By
PETER THOEMING
1 May 2006
There are some superb sports tourers on the market today. Squeezed
from below by the many sports bikes that will happily tour, and from
above by the big tourers that will acquit themselves superbly in the
twisty bits, the sports touring segment has had to become better all the
time.
Fortunately it’s no longer necessary to
compromise. The engines and suspension technology available today make
it possible to give sports tourers the kind of performance and handling
that only a few years ago would have blown pure sports bikes away, while
careful ergonomics and thoughtful planning have supplied them with
useful and effective touring equipment. Of course both pure sports bikes
and pure tourers will always be in demand, but it’s easy to make an
argument for a sports tourer as the bike to own if you can only own one
bike.
That’s especially true for this
Triumph.
Why? Well, it has a lot going for it. The
design is fresh; the Sprint series has frequently been updated and
improved. I must admit that I still don’t like either the fussy
headlight treatment or the fake pipes around the three exhausts. But
apart from these (personal) aesthetic failings at the front and the
back, the Sprint looks very attractive even to me. The pannier rails
have been integrated into the design very nicely, too.
Panniers for the ST cost extra; I can’t
tell you exactly how much because the pannier system was being updated
as I wrote this. The ones I had were a little difficult to close. They
didn’t leak, even in quite heavy rain, even though they looked as
though they would.
There are many convenient and thoughtful
touches, including the single-sided swingarm and the many accessories.
Anti-lock braking is available, at last. This is a major safety plus as
far as I’m concerned. I’d want to have it on any bike I bought. The
seat is not too high, and feels even lower than it is. Instruments are
informative and smart, and there’s even a big digital clock.
Suspension is as good as I’ve seen on this kind of bike. And the low
fairing screen prevents turbulence at helmet level. The fuel range is
exemplary. And so on.
But there’s one thing that really
stands out on the Sprint, and that’s the engine.
The 1050 triple is a gem. It pulls away
from just above idle and simply doesn’t stop – maximum power is
produced just about where the rev limiter cuts in, so it rewards
enthusiastic revving. And there’s lots of torque from 3000 rpm on,
enough so that you rarely actually need to change gears. Despite that,
the engine is not some rough-head that needs careful handling. Power
comes on smoothly whenever you ask for it – especially from 6000 rpm -
and is accompanied by a throaty hiss that’s a reward in itself.
All right, it’s not all perfect. It’s
just as well that you don’t need to change gears all that often,
because the change is quite notchy – typically Triumph. Mind you, that
usually gets better as the bike puts up the kilometres. Along with the
lovely exhaust note you also get a high-pitched howl that’s less
enjoyable. The mirrors are not especially useful even with the bike
standing still, and once it’s moving they vibrate annoyingly. And,
once again in typical Triumph style, there’s a lot of heat around your
legs. For me, the handlebar is a little too low (but that may just be me
– I’ve fond that with a lot of bikes recently).
But I’ve just put 1200 kilometres on a
Sprint ST in a day and a half, and I can tell you this – any
complaints came in a very distant second to the pleasure of that engine,
and the competence of the running gear. I couldn’t have asked for a
better bike or, more importantly, a more enjoyable one.
AT A GLANCE
Model: Triumph Sprint ST (with ABS)
Price: $16,990 (plus on-road charges)
Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance
Power: 92 kW at 9100 rpm
Torque: 105 Nm at 7500 rpm
Engine: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, in-line triple, 4 valves per cylinder,
multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection, digital inductive type
ignition via electronic engine management system.
Bore x stroke: 79 x 71.4 mm
Displacement: 1050 cc
Compression ratio: 12.0:1
Transmission: 6 speed, wet multi-plate clutch, final drive by X-ring
chain
Suspension: Front, 43mm cartridge forks with dual rate springs and
adjustable preload, travel 127 mm. Rear, single-sided swingarm,
monoshock with adjustable preload and rebound damping, travel 120 mm
Dimensions: Seat height 805 mm, dry weight 213 kg, fuel capacity 20
litres, wheelbase 1457 mm
Tyres: Front, 120/70 ZR17. Rear, 180/55 ZR17
Frame: Aluminium beam perimeter
Brakes: Front, Twin 320mm floating discs, 4 piston calipers. Rear,
single 255mm disc, 2 piston caliper. Anti-lock braking.
Top speed: 260 km/h
Acceleration:
0-100 km/h – 3.3 sec
60-100 km/h – 3.6 sec
Fuel consumption: Average on test 5 litres per 100 km, premium unleaded
Range: 400 km
Colour/s: Aluminium Silver, Caspian Blue, Sunset Red.
