Sprint ST, I'm in lust

[Ken]

I stopped by the local Triumph dealer for their Open House yesterday. Tucked away in the back of the showroom is a (new) leftover 2006 Sprint ST in Sunset Red. It's been drastically reduced to $8,499 and they are throwing in the factory panniers and two years of service. It fits me very well. The bars are a little lower than I'm used to, but that can easily be changed if they aren't a good fit for me for touring. I think I'm in love.

So while I'm reading reviews like crazy, I thought it would be good to post on some of my favorite message boards asking for feedback on this bike. Any known problems? What's good? What's not so good? I've read that the panniers are a PITA to close and engine heat can be a problem. Does the price on this bike seem as amazing to you all as it does to me?

Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Kempo-STer]

PM GRN..

Greggie has one next his ST in the Garage and he loves it.

I'm sure he'll chime in soon enough..

 

[Mellow]

www.sprintowners.com GRN is over there too.

 

[forgitaboutut]

yeah.., I drool at this bike everytime I walk in!....
only thing I have aganst it is...
1. Lack of dealers for emergency repair
2. chain drive
3. too much of a sport bike...no matter what kind of aftermarket
wind screen you get.... you'll still have a lot of wind!
If I could tollerate these things, I would consider a Triumph again!

 

[Bones]

I took Eddie Mack's Sprint ST for about 20 miles last summer. My impressions were great motor, sweet handling, and not too extreme a riding position. The bags are really small compared to a Honda ST and there's not much room for a real passenger...depends what you want your bike to do for you. Eddie's Sprint ST roasted my stones on a 75 degree day. YMMV.

 

[Ken]

Thanks, Greg. Great info. This bike is just drop dead gorgeous to my eye. I'm worried about the passenger heat though. My wife rides with me frequently. Too much heat would freak her out. If one adds the TOR and a Corbin, does the heat issue go away or just become tolerable? I'll do some more reading on SOC. Thanks guys! I think a test ride is in my near future.

 

[nm6r]

That model Sprint ST caught my eye the first time I saw it. It's got a little bit of what the ST1300 is lacking. OTOH, the Sprint ST is seriously lacking in not having a shaft drive and not having an electric windshield. Those items missing make it a dealbreaker for me.

I've had shaft drive since 1982. There just is no excuse for a chain drive on the street. My ST1300 is my first experience with an electric windshield. I thought it would be a nice novelty, adjust it once and leave it. I couldn't have been more wrong. Two must haves are shaft drive and electric windshield. Actually three, ABS.

Ray

 

[TPadden]

:BDH:

Ray, you are so predictable!

Personally I wouldn't worry about chain drive at all. Modern chains are so dependable the only time mine get any attention is when I change my tires! My FZ1 had 42K before I replaced the chain and sprockets for about $145. My VStrom got me to Alaska and back and had 27K hard miles with an occasional squirt of WD40 before I replaced the chain and kept the old sprockets.

They really are a non-player on the road as far as maintnance or worry goes ..................

Tom

 

[Bones]

Yeah, but little stones heat up a lot quicker...

Speaking a predictable...should have seen that coming.

FWIW, Eddie's Sprint had a Corbin seat and the Triumph heat shielding on the exhaust. Pass the marshmallows...

 

[nm6r]

:BDH:

Ray, you are so predictable!

Why would you accuse me of beating dead horse? Just because you have been around a while, have seen my opinion on previous threads and have a differing opinion? This is a new thread asking for opinions.

We have two 2006 motorcycles with chains. I know what expense and maintenance is required, especially compared to a shaft drive. Here is a nice read on chain maintenance for today's chains on the street.

Ray

 

[TPadden]

....Here is a nice read on chain maintenance for today's chains on the street[/URL].
Ray

If you read the URL you can just stop at the first statement: "Chains have gotten so good over the past 10 years that it is easy to forget about them. "

That says it all; the rest is fluff !

Tom

 

[E the B]

I test rode one in Daytona last month. I could tell the engine is a little smaller, but there was plenty of performance. I really didn't feel the heat on the 20-minute ride, but I rode it just after getting off the Boss Hoss. No engine heat I've experienced compares to that 8-cylinder beast. That Triumph is a great looking bike.

 

[Carl_T]

Excerpt out of chronicles from the lizard brain stem.

Me likey chain. Me likey better than shaft. Vera, vera, smooth driveline take up when cracking throttle in turn, likey-likey. Easy maintenance, no biggie, little can of lube in pack for long trip. Spritz, spritz, my that was really hard, well maybe few minutes of spritz weren't the hardest minutes of my life after all. Me gross out at black gurb when cleany time comes, but not so bad really, soap still cleany hands. Chain Smooth-vroom-vroom, likey-likey.

Hot stones..............me vara scared.... maybe me not really hop on Gregs Sprinty for ride after all, hot stones BAD, large or small, no like hot stones?. Hmmmm, Triumph, vroom vrooom vroom..... Oh.."F" hot stones, me ride this summer Greggy. SV waiting to trade for some miles


Just one dissenting opinion from the depths of evolution.

 

[Kempo-STer]

Just one dissenting opinion from the depths of evolution.

Very early evolution..Do you have Geico?

 

[Carl_T]

That Geico lizzards eyes look just like my Li'l Chihuahua's. Perhaps Maxi is less discriminating than I thought when sniffing the winds for females in heat?

 

[nm6r]

Ray, just picking on you, man... I just know as soon as I see you have replied to a post regarding a bike of this nature exactly what you're going to say (shaft and screen...)... and honestly I find your perspective on it a little closed minded, but to each his own. You're the most vocal anti-chain / pro electric screen guy I have encountered out here, so I raz you a bit for it. I respect your opinion, I just don't agree.

It's all good. I will be the first to agree about being closed minded on the chain and electric windshield but I must qualify my bias. Having ridden over 100k miles on a sport tourer, I would really miss the shaft drive and electric windshield on such a bike. Our dirt bikes have chains and no windshield. A CBR for example, should also have a chain and a small non-electric windshield. It just makes sense.

Ray

 

[Don-STOC237]

Wait till you drop it the first time and you find out:

a. It doesn't have any tipover wings.
b. How much that broken piece of plastic costs.