looking to buy 99 sprint

[kapton]

Anything I should be aware of for this year bike and model.
It has 35K miles, race tech cartridges, remapped efi.

How many miles can expect out of this bike with careful maintenance.

thanks for any input...

[monkinwitz]

Welcome Kapton :-D Previous to my 1050 i had a 99 model 955 and had done 75,000 km on it it was a superb bike handled well and had plenty of grunt i never had any issues with the bike at all,I think if you do your servicing and make sure all the bearings are ok you wont have any troubles with it.I rode a new sprint and fell in love with it but i always have a fond reguard for the 955 motor,the later models 2003 on had a different motors and a few more ponies,Davem on this site has a 04 model check out his tyres on his bike he swears by the st and i dont blame him.Where in the world are you ? Best of luck

[kapton]

Hi monkinwitz,

I hail from Folsom, California. ( near Sacramento)

Thanks for the info. I'm researching the Sprint ST for a
US cross country trip. I've been debating over the Honda VFR, a BMW RT or the ST.

How good are these bike for long hours in the saddle?
I had a chance to ride my buddies ST for a short ride and
loved the pull of the triple.

Who here has done some long days on the ST? Any regrets
or changes you would make to the bike?

[steventhechef]

Hi kapton and welcome,

The later motors (02 on to 04) have a few more ponies and the 99-01's are a "little" noisier but otherwise they are as bullet proof as you can get.

They have the starter motor on the other side and it makes it a more mechanical sound. Nothing to concern yourself about though.

Look for rear and headstock bearings. The bikes never had any real issues. Some have done cranks but this is fairly rare.

They are a real powerhouse and good for several hours in the saddle.

There are Corbin or Sergeant aftermarket seats that you can get as well as the Triumph Gel seat if you tend to get a sore ar5e.

Good luck and don't forget to post pics

[PaloAlto]

Kapton,

Sprints have been pretty reliable over the years, with no particular "gotchas" or mechanical weaknesses. The only continual complaint on Sprints has been spongy brakes due to a combination of sticky pistons and too small master cylinder diameter. There's an easy 500 mile, 5 minute maintenance task you can do to keep the brakes as firm as you want.

Otherwise, just check the normal things you would on a used bike, including:
- head bearing
- sprocket & chain wear
- pad wear
- tires, of course
- if you can, find out when the valve clearances were last checked.

Others can add their top items.

The '99 Sprint is a very good bike for long distance trips. Seating position and windscreen are pretty good. The seat's fairly comfortable, with decent padding and enough room to move back and forth. You may be able to find hard bags for it or just get soft bags.

Good luck,
Bern

[kapton]

Thanks for all the input!

PaloAlto,
What is the maintenance you are referring to for the spongy brakes?