Considering New Sprint

[Pickaxe]

Hi

Just popped over from the Tiger forum.

I'm considering part xing my 06 Tiger for a new Sprint. Although the Tiger's a really
competent bike, the wife says it's an old mans bike (I am middle aged BTW) and looks really uncool.

The deals seem pretty good on Sprints at the moment. Other than the
usual things to negotiate, are there any small items like free tune downloads
that are worth asking for?

The Tiger runs much better with the off road tune and O2 sensor eliminator
which stops it surging at low revs/speed. Is the 1050 Sprint similar in this respect?

Are there any problems or annoying niggles present on the 08 Sprint?

Thanks

Dave

[dave333]

Originally Posted by Pickaxe

Hi

Just popped over from the Tiger forum.

I'm considering part xing my 06 Tiger for a new Sprint. Although the Tiger's a really
competent bike, the wife says it's an old mans bike (I am middle aged BTW) and looks really uncool.

The deals seem pretty good on Sprints at the moment. Other than the
usual things to negotiate, are there any small items like free tune downloads
that are worth asking for?

The Tiger runs much better with the off road tune and O2 sensor eliminator
which stops it surging at low revs/speed. Is the 1050 Sprint similar in this respect?

Are there any problems or annoying niggles present on the 08 Sprint?

Thanks

Dave

The folks with a tiger might disagree with your wife on the classification, but you're a smart man for going along with her mid-life crisis. You can pick up a new bike out of the deal!

No niggles out of the crate. It's a solid, competent, fantastic looking SPORT-tourer that runs great from the start.

For me?

I changed the gearing to shorter gearing, 18/44 might just be the sweet spot. The US Sprints appear to have 19/42 as standard, which is just too tall for me. I don't need 168mph out of a bike...

The throttle has too much free play when new, I adjusted all of it out to the point where the throttle is just able to return to closed on it's own.

Sound is low out of the stock can, it needed Ixil's to release the hounds that are bound up in there.

Seat was abysmal. I changed it out for a Corbin. Send the stocker to your favorite seat guy or buy your usual aftermarket brand.

I added a top case for items that won't fit in the side cases. One of those items is your lid. A cm here or there by the triumph engineers would have solved that issue. I wonder if they were on holiday when that was being done?

ABS brakes are a must have. They've already saved me from a tip-over when I took a corner too late and wound up in the short grass. I used the front brake heavily and all that happened was a successful stop. Any normal brake system would have put me on my head and ruined expensive plastics. During normal braking, I have NEVER noticed the ABS and the stock binders stop the bike very well on dry pavement.

I was admiring my sprint yesterday while I was gearing up for a ride. Pictures don't do it justice, it is a sweet looking machine.

Remember, your wife is right, you NEED a new bike!!!

[steventhechef]

Got for it for what it is worth. Take one for a spin, you'll be sold. You know the triple grunt, these have the ability to thrill with every mile.

[OKCTriple]

I owned an '07 Tiger and the motors are very similar between the Tiger and the Sprint, Sprint has a bit more umph up top. The TOR tune and elims will help equaly as well, but the '08 OEM tune seems pretty good. I only have 358 miles on the '08 Sprint and over all everything works quite well, low rpm is tad lean but works well.

I'm not saying I'm more experienced than anyone else but I have owned the following bikes in the last two years trying to find the right one. '04 VFR, '07 Tiger, '08 Concours 14 and now the '08 Sprint. The Sprint is by far the best overall because of ergos, engine (torque), ride and handling characteristics.

If you like your Tiger you will love the Sprint.

[whoosh]

It has some minor niggles - like any bike however...

We all think it's a fantastic overall package

It would be interesting to see your replies if you asked the same question in a VFR forum....

[ST]

Have you tried the 1050 tiger?

[34574]

I haven't owned a lot of bikes, just a couple of ZRX1200's and my new 08 Sprint.

I like bikes that are powerful enough to ensure my safety, smooth, steady, predictable, and have character & attitude.


Despite having similar power and weight. I honestly feel like the ZRXs I used to own pulled a little harder. It's a plus and a minus. The extra grunt was fun, but I couldn't enjoy it without criminal speeding. The Sprint is at 75mph indicated after rowing though a couple gears, where the ZRX was at 85ish. That's a big difference.

