Triumph Sprint ST - 6 month review

[Gazza77]

To follow on the from the last thread for those interested....

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=104400

I've now had the ST for around 6 months, and am still very happy with the purchase. I am more used to the extra weight; the better low speed control makes it far more manouverable than the SV was, epecially with a pilion on board. I'm also gaining far more confidence in throwing it around a bit; not as flickable as the SV, but given the size of my chicken strips I've clearly had it leant over further than I did in the 3 years or thereabouts I had the SV.

I personally find that it is a far more comfortable bike to ride, and far more relaxing too given the extra power and torque. The need to change gears if you're just out for a steady ride is less, as it pulls well throughout the rev range. It is a good positive change however should you feel the need to be up and down the box in order to use the engine to it's maximum potential, and hear that glorious triple as it was meant to be used.

Fuel economy seems pretty good; not quite the 50ish I had on the SV but mid-high 40s is still pretty good in my book. The only issue I have had with it was a flat battery, but that was probably as much due to me leaving the ignition on for a couple of hours whilst I pratted around with the SatNav, which would be further draining its life. :oops:

The hard panniers are also a great benefit for touring. Going to the TT in June reminded me how much of a pain fitting soft panniers and a tailpack is, compared to the 30 second fitting and removal of hard luggage. They seem fully waterproof too (touch wood), so no need to fit covers when it rains either.

Would I recommend one? Yes, I certainly would. It's a proper Ronseal bike: does exactly what it ways on the tin.

[ThEGr33k]

Glad you like it! :D My dad seems to like his 955i a fair bit. Has it got a 180 on the rear with a 6" Rim?

[Gazza77]

Glad you like it! :D My dad seems to like his 955i a fair bit. Has it got a 180 on the rear with a 6" Rim?

Off the top of my head, no idea! A quick check on Triumph's website shows it as a 180 on a 5.5" rim.

[ThEGr33k]

Off the top of my head, no idea! A quick check on Triumph's website shows it as a 180 on a 5.5" rim.

Hmm the 955 has a 6" rim same as mine. Wonder why they went for a 5.5" on the 1050...

[rictus01]

Just as a matter of interst, which model do you have? I've got a mate with the ollder 955i st and so had plenty of time riding that and had two demo rides on the new 1050, although the new one is smoother, they both make about the same power (or so they feel, I borrowed his to go down for one of the demo rides so I could do a back to back thing), have you tried both ? or is this your first Hinkley Triumph, tose triple lumps are fantasic aren't they :)

Cheers Mark.

[Gazza77]

Just as a matter of interst, which model do you have? I've got a mate with the ollder 955i st and so had plenty of time riding that and had two demo rides on the new 1050, although the new one is smoother, they both make about the same power (or so they feel, I borrowed his to go down for one of the demo rides so I could do a back to back thing), have you tried both ? or is this your first Hinkley Triumph, tose triple lumps are fantasic aren't they :)

Cheers Mark.

It's a 1050, 2005 model, so one of the first. Never ridden one of the 955i ones, so can't really compare. It is a great lump though. :cool:

[Dicky Ticker]

I've done 20+K on my 955i and had various test rides on other manufacturers equivalents but the triple takes a lot of beating for all-roundness.I would like to change up to the 1050 but for the small increase in performance and slight reduction in fuel consumption it just does not seem worth the expenditure of upgrading
I appreciate it is not everybody's choice but I believe they are very underestimated in many peoples eyes

[Reckless Rat]

I'm going to swap the SV for a 1050 Sprint ST soon...
Can anyone recommend a good Forum for STs?
Ones I've found seem to be very USA orientated, or very quiet....

[Dicky Ticker]

Try T595 which is predominately triumph and broken down into classes
i.e. Classic,touring or sports.
Any information you want to know about Triumph,they have the answer.
Very much like this site with some International input and nice people when you meet them.

[Gazza77]

Try T595 which is predominately triumph and broken down into classes
i.e. Classic,touring or sports.
Any information you want to know about Triumph,they have the answer.
Very much like this site with some International input and nice people when you meet them.

That's my main source of info too. Different sort of site to here, much less PC and "family friendly", but equally useful and entertaining.

[Essex of Essex]

I've ridden the 1050 ST for a little over 20000 miles and the 955 before that they are both very capable machines, Edinburgh to Stansted in a day without drama. I find the 1050 to be more comfortable but replacing the seat is a wide screen epic!

[Gazza77]

I've ridden the 1050 ST for a little over 20000 miles and the 955 before that they are both very capable machines, Edinburgh to Stansted in a day without drama. I find the 1050 to be more comfortable but replacing the seat is a wide screen epic!

