Group --
In 1972, I had my choice of buying a Sports Tourer for $210, or a Paramount for about $325... Who in their right mind would pay $325 for a bike that didn't even have a built in kickstand? Amazing how much we learn as we get older...
I bought a Lime Green ST, and still ride it on occasion (when the ride is fairly flat) and really like the way it rides... It is very comfortable -- kinda like driving a big, fat Cadillac down the freeway. My other rider is a '72 Paramount -- same color -- with a triple crankset for my aging body to make it up slight inclines.
The lowest gear on the ST 10 speed is actually a bit lower than the lowest gear on the 15 speed triple Paramount touring... I understand that the Super Sport (Ashtabula crank, otherwise identical) and Sports Tourer were made in the same works as the Paramounts, but were sent to the regular Varsity paint shop to be finished.. I guess my lime green Paramount was misdirected -- :-)
I think the $400 price is (or perhaps was) realistic -- I sold my red, blue and yellow ST's for about that price... a few years back..
Cheers -- Nelson Miller // Seattle // USA