Back in the day
AT THE END of 2004, the undisputed champion of the sports tourer class was Honda’s VFR800. True, the VTEC engine divided opinion more than its muchloved 800i predecessor, but after three years it had silenced most of its critics. It handled anything you threw at it, was seriously fast and looked the business.
Meanwhile, Triumph had been gaining momentum for a few years. The firm’s modular range of triples were popular, fun to ride and there was one for everyone – from the Daytona sportsbike and naked Speed Triple to the Tiger adventure bike. The sports touring Sprint ST 955i had been nipping at the VFR’S heels for a while but in 2005, the new Sprint ST 1050 arrived to give the Japanese bike a bloody nose.
Kevin Ash rode the bike for RIDE on the launch and was impressed straight away. “Triumph’s all-new version… looks as though it’s got what it takes to topple Honda’s legendary VFR as king of the class,” he started. “The Sprint really is that good, thanks to its new 1050cc motor, redesigned chassis and new-look bodywork with neat underseat pipes.”
Triumph had unashamedly looked at the VFR, made a list of the best parts, worked out how to improve them, then found the answers... their way. Kev loved the engine, taken from 2004’s Speed Triple. “The triple is immensely strong, too, pulling solidly from 2000rpm and hard from 3000rpm, before kicking in with real force at 6000rpm,” he noted. “Leave it in the top of its six gears and it surges past traffic easily, or play with the new slick and positive gearbox and it gets sportsbike-rapid. Honda’s VFR will stand no chance against it in outright performance terms nor with its lowdown torque – the Japanese bike has a 250cc deficit and it really shows.”
Handling was more on point than the slightly firmer, harsher Honda. Maybe UK engineers were more in tune with our roads. “One of the bike’s strongest points is the outstanding ride quality. At first the suspension feels a little soft to be pushed really hard but the wheel control is superb, even crashing into potholes mid-bend,” Kev continued. “Comfort is outstanding.” But he noted that, like the VFR, the screen was too low. That’s why lots of owners fitted double-bubble screens to their STS.
When it first hit our roads, the Sprint ST 1050 drew attention like an exotic superbike. It caught the imagination of UK riders with that blend of triple
personality, underseat pipes, singlesided swingarm and daring (for 2005) styling allied to useable speed and comfortable, road-biased handling. And it was British – always a selling point. Kev’s summing up was unequivocal: “This is a fabulous bike with an expansive portfolio that includes just about everything you can do on a motorcycle. And it does all this with a relaxed panache that, for us at least, wins it the title of best sports-tourer. Comfortably ahead of the VFR.”