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Thanks to the excellent comfort offered by the machine I could use the whole tank range without rest stops. After first doing the Townville to Brisbane journey I then backed that up with a quick day cruise from Brisbane to Sydney, nearly 1,000km, with only two stops for fuel, so good are the ergonomics. The seat is three-position adjustable offering a low, medium, or taller seat height. The low position also places the rider closer to the bars.

While some of the competition offer an electrically adjustable screen, the new ST model that we received in Australia for 2003 offered no such remote adjustment. Instead the 2003 machine had a two position manually adjustable screen. Set in the high position this screen offers an excellent level of protection.  So good in fact that I spent my whole time aboard the ST with my helmet visor raised. Normally I would never consider wearing an open face helmet, but on the ST I would have actually preferred an open face. The screen is the best I have used; there is little need for adjustment.  But with the coming 2004 ST1300 Deluxe model, electric adjustment of the screen is available.  When riding completely upright you can feel a little back pressure caused by the air rushing over the top of you, and sometimes even a little turbulence on the back of the helmet.  Interestingly this completely disappeared when riding with the visor up.

The new 2002 ST features large-volume pannier bags that offer greater volume. The standard panniers offer 35-litres of storage on each side. An optional top-box provides another 45-litres of capacity. The panniers are securely locked to the machine and are keyed alike with the ignition. The fuel tank also readily accepts a magnetic tank bag.

These new panniers also feature strong stopper straps that hold the lids open to approximately 90 degrees for easier access without fear of dropping any of their contents while the bags are mounted on the bike. The straps can be easily detached to allow the panniers to be fully opened like a suitcase for packing or unpacking on a hotel bed.

The panniers are fairly easily loaded when on the machine but successfully locking the mechanism first go on every time does take a little practice.

Carrying convenience also extends to the forward fairing's handy side pockets. The left-side pocket offers the carrying volume of a standard automobile console component and can be locked with the ignition key.  The right pocket is covered by a weather-resistant resin lid.

In the cockpit area, the ST's integrated instrument panel features a large centralized speedometer and smaller tachometer.  Both engine and outside air temperatures are displayed on the LCD panel.  Two tripmeters help keep track of the distance covered while a constant readout of fuel economy can be switched to show the average fuel consumption in a kilometres-per-litre format since the system was last re-set.  I averaged 15.1 kilometres per litre during my 2,800 kilometres with the ST.

When riding in following sunlight the LCD screen can be hard to read at times but the level of illumination is push-button adjustable and can compensate in most situations.

To the left of the instruments is a dial which is used to adjust the level of the headlight beam while riding.