I loved the looks, but was afraid because it was British. My MG's broke down daily in the old days. Triumphs have had less than a perfect record in their older days. Following my so-called better judgment, in June 2002 I bought a Honda Nighthawk 750 new, thinking it would do the job. It was 100% reliable and a good local commuter, but quite scary at high speeds (over 65 MPH U.S.). That was the death blow for me. I'm a family man, and need maximum safety and handling. I went on a major research campaign to find the safest handling, best compromise. My goal was (1) safety and handling; (2) big fat tire in the back; (3) lots of power; (4) reliability; and (5) looks - in that order. I wasn't looking much
at Triumph, but all research kept pointing back to the Sprint ST. After reading review after review, all of which were outstanding, I decided to give it a try. I took my 2003 Triumph Sprint ST for a test drive right off the showroom floor on May 1, 2003.
First drive: The dealer (California BMW & Triumph, Mountain View, CA) was afraid to let me drive a new Sprint, and let me drive a RS instead. I wasn't impressed by the comfort, and hesitated to drive the ST. However, the dealer changed his mind and urged me to drive it. I took it out, and couldn't believe the difference. It was absolutely amazing. The power and handling were extremely impressive and surprising (after just getting off the RS). The wind protection was so much better than the RS, and far more than adequate. At 100 MPH, the bike was rock-solid, stable, and smooth as can be - in fact even smoother than at the lower speeds. Needless to say, I was sold. I took it home in the back of my truck.
First Month: I've had the bike for a month now, and have driven it every day, including long day trips (160 mile trips). Simply put, after having owned 5 bikes in the past, and having driven a nice variety (from 2003 VFR 800, to Yamaha R1, to FJ's), I cannot imagine a better bike. I can't even think of what they can do to improve on this one, but I will try very hard in a moment.
Comparisons: I compare this bike to the BMW R1200RS and similar bigger bikes, the nimble Yamaha R1 and FZ1, and the comparable VFR 800 - all 2003 models.
BMW: The BMW may be a comfort machine, but it is rediculously huge. In my opinion, the 456 lbs of the Sprint cannot be compromised. The BMW is over 600 fat pounds. It's for someone to drive accross the Arizona desert, if he doesn't have a convertible. I have a 1967 convertible Pontiac Firebird Ram Air 400 (6.6L) which cannot be beat for that purpose. The BMW is out of the question for me.
Yamaha R1: This is a fast bike, with little wind protection, and rigidly painful after only 20 miles of driving. Unless you're looking to race at the expense for comfort, this bike really makes little sense. For cruising around the Berkeley / Oakland hills it is fun, but after that I found it exhausting.
VFR 800: Everyone loves this bike, so I tried it new. I didn't like it at all. It was too fat, and had what seemed to be much less power than the beefy 118 hp of the Triumph Sprint ST. The VFR seemed heavier and felt a bit closer to the BMW tourers than I prefer. I did not want an official touring bike, which is how I would describe the VFR. It's a great bike in general, but just not as comfortable or as fast, and doesn't corner as well. For those VFR fans, I am sorry to say that I simply cannot find any advantage this bike has over the 2003 Sprint ST. In the looks department, although subjective, I find the Sprint ST infinitely more attractive, and without the bulk.
Possible improvements: I promised I would try, so here goes. I think Triumph can streamline and reduce the gas tank appearance a little more. It would be better if the tank sat a little lower - maybe. Gosh, I guess I just can't think of anything. Oh,yes - maybe put a helmet holder on the bike. Maybe the brake reservoir can be made to look as nice as those of the Hondas?
Oh yes, I love the looks of the wheels as well. My bike is silver (Aluminum), and all the colors flow well.
Cheers!!
Andy, Berkeley, CA U.S.A.
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Well it sounds like you've got a real dream machine. I hope you still love your bike in a few months time - it would be nice to have an update then as, and I don't want to burst your happy bubble, it would interesting to see if it's still trouble free. :)
Jun 1st, 2003
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