Review Sprint St 07

Now first of all I am no expert on bikes, but I thought I would take this opportunity to do a review on my Triumph Sprint.

I have only been back biking for about 5 years, and in that time I have owned 2 x Daytonnas 955i, and a 675 daytonna.  So as you can tell by this, my preference was for more sporty than touring.  Mid last year I sold my daytonna, and as I had a boat I felt that I couldnt justify both hobbies. As time persisted though  the boat became a finacial burden, and so the decision was made to sell it. This was done, and the search for a bike began.  The three months I had been with out one had drven me nuts.  Not being keen on jap bikes , and wanting to try some thing new I decided on the sprint.  The reason being is that I had read the reviews and I was sure it would be a good mix of sports and touring.

Beth, before I added the pack rack. ( it tends to get a lot of polish on it!)

Searching trademe, I started to get a pretty good idea of price, and it was just a case of waiting for the right one to come along.   Finally it did.  So as not to waste my time, I got a freind in New Plymouth to look over it for me .   Every thing checked out fine , so I flew down and purchased it, and rode it back.

It had done 15000kms when I got it.

The bike was immaculate , but there was a problem. At low speed breaking I was getting shuddering at the front and it was obvious to me I had warped break discs. Luckily for me a friend is a whizz on triumphs, and even has all the diagnostic tools.  He had a spare set of discs which he duly fitted, at substantially less than what Triumph NZ would have charged me.   A bit of fiddling with the suspension and I was a happy biker once again.  After a couple of thousand kms I replaced the tyres, and this made a huge difference also.

10000kms later I can report that I am as happy as a bug in a rug. The engine is the highlight for me,  There is something  magical and addictive about the growl of the triple. It has excellent low down torque.  And pulls beautiful in any gear.

The bike came with panniers, which I think are a complete waste of time. They are heavy, and you cannot fit much in to them. We have since fitted a pack rack, which I find far more convenient, lighter, and easier. You can also get a lot more into the bag, than what I could in the panniers.   Yes the weight is higher up, but on the other hand it is no where near as heavy. For touring I have always found the pack rack system excellent. We are able to pack enough stuff for a week easily in to it.  Cosmetically I know some people are not keen on them. But for me it has never been a bother.

I will  say that I tend to ride this bike slower than my daytonnas. The upright riding position lends it self to a more cruiser style than what I was used to. It is a definite mile eater, and I am happy to go for  2-3 hours before I need  a break. 

My partner is happy with the pillion design, even though it is a bit high, but seems to like it and has commented that they see a lot more than they did on the daytonna. Although there is some heat that comes from the underseat exhaust, but there has never been any complaints about it to me. ( carn't hear much anyway with the ear plugs in)

The suspension is a bit soggy, and if I had got the bike from brand new some ohlins would of been great. I may still do this.

The dash is easy to read, and the trip meter is excellent, telling you every thing from kms to empty to when you last went loo.

Over all I am very happy with it, value for money I think it is hard to beat, with many bikes in this range costing a lot more.  Would I be keen on the GT version? I dont think so at this stage. This is as touring as I will get for some time, mind you age has a way of helping  to change your mind.