Out with the old - In with the new

The ST1100 design was refreshed by Honda for model year 1996. One of the most significant improvements was a higher capacity alternator. My 1994 bike had the smaller capacity, older design alternator. The newer unit is air cooled and provides 40 amps or about 550 watts of charging capacity versus 28 amps (390 watts) for the older unit. Plus, the oil cooled units were prone to leak with age and my bike had been weeping oil at the alternator for about a year. The alternator repair/upgrade required removing either the engine or the swing arm from the frame (alternator is visible at the lower left rear of the engine below) and the parts to replace the older unit with the newer one cost about $650. Major work, major cost. So, when I ran across a salvaged 2000 model with only 7K miles on the odometer, I bought the engine, drive shaft, rear drive hub and radiator for a total of $1200.  At 103K miles the original engine was still running strong but as my winter project, I replaced the entire drive train and cooling system instead of just the alternator for only a little more money and very little more work. Needless to say it runs like a new bike (since for all practical purposes, it is).