I prefer the newer style instruments, included luggage, and wind protection of the Sprint, not to forget the centerstand, amazing headlights, 20% better fuel economy, and 6-speed tranny.

[dave333]

Originally Posted by DeputyMac

Despite having similar power and weight. I honestly feel like the ZRXs I used to own pulled a little harder. It's a plus and a minus. The extra grunt was fun, but I couldn't enjoy it without criminal speeding. The Sprint is at 75mph indicated after rowing though a couple gears, where the ZRX was at 85ish. That's a big difference.

Hey Deputy,

I came off a cam'd, bigbore, piped and jetted ZRX. The top end rush was incredible. What a bike... I'm still going to keep my eye out for a 1200 that I'll do the big bore treatment on, because I like the bike that much.

FWIW, I just geared the ST down, because I don't need to be engaged in criminal speeding any more than anyone else around here. I'm running a 17t front sprocket and it brought back all of the low-end ZRX rush. It is much more precise with the shorter gearing and definitely "point and shoot" through traffic. It's quick now, not a top speed monster...

Originally Posted by DeputyMac

I prefer the newer style instruments, included luggage, and wind protection of the Sprint, not to forget the centerstand, amazing headlights, 20% better fuel economy, and 6-speed tranny.

Me too. IMHO, the ZRX had exactly the look I was after, but after getting beat up in the wind for 33,000, it was time for a change. The ST sure does have a lot of sweet features and none of the pork some of the other ST bikes put on. It's a bikers bike, not a honda accord with two wheels...

[Vankaye]

Just the thread I needed! I am also considering an ST. I thought to start a new thread
but thought better of it... Some of my questions were already answered above, like the seat. That was the first thing I noticed when I sat on one at the dealer. It made me hop right off and scratch it from my list. I was looking at the BMW on the same floor. I rode a R1200RT and immediatley ruled it out. To me, that horizontal twin sputtered like a lawnmower! Then I rode the K1200GT and although the bike was impressive I had a couple initial drawbacks:

Too expensive
Maybe not sporty enough.

Here's my question: I'm currently riding a 01 TT600. I love the bike but it's really too small for me. (or I'm too big for it... 6'4" - 225lbs 42 years young) How far away from a TT would I be getting with the Sprint. If I like the sport bike so much should I be looking at the Triple and just
adding some soft bags for my gear? I'm riding 150 mile commutes and carrying a fair amount of gear for work (not to mention a place to store my riding gear when I'm off the bike)

[DaveM]

Originally Posted by Vankaye

Just the thread I needed! I am also considering an ST. I thought to start a new thread
but thought better of it... Some of my questions were already answered above, like the seat. That was the first thing I noticed when I sat on one at the dealer. It made me hop right off and scratch it from my list. I was looking at the BMW on the same floor. I rode a R1200RT and immediatley ruled it out. To me, that horizontal twin sputtered like a lawnmower! Then I rode the K1200GT and although the bike was impressive I had a couple initial drawbacks:

Too expensive
Maybe not sporty enough.

Here's my question: I'm currently riding a 01 TT600. I love the bike but it's really too small for me. (or I'm too big for it... 6'4" - 225lbs 42 years young) How far away from a TT would I be getting with the Sprint. If I like the sport bike so much should I be looking at the Triple and just
adding some soft bags for my gear? I'm riding 150 mile commutes and carrying a fair amount of gear for work (not to mention a place to store my riding gear when I'm off the bike)

Hi Vankaye,
I am about your weight and 5' 10". My last bike of about 5 years was a GSX R600, a machine not totally different from your TT600, a bit more powerful than the TT but a similar machine.

You will find the Sprint once properly set up with bit of suspender work will handle brilliantly and be easier to ride fast in the corners than you TT.

On a Sprint you will have to work the bars or shift your weight more depending on your riding technique to get the heavier bike to transition or get it over in a corner, a good set of sporty tyres helps a lot in this regard.

The riding position of the newer Sprints is more upright with quite high bars, you may not like that, myself I prefer the lower bars of my '04 955 Sprint.

Because of the Sprints easy smooth torquey power delivery you will need to develop a totally different riding style in the corners but a properly set up Sprint will never disappoint in the handling dept or the power dept. unless you just want straightline speed in which case by a K1200S or a Hayabusa or a GT1400 Kwack.

cheers,
DaveM