Endurance test interim report Triumph Sprint ST

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Endurance test interim report Triumph Sprint ST

Trize master

Fast cornering, trips to racetracks, hard long-distance use: How does the English triple master everyday life, sport and touring, which tires and attachments top it?

The three is considered a magic number as it includes the beginning, middle and end. Furthermore, the Holy Trinity, the Cologne triumvirate and the three dimensions. England has three lions in its coat of arms, three cylinders are the strength of Triumph. And the S.print ST stands for everyday life, sport and touring. She proudly reveals her number of cylinders. Three headlights, three round instruments, three tailpipes on the underseat silencer. There are also various triangular design elements. All very three. In 2005 the completely new generation Sprint ST with 1050 cm3 appeared. Sleek, angular and individual. She has been twice "Trize master" in the comparative tests of all relevant sports tourers in MOTORRAD. Just third place? Master of hearts, like the German national team. The sensual triple surpasses its competition in terms of performance like the Tower Bridge over the Thames: 125 hp, cultivated and powerful, sovereign in sprints and sweaters. Pure power also in the long term? First of all, yes. After all, the sprint has already unwound over 35,000 kilometers, more than two thirds of the endurance test distance.

Like a common thread, compliments to the "1a engine" through the logbook: "Goes idle like Schmitz’s cat." Gold: "The powerful three-cylinder is a splendor: spontaneously hangs on the gas, revs up well." A full torque curve catapults the crew powerfully forward. It rocks when the triple breaks loose. In addition this soundscape: "The typical triple sound sets up the hair on the back of the neck: grumpy and smoky. The trident grumbles in the accompaniment
Shifting operation like an editor-in-chief waiting for an important text", wrote year editorial lyricist.

Endurance test interim report Triumph Sprint ST

Trize master

Details and quirks

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Hard load on the chassis.

But no light without shadow. Suddenly the rev limiter pinches shut at 9400 rpm, still in the middle of the steady increase in power. Tickling, fine vibrations can leave your hands numb at constant speed at medium speeds. Tea somewhat bony gearbox demands a little emphasis when shifting, then the gears always lock safely. Despite the hard shift feel. The heavily load-changing three-cylinder accelerates a little harshly from overrun mode.

Another comment is indicative: "Great engine – when it’s running." The triplet takes an unusually long time until it finally ignites when the button is pressed. Starting problems particularly plagued the hot engine. Sometimes only long organs or accelerating when starting prevented the starter freewheel from striking back hard. A modified software for fully electronic engine management should improve the starting behavior. With moderate success.

It was more for a different problem: "The box will cook your eggs for you in summer…", is an entry from 2005. Just the guts? The roasting mode has been less heated since June 2006. Shortly before a hussar ride to the radioactively contaminated Chernobyl death zone, three additional, meanwhile standard heat insulation mats were installed during the early 30,000 inspection.

Also new since "30000s": Air filter insert, complete chain set as well as front brake discs and brake pads; the old discs had been scratching for a long time. By the way: How sensitively the ABS, which costs 800 euros, is described is also described, as is tire tips. Unlike the other pairings, MOTORRAD did not test the English touring sports tires Avon AV 45-ST and AV 46-ST on the racetrack. But as an endurance runner. The rubbers from the Avon consultant are really homogeneous. Last a long time, make the Sprint more manageable and more precise than the original Bridgestone BT 020 tires, and even have more adhesive reserves. However, only when it is dry.

Triumph completed the trip to Eastern Europe packed like a donkey. And fast as a hawk! Even with suitcases, the 255 kilogram sprint sprints at a measured 255 km / h (speedometer display 270) like clockwork over German motorways. At most, very sensitive drivers notice minimal agitation at top speed with luggage boxes.

Even that "highest top case in the world" hardly influences the British woman. Although it rests on the rear edge at a height of 1.20 meters – worst case for the center of gravity – it only oscillates significantly beyond 220 km / h. Many well-known (sports) tourers are much more sensitive to a topcase. Between 60 and 80 km / h, strong handlebar flutter (shimmy) heralds the high-mounted load. Which takes even more toll: the fully loaded Triumph is extremely difficult to hoist on the hand stand. And the subframe, on which the seat bench and the rear apron rest, broke off at the welds to the bolted rear frame.

