Triumph Sprint ST 1050 (2004 - present)

Lowflyingtopbox
Reviewed: 26 February 2013

I had my sprint since Sept 09 and 45,000 miles and have grown to love it. Used as motorway/London commuter

Engine is the DB's. Tried it at Brands and had the best time on it. Handling is a bit slow but is no slouch and fast through the sweeping corners. Comfy on long trips and munches the miles. Mines an ABS and has saved me on overbanding a few times. Used for journeys up to north Yorks on occasion and no problems. Gel Seat and extended screen work a treat. weaving through London traffic takes a bit of planning as this is not a light bike but the slim profile makes filtering not too difficult. You can easily tuck the mirrors in.

As everbody says. Getting that f... seat off is a pain. The chain tensioner has seized on mine also and the lights are rubbish. Also, my factory heated grips are no longer toasty but give off a mild warmth now. I've had a stone thro' the Rad (expensive) and new side fairing (oops) and wing mirror (oops again) that was too much money. Triumph spares seem very costly. Ugly, but I've got a large Givi on the back that swallows every thing that I need. Sometimes gears are clunky and if your not positive you can miss a gear.

I am thinking of getting a new one BUT not sure. Overall, this bike has done all I have wanted and I have not been dissapointed.

ramrider
Reviewed: 14 February 2013

great bike just remember to work the hub/eccentric chain adjuster once a week so it dose not seize

good riding position,loads of torque,good dials and display,easy to ride and easy to maintain ie oil change and filter and cleaning,chain easy to adjust but see below

mirrors vibrate,poor lights dip and main beam,no under seat storage for a tourer,wiring can break by front folks,battery can be fiddly to replace,removing the seat has to be the worst of any bike i have owned,red line at 9,000,chain adjuster is prone to seize if left to long

did a lot of searching over the net when i was buying the sprint st 1050, though i found maybe three common faults with the bike that kept coming up from other users i thought i could live with them,they were mirrors vibrate at motorway speed,thought i could live with this but has turned out to be dangerous they are unusable at speed,the lights are very poor as standard but these can be changed with nightbreakers bulb but don't expect miracles think it is to do with the way light is projected,though the exhust looks great under the seat and with the three end pipes showing it dose come with a price, no under seat storage but with a seat this fiddly to remove it might be a good thing,took me a while to get the use of running out of revs at 9,000 but i was coming from an R6 so it might be just my riding, having said that i love this bike,why? so easy to ride clutch is sweet gear change solid and then the torque great for over taking,the riding position for me is spot on i am 5ft7,the standard screen is good and takes the wind away from your body i would happily ride this bike all day ( i average 100 miles a day) key points work the chain adjuster once a week,change the lights to HIDS, get a tail bag

kneedown elbow down ive crashed
Reviewed: 10 January 2013

Fantastic bike

great handling when set up,when i got mine i thought the handling a bit ponderous,it just wasnt sharp enough,I set the suspension slightly harder than the set up for 2 up riding in the owners handbook,razor sharp after that genuinely like a different bike.magnificent engine,great brakes,just added a double bubble screen and bar risers due to creaky back.love this bike,

Nothing

Ihave had 43 bikes all the jap makes plus ducati aprillia and a bm ,this is the best of the lot,,,Get one you wont regret it.

edcase
Reviewed: 28 November 2012

2008 ST 1050:- superb bike, oceans of grunt, awesome sound, excellent Triumph engineering!!!

styling,comfort,grunt, that awesome sounding three cylinder engine!

Just a little too tall for my 5'8" and a headlight not much brighter than three candles in the wind, are the only two things i can find against this bike.

Excellent,

streborts
Reviewed: 27 November 2012

An outstanding all round bike.

Very comfortable at any speed, very broad spread of torque, effortless performance in any gear, smooth but characterful engine with good exhaust note, easy handling, good brakes, good view in mirrors, good instrument panel with trip computer, ABS available, good general appearance, good wind and weather protection, etc, etc.

None of any consequence.

Minor issues: no underseat storage space, some vibration in the mirrors, headlight not wonderful, speedometer not easy to read, could do with a gear indicator.

I bought my Sprint just over two years ago when it was a little over three years old. It is clearly a premium product when compared to my previous bike.

I was a bit unsure about buying it because it is one of the last of the earlier ones with the lower bars and screen, however, the riding position has proved to be extremely comfortable despite my 66 years. Equally, the seat is also very good so I can ride it for miles without having to stop for a rest. I have, however, replaced the screen with an aftermarket double bubble type which throws the airflow up a little higher and also greatly enhances the bike's appearance.

The high level exhaust looks good and sounds wonderful with a deep growl under power and a marvellous burble on overrun. Unfortunately, it means that there is no underseat storage space, but as I have fitted a Givi top box that doesn't really matter. The very broad spread of torque means that you can just leave it in top gear if you want to. Alternatively, you can run it up to the red line (which it reaches very quickly without any fuss) and make full use of the 125bhp.

The handling, whilst probably not as sharp as a sports machine, is just right for this type of bike being more sporty than a heavy full-on tourer whilst still being very stable.

My Sprint is now over five years old, still looks good and has had no major problems. It's only not started once (due to a failed relay).

An ideal all rounder.