Friday 27 February 2015

Triumph Sprint ST 1050 (The Floozy) 2007 model

A long term review, originally written for a website. But I thought I'd have it back for a bit.

The Triumph Sprint ST 1050

I like Triumphs. I think I always have. One of the first "new" bikes I ever really lusted after was the 955i Sprint from 2001. That's, obviously, after I'd fallen for the America, the Classic, the Bonneville and all the others, too. But I'd never had much of a chance to ride them. I'd been too keen on japanese models - Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda. But the 2001 955i just stuck in my brain. And my heart. I dreamt that one day I'd have one. A sapphire blue mile muncher with an adventurer's heart and thrill seeker's passion for speed. And in February 2007, I realised that dream. There it was. My very own, sapphire blue, 2001 Triumph Sprint ST 955i. In my garage! And for 3 years, I never even looked at another bike. I pampered her religiously. I took her to The Loire and to Bruges, to Amsterdam and Norwich (all the romantic places). I lavished love, affection and accessories on her. And I cried like a baby when she spilt her guts all over the road round Lewisham roundabout in South East London, firing her piston bolts into searing metal and expiring before my eyes. I would never, ever find another. Nothing would ever be that good again. Nothing could be so visceral, so exciting, so…

...hang on… what's that over there? A 2007 Triumph Sprint ST 1050, you say? And I can have a test ride, can I? Can I have it? The bike, I mean. All you want is money? That's all? Surely you need part of my soul?

And so, in August 2010 The Floozy (named by my wife, in case you're wondering) came home with me. Bright lipstick red, matching panniers, heated grips, 6,000 miles on the clock, crash bungs, factory-fitted alarm, single-sided swing-arm, that triple exhaust booty, head turning as standard - a real fire cracker.

I loved the 955i's riding position. It felt like you were one with the bike, as though you were in it not on it. (oo-er misses). And then along came The Floozy. I could continue with the double entendres but I'll leave them to your imagination. The Sprint ST is a long distance bike, so don't expect to be crouched over like you would be on a pure sports bike. It's a little more upright. The difference between the 955 and the 1050 may only have been a few millimetres but the feeling was much more involving. The pedals were a little lower, the bars a little closer. You still got the feeling that you were sitting rather than practically lying down, but this is still as close to a perfect hybrid as you can get without being a dedicated sports machine. Just with more comfort. And yet, it lost none of its touring class. It just looked sharper, sleeker, more angles than curves, yet still ogle-worthy.

So let’s get the numbers out of the way, this is, after all, an owner’s review, rather than a test.

The 1050cc in-line triple engine grunts out 125bhp over 6 gears and just hums or growls whenever you want. And with it all comes that unmistakable whistle of the triple. Where many of the Japanese bikes have an indistinguishable pop soundtrack, Ducatis and Harley’s have their signature theme tunes and so does a Triumph triple. It’s a good thing.

I was tapped on the shoulder by a motorbike cop while standing at a red light one morning on the way to work and all he said was “nice bike. It’s a missile! Take it easy and enjoy.” Like I was going to do anything else. But it made me smile as I heaved a sigh of relief that I hadn’t been collared doing something naughty. He’s right though. If you give it a handful, the Sprint’s reaction is very quick. I mean, very quick. On a rideout one evening, one of my co-bikers asked me if the difference between the 1050 and 955 was really that great. When I asked him why, he just said that rapid progress really looked easy on the 1050. Read into that what you will, but you do need to keep a lid on it. It’s very easy to overdo it.

It didn’t take long to get used to the change in position, the feel and feedback from the very responsive brakes and suspension. It’s a very involving bike and yet still comfortable and relaxing. When you point and shoot it goes like a rocket, but I don’t get much of a chance to do that. And certainly not outside of a track day environment. Most of my riding over the last few years has been commuting and the odd long trip round Britain or over to France.

I’ll start with the commuting side of things. The reach to the bars is a comfortable stretch if you’re quite tall. I’m 6’1” and I do have to lean a bit. This, inevitably puts weight through your wrists and if you’re filtering, it can be hard work. I say filtering, but at about 210 kilgrammes without luggage it’s more like manhandling your way through traffic; especially heavy, rush hour traffic in major cities. But with the seat as low as it is (I’ve not had it raised from the factory spec 81cm), I can put my feet flat on the ground with slightly bent legs so the feeling of security at a standstill is absolute. As is the balance. It’s a beautifully balanced machine and even at walking pace you still feel in complete control. And when I say walking pace I mean that kind of granny-on-a-zimmer sort of pace or, as Londoners like to call it, high speed commuting.

Double disc brakes on the front and a single on the rear are really good. I use EBC’s Double-H sintered stoppers and have done for years. They’re very responsive and the Triumph’s ABS is more of a comfort than a necessity, although it has proved itself very useful on a couple of occasions. That, too, can take a little getting used to as it feels like it stops you from using the brakes the way you want to. But you do get used to it.

This is where I am also very glad of my Road Pilot 3 tyres. Their grip is outstanding, even from cold (although, obviously, don’t push it), they’ve survived thousands of miles and seem to hold up to the road wear really well. Although I’ve had to replace several because of punctures, it’s rarely been down to wear, just tear. Currently, both front and rear have done more than 5k each and the rear is carrying two puncture repairs!

Riding any bike through commuter traffic in an urban environment is hard work and despite its balance and control, its easy, responsive gearing, it’s a heavy bike. Yet it really comes into its own when you hit the bigger roads.

Longer rides are a joy. Whether you’re touring, scratching or bimbling along this has become my dreamtime. Where aborigines go walkabout, I turn left off a main highway and find countryside with National speed limits and twists, turns, hills and valleys. If you want to clamber all over it round corners, you can. If you want to let it take the strain and just sit there loving the feeling of stability and easy speed, the comfort and visibility riding singly or with a pillion, this is the perfect bike. I spend a lot of time riding with a pillion and my wife is a huge bike fan. If you want proof of the comfort, we have done a number of long, motorway and countryside trips both in Britain and abroad (notably the odd 3 day blast to Amsterdam, Brussels and Luxembourg) spending many hours in the saddle. And apart from the usual “sitting in the same position for hours” grumbles, the bike has been amazingly comfortable. And that’s with the standard seat.

Luggage is quick and very simple to load and unload and doesn’t detract from the look of the bike, in my opinion. If you don’t want it there, it’s not. If it’s there, it does a job. Simples.

As far as accessories go, I’ve now fitted heated grips and a scott-oiler because, basically, I’m getting older and I like to keep my hands warm and I don’t like bending down to oil the chain! The heated grips have been a godsend and the scottoiler keeps maintenance to a minimum. It also extends chain life by keeping it properly lubed preventing stretch and uneven wear. I really would recommend one, especially if you do lots of miles.

All I’ve done is rave about how good it is, I know. But then I wouldn’t have kept it for 4 years if I didn’t love it. There are, however, a couple of negative points.

The nitty and gritty of riding this sort of bike comes down to the costs of servicing and maintenance. It’s not cheap. On a couple of occasions I’ve been forced down the credit card route rather than a debit card. If anything does go wrong, it’s expensive! But in the 4 years that I’ve had the bike, I’ve done over 24,000 miles. I’ve had it serviced every 6k which works out about £300 per service (oils, pads, filters and any sundries). This has all been through Carl Rosner in Sanderstead near Croydon. They’ve been fantastic with any queries and the’ve kept the bike running beautifully. I can’t say enough about their attention to detail and customer service, which is why I keep going back to them and handing over my money.

I’ve also had trouble with the position of the factory alarm connections. In fact, whenever I wash the bike I have to set it to service mode because otherwise water gets into the electrics and sets the alarm off. The guys at Carl Rosner have packed the unit in all sorts of waterproof coverings, but it still happens. It may be how the electric connections are positioned but it’s something I can live with. My neighbours are another story, though, especially when they see the hose!

