Honda ST1100 Pan European - the engine rebuild commences - Episode 2 

Ive noticed a few comments questioning the use of assembly oil on the big end cap nut threads before they are tightened with a torque wrench. This is a specific requirement as detailed on the official Honda spec sheet for the ST1100 engine to lubricate the threads.

What I love most about these videos is the hushed, devotional, almost church-like, atmosphere Alan generates as he works. No music, no silly effects, or editing. It's not only inspirational, it's also tremendously soothing. Happy New year Alan! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

All the very best Allen and Tracey and all the viewers. 👏🏻

" I wasn't happy about the whine on 4th gear, so I bought a replacement gearbox. By the time I was finished with it, I had created a 10 speed gearbox with two levers. They all select really nicely, and It's now geared for about 225 miles per hour. I'm well pleased with that......" Thank you for another lovely video, Allen. The Christmas cake looked very nice, too. Best wishes to you and Tracey for 2023.

Watching Allen work is so therapeutic, very relaxing. This gives me the entirely wrong impression that I could go to my garage and do the same things.

Am I the only one who finds watching these therapeutic? Great content as always Alan

Allen, from the second I press ‘play’ your videos are unmissable until the very end. Purely interesting, well presented, calm, no irrelevant background music (I have Asperger’s, can’t handle ‘mood music’), and all the knowledge and tips of a professional engineer… and biker! I miss having a bike.

Very nice video of the crankshaft bearing fitting and transmission rebuild. I love the microscopic view. You're getting so good at making these videos. Beyond professional.

It's coming together nicely. It always amazes me that Allen can effortlessley work his way around the inumerable parts of the engine and gearbox and put it all back together perfectly and better than before. I liked the reference to the torque wrench borrowed from Henry - brand new (It's best we keep within our skill sets). Looking forward to the next episode.

Happy new year to all. The cuppa tea part brought tears to my eyes. Happiness is in little things.

Unfortunate that when it was new they didn’t fit the right size bearing, ‘a rarity for a Honda 🤔 but looking on the bright side, now you will have an engine and gearbox that should last a lifetime, and we get to see some new year spannering, and what’s in the cake tin 😀 Happy new year to the Millyard’s 👍🏻😎

Anyone else feel like they've actually done the job just by watching Allen do it...?

I bet the Radfems would HATE the fact that Tracey makes your brew to the correct specification, lol! All the best to you both!

Another Thing I Like About Your Videos, Is Your Undying Love For The Machine! Forgive Me If I've Already Commented, I Watch Them So Many Times, I Can't Keep Track. Thank You.

The quality of that engine is exceptional. From the cleanliness I can see it’s been well maintained. Interesting to a second manufacturing defect - ok the difference between green and brown shells is tiny but you’d have thought that they would have picked the correct shells given the rods and journals are marked correctly

Motorbikes, nature, tea and cake , it doesn’t get any better than that , ( well maybe a kipper bap on Peel harbour! ) best wishes for ‘23

Your macro camera work puts us right next to your fingers and tools. What a great way to make us feel included and special. Must have been a Friday afternoon at the Honda factory when your engine was built or a late night before for the assembly mechanic. I hope your transmission work solves the whining problem. I had a Flying Brick BMW 1200 that is somewhat similar to your Honda. Thanks for showing us your meticulous work process.

Thank you for this video and Happy New Year. I'm not planning on doing the same with my ST1100, yet your videos give me a good insight in the engine and gearbox, much appreciated. You must be one of the few people who have actually stripped and rebuilt a ST1100 engine.

Perfect tea needs to be in a bone china cup or fine china mug, and for me it has to be Assam tea, mans tea. Always good to watch these in-depth videos.

Somehow allen i cant see henry using t/wrench too busy watching you and drinking tea...😉🤣best wishes for you and mrs millyard 2023...

Thoroughly enjoyable. Wish I could see your video thirty years ago when I mucked around with engines.

I'm very surprised you didn't run a bead of weld over the crank then file it down by eye to make everything fit.

