12-04-2023, 09:44 AM
I feel for you, slmjim & Z1BEBE. Your decision is almost entirely an emotional one. If, like Mr Spock, you simply applied logic, you'd cull the collection heavily and buy a single modern bike that will meet your needs for local riding and the occasional 2-up tour. But you're not going to do that because the Z1 collection is there to stay. Seems to me the prospect of parting with one or both of the Nighthawks causes you to wake in the middle of the night with faces wet with tears.
Perhaps the best thing to do is nothing. Time will force your hand. The ST1300 is a hefty beast and will come a time when managing the weight is too much. That will provide a decision point. Likewise, the non-pickled Nighthawk may break a 'high mortality' part which makes it clear that keeping it on the road has become too much trouble. By then circumstances will have changed: for example, the ST1300 may also have become to heavy or is not being used enough; or it's clear that a smaller, lighter bike like a 2023 CB750 Hornet is a better option, etc.
However, if you really, really, really feel the need to act now, why not sell one Nighthawk and replace it with the CB1100 as a your high usage bike. I'd think hard about that option as, although not as porky as the ST1300, the CB1100 isn't light and your concern about weight may end up being realised twice in quicker succession than you expected. And that's not to mention spoked wheels and the irritation of trying to find 18" tyres.
Doing nothing seems a good option to me.
Best of luck with your thinking.
Perhaps the best thing to do is nothing. Time will force your hand. The ST1300 is a hefty beast and will come a time when managing the weight is too much. That will provide a decision point. Likewise, the non-pickled Nighthawk may break a 'high mortality' part which makes it clear that keeping it on the road has become too much trouble. By then circumstances will have changed: for example, the ST1300 may also have become to heavy or is not being used enough; or it's clear that a smaller, lighter bike like a 2023 CB750 Hornet is a better option, etc.
However, if you really, really, really feel the need to act now, why not sell one Nighthawk and replace it with the CB1100 as a your high usage bike. I'd think hard about that option as, although not as porky as the ST1300, the CB1100 isn't light and your concern about weight may end up being realised twice in quicker succession than you expected. And that's not to mention spoked wheels and the irritation of trying to find 18" tyres.
Doing nothing seems a good option to me.
Best of luck with your thinking.