2005 Triumph Sprint ST
Wrong Side, Right Bike

Triumph’s All-New Sport-Tourer

By Steve Lita, Photos By Gold And Goose And Steve Lita

Sport-touring bikes are a newfound joy to me. Once upon a time, I thought it was one or the other, but a recent trip to Cape Town, South Africa, for the press launch of the ’05 Triumph Sprint ST changed all that. This trip provided a number of firsts for me: first time riding on the “wrong” side of the road, first time spending any length of time on a brand-new Triumph, first time in Africa, and first stamp in my passport. I sure hope it won’t be my last.

The launch spanned a period of several days, taking us through beautiful, winding mountain passes. All told, I spent over 400 enjoyable miles in the saddle of Triumph’s new flagship sport-tourer.

Blending In

The Sprint ST was completely redesigned for 2005. It carries Triumph’s trademark three-cylinder engine with the “triple” theme carried throughout the bike, as evidenced by the triple projector beam headlight arrangement, triple gauge package, and three exhaust tips peeking out from under the seat.

The factory marketing types boast of elegance and style in the overall package, with details like contoured footpeg heel guards, a single-sided swingarm, an LED taillight, and the like. Personally, I think it’s current and edgy without being Buck Rogers future shocking. I like the overall smooth look, which is enhanced by having the front signal lights integrated in the mirror heads, and by the peak of the front fairing blending seamlessly into the headlight and windscreen. All parts form one flowing arc.

I’m not so sure the locals in Cape Town really cared about Triumph’s attractive styling exercises — a chromed-out chopper would probably have caused a bigger stir. But the bike’s stance and touring attitude were perfect for blending in with the vast expanse of the South African countryside… even if the passengers in the slow-moving minicars caught only a glimpse of the ST rocketing past.

Sporty And Comfortable

Our first day’s journey took us out of Somerset, heading east toward Grabouw and then north toward our planned lunch stop in Franschloek. There, we had an open-air café lunch while watching tractor-drawn carts overflowing with grapes putt down the street. Throughout the rest of the trip, South African vineyards and wineries were a prevalent sight.

Back on the bikes, we headed down to the coast for the next leg of our ride, where we gave the ST’s suspension and handling characteristics a workout in the twisties. The redesigned bike features an aluminum-beam perimeter frame with 43mm conventional forks set at a 24-degree rake and 90mm of trail. The front suspension is adjustable for preload, and you can tweak the preload and rebound damping in the rear. Sportbike-spec tires of 120/70-ZR17" and 180/55-ZR17" sizes complete the package.

The bike turned in well with little effort. I found the original suspension settings a touch soft, but given more time on the bike, or if I was riding two-up, I could have easily remedied that with some tuning.

The ergonomics were sporty yet comfortable. After two full days on the ST, I had no complaints from my wrists, but if I were using it on a daily basis or for longer trips, I might be looking for some sort of bar riser. The 31.7" seat height was perfect for my average 6' frame, and the stock seat was comfortable. There’s a gel seat available in the accessory line, for those of you with more delicate derrieres.

I found the wind flow around and over the fairing smooth and not buffeting. I’m used to riding naked standards, and the ST provided plenty of wind protection for me. In addition, the mirrors showed very little vibration at all speeds and engine rpm.

Still, I welcomed the opportunity to hop off the seat at rest stops. One of my favorites was a roadside stop overlooking Betty’s Bay, east of the Cape of Good Hope. Watching surfers below, and looking up at clouds that seemed so close you could touch them, gave me memories I’ll cherish for a lifetime. The road along R44 hugged mountains and cliffs on one side, with a drop-off and the Atlantic Ocean far below on the other. Some people on our trip likened it to the Pacific Coast Highway back home, but I say there’s no comparison. Just knowing I was in South Africa was much more exotic to me.

Smooth Ride To The Spa

As beautiful as the rest stops were, the riding time was exhilarating. For ’05, Triumph’s famous three-cylinder power plant gets a bump from 955cc to 1050. The increase comes via new crankcases and cylinder heads, a longer stroke, and a new crankshaft design. The ST’s 12:1 compression engine pumps out a smooth 123 base hp at 9250 rpm and a peak torque of 77 ft-lbs. I found the sweet spot to be right at 6500. The motor was powerful and responsive throughout the tach sweep, but especially from that point on up.

While the ST shares its power plant with its hooligan evil twin, the Speed Triple, the engine is more subtle in this platform — after all, it’s a touring bike. The Keihin-supplied fuel injection system is well sorted out, and throttle response is crisp. Exhaust gases exit via the retro-rocket-looking underseat system, which provided a pleasant, non-deafening tone. Because the exhaust exits so far back, and the pipes and components are low or shrouded in bodywork, the noisy part of the bike doesn’t get to the rider’s ears. It’s perfect for a sport-tourer like this, where listening to an exhaust drone isn’t desirable.

I really appreciated the silky smooth shifting. I never missed a shift or got any undesired reaction from my left toe’s input. Triumph says this is due in part to the new remote gear-change linkage and backlash eliminator fitted to the clutch. Another positive result of that clutch update is the lighter action, despite the increased engine power. Whatever they did, it was right.

Exercising the smooth power plant while shifting through the six-speed tranny brought us east to Caledon and our stop for the night, the Caledon Hotel-Spa-Casino. You know, I could get used to these press launches. With its tranquil steam room, spa, and massages, along with an exciting casino, off-road 4x4 rides, and target shooting, I doubt anyone would be bored there.

Ready For Anything

The next morning, we headed north for more adventure on R43, riding past Villiersdorp and all the way up to Worcester. Just a tip here: when you see a sign warning of baboons crossing the roadway, don’t laugh — they’re not joking. We spotted some foraging on the side of the road, and I hoped our low-altitude flyby wouldn’t startle them into a sudden crossing. I’d had plenty of other opportunities to test the brakes.

Bringing me back down to cruising speed, the Sprint ST’s stoppers were well up to the task. The system includes two four-piston calipers up front biting 320mm floating discs, with a two-piston unit and 255mm disc out back. While the brakes never made me sit up and say, “Wow!”, they were more than adequate. I’d guess that a pad upgrade with an aftermarket compound, once available, would tune up the stopping power a bit.

The brake hoses are already premium, being stainless steel braided Teflon lines with an understated black finish. ABS brakes are on the way, but were not available on our test fleet. The new option’s arrival also heralds a new color: Sunset Red will join the currently available Aluminum Silver or Caspian Blue. Expect ABS to cost an additional $1,300.

Even the base model is packed with great extras and details. For starters, there’s a factory power port for heated gear built into the fairing outlet, just ahead of your left knee. The wire harness was developed with an entire line of integrated Triumph factory add-ons in mind. Let’s face it: nobody in his right mind would want to cut into a factory wire harness on a finely manufactured, electronically fuel-injected, ABS-computer-equipped machine like the ST. That’s why Triumph engineers built in power taps and mounting points for accessories like an anti-theft/immobilizer system, heated grips, and a GPS satellite navigation system that talks to you via a helmet earpiece.

The air valves on the wheels are set at right angles to make daily pressure checks easier. And each Sprint comes with three extra lock cylinders that you can fit to the optional waterproof hard luggage, to have everything keyed alike. Nice touch. The hard bags will be a welcome addition, as the Sprint is equipped with only two small storage compartments on the front fairing and no underseat storage to speak of, owing to the undertail exhaust. Tank bags, a taller windscreen, heated grips, and an “off-road use only” free-breathing exhaust round out the accessory list.

One of my favorite features was the excellent gauge package, which combines an analog speedo and tach with an LCD display. You can scroll through information like trip odometers, maximum speed recall, average speed, trip timer, average and instant mpg, distance to an empty tank, and a 24- or 12-hour clock. The functions can even be displayed in metric or US units. This has got to be one of the most comprehensive meter packages available.

Parting Words

To end the trip, we headed south towards home base and our starting point, the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset. Our final adventures in Africa didn’t actually include using the bikes. We visited the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, where cruise vessels come and go (it’s also the gateway to Robben Island tours). Visitors to the Waterfront Port area, take note: there are a ton of things to do. If the shopping, dining, and aquariums don’t interest you, you can take in a show at the amphitheatre, go seal watching, or even take a helicopter ride.

If you’re looking to check out the new Sprint ST, your local Triumph dealer should have inventory in stock now, and the ABS version will follow in June. At the risk of sounding biased, it was hard to find any major faults with this bike. I could see myself riding it around town, across country, or on a favorite Sunday morning breakfast blast. A bike that can do it all, and do it well, doesn’t come along every day. Maybe I need a modern, well-built sport-touring machine like this one in my personal fleet. RB

List Price: $10,599/$11,899 (ABS)

Engine: Liquid-cooled in-line three-cylinder

Valvetrain: DOHC, four valves per cylinder

Displacement: 1050cc

Bore x Stroke: 79 x 71.4mm

Compression: 12:1

Fuel System: Multipoint sequential EFI

MFR HP Rating: 123 at 9250 rpm

MFR Torque Rating: 77 ft-lbs. at 5000 rpm

Transmission: Six-speed

Final Drive: Chain

Overall Length: 83.2"

Wheelbase: 57.4"

Rake/Trail: 24 degrees/3.5"

Seat Height: 31.7"

Fuel Capacity: 5.5 gallons

Dry Weight: 462 pounds

2005 Colors: Aluminum Silver, Caspian Blue, Sunset Red (ABS)