There's a therapy in watching a master at work. Thank you for your efforts Allen.

When I built my VTR1000 bottom end the number/letter designation was used to denote big end and main bearing shell sizes. One thing my Honda did add to the specification was an initial big end torque and then a further smooth twist/pull through a given range. Thanks for the video Allen. I just love to watch you work.

Remember Pan trips to Suhl in Germany . St Johann in Polgau and Evora Portugal . Any one else . This video is so inspirational .. Shot blasted old plugs yesterday and off it went . 17000 miles . Made a coffee with your kettle! . Excited to see end start up . Courageous I think

And to think I gave 20 years going to school and I have learned more in your video's 👍👏

So very educational, Happy Happy and a Happy to the hedgehogs and birds in your garden 2023

Still is awe of your expertise Allen 👍

May you all have a wonderful 2023, and beyond. Lovely video. Thanks for sharing.

I don't even have a bike but like watching these videos , your skill is amazing you should have your own show

Very relaxing video to watch. Why am I not surprised that your ‘friend’ Henry has a new, unused torque wrench 😊

Good news on the new Kettle Allen, that is a very important purchase, where would we be without a kettle to make a cup of tea and it was nice to see the hedgehog out for a Winter's snump around your garden. The bike build was alright too. Looking forward to seeing it complete and up&running:) Happy New Year Sandy

watching a master at work is like ASMR to me cheers Allen. all the best.

Nice. The last of our 4 hedgehogs, the smallest, hibernated on the 15th Dec. Love hogs.

Always a pleasure to watch you at work, Allen. So calm and measured. And so skilful.

Happy New Year! Fascinating to see inside the gearbox. Always amazes me the the bearing nuts don’t vibrate off with the vibration and loads on them . Those hedgehogs look well fed. Thanks for all the videos Alan.

Happy New Year to everyone on this channel! Cheers Allen for kicking our year off. Hurry up with those shells.

st1100 is one of my favourite ever bikes, i still miss mine, the fjr1300 which replaced it isn't as nice

I love watching Alan work on bikes. I did my first mc engine when I was about 18. It was the original 1965 Honda 450 4 speed. I bored it out to 500cc's, installed Powroll high compression pistons, Precision Machining racing cams, re-jetted the carbs, etc. etc. It ran pretty good and was a good 2 seconds quicker in the quarter mile (13.23 seconds at Mission Raceways, BC, Canada). Stock was 15.2. The ONLY thing that really bugged me was the 4 speed transmission (which became 5 speed a year or so later). The RPM drop from 1st to 2nd was HUGE! I had to slightly over rev the engine to keep the power band up between shifts. Other than that, it remained reliable until I sold it a year or two later. A great overall experience!

Really love these strip down videos Alan, especially the way you take your time to explain what most expect people to know ( I know zilch about engines and regret not learning about earlier in life , I’m now 60 🫤) also love your breaks for tea, cake and animals…brilliant !

Not only a genius mechanic but the tea looks perfect as well 👍

All the best for 2023.

Just discovered your RU-vid site. So enjoyable watching your videos. I had a Honda PC 50 when I was 16. Then, like you I had new cd 175. I think it was £336 new in October 1974. I’ve had bikes all my life since. Definitely going to watch more of your videos.

New Allen Millard video series, that makes be pleased :)

Beside the pleasure watching you work on the ST 1100 (I own one my self) I always appreciate you showing your love to Tracy. Thanks for one more great video, and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all the Millyard family from Denmark

Why do I feel like I'm at the dentist watching Allen so beautifully put everything back together! HNY Allen and Tracy!

Any motorbike will be in perfect hands with Allen

Thanks Alan. I'm almost tempted to source and buy a faulty Pan European because of this series 😄

I like the fact that Henry's torque wrench has never been used.

I'm a tinkerer and a rider and I have rebuilt a zg1000 engine so I was curious how the Honda V4 engine came apart. I was surprised to see that modular gearbox -- Pretty cool, indeed. But then I finished up the video and started reading the comments and I was really taken in by the nice words of appreciation for both the video qualities, the wrenching, and the coziness of the hedgehogs and tea. These are all good things the world could use more of right now. Cheers to all. Suffice it to say I am now a new subscriber.

Very Satisfying as usual Allen... Thankyou !! 👍

We need a shed/garage tour Allen, it is well overdue!

My new phrase for 2023, “I’ll mend it” referring to your un-mended kettle. Love it!!

Don't think I even blinked watching this, and over to soon

This is so interesting because as noted on the ST Owners forum, a rebuild of an ST1100 or 1300 engine is virtually unknown. It is also fascinating that you have found what appears to be an assembly error right from the Honda factory! Happy New Year to you and yours Allen from Harrow, Ontario Canada.

12 minutes forty seconds before we get to what we were all waiting for " what's in the tin Allen " and we were not disappointed !!

This level of attention to detail is crazy to me because I grew up in a small town and people always did things like this half-assed.... I don't think I've ever known someone like this other than me. LoL 😂

Fascinating and amazing attention to detail. Can't wait for those shells to arrive!

Wow - a perfect start to 2023 with a new video from Allen. I admire your skill and knowledge and the calm way you explain the key steps. Thank you!

All of the best to you and Tracey for 2033. As usual a really great video showing off your fantastic skills and attention to detail. However I don't think that you could do any it without Tracey's kitchen skills!

Your explanations and attention to detail is excellent Alan. I look forward to all your outstanding engineering videos, please keep them posted. All the very best to you and lovely wife Tracy for the coming year

amazing to watch. you are so gifted. Allen.

Brilliant vid. Keep them coming. 😊

Allen your a national treasure, I am always astounded by your knowledge, and your çalm way you approach everything. No fancy tool chests or top of the range garage, just pure skill and a love for what you do. Happy new year to you both, keep the videos coming.

Another great video Allen, created in your own unique way👍🏻

I once did the same thing. Wore those purple plasticy gloves to change a spark plug on my AJS single. That was a busy day. Needed a cuppa real bad after that.Cant imagine doing 4 spark plugs in one day.🙂

Well done indeed . Mines 17000 miles so I'm glad I can just watch you. Music ,no need,altho Bach Brandenburg concertos would go ok . Remember Pan Clan trips to Austria and Germany

Fantastic video content as always. Great footage with clear information as to what you're doing at all times. A true master engineer with passion, willing to show everyone else. 😁

I just figured out what I like about those "Hedge Hogs", As a small boy I had "Guinea Pigs" ! They are both mini pigs ,And cute ! Incidentally ,I remember I put Heavy grease on the drum cam on my H2 after I carefully worked out the perfect shimming so the new parts would shift like a fine clock ! What a mistake ! I Worked late into the night so I could go out in the morning for the first start and ride !, ....It gets cold here, And I had long forgotten the grease on the drum cam ! ,Started wonderfully, A few little adjustments ! Now 1st gear !.........? (rock solid)!.....Oh No! "Murphy's Law"! ( Sweating , Worries,etc.) Then It occurred to me ! Get The Space Heater !. After 2 hrs. of a "Case splitting Headache" (and heating the bottom of the H2) ...OMG ! Thank God ! I really didn't want to take that apart again,I am ready to Ride !. And what a ride ! I felt like a King !, Up comes that front wheel ! I have to show off my new "Lester " 7 spoke I beam MAG wheels and Dual KZ650 Discs (front end)! It was Intoxicating!(I didn't want to get pegged for speeding) Everyone had wire wheels back then !,Honda had pressed steel !. About that Christmas Cake, I was born in 1959 in Toronto Canada and the supply of Rich Tasty Chewy Xmas cake had thinned out here ! ("The Long Search") You should do something special for Tracy (She can and does actually make these kind of literally important snacks!) What would Tea Time be without that?....Merry Christmas and happy new year to You and Tracey...

Thanks Allen for explaining the bearing selection process. I’m rebuilding a GL1200 Goldwing with the similar main and rod bearing codes.

