Triumphrat

Whisperinsmith · 10-03-2005

Okay, I picked up my new Sprint Saturday morning after riding a cruiser all summer. WOW! Then I made the mistake of riding with a cruiser guy on Sunday. Stop and go. Stop and go.

Each time I eased off the trottle, my arms jammed into the handles. And believe me, there was a lot of easing off the throttle. I was starting to doubt my decision to get the Sprint.

But more aggravating, my family jewels! God, I started asking myself what am I doing wrong? It can't be like this for everyone otherwise no one would ride this bike. Or there would be no kids in this world. REALLY.

So then I left him and went for a long, great ride by myself and all was right with the world. Smooth baby, smooth. Awesome feeling. And the boys were happy now.

But the doubt of should I take this bike across the U.S. is there. I'll give it another 1000 miles or so to make up my mind and I hope to talk to a lot of bikers with similar style bikes to see how they handle it.

I came to the conclusion after just 375 miles, that this bike needs to move! Keep out of the cities. Hey, maybe there is no perfect fitting bike for me. In the meantime, I hope I adjust. (In more ways than one!)

Panthers_Den · 10-03-2005

grip the tank with your legs. It helps to keep you from sliding into it.

bowillyard · 10-03-2005

You will get use to it, be gentle on the throttle, and even more gentle on the brakes, they work well. This bike has a lot of low end so in town shift early, then when you get out wind her up and let her fly. Then wait for your friend. You will be surprised you can do 375 millers a day with no problem. Now if it is on the slab it will be a very boring 4 or 5 hours.

If you do a lot of in town stuff, you might think about Gen-Mar Risers.

Whisperinsmith · 10-03-2005

Thanks guys. I really want to love this bike. I did see that gripping the tank with my knees helped. (Wondered why they didn't put pads there?) And I'll give it time to learn the throttle. I also see that if I sit more upright around town, I take the pressure off the arms.

Hey, the same doubting happened with my America. I had doubts for the first two weeks, then I learned the bike. So I'm hopping it proves to be the same for the Sprint. It's just such a radically different position for me and apparently, I'm a slow learner.

But I already love the sweeps and the lean!!!

Bo, with just two days on the bike I've already given the Gen-Mar Risers some thought, but I'm hoping the Triumph engineers did it right and I'll come around and learn the bike.

(Panthers_Den, I love your video setup in one of the pictures in your album)

[ This message was edited by: Whisperinsmith on 2005-10-03 09:21 ]

Panthers_Den · 10-03-2005

If you grip the tank with your legs and use your ab muscles to hold you up, you will have hardly any pressure on your arms. It takes a lot of practice to do this without thinking about it, but it does help a lot. Atleast for me it does. If you do that though, it might be a good idea to use those clear 3m adhesives on the sides to keep your pants from scratching the paint job ^_^.

Thanks, I need to figure out a way to stabilize it a little more. I"m not sure if that camcorder is too big/heavy for the mount or not. I want to see about borrowing a friends smaller camcorder and see if it still bouncy's around or not when riding.

monochrome_boy · 10-03-2005

I doubt you will have any problem taking the ST across America. I think it really is at its best on long fast roads. Once the wind lifts you a little and takes the pressure off your wrists you find that position is just about ideal for longer trips. The downside for me is I cannot sit there at 50 and look at the view, it just does not feel right. I find it okay in town, however, nicely posed and very easy to filter on it. Get your first service out of the way and then take some longer rides. I did 350 on a fast trip to Scotland one day and had no aches or pains whatsoever.

Whisperinsmith · 10-03-2005

(Three hours later

I just came back from getting the Mass. inspection sticker for my bike. I know the station owner and saw this awesome Suzuki in the shop. It is his son's.

I pulled the kid aside and humbled myself to him and asked him hundreds of questions. He offered the same suggestions as here but also told me to clutch in on downshifting earlier to relieve the forward push. Okay. No problem. He also suggested riding the heel into the footrest whenever I know I'll be being pushed forward. And this whole countersteering thing that I thought I understood, he cleared up for me in an instant. A couple of other weight shift move lessons and I was on my way.

I LOVE MY BIKE! What a difference when you know a little about what you're doing. Now to practice, practice, practice. I can't wait for work to be over to "countersteer" the night away.

See you guys on the road...

[ This message was edited by: Whisperinsmith on 2005-10-03 12:38 ]

wills · 10-03-2005

My 1st ride was 500+ miles, I knew the bar risers where needed. I added them and a custom windscreen, much better now.

Panthers_Den · 10-03-2005

i don't use bar risers nor feel the need to use them. I sit just fine on the bike since i'm not resting my body on my arms and wrists.

dolson · 10-03-2005

Jeez, a convert :-D

Actually, the cruiser guys seem to have a problem with throttle control. Last week another slimy biker and I went for a ride to Silver Falls. On the way back through a small town a bruiser cruiser dude, or was that dud on one of those big back tired bikes. With him, on a 883 was one really sweet hot biker dudette. Mikey and I nodded at each other and sort of slipped in behind them.

Just to make sure nothing dastardly befell the damsel in the really hot looking black leather chaps, since the dude was out in front.

After a few miles of him accelerating and then decelerating. [I think he was in rapture with the sound of his big pipes] We got tired of even the sight of this fair rider in the black silk shirt with black leather vest and wondrous chaps.

Mikey and I pulled up alongside said fair maiden, gave her a heartfelt salute. Then pulled alongside the black knight and gave him another kind of a salute, {not so heartfelt} and buggered off down the road.

The point of this all is,, that it can be a RPITA to follow these cruiser duds.

Don