Hi fellow triumph riders, i am looking for a second bike to go touring Britain and europe (main bike bein a speedmaster).Was looking at the 995i sprint st but they holding price very well over here but have chance of 1998 900 or a 1200 same year both around 20,000 miles. Cant find many reviews on the 900 i no performance figures are close but is any of the two a better buy for any other reason ie reliability,more familiar triple or is the 1200s four stronger. Ride free, ride safe, regards Tony Birmingham England.

900 sprint is a great bike,it will go on and on for years.Have a look at the black one for sale at carlrosner.co.uk.This is the last of the old trident/speed triple/sprint line.If I had the money now!

Tony,
Kind of depends. They both are equally reliable. They both share the same nigling problems. They both share a majority of parts. They both look the same. They are both the exact same size. That said, the 900 is lighter and gets a little better fuel mileage. The 1200 has a wider torque curve and more power. Other than that, they are basicaly the same bike. Soooo, what are you looking for? Passing at will without downshifting, able to loaf about in 6th gear at 35mph, not to worried about fuel, get the 1200. Like the sound of a triple, better mileage, a little more shifting, get the 900.

My 2 cents worth.

Erv
Deep in the Heart of Texas!!

__________________
"Life is tough, but it's tougher when your STUPID!" John Wayne

I think that Erv nailed it. I've never been on a 1200 but I'm enjoying the 900. I tour with 130 extra pounds hanging on the bike and it's fine. It's all in the extra cylinder. The 1200 appears to have about 30% more power and maybe that much lower fuel economy. I'd buy the one with the Keihin carburetors if there was a choice.

Sailfish, you put fav bike as a sprint executive am i poss looking at the wrong bike ? im after comfort,reliability and respectable fuel consumption on long trips,( dont want to look at other makes as there plenty of Triumphs to fit the bill) but other than sprint st no experience of the others most st's high mileage or to expensive but the earlier sprints plentyfull and good price. I was drawn to the trophy as it looks the part but at 6'2" reading through the threads on this site seems like could b an issue with comfort for me.I no at the end of the day i have to make my own choice but the experience of people who have owened these bikes does help. Thanks for all the replys i do get.

Originally Posted by tc995i

Sailfish, you put fav bike as a sprint executive am i poss looking at the wrong bike ?

TC, the Sprint Executive and the Trophy 900 are mechanically the same bike. The major differences are the fairing and handlebars.

Tony,
All the early carbed 900 Sprint's and Trophy's are basically the same bike. Sprint's have a smaller fairing than the Trophy's. Ergonomics where changed from model to model with the Trophy's a little more upright and relaxed than the Sprint's more sporty position. At 6'2", you'll probably want the 900 Trophy for fuel mileage, GenMar bar risers, a different wind screen(taller or shorter-depending on your preference), and a new seat. These tend to be the first mods that most people do to the Trophy's no matter how tall. I'm 5'7", have the 1200 Trophy and have installed the GenMars and a Corban seat(lower). Stock windscreen cut down 2" and this works good for me. My neighbor is over 6', has a 900 Trophy, stock windshield, GenMar risers, Russell Day Long Seat and he's happy. As for fuel economy, both the 900's and 1200 can be pretty thirsty if you have a heavy right hand but the 1200 is worse. Best I got was appx 43mpg' s, I average appx 36-38 with mostly 2-up and loaded. If you can, try to take a test ride on all the models your interested in and see wich one fits you best. As long as the bike has been well maintained, I wouldn't be too worried about the mileage on the bike.

Hope this helps.
Erv
Deep in the Heart of Texas!!

__________________
"Life is tough, but it's tougher when your STUPID!" John Wayne

I have a Sprint Exec....I average 48-49 mpg (US gal, 89 PON fuel) with "typical" riding. I'm 6'3" and 200 lbs. Running around with the side bags, probably 20-30 lbs weight in them, is where I've been getting the 48/49 mpg. Nice bike....I enjoy mine. It just turned 50 as well....50K miles, that is. On my bike I put the Rifle fairing to block a bit more air in the winter...works well, but I'm not totally sold on the looks. During the summer I'll go back to the stock 'shield. That said, I've been doing 200 mi/day trips as of late and the bike's been great. Watch out for the sprag clutch on the earlier bikes and the broken alternator bolt on '97/'98 bikes (easy fix, tho).

Derswede

Hey tony,

I bought a 1200 trophy for the same reason this time last year.... took it from nottingham to south of france, through verdon / italy / alps / home.... did the job perfect in the heat and aso at 3000ft fully loaded 2 up (with big tank bag) it never missed a beat....

in heavy rain it may be an arse to start and cold starting is something to get used to.... my other bike is a honda and the trophy sounds like a tractor compared....

1200 gave me 35-40mpg but it's not about that....

i'm 5.9 and its a bit top heavy but you'll get used to it..

Having owned 2 Tridents and a Trophy 1200 I would go for the 900.The 900 is more than capable of doing 2 up fully loaded touring.
For me the most annoying thing about the 1200 is the gearbox.It works fine but because it's the same as the 900 the ratios are too close ,they need to be spaced further apart.With the 1200 I had to change up 2 at a time.
Having said that,the 1200 is a good engine but the 900 has more character.