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Max distance travelled with a fully laden Sprint ST 1050 [one tank of fuel]

11K views 30 replies 13 participants last post by  KitNYC 
#1 · (Edited)
I am in the pre-planning stages of a trip from Matagami to Radisson QC.

The fact that this is the second longest non-serviced (381km's to the first and only fuel station enroute), highway on this planet, is not the primary reason. Being the furthest North you can go in Eastern Canada, Eastern North America by road makes it intriguing.

So, I know with my 1050 unladen, with just me on it, I can get 340km's before the fuel light comes on. That is not going to do. Carrying extra fuel is going to be a must.
But to figure out how much fuel, since space will be limited with tent, food, and whatnots needed to eat.

So, I ask: How far have you gone on your 1050 on a single tank of fuel, loaded up with gear?
I realize everyone is different, but I at least need a jumping off point.

As I get further along and start acquiring panniers I'll be able to do some trial runs. Until then...
 
#3 ·
Last trip I took on my G2 955, I got a pretty consistent 45 MPG with three full 46 liter Givi bags and a passenger. That's roughly 231.5 miles with my 5.15 gallon tank or 234 with your 5.2. 381 km = 237 miles...

Your mileage will vary for your motor, altitude, and various other variables, but it's likely to be in the same ballpark. I would want two gallons with me on a road like that, just in case, but one should be enough.

Cheers,
-Kit
 
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#4 ·
Carrying enough gear for a 2 week road trip - full panniers, tank bag and extra bag on rear rack. 268 miles = 428 km.

Be aware that the steel tank on a later 1050 ST will hold slightly more fuel than my '06.

The last 30 miles trying to find a gas station were not fun!

 
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#9 ·
tangent but if you're going that long between civilization be sure to pack a couple tire plugs and a bicycle pump. I was lucky last time and only had to push the bike 3-4 miles (with a friend) but man, that was a LONG and HARD push. I think it also destroyed an otherwise perfectly good tire.
 
#11 · (Edited)
As I am dealing with getting a rectifier problem solved, I do not believe this Sprint, being twelve years old, is going to be the logical choice for such a trip. Unless I can get my head on making emergency road side repairs that involve the charging system, or at least some kind of monitor I can put on the dash to warn me of impeding charging issues. That would be helpful. Does anyone know of such a device that can be fitted to the Sprint dash that would serve as an "idiot" light of possible voltage issues? I know a volt meter is the obvious answer, but what ones are made for this application on a motorcycle? I will start searching online, but not sure exactly what is out there.

UPDATE:

Found this:
https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Charger-Voltmeter-Switch-JARDLI/dp/B01K9JI1CK/ref=sr_1_4/131-3132502-6717628?ie=UTF8&qid=1506304935&sr=8-4&keywords=motorcycle+voltmeter#Ask
 

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#12 ·
I don't know about that particular one, but I have a voltmeter without the USB port on mine. That looks like a pretty good solution. I really like my Fuzeblocks FZ-1 power breakout box for farkles and run my voltmeter from that, but there are other solutions as well I'm sure.

Once you've properly replaced the R/R with a Shindengen MOSFET unit your electrical problems are probably gone unless your stator has been damaged by the OEM part. Rick's makes a good replacement for the 955s at a fraction of the cost of OEM if you do need a new stator, but IIRC there's something a little wonky about the 1050s. Probably best to never touch anything made by Electrex.

I've been to both oceans in North America on my '04s and there's nothing wrong with them that won't also go wrong with Japanese bikes. A couple of upgrades and proper maintenance will give you a reliable machine. (And the upgrades apply to everything with early 2000s or earlier R/Rs; it's all the same couple of Shindengen parts no matter the logo on the tank.)

Cheers,
-Kit
 
#15 ·
I don't know about that particular one, but I have a voltmeter without the USB port on mine. That looks like a pretty good solution. I really like my Fuzeblocks FZ-1 power breakout box for farkles and run my voltmeter from that, but there are other solutions as ...

Cheers,
-Kit
I really like that setup. What wire did you splice into for switched power? I was thinking if I did this, would be to tap the running light circuit since it?s also very close by under the seat. I just do not know if it?s a good idea to run accessories off of that circuit.
 
#18 ·
With my bike loaded ( I'm about 200 lb nkd) with just me and panniers for a 2 week trip I base mileage on 40 km per bar at spirited highway speed. Light comes on at 2 bars indicating anywhere from 60 to 85 km remaining and is fairly accurate though I will fill up at around 350 km if possible. Agree with others to carry at least a spare gallon. Also remember that gas stations in more remote locals are sometimes dry while awaiting a delivery!

As for voltage monitoring, I would not rely on the led type red, amber, green light. I initially installed this type and while it will let you know you have a problem, it is often too late to react whereas a small digital VM will let you know immediately if your charging system is failing. I once rode almost 1000 km at just over 12 volts when my stator was on its way out. I watched the voltage steadily dropping and when it fell to low 13's I stopped and unplugged the headlights. Was sufficient to see me home with 2 stops for gas and a ferry stop/start.
I installed a red readout because I read somewhere that a blue readout can be bothersome at night, don't remember why. Also, because the RR will hunt a bit, I recommend only going for a one decimal place model.
 

