Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127976
high speeds. The Sprint is a very untiring bike to ride hard, fast and long. Part of this is because the whole bike feels very solid and together, with a build quality even on this preproduction' model that's fully the equal of a Honda or BMW, which i praise indeed. Only an uneven gap where the fairing meets the frame and ill-fitting shrouds for the arms of the otherwise excellent mirrors leave room for improvement - and these problems may well be rectified before production. The seat is just spacious and wellpadded enough to be comfy, and there's quite adequate room for a passenger, who has been supplied with very welldesigned grab handle. This handle has to be removed if you opt to fit the goodlooking single-seat cover, thus making the Sprint's looks live up to its 'name even more. The Sprint copies the ST2/ST4 idea of having an adjustable exhaust system that can be raised for increased grou11d clearance or lowered to give room for the hard luggage, whicl1 is available as an option. However, Ducati might care to take its payback by copying the Triumph's sidestand, here fitted in addition to an easy-on/off center stand and which is correctly angled, must be positively . retracted (so there are no suicide operations benefiting parts-store tu.rnover), and has an ignition cutout should you forget to do so. Ducati should also take note of the fact that the Sprint's goodlooking, wraparound dashboard - whicl1 is perfectly legible even in bright sunshine, when even the digital instruments show up well - is dominated by, ahern, a. white-faced tamo that's perfectly legible in the dark, with a digital clock, analog speedo (incorporating a digital trip/ mileage cOllnter), and temp and fuel gauges, the latter ideally positioned at the top of the dash, where you can monitor it properly on a long run. Not that you should need to do SO too often, for in spite (or maybe because) of being fitted with the same Sagem multipoint sequential fuel-injection package as the 955i (but reprogrammed here to deliver a smoother power delivery and increased torque), the Sprint ST is pretty frugal. A fuel cl1eck midway through a hard-riding day showed 45 mpg - impressive fuel consumption for a one-liter sportbike, and good for a range of 200 miles between fill-ups from the 5.6-gallon tank - eVen when taking advantage of the reserves of performance of the new-generation 79 x 65mm three-cylinder 12valve engine, arne a fitted to the 955i but with different camshafts and using cast pistons and steel liners instead of the forged pistons and coated-alllrninum liners employed on the Daytona to cope with its higher power OlltpUt. So, whereas the 955i pushes out 128 bhp at 10,200 rpm, the Sprint ST delivers a claimed 110 bhp at 9200 rpm at the crank on the same 11.2:1 compression ratio, but with a wider spread of torque that peaks at 6200 rpm with 70 ft.-lb. on tap, against the 955i's 73.8 at 8500 revs. In fact, Triumph says the top speeds of the two bikes are quite similar, with the Sprint S1' being good for 155 mph against the sport triple's 162 mph - but to be honest, this is pretty academic because, though the Sprint ST may also take longer to get there, it's so mum more user-friendly in the way that it does so, and scores heavily for added convenience in real-world riding conditions. The Sprint's stiffer frame means Triumph has dispensed with two of the eight engine mounts employed on the 955i chassis, which in turn means not only tha t the frame doesn't get so hot an important factor when riding in While comfortable for the long haul with a spacious seat, plush suspension and ample wind protection, the Sprint ST can be hustled along with the best of the class. • jeans, with the more tucked-in stance of the new massis - but also that you feel even less vibration than on the 955i, and certainly far less at freeway-cruising speeds than on BMW's RllOOS sport Boxer. The Triumph has hefty weights on the end of the handlebars whim help out here, but the overall feel even at higher rpm is of a smooth, svelte power unit that has just enough mechanical presence to be thrilling to ride. There's no moke, but the Sagem EFI is programmed for cold-start compensation - although, even when hot, you must remember to keep the throttle closed when pressing the starter motor button; otherwise some embarrassing and timewasting spluttering will occur as the engine refuses to light up. When it does, response from the light-action throttle is immediate, though not so sudden as to cause a jerky pickup at low revs or from a closed throttle in slow turns. Instead, once under way, the engine pulls cleanly from 2500 rpm upward in top gear with no hiccups or flat spots, but with a light, positive clutcl1 action from rest or when changing down that is a model to others (and both clutch and brake levers are, incidentally, adjustable). Sagem's modified the EFI to improve fuelling a t low revs, and toge!her with the balance pipe added to the exhaust system delivers improved response low down. But from there to the 9700-rpm rev-limiter, there's a seamles spread of power that makes the Triumph so easy and yet so invigorating to ride, with no cl1eater dips in the power CllfVe to pass I I ~. ~ . Q §! ~ ~ ~ ... ::> i .., 23