All in all though, I am one very happy bike owner. And it’s down to the Sprint ST 1050. It suits me, my needs, my wants and my search for thrills on the road and the track. And that’s pretty much all I could ask for.

So, a quick recap. 4 years, 26000 miles, £££s spent, 7 countries visited, 7 tyres, several sets of brake pads, 1 change of chain and sprockets and a couple of very handy accessories. Funny how they get under your skin, into your heart and control your life isn’t it?

Love bike. Love biking. Happy.

M

The Need For Speed Gets Brakes!

There's that awful moment in some peoples' lives when an unbidden, official letter pops through the letterbox and lands with the weight of a thousand traffic cops on the shattered remains of a once unblemished driving record.

I am that person; that awful, hateful, hated person who believed themselves to be a better driver than most - although obviously not the best, that would be arrogant and conceited; that person who tuts at middle-lane hoggers and Sunday drivers and high speed racers; that person who pities and belittles Audi drivers and their broken indicators (it's not just me, is it? None of them work!); who bemoans the rudeness of others, the lack of care, the lack of observation, the lack of understanding, the lack of sharing.

I am also that person who did 42mph in a 30mph zone. After going through 3 villages on a National Speed Limit road in Cambridge at below 30mph - because that's the law! - and accelerating back to 60mph on leaving each one, I assumed the presence of a National Speed Limit sign as I exited the 4th village, only to be confronted by a camera. As I accelerated. Into what I thought was a 60mph zone. I'm sure I looked serenely happy on the photograph taken of me, believing that I was conforming to road conditions rather than stereotype - not that there is a stereotype where speeding is concerned. There isn't.  Your background, age, education, profession mean nothing. We're human. And sometimes we make mistakes.

It matters not. I had not been concentrating. If I had, I would have seen that there was a slightly tighter bend, that visibility was not great because of the trees and shrubs, that there was a hazard line in the middle of the road (the lengthened white line), that there was a camera immediately after the road narrowing furniture.

After nearly 30 years with a clean licence, pulled over once 15 years ago by a very bored policeman at 3 o'clock in the morning after a 6 hour drive to London from Newcastle to have a finger wagging session about doing 31 in a 30 zone, I had received the dreaded "Notification of Naughtiness!" And it was probably about time. Although I never considered  myself to be an "habitual speeder" I had probably been more wary of speed cameras, police cars and camera vans than I cared to admit. In fact, and I don't think I'm alone here and certainly not among people of my age and sex (I'm talking middle aged man, here), I may be able to have counted myself lucky that I had not been "done" before.

The offer was simple. 3 points on my licence for the first time ever and a fine, or 100 of my finest British pounds and a National Speed Awareness Course with AA Drivetech via which I kept my licence clean. There was no point arguing that it wasn't me, that it wasn't fair. It was me. It was fair. That was that.

So, I joined 24 other reprobates to discover the error of my ways. I also discovered that most of them had been caught doing a lot less than I had been, which was sobering in its own right.

I was expecting to be spoken to like an errant child or lambasted for my flagrant disregard for safety and the lives of others, held up as a danger and ridiculed for my stupidity and selfishness. I couldn't have been more wrong. The two course leaders were open, friendly, easy-going and chatty. Bryan Lennox and Aadam Malik weren't there to tell anyone off or make anyone feel bad. They were there to educate. That was it. We can all say that we know all this and we're all aware of the illegality and that we won't do it again. But if that was the case, we wouldn't be there in the first place, would we? It's an awareness course, not detention. And for all that some of the people on the course may have wanted to make a statement or attempt to state their case as if they were on trial, the whole point was that everyone would leave with a better understanding of the reasons behind speed limits and what to look for to inform our driving.

It's amazing what you miss when you look out of your window. Do you see that guy on the corner, the one who's always there? Did you notice that his shoes are a bit shabbier today and that his trousers are dirty? Can you see the shop on the end has changed its display - there are now 4 cakes on the shelf, not the usual 2? Do you see the zig zag lines near the traffic lights? Did you see the yellow lines on the side of the road, were they single or double… were they red? Did you see the girl in the short skirt, the guy in the sharp suit, THAT CHILD!