Really informative and covers everything at a good pace, I like it.

I changed the main bearing/con rod bearings on a 76 cb 750 a few years ago, being used to old brit bikes with less accurate fits shall we say, didn't realise Honda tied them down to microns, couldn't find some of the sizes/colour codes, was told to take a midpoint size of shell, (guess) never had any problems when built up. I was told the accurate sizing is more for racing engines. When I sold it, found the missing sizes below front of engine. Amazing

I look forward to these videos. Thank you.

Dear Mr. Millyard. Before I even watch another one of your great videos: Happy new year to you, your family and friends. Best regards, luck and health in particular.

I could fancy a cup of tea this evening. Perhaps for breakfast this weekend 😎

Love how you do everything perfect.....even better a strong cuppa tea, uncommon for a English man.

Nice work as always Allen, glad to see it’s not just me that finds it impossible to wait until I have all the parts 🙂

Brilliant video, can’t wait to watch the rest!👍

i see a lot of people pulling on torque wrenches with a target of lets say 25 ft/lb , they'll stop very close of that like 20 or so & then magically the next time they return they get a 25lb click...a mechanic i worked with yrs ago always said to make sure it comes to torque in the rotation, never forgot that . Your torqueing looked good lol

Pleasure watching a highly professional engineer taking apart & reassembling such a complex engine.

You are brilliant Allen great videos. Thank you for sharing ☮️

I enjoy your videos immensely

Happy 2023 to you and your family 🙏💓

Watching and listening to Allen assemble that gearbox was asmr to me.

All the best to you both for 2023 - always look forward to the further adventures of AM &T!

Very interesting to see the inside of the STeed, WITHOUT having to EVER consider going inside mine. 😅 Subbed for the quality content and educational insights. Cheers from across the pond.

Great video love the close up shots , Honda's look to be so well engineered even down to different individual big end journal sizes and suitable bearing shell to suit. Hope the brown shells show up soon.

I have been riding motorcycles (legally) since 1961and also a time-served engineering fitter and it's always an absolute pleasure to watch Alan in his videos, I hope he does not get too distracted with his TV appearances which would be a shame.

Last old Japan. This engine is a work of art. It's a pleasure to see such a solid piece of steel and aluminum. Well done Honda engineers. They save a lot more now. Thank you very much for the videos!

What an excellent series. Nicely lit and wonderfully explained. Thank you for taking the time to put them together.

A couple of times I've successfully found parts that I couldn't locate in the UK by using Google translate and searching for the part description in French/Dutch/German/Spanish etc. e.g "Pleuellager braun Honda ST1100" gives a result from zsf-motorrad in Germany for 24 EUR. Thanks for another great video.

Allen tinkering. Nice way to start 2023. Happy New Year everyone!

Put a short piece of hose over the rod bolts to prevent scratching the crankshaft. When you reinstall snap rings make sure they go in the right way. The flat side against the thrust surface.

a real craftsman at work, its a delight to watch

Alan, you make incredibly complex engineering look like a walk in the park. Like others have commented, I find these videos strangely soothing, and obviously very interesting too. My wife wasn’t too sure, however, she warmed to the hedgehog interludes! I look forward to your next episode. Good work as ever. Happy new year to you and your family.

Been a wonderful trip seeing the innards of the ST1100. Very underrated machine and interesting to see the buggered oil pickup o-ring and subsequent result. Hope you and your family had a good Christmas and all the best for whatever 2023 presents to us.

This is great to watch. For those of us the never have done engine rebuild is a wonderful opportunity to learn the finer details that go into doing it. The torque wrench explanation is appropriate too, to a wider audience this is the sort of detail that ties the whole explanation. Takes away the magic in the process and turns it into a logic puzzle. Thanks as always, and may this 2023 give you plenty of opportunity to "gear up" lots more of your content.

Meticulously done Allen. 'Henry's torque wrench has never been used'! Best wishes for the new year, Dean at Retromeccanica.

Fascinating video Allen, picture quality seems really good too! 👍🏼

Superb clean work as always