In general, the stripped motorcycle shows well thought-out details in addition to small quirks. The seat is screwed on, if you loosen the screws you can easily damage the cover. Luggage hooks are missing. But plastic protectors protect the stanchions of the conventional 43 mm fork from stone chips and extend the service life of your Simmerrings. In addition to the water cooler, an oil cooler also keeps the engine temperature in the green area. The noble single-sided swing arm made of light metal makes it easier to remove the wheel. Provided you can get the 46 castle nut loosened with the tool kit.

A matter of attitude

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A motorcycle in the cornfield.

An easy exercise is correct chain tension thanks to the eccentric adjustment mechanism. On the other hand, checking the oil using a dipstick is laborious. The triple pulled in exactly 1.35 liters of fresh lubricant over 35,000 kilometers outside of the change intervals. Makes just 0.04 liters per thousand kilometers. This should also reassure drivers of a 1050 speed triple. Their 131 HP engine has exactly the same hardware.

The headlight tidy adjustment of the not outstanding headlights was complicated. There are six adjusting screws; in order to adjust the height of the high beam, i.e. the middle light, the window must be lowered. The disc is a case in itself anyway. Low and flat cut, it forces you to duck down even at moderate speeds. Perched high on the unnecessarily high stern, the passenger gets the full roar. Not just sitting in the second row is a real challenge. Due to the large distance between the driver and the passenger, there is severe turbulence. Driving fast with a passenger, the driver’s head sometimes wobbles like when headbanging.

The Brit shines all the more when it comes to cornering. The easy handling seems
come from a different weight class than the 510 pounds actually collected. The precise steering chassis is clearly on the soft, comfort-oriented side; the Sprint ST is a little heavy on its springs. Against "felt stern heaviness" Especially with high payloads, maximum rear tensioning helps: with an unworthy, narrow slotted screw. A rotary knob is standard in this class! There are sometimes big leaps between two clicks.

Overall, the adjustment range of the spring elements should be larger. And the fuel consumption smaller? Tea fact is that the Sprint ST no longer operates as efficiently as its 955 predecessor. In addition, the payload is lower at 201 kilograms. The 21-liter tank allows a range of more than 350 kilometers only with extremely cautious driving, and is sucked empty 100 kilometers earlier when the motorway is burning. The Sprint consumes between 5.3 and 8.2 liters per 100 kilometers, with an average of six in front of the decimal point.

Whereby a defect on the wheel carrier wears the rear brake pads prematurely and possibly increased fuel consumption due to a slight, permanent braking effect. When planning refueling stops, the fairly accurate display of the remaining range helps much better than the imprecise fuel gauge. This shows the full number of bars for a long time, then drops rapidly and remains phlegmatic again.

The bottom line is that the three is really mystical. Past present Future. Tea Sprint ST has all of this. Different from the three "eat" (Chimneys) in Gera. Unfortunately, they will be torn down in 2007. The Trize Master still has a third of his life to go before dismantling. And then? We will see.

Tire test

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Praying doesn’t hurt, but good tires are just as important.

Avon Viper AV 59 / AV 60

The English skins get the triumph remarkably well. They are super-handy sports tires with neutral steering precision and brilliant grip. However, even with a noticeable set-up moment in an inclined position and experience has shown that the mileage is not too high.

Bridgestone BT 020 F / R

Not up to date: a little sluggish when turning in, the BT 020 drive wide arcs and stand up strongly. Therefore counter pressure is necessary in an inclined position. The heating is high, the limit area narrow: when accelerating out of bends, abrupt smearing away is irritating.

Continental Road Attack

Text 1: The Contis, with the special code »Z« at the front, impress with their good steering precision, low set-up torque and easy handling. They remain very neutral over the entire lean angle and are predictable in the limit area, and they provide good feedback. According to Metzeler tip number two.

Dunlop D 220 F ST / ST

Average: The steering precision is between BT 020 and Conti. With the Dunlops, the Sprint is a little slower and more unwieldy than with the Contis. On the other hand, the D 220 do not lubricate as early as the Bridgestone BT 020, but they also have a noticeable tendency to erect. Okay for brisk country road speeds.

Metzeler Roadtec Z6 Front / Z6 "VS."

