CBR vs Sprint - Tourers, your advice please

[TCFA]

OK, before we start I know the Sprint is the dedicated sports tourer and is a brilliant bike too, so on paper no contest, BUT the thing is this

... I've always wanted a Sprint ST. I nearly bought a 955 once. Now I want the 1050. It's pretty, it's quick, it's comfy. No matter what awesome gorgeous old or new shiny sports or cruisers or tourers or streetfighters or roadsters or baggers or whatevers I lust after, I have always come back to wanting the ST. In fact the plan has been to buy one in January when prices are a bit depressed.

But I did a couple of days in France/Belgium on the CBR, before which I stuck a doublebubble on and some hot grips, and it really wasn't too bad. Bum a bit sore, wrists a bit sore but y'know, that's not the end of the world. Yes the weight on the back changed things a bit, and yes it would be nice to turn it into a sleek fast sports focused thing, but I could spend the Sprint money and make life better still on the CBR, or I could get the sprint and have the choice.

So, owners of both or either or similar bikes, what's your thoughts? I hope to do more and