I had the battery off mine the other week and when I replaced it managed to get both bolts back in. Not even the dealership had managed that when I bought it. :rolleyes: It's a fantastic bike, but some of the little things like that and the carp headlights do niggle a bit. Whoever designed the seat fastenings though needs taking outside and giving a good kicking. :smt071

[MiniMatt]

Really useful stuff, I'm torn at the moment - the heart says "Street Triple", the head says "Sprint ST". Whilst I desperately want a loony bike, unfortunate reality is that whatever I get will get used and abused day in day out through all weather. Crap I'm getting old, Sprint ST or Viffer 800? Any other options? Short ars3 so VStrom / TDM900 type bikes are unfortunately out.

[Gazza77]

Really useful stuff, I'm torn at the moment - the heart says "Street Triple", the head says "Sprint ST". Whilst I desperately want a loony bike, unfortunate reality is that whatever I get will get used and abused day in day out through all weather. Crap I'm getting old, Sprint ST or Viffer 800? Any other options? Short ars3 so VStrom / TDM900 type bikes are unfortunately out.

TBH I don't see why a Street Triple wouldn't be suitable for all weather riding, though it might not have the weather protection a fairing offers (I've not ridden one to comment).

Do you expect to do much touring or two-up work on it?

[wyrdness]

Really useful stuff, I'm torn at the moment - the heart says "Street Triple", the head says "Sprint ST". Whilst I desperately want a loony bike, unfortunate reality is that whatever I get will get used and abused day in day out through all weather. Crap I'm getting old, Sprint ST or Viffer 800? Any other options? Short ars3 so VStrom / TDM900 type bikes are unfortunately out.

I ride my Speed Triple 1050 in all weather (even snow recently). So long as you don't want to go 2-up touring on it, it's fine. Why not get a test ride on one? I don't know how the Street Triple compares, as I haven't ridden one yet.

EDIT: There's also the Tigger 1050 which gets excellent reviews and could be a good compromise between the hooligan and practical elements.

[Dicky Ticker]

Any of the older 955i's are capable machines DAYTONA-sports, ST-sport tourer[2up]
TIGER-touring[2up] TRIPLE-hooligan street machine. If you shop about you can find very good used samples of all and 20K miles is only run in. ST and TIGER can usually be found with fixed hard luggage which is a bonus but only takes a minute to unlock and remove for daily use. As a point of interest the luggage is no wider than the mirrors so if the front fits in a gap it will go through should you commute through traffic.
Obviously the later 1050 is a more up to date bike but the economy and performance between the two is negligible,the crux being purchase price

[yorkie_chris]

Why is the speed trip not suitable for 2 up?

[Dicky Ticker]

It probably is but not such a comfortable pillion seat and the exhaust position makes the ST and the Tiger better bikes for 2up and touring.This is only my opinion and in no way intended to take any of the attributes from the Speed triple.Horses for courses.

[wyrdness]

Why is the speed trip not suitable for 2 up?

Well, if you have a size 6 pillion, then it might be.

Even when Mrs Wyrdness was a petite size 8 (prior to baby Wyrdness) she didn't think that the pillion seat was big enough for her tiny bum.

[rictus01]

From 2005 they shrank the pillion seat on the speedtriple for what they called a more "fighter" look (bit like the buell) and IMO made it stupidly small, before that it was pretty much a standard sportsbike pillion size and the same as the Daytona.

The hardest part of carrying a pillion on a speedtriple is remembering you've got one..........;)

Cheers Mark.

[Alpinestarhero]

I've been looking at triumphs seriously as my next bike (pssibly to replace the SV, I don't know....although SP2 remains a bike I would love, I would also like a mile muncher). Does anyone have any well0informed opinons on the 1050 tiger? They look really nice, although I'm a bit concerned about some parts e.g. the bottom linkage of the rear shock looks quite exposed (which is great for cleaning access but collects crap?). The amount of official accesories for triumphs is appealing aswell (which is also why I'm drawn towards hondas).

Sprint ST looks like a great bike, but I need to test ride a bigger bike before I would buy one...I'm worried I won't handle the extra bulk and weight! (mind you, i had this concern when I first rode the sv. That concern was left at the kerb as I pulled off for the first time).

Cheers,

Matt

[yorkie_chris]

From 2005 they shrank the pillion seat on the speedtriple for what they called a more "fighter" look

Ah right, no issue for me then as I've been looking at the older ones.

[natcar]

Had a Tiger 1050 for few months- great bike all round, but it burnt oil - got through a litre going round france, which I consider unnaceptable for a modern engine and finish didnt cope well with winter- also standard rear spring is totally unsuitable unless you are a stick insect/supermodel though easy to uprate. Hard luggage was great. Was going to swap for a Street triple -but thoroughly disappointed - not sure why probably just didnt live up to the over-hyped expectations and didnt like the riding position. Tried the Sprint 1050 and again bit disappointed after riding a Honda Blackbird for a few months - the Honda felt much smoother and better riding position. I would think twice about a Triumph again - too many cheap parts from Thailand and some of them burn oil a lot if you are unlucky or fail to thrash it during run-in period.

