Taking a close look at the Sprint!

[aks801]

Greetings! I am ramping up toward buying a new bike in the spring. Primary riding will be commuting and local fun rides. Will also do some day-long rides. Of less frequency but on the agenda will be true long, multi-day trips. I'm 47, with only about 500 riding miles under my belt, last bike was a '79 Kawa KZ1000 which I sold about 3 years ago.

So I want a real, honest to gosh S/T bike. I have my choices narrowed down to the Kawa C14, the Honda ST1300, and the Triumph Sprint ST. I realize that by my buy-time there may be some new models from which to choose, but I can't exactly factor those into the equation at this point.

The Honda has me intrigued (comfortable, smooth, refined), the Concours has me very interested (monster engine, great S/T pedigree, nice price) and I have expressed as such in other brand-specific forums. But... none of them really get my pulse racing like the Sprint: know what I mean? And honestly, which bike maker has as much built-in cool factor as Triumph? That group would be very exclusive.

So: I have taken a close look at the Sprint a number of times. I find I LOVE it's looks; it fits my frame very very well in terms of reach to the grips and room for my legs; sport stance without ruling out longer rides; factory hard bags look good. That engine just sounds fantastic! Have even had a dealer offer to let me take one out for a demo ride, so that is a huge plus. Price seems very attractive for that market segment.

Guess I'm just looking for feedback and comments from those with firsthand Sprint experience. What should I look for? Any mods I should pretty much count on doing? How will I like the seat (I am not a light person)? Anything and everything, I'd like to hear it.

Thanks in advance.

[Cam]

What are your physical stats? 500 miles total riding experience?

The Kawi is a lot of performance. The supersports are tame enough down low, but they can get you into trouble real fast.

The Honda is an interesting choice but it is heavy and can be a handful in traffic and such. I personally would pick an FJR over it but the ST has a lot of extremely loyal fans for a reason.

I recently went with the Sprint over a lot of other choices including the ones you mentioned. I came to the conclusion I am not ready for a larger bike that doesn't do well under 30mph. I do most of my riding under 60mph so a bike that begins to open up over 60mph didn't make sense for me. The nice thing about the Sprint is that it gives you a taste of the various types of sport bike riding. It can hang in the corners like a true sport bike, it can roll through traffic without much issue and tours pretty well. It isn't a perfect fit in any one category, but it does all of the above very well to excellent making it a great choice for a weekend thrasher part time tourer.

I will admit though if you have a total of 500 miles experience, I would recommend a smaller CC bike. They are easier to handle, they don't get away from you easily and they can do most of what the bigger CC bikes can do. The VStrom pops into mind for your basic requirements. The VStrom also tours very well and handles gravel and such much better. Not saying a person shouldn't get a big bike being newer just that they should consider a smaller one.

Last couple points. Factory luggage is rarely worth the money. Pick the bike you want to ride and make sure you can get racks for it. After that decide on which panniers you want and if you have the money just buy the best ones out there... few regret buying a high end pannier. Also, I wouldn't buy a bike based in some large part on its looks. Not that looks aren't important, but a bike that is a joy to ride and fugly will get more attention than one that looks good and is uncomfortable.

[jellero]

at least here my sprint is overkill, as are some of my other bikes really. the speed limits vary on highways from between 35-55 so i can't really use the sprint much. my old harley loves going 50 but my bmw wants to get up over 65 before it feels like it's moving just like the triumph.
laugh if you want but i am loving my '08 ninja 250 for local riding. it is really fun at 45-60, handles great and is very light. so after riding harleys, triumphs and bmw's for over 30 years i'm getting most miles on the ninja. you don't really need a huge motor. it's like putting with a driver in golf. j

[Shovelstrokeed]

Forget the C14 at 500 miles total riding experience. It is flat too much bike. Heavy and difficult in the slow stuff and runs out of brakes in the fast stuff. It will also roast you in high heat conditions. It really is quite a bike but more for someone who has more than a few years/miles under their leathers.

The Honda is more of the same. Less motor but not by much and is a real pig in terms of weight. Mass is the enemy when it comes to sport touring. The ST1300 is too close to a gold wing in my opinion.

That leaves the Sprint. Lighter by a minimum of 100 lbs or more. Darn near as quick but with a very civil engine. Gets great fuel economy which is muy important on a tour. The factory panniers could use a bit more capacity but shouldn't be a problem for a couple of weeks worth of touring for a single rider, so long as you know how to pack and have the right gear. Effortless and smooth cruise at even extra legal speeds and, when you get where you are going and strip off the excess stuff, you have a more than competent sporting bike and at 4 grand less or better than either of its competitors. That 4K will buy you a nice set of farkles for the bike and even some suspension upgrades when you are ready for them.

[aks801]

Ok, those responses are fair and helpful: wouldn't have expected anything less!

More background: I'm 47, 6'0", and weigh in around 275 (ahem, working on that). I took the MSF course to get my license, around 1996. At that time, I then went out and test rode a VFR and a Triumph Thunderbird around Scottsdale, AZ. So there's a little street cred.

When I got that KZ1000 a few years back, I did a good bit of commuting in city traffic, did some nice day rides out in the country, and cruised locally. Topped it out at about 105 (it had a LOT more to go, I however did not!).

All this to say my approach will not be to start at a smaller bike and eventually step up to a larger one. While that is certainly a valid approach (and those smaller cc bikes can be a real blast from what I understand), I basically feel I've waited long enough and am ready to get the bike I really want.

All that being said, the Sprint sure does seem like a good choice. Tons of character, appears to do what I'll want a bike to do, and I'll acknowlege that its weight relative to those other 2 choices is attractive.

Want to hear more about you y'all enjoy riding your's!

[DaveM]

aks801 welcome to the forum

Don and I ask all our newbies to please read our forum stickies.

I would concur with Cam's post entirely.

Despite you saying you say "I basically feel I've waited long enough and am ready to get the bike I really want.".

This is not very logical reasoning.

I am 5' 10" but very heavy set and very stocky in build. I was always physically big and strong enough to handle a big bike but that has very little to do with it.
A course like your MSF will teach you the basic stuff.

Although you may be able to buy what ever you want
. I personally would not recommend that you do this ie a top of the range Kawasaki huge HP ballistic missile road rocket.

That is the Sprint is more than you need with only 500miles riding under your belt.

Riding a m/c is not like anything else and in any bodies evaluation you are a novice at best on a bike.
Which means you have a huge amount of learning to do.

What you are suggesting is with a novice experience level you want to buy one of the most powerful machines on the market like a C14, frankly I think that is not very smart.

A Sprint at least has a more balanced power and weight than the big Kwack.

A question for you;

Would you let your son of say 15 - 18 years of age with 500miles car driving experience buy a Ferrari that can do over 200mph?

Your choice and I hope you enjoy the forum.

I hope you are not offended but I obviously am fairly opinionated on this subject.

DaveM

[ChrisQ]

Some really good points made by everyone and isnt it interesting that most people who bother to join a forum are very safety minded..its the same on other forums and good to see.

I came back to motorcycling after a 20 year break and bought the 955 sprint...found it so easy to ride because of the torque all the way through the rev band , not sudden surges of power to worry about and whilst its was a fairly heavy bike it was really easy to ride even for a " born again "

Have done 2 training courses and 30 , 000 miles in last 3 years so I dont consider myself a beginner anymore , although there is still plenty to learn !..have bought 2 more sprints since and now own the 09 model because they do everything well and dont scare me. I have a 2001 Kawasaki ZR750 as a runabout and yes its easier to maneouvere in car parks , etc but once the sprint is moving its a *****cat if you are sensible with the throttle but a beast if you want it to be..the choice is yours

Agree the Honda and Kawasaki are a bit too big and judging by all the road tests the sprint beats them in all respects...they dont come close.In the UK we would only consider the VFR , Blackbird or new K1300 to be rivals...the VFR has been beaten for years due to the VTech issues , blackbird is awaiting a long overdue revamp and the BMW is 50% more expensive .

.I am 6 foot and 190 lb and the bike fits perfectly. Go get yourself a Sprint and just ride sensibly.

Good luck

ps even over here owning a Triumph has a special kudos and currently we are getting £800 of free accessories

[ChrisQ]

sorry about the ##### cat..in the UK it doesnt have the same meaning

Apologies again

[DTONA]

aks801, your scenario reminds me of my position a few years ago. Size wise, we are identical, I'm 6ft and about 280lb. I've ridden trail bikes since 8yo. I got my license in 2002 and in 2005 bought my first road bike, a 955 Triumph Daytona. I now have a 1050 Sprint. You will find the sprint a very comfortable bike for your size, although I would like the seat a couple of inches higher as the Daytona had. Controlling the power will depend on your self control. When I first stepped on the Daytona (which has a similar power curve to the sprint) after only ever riding trail bikes, there was no problem until it rained for the first time. All of a sudden I was fish tailing and slip sliding every which way but loose. Took a few rides in the wet to get things under control.
I did freak the first time the front wheel lifted in third gear powering up a hill, and I was probably a bit rough on the front shocks comming down too hard from power wheelies in 1st and 2nd until I learnt to control the power a bit better. Handeling is brilliant and for a big bike are surprisingly easy to throw around from side to side. I have ridden a few 600cc road bikes and for my size I found them too small and as a commuter for big blokes like us would not suggest a smaller bike. The Sprint is a lot more comfortable than my old Daytona and I know you will be comfortable on it. Just watch the power in the wet until you get used to it, and if the front wheel comes up, use the back brake to tame it, rather than freaking out and just letting the throttle go (don't worry too much about the front wheel comming up, you need to be having a fair bit of a go for that to happen. If your just taking it easy the bike will stick to the road like glue and turn on a dime.)
The bigger 1300cc bikes are more for the weekend rider who hits the mountain roads on his days off, perhaps with the missus on the back. they don't like corners and not to be racist, but they're japanese. Every man and his dog has one. Get the Triumph or something else European and all your mates will want to know more. Get a Kwaka or Honda and it's just another bike. If you had the choice, would you get a common Toyota like the jones' , or a mustang like no one else in the street

P.S. Buy your bike before spring. Sales are down in winter and you'll get a better deal. Buy at the end of the coldest month in Winter, preferably after its been raining or snowing for a couple of days when no one else would consider buying a bike and the dealer will bend over backwards to get that sale to meet his targets.

[ride4321]

I'm only in my second year of riding since getting back on a bike after a 30 year layoff. I've put about 15k miles on since last spring. I bought a Ninja 500 to get started last spring. Rode that for about 3-4 months and 4.5K. Then I rode my buddies VFR. Well that changed things big time and I knew I was ready to move up to a bigger bike. As I compared bikes I started reading more and more about the Sprint and it seemed like the logical choice. Tested one out and the rest is history. I found the Sprint to be very easy to get accustomed to right from the beginning. Smooth power band is great for someone moving up. 11K later I'm still loving it and everyday I learn a little more about it's capabilities. Can't see myself getting rid of this bike anytime soon. Just be sensible on this bike and you'll be fine. If you're a risk taker you might get yourself in trouble though.