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#19 ·
@DwayneH, I did tap into the running light circuit to power the relay using a Posi-Tap connector and enough dielectric grease to ensure that corrosion should never be a problem. It's a three wire setup; the actual juice to run accessories comes straight from the battery and the running light connection just senses whether the key is on.

I have to agree with UlsterSpud about the SparkBright. I really like it in theory, but in practice I want to see tenths of a volt. Tonight's a perfect example; I'm nearly half a volt down from where I should be with lights on and motor off, but within a tenth or so of what I'm used to while running. No idea why, but I'm going to investigate after I post this and hopefully fix it proactively in my garage instead of reactively by the side of the road.

Cheers,
-Kit
 
#24 ·
I just do what I do. :D

Definitely best to be sure your charging system is good before adding electrical bits.

I'm on a 955 and have no idea what the 1050s are like down there, but my fuse box is attached to the upper side of the rear fender under the passenger seat.

To measure stator voltage, set your meter to AC and measure between pairs of yellow wires at the stator side of the disconnected stator to R/R connector with the motor running: 1-2, 1-3, 2-3. Should be about 15-20ish at idle going up to 60-70ish at maybe 5k, but more importantly should be about the same for each pair.

Cheers,
-Kit
 
#25 ·
Hi Ulsterspud,
my intention wasn't hi-jack this thread, so I'll add to this discussion with the latter part of my reply. I'm in South Africa btw.

I bought mine on 32000km+/- 2 years ago, mostly use it for rides on weekends and as much as possible to work and back which is about 15km either way. It's a 2006 model, but strangely it has ABS, which apparently only came out in 2007. After some investigation I found out from Triumph that it was a demo model that was never used as a demo, sold and registered on 27th December 2006. Confuses the hell out of the insurance company as they insist my bike can't have ABS. I had to take pictures of the ABS goodies and get a letter from Triumph to insure it at the higher value...

Anyway to add to this discussion, I had the bike for about 3 months when the dreaded starter clutch problem reared it's ugly head. Had the whole lot replaced with the upgraded parts at a pretty penny. I did notice that while the bike started easier after this I had to put it on charge about once a week otherwise it would have some trouble turning over quick enough. Didn't take long though and there was no more charging happening. This was about 4 months after I got the bike, so I was a little more than despondent about my purchase at that point. After some reading on the forum and testing I figured out it was the R/R that had gone.

Started phoning around and reading on the forum, but couldn't find a genuine part of either Triumph or Japanese origin at a reasonable price. To say the least it was stupid expensive. After some more digging I got the number of a gentleman that lived literally about 4 blocks away from me, that guts the old R/R and either rebuilds it with better new parts or completely replaces the whole lot inside. Dropped it of at his place and about 3 days later he phoned to have me collect it and pay about a 1/6 of the price of a new one. The beauty is that it was built in the original heat sink, so it just bolted and plugged back in.

Tested charging and it sits absolutely stable at 14.4V regardless of the revs. I have periodically tested the charging and stater ever since then and have not found anything out of the ordinary. The bike now starts briskly even after standing for up to two weeks. I'm not sure what circuit he builds inside, but there is a little loop that comes out of the resin, which he said I much simply cut if the voltage is slightly to low and it would go up by about 0.5-1V. Didn't need to do this though.

In hind sight the charging circuit problem probably caused the starter clutch to give up the ghost sooner than it would have.
 
#26 ·
My bike is a 2006 model, built in 05/05 according to the frame sticker and it is an ABS model. I believe it was only the original 1050, launched in 2005, that did not have ABS. I bought a 2005 in April that year, non ABS though it did have the ABS light already etched into the clock, so they intended for the 1050 to be ABS but must not have had it ready for the launch. My 2005 was damaged (over sprayed slightly with acrilic concrete sealer by a contractor). He offered a cash settlement which I declined and he then paid to trade it in for the '06 ABS model, same colour, so I was more than pleased. Cost him $9,000.

As for the charging system, I have replaced a few stators. I replaced a Triumph stator with a Ricks' which only lasted 50,000 KM. Replaced that with another Ricks' that failed after only 3 weeks and 2,800 KM. I now have another Ricks' installed - replaced under warranty-so hopefully this one will last as long as the Triumph ones did.
 
#30 ·
The Rick's Stator connector does plug into the OEM R/R but that is the weak point in the wiring and I prefer to cut off the Stator connector and splice the wires using an non insulated butt splice with heat shrink. I do this because on each of the Stators I have replaced, OEM and Ricks', one phase has tended to run very hot. Evidenced by one leg in the plug showing scorched and if left will actually burn the wire close to the spade lug.
 
#31 ·
I rather like having the connector there for troubleshooting purposes. The connector will not cause any problems as long as the terminals inside it are connected properly, but you absolutely must be sure they are connected or you will have problems.

Cheers,
-Kit
 
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