[Dicky Ticker]

Pre-Nov 2001 was before the factory burnt down[955i] and for a while afterwords there seemed to be a quality control issue with some of the first of the 1050. Natcar I cant quite get my head round the oil issue,how many miles?was it a brand new bike?new engines tend to burn a bit of oil first off and you must gave had some weight on it for the suspension not to cope. I have a 955i[35,000miles] which doesn't use anything like that amount of oil between 6K services and when I looked at a 53plate Blackbird with 20K less than mine,my bike had much less weather wear than the Honda even though it was 2years younger.
No doubt the Blackbird is a better bike but this is reflected in the price plus how you look after the bike, as is with any make.
You are a lot wealthier than me if you can change your bikes every couple of months.
In the end we all make our own choice and the day one manufacturer makes the ideal bike that fits everybodys pocket,does everything perfectly and has no maintenance or cosmetic issues,the rest will be obsolete and we will all be buying it.

[yorkie_chris]

In the end we all make our own choice and the day one manufacturer makes the ideal bike that fits everybodys pocket,does everything perfectly and has no maintenance or cosmetic issues,the rest will be obsolete and we will all be buying it.

H*nda riders who reckon they have found such a bike can f### off to http://www.slipperstore.co.uk/ ! :smt019

[zsv650]

the sprint has alway's been a bike i'd think i'd like nice and sporty but still practical and the 1050 look's dead nice too.

[zsv650]

H*nda riders who reckon they have found such a bike can f### off to http://www.slipperstore.co.uk/ ! :smt019 +1 there not the be all and end all of bike's :D

[natcar]

Ok I'll f*** off to the slipper website then :) -eyeing up the sexy grey check ones :cool:.
I bought the 1050 with 9,000 miles and added 6,000 - high oil consumption is not an isolated issue with the 1050 or 675 engine neither is the rubbish rear shock on Tiger- have a look on the triumph forums. Oil consumption appears to be down to not revving the engine in the running in period so doesnt affect every bike.
I'm not saying everybody should buy a Honda - I would much rather own a Triumph because they are more interesting than a lot of generic Jap bikes. I do like the Sprint- best looking bike I have seen in my opinion and was disappointed that it didnt ride as well as it looks. It would have cost me at least £3k to swap to the Sprint as its a newer bike- so I didnt bother. Only had a quick ride on a high mileage one so not really a proper review anyway.

[zsv650]

my dad had a 955i sprint st and loved the way it rode did everything he asked of it but got rid due to the price of parts(i can see where he was coming from triumph do take the pee pee with their part's prices) but i can live with that.

[Dicky Ticker]

IMHO all manufacturers take the pee in regard to consumables and that is the reason so many people fit aftermarket. I would be intrigued to know how much profit and how it compares to the sales profit of a complete bike.

[zsv650]

suzuki and kawasaki are alright on part's i find don't know about yamaha and honda.

[yorkie_chris]

Ok I'll f*** off to the slipper website then :smile: -eyeing up the sexy grey check ones :cool:.

I was more slagging off VFR riders there lol. But I'm sure the grey ones would suit you.

[mattSV]

Good write up Gazza - any more updates?

Seriously considering a new ST at the moment, had my SV1000 for 5 years now so time for a change!

Thinking of going for a black ABS version, Triumph are currently giving £800 on accessories if ordered before end of March, so thinking of can, topbox (for 2up touring), screen & heated grips (comes to just about £100 over the £800 allowance.

Might have a trip to the dealer at the weekend, if I can do a deal and get repayments for arond £200 a month then I think I will be very tempted......

[mattSV]

Mmmmm - just found these Ixil cans - not much more than the Triumph cans, but look DAMN sexy:-

http://www.motorcycle-exhausts.co.uk/images/T%20Sprint%20ST%20rear.jpg

[MR UKI (1)]

Mmmmm - just found these - not much more than the Triumph cans, but look DAMN sexy:-

http://www.motorcycle-exhausts.co.uk/images/T%20Sprint%20ST%20rear.jpg

Oooh, are they Zard cans?

[mattSV]

Oooh, are they Zard cans?

Ixils

However have also just found these trident cans (http://www.trident-exhausts.com/page-silencers_sprint-st-1050.php)

[MR UKI (1)]

Ixils

However have also just found these trident cans (http://www.trident-exhausts.com/page-silencers_sprint-st-1050.php)

Nice them. Not a bad price either.

[yorkie_chris]

sob... those cans deserve to be on a T509 speed triple. Especially if it were mine...

[mattSV]

Test ride booked for tomorrow :cool:

[fraser01]

Test ride booked for tomorrow :cool:


Its going to be like an arm chair compared to your SV :rolleyes: