New member/New bike

[imarcr2]

Hello,

First off, great site!

I am a long time sportbike rider looking to get into an affordable sport tourer. I have always loved the triples and have found a 2002 Sprint. The mileage is low and the price is right. I really like the new 1050, but this bike is less than half the price.

Are there any major problems with a 02 Sprint 955?
What are the major advantages of moving up to a 1050?...other than available abs.

Thanks, Bill

[Raz2133]

Originally Posted by imarcr2

Hello

Hi Bill, congratulations on the new bike and welcome to the forum.

Are there any major problems with a 02 Sprint 955?

I don't think there are any *major* problems with the '02-'04 955 Sprints. There are a couple of minor things that get mentioned a fair bit, but nothing too difficult to fix. The stock suspension tends to be a little soft, the head lights aren't exactly the best and the riding position can be a little too sports oriented for those leaning towards the touring side of sports-touring.

Having said that; There is a *lot* to like about these bikes. I have an '04 Sprint and it is quite simply the best all-round bike I have ever ridden. The engine is near bullet-proof, the handling, while not quite up to the standard of dedicated sports bikes, is more than enough for most riders/conditions and overall the bike is just so much fun to ride.

What are the major advantages of moving up to a 1050?...other than available abs.

There are a few guys on the forum who have owned both, and they'd be in a better position to answer this question, but I will say that recently I had the opportunity to trade my 955 up to a new 1050 Sprint and decided against it, for now. I just couldn't bring myself to part with the one I had.

Mark

[DaveM]

Hi imarcr2,
welcome to TriumphRat.net and our Sprint forum.

As Raz says there are no major issues with the generation 2 955i engines or transmissions of the '02 to '04 vintage.

I ride an '04 955 and have done since new, I am also from a sports bike background.

This is a very refined machine with virtually no bugs as a generalisation they are very reliable and strong engines.

The bikes handle well and with a small amount of dollars the suspension can be greatly improved to enhance the basic good handling of the stock bike.

We have a large membership and a lot of information here in a friendly non threatening environment.

Where are you from?

Don and I ask all our new members to please take a little time and read our sticky for new members also

Thanks and enjoy the forum.

DaveM

[Curt955i]

Hi Imarcr2,

Welcome to the site! I've learned a ton since I joined earlier this year There's a ton of info on both bikes, all you've got to do is read on.
I bought an 02' RS in april and I absolutely love it! it's fast, handles well and can be ridden for long periods of time. My longest day was 850km but I think I can do better with a few modifications for comfort (bar risers and a touring windshield are on my wish list) The 955i has lots of torque and roll on power, it's not the fastest bike out there by any means, but it is plenty fast enough to get you in trouble I can't comment on the 1050 because I've never ridden one for comparison. Try searching the forum a bit and you'll probably find a few hundred posts regarding th pros and cons of each bike and comments from members that have owned both.

[imarcr2]

One question,

is the old 955 Sprint about the same size as the 1050?

I am about 5'10"/165 and don't want to be overwhelmed by riding a bike too big in size for me.

A friend is trying to convince me that a BMW GS is the way to go, but I would feel like a peanut on that monster!


Bill

[DaveM]

imarcr2,
yes the 955 & 1050 are pretty much identical in size.

The 1050's have progressively been given higher bars though, the 955 bars are a lot lower than the 2008 Sprint 1050 bars.

DaveM

[imarcr2]

The seller refused my offer

Winter is coming, and I am patient, so maybe he will reconsider. I would like to move up to a 1050, but the price difference is too much in today's economy.

I had also considered a Suzuki Bandit 1200 or 1250, but the cost of adding bags prices me out of the market.....

I guess an older triple makes a nice compromise

Bill