models, like the Gen 2, attempted to fix this by steepening the rake to 27 degrees and shortening the wheelbase to 61.2 inches (4:00, 6:23). The presenter illustrates the physics behind stability using a chalkboard diagram of bicycle geometry (4:28). The video shows the bike performing well in challenging conditions, such as riding on icy, snowy roads (3:54), demonstrating its inherent design as a stable tourer, yet acknowledges that the inherent dynamics, especially with extra weight (like police gear), could lead to dangerous weave (6:39). The host concludes that while the bike was comfortable and long-lived, the design flaws related to high-speed stability were significant enough to warrant the police withdrawal. ### Safety Controversy & Inquest - BBC headline reveals police bike deemed 'serious threat' after officer death in 2007 - Coroner warned of 'catastrophic result' due to high-speed weave - An examiner reported it was the 'worst weave on any bike' he tested - 22 UK forces withdrew the ST1300 models from service (0:05, 6:51) ### Technical Specifications & Design - Original ST1100 featured a V4 90-degree, 1085cc engine timed by a belt, not a chain - Gen 2 addressed stability by using a steeper 27-degree rake and shorter 61.2-inch wheelbase (3:31, 4:00, 6:23) ### Riding Impressions & Features - Bike features huge underseat fuel tank (22 big gulps capacity), integrated audio system, and linked brakes (CBS-ABS) - Host demonstrates stability, even in snowy/icy conditions (3:54, 5:59) ### Physics of Stability - Host uses a chalkboard diagram to explain how trail (rake) dictates a vehicle's tendency to self-correct or wobble (4:28, 5:03) ![Screenshot at 0:01: The host, Ryan F9, standing next to a maroon Honda ST1100 motorcycle outdoors at night, preparing to discuss the bike.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/wWFVPA3ANSw/00-00-01.png) ![Screenshot at 0:05: A screenshot of the 2007 BBC News headline, "Police bike is 'serious threat'," detailing the coroner's warning about the Honda model causing a "catastrophic result" due to high-speed weave.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/wWFVPA3ANSw/00-00-05.png) ![Screenshot at 1:42: An overlaid diagram illustrating the linked braking system \(CBS\) of the Honda ST1100, showing the relationship between the Pressure Control Valve \(PCV\), Delay Valve, and the front/rear calipers.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/wWFVPA3ANSw/00-01-42.png) ![Screenshot at 3:54: A shot of the Honda ST1100 parked on a wet, possibly icy mountain road with snow on the sides, emphasizing its touring capability in poor weather.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/wWFVPA3ANSw/00-03-54.png) ![Screenshot at 5:01: The host pointing to chalk diagrams on a blackboard illustrating the geometry of bicycle steering \(trail/rake\) and how it affects self-correction.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/wWFVPA3ANSw/00-05-01.png)