First choice for the Sprint ST. Perfect steering precision meets exact feedback. Handling and grip are slightly better than with the Contis, the erection torque is low. Perfect for brisk country road speeds. And the rear tire remains calm even when used on the racetrack.

Michelin Pilot Power

The brilliant sports rubbers deliver the best steering precision and crystal-clear feedback. Furthermore, a very high level of grip and low erection torque. But the high potential of the stable tires overwhelms the soft, then pumping Triumph chassis when "racing". Bad: low mileage.

Michelin Pilot Road

Michelin‘s sports touring tire is only in the middle in terms of steering precision, grip and handling. In return, the driving stability is high, as is the feedback at the limit. And Pilot Road is great in the rain.

Pirelli Diablo Strada Front / "E"

Good and good-natured tires, neutral over the entire lean angle range. They shine with a low set-up moment and enough grip until the notch and main stand grind. The rear tire heats up moderately on the racetrack and remains stable when accelerating out of corners.

equipment

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Scratch the curve …

The Sprint ST requires a very sporty sitting posture with all comfort. In the logbook there are comments from after longer (alpine) tours "bearable" to "too much load on the wrists in the long run". The poor wind protection is also criticized. Therefore, the accessories that have been tried out are aimed primarily at improved ergonomics. MRA has only recently started supplying discs for the 1050 Sprint; MOTORRAD will submit an evaluation.

Aero lens: protection factor

The low, flat original windshield direct the wind directly onto the neck.
At the latest from a speed of 190, it is time to duck. Better, while not entirely free from turbulence, Triumphs arched protects "Aero disc" for 109 euros – at least at moderate speeds.

Cooler: extra heat insulation mats

During the early 30,000 inspection, three additional heat insulation mats were placed on the inside of the side panels and between the tank and seat bench. They are now standard equipment and are very effective at keeping excessive heat dissipation away from the driver.

Luggage system: hui and ugh

The Sprint ST cuts a fine figure as a packhorse. Although the unstable cases of the first series were extremely annoying – see page 45. And all that at a price of 738 euros. In the meantime, Triumph has significantly improved the top case and case. Thanks to a surrounding, honeycomb-shaped frame and large overlapping area between the lid and the main part, you finally have the stability that the old boxes lacked.
However, with the same external dimensions, the reinforcement has reduced the volume from 32 liters per case to a modest 28 liters; and that with a width of 101.5 centimeters. The enormously high topcase has a capacity of 34 liters and, unlike the suitcase, a full-face helmet. Incidentally, all Triumph dealers take care of the box exchange for Sprint ST owners "old" Free luggage system. Only lock cylinders and colored side panels are taken from the first suitcases.

GPS: Not much of a help

In general, the navigation devices from Garmin are reliable, proven helpers. But if you rely on the Street Pilot 2610 supplied by Triumph, you are left. At first the GPS did not know such insignificant cities as Hamburg or Lubeck. So the software was reloaded. But the navigation system remained completely unsuitable for finding destination addresses. It calculates far too sluggishly, even the rough route selection to the destination is poor. Especially in the urban jungle it navigates poorly, leaving you in the dark about the intersections, for example "right one" Road. If you deviate from the given course (for good reason), it takes far too long to calculate a new proposal. Often without taking the current position into account. In addition, it irritates with imprecise, abruptly changing distance information and sometimes gets out completely. Despite easy menu navigation: You can save the 1299 euros!

Heated grips: damn warm fingers

At a price of 159 euros, the somewhat thick handles are equipped with heating coils from the original Triumph accessory range. The heated grips are very welcome even on cool German summer evenings, but can only be regulated in two stages: namely "medium" gold "well done". The associated switch sits on the top of the left side panel, a little far from the shot.

Suitcase: chic source of frustration

Constant annoyance: when filled, the cases of the first series could only be closed with great effort and with great patience. They had simple plastic hinges and completely unstable lids. Which were only too happy to jam the unsuitable rubber seals. There are now new cases, see next page.

Handlebar risers: worth gold

The very sporty sitting posture causes a lot of load on the wrists at low speeds such as downhill passes. Handlebar brackets from SBF create relaxation. They are simply mounted under the handlebar halves and raise them by 2.5 centimeters. The original cables and lines are sufficient, the steering angle is retained. The effect is enormous
Parts are worth gold. "Finally a real tourer", it means that
in the logbook. Available for 159 euros from SBF Triumphparts.

Seating furniture: sporty

The Cosiba bench can be removed without tools and ordered in various degrees of hardness and heights. However, the version tested is not permanent
comfortable, the pillion sits very high. Obtained from SBF.

Tank bag: seam torn

For the 21 liter plastic tank, Triumph supplies a wide, high tank bag with a volume of up to 30 liters. It costs 159 euros and is attached to a permanently mounted tank cover made of PVC with click fasteners and a zip. A connection seam tore on that one.

Hard-wearing material

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Small cause, big effect.

Exhausting job: the brakes

Like all Triumph models, the Sprint ST also enjoys long 10,000 service intervals. Valve clearance checks and regular replacement of spark plugs and brake and coolant fluids are only available every 20,000 kilometers. For the 30000 inspection, only a small maintenance service with changing the engine oil and oil filter is provided. But as a precaution there was more to be done in this case.

Safety first! That is why the endurance test Sprint has an ABS on board for an additional 800 euros. At mileage 28,881, the front brake discs and brake pads were completely replaced as a precaution. The old discs had been scratching since the odometer reading 16700. Nevertheless, the measured lateral runout of 10/100 and 16/100 millimeters was still within the permissible tolerance of 30/100 millimeters. When mounting a wheel, two spacer sleeves with minimally different widths can lead to tension during installation if they are interchanged. If in doubt, check twice. The rear brake also requires a regular check, as it ate four sets of brake pads over a distance of 35,000 kilometers. Sometimes the pads were worn after 4000 kilometers – unduly high wear. The cause was evidently an external retaining snap ring on the wheel carrier that was not correctly seated in the groove. As a result, the wheel ran off track by up to a millimeter.

Fuse: minor cause…

After 28,192 kilometers, the ten-ampere fuse of the heated grips burned out, so the ones that had been cozy up to then remained warm
Fingers clammy. The two-ampere fuse of the GPS, which had already melted 5000 kilometers previously, was simply exchanged for one with five amperes.

Long held: the chain set

As a precaution, the Sprint got a new chain set including pinion and sprocket after 28,881 kilometers. In order not to have to remove the single-sided swing arm, the tough Triumph technicians fitted a chain with a lock. Correct chain tension is easy thanks to the eccentric

Worn down: weld seam on frame

The subframe for securing the seat broke off at the welds. Probably as a result of a thousand kilometers with a topcase on jogging tracks and potholes in the Ukraine and Belarus. In the Czech Republic, a modern workshop welded the aluminum at 33777 kilometers.

Daniel Lengwenus, tour guide at the MOTORRAD action team – not
tower ??
trip

This triple is a dream. Spontaneous start, aggressive punch in every position, plus this addicting sound! The triplet for a full life. This also applies if you
as an ambitious touring rider
touring rather than sport. This wonderful
Torque wave lets you surf to distant shores even in pairs, provided there are enough gas stations on the way. Because in this discipline the Triumph is British,
she likes to drink and runs every gas pump. What for me as a frequent driver at the T in the ST
What is missing is a touring handlebar à la Speed ​​Triple.

Stefan Kaschel, test editor – sympathy instead of superlatives

She is neither the strongest nor the fastest. Neither super light nor ultra handy. It’s not great in any way, but good in every way. And that’s enough for the vacation trip
to the Alps, after work-
kick on the home route or the way to work anyway.
Even more: the great triple and the harmonious chassis
usually have anywhere
Reservations and convey real fun. The Sprint ST is a sports tourer in the classic sense ?? and this genre was at the forefront of German buyers’ favor for a long time. Anyone who climbs on the uncomplicated, multifunctional Brit knows why.

Oliver Ebner, Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief – Not perfect, but inspiring

Tea Sprint ST is like real life. Everyone has mistakes. The strut is not characterized by strength. With pillion and luggage it is quickly overwhelmed. The sports tourer lacks proper wind protection during a brisk ride. In an upright sitting position this leads to violent and very uncomfortable turbulence. The drive unit, on the other hand, is really good fun. Tea three-cylinder moves over
Constantly outperforms the entire speed range.
No complaint, no performance gap. Step on the gas and off you go. Great sound and a lot of pressure.
Eating miles made easy? with a high fun factor.

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