There are many reasons why we speed, but all of them are under our control, and one of the main things I will take from this course is the knowledge that I'm the one in control. If you're angry, take a breath. If you're tired, take a break or take it easy. If you're late, just be late. It's up to you to smile, sleep, leave a bit earlier. These are just examples, and they're exactly like the pressure that you might feel from other drivers to go faster. There's a reason for the speed limits in the UK. You might not think they're important, fair or even safe, you may have someone right on your tail, you might think your skill as a driver surpasses the road conditions or even your vehicle. (How many times have you heard someone say "my car/bike's so much more capable than I am". I know it's a joke, but you're in charge of it!) For all that bravado, we are all human. We all make mistakes.

This course is a refresher for the things you know but don't consider anymore. It's a reminder about the value of knowing the Highway Code. It's an education, actually. I have to say, though, that I was very worried that so few people appeared to know the National Speed Limits. I don't know what's worse, not knowing them and driving too fast or knowing them and deliberately not adhering to them. One of the first polls done on the day was about how dangerous people thought "marginal speeding" was. Just a couple of miles an hour over a speed limit increases your stopping distance, decreases the margin of error for reaction times and increases the likelihood of a mishap becoming something far more serious. It really is a matter of life or death. And no matter how desperate and extreme that might sound, it's true. Speed does kill. (Alright, for those of you who are pedantic enough, it's the metal, plastic, concrete and tarmac that kill you, but try falling over on it, rather than being hurled at it!)

My understanding of road conditions is more immediate now, it's more conscious. I have, in the past, commentated on my view from behind the wheel or on the bike, talking through what I'm seeing. But I've only ever done it as an exercise. It's a really good one to do, too, constantly reviewing what you can see, what might affect you, the hazards, distractions and road furniture. All of it. I just haven't CONSCIOUSLY taken it all in for a very long time. It's well worth doing.

I could have taken a very dim view of all of this. I could have decided that it was 4 hours that I'll never get back, that I knew it all anyway. Of course I did. That's why I was there, obviously, because I knew it all already! As it was, I became aware that I was learning how to use my skills more appropriately, how to better evaluate conditions and the driving environment. How to be a better, more considerate, more capable and more aware driver. It all began to feel as though I was investing in my future as a motorist rather than being punished for breaking the law.

I'm not going to go all bombastic and start shouting that I've seen the light, but I've come away from it all with the very certain belief that, actually, every driver should take this course. No matter how condescending or patronising any individual may think it is, they couldn't be more wrong and it would be very worthwhile. If it saves lives, calms drivers, reduces congestion (or at least keeps increasing levels of traffic moving) makes roads safer and more pleasurable places to be it has to be a good thing. Save the speed for where it's safest. Go to a race track. Pay your pounds to the guys there, rather than putting anyone else at risk and potentially costing yourself a whole lot more by doing it on the public road.

I am a convert. And if you're stuck behind someone doing the speed limit, just take a breath, slow down and give a little space and maybe, just maybe, you'll come away with a better awareness of what's going on around you. It took the threat of prosecution, some money I could ill-afford to spend on it and 4 hours on a course for me to learn what I should already have known. Imagine how much easier it would be if you could do that in the comfort of your own car, just by watching the road a bit more carefully.

If you're still sceptical about the benefits of this course here are a few numbers. Over 195,000 people were injured as a result of road accidents in 2012. Of those, more than 23,000 were serious (e.g. involving broken bones) and 1700 people died. In a quarter of the total number of accidents speed was a factor. That's pretty bad. Now consider who you share the road with; other cars, vans, lorries, buses, bikes, motorbikes, pedestrians. And now think who those people are.  They're not just "other" people, they're mums, dads, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives, friends, family. Give them a name. Give them their names. They're your friends, your family. And now consider your life if they weren't there. If you make it personal it becomes even more difficult to turn away from it and think, it's okay, it's only me and it won't happen to me anyway. I'm not saying it will. But hey, if we all take our foot off the gas and become more aware of the speed we do, the limits of the road and our own skills, then maybe, just maybe, we won't have to worry about that anymore.

There are various courses that you can do that are not a legal requirement but that will enhance your enjoyment of driving and make you safer and more aware. You can find out a lot of it via your local council and police force websites as well as the national ones. (www.gov.uk) And if you want track advice, check out the reviews on www.motorbikestoday.com and search online for companies who organise track days.

Stay safe out there and just COAST along (Concentrate, Observe, Anticipate, give yourself Space and Time)

Cheers y'all.

M

Wednesday 4 February 2015

Change is upon us. Let's wear it with pride!

Back in the olden times when there was sunshine and the right kind of snow; when decent law-abiding criminals shanked each other rather than innocent people; when individuals believed in what their governments were trying to do and National pride was something inclusive rather than divisive; when wagon wheels were a proper size and Cadbury's Cream Eggs tasted right; when a mud-pie tasted of dirt and wasn't filled with pesticides and steroids; when happiness wasn't judged financially and politeness really did cost nothing. You know, back then, before we got smug and selfish and isolationist and sexist and racist and anti everything that we couldn't fit in a pigeon's hole!

When did we decide it was right to leave a more dangerous, violent, angry, dissipated world for our children to inherit than we arrived into? When did we just let the scum float to the top and do whatever they damned well pleased, championing inequality in a search for financial nirvana for a "select" few (my bastardised, paraphrased precis from Will Hutton, The Observer, article about inequality in Britain).

When do we start to raise our heads and show the powers that be, the fiends, the dangerous minds that honour, respect, friendship, community, passion for society, tolerance, patience, long-term planning and a rich culture that doesn't hold finance as the only goal is an even stronger cause for a healthy society?

Or do we simply sit and watch while the increasingly angry few try desperately to fight against a system that progressively stifles anything worthwhile. I don't agree with violent upheaval, but I understand the anger and passion of those who cannot and will not believe that we are doing the right thing by doing nothing. We don't need the violence and riots, we do need the country, every community regardless of colour, creed or religion to stand together and say "no more".

There's a word we use for keeping people contained. It's "kettling". Weirdly apt, in many respects, because when things get hot in a kettle, they tend to boil. And whether we boil on the streets, caged in, or in the election booths or as a country sickened by the actions of the few for the few, there will be an explosion. I just hope that we get to do it with hurting anyone; that it is an explosion of reason and understanding; a tsunami of care and interest; a storm peace.

Come on, you media savvy script writers, journalists, broadcasters, where are the new words now? Where is the Peace-mageddon? What price a Care-apocalypse? Who'll champion a hurricane of respect and a tornado of understanding? Where is my Cataclysm of reason? Where is my wholesale change? We need to refarm and replant. Get a bit agricultural. Replace the seeds of doubt with seeds of togetherness and strength; of passion and love. So what if it sounds utopian, how high should we aim? Bloody high, actually. All the way to the top. Where the self-called "elite" build their ivory towers on our fear and anger, our apathy and disgust, our children and our forefathers. We don't need to batter them with fists. But they'll crumble when what they built their foundations on, the backs of the unequal, move as one.

Change is coming.

We have fewer than 3 months before we get a chance as a nation to stand up and make a proper difference. I can only hope that we have the courage of our personal convictions and make informed, not historical, choices.

We are better than we have become. Let's prove it. Wholesale change is a scary idea. But apathy and unchallenged acceptance are dangerous, potentially fatal.

Let us make our mark on history by changing the path of the future and resurrecting government for the people, not the banks. For humans, not computers. For society, not economy. Of course, financial stability is important, but not more so than EVERYTHING else.

I don't have the answers, but we all have ideas. Let's use them. Let's plant and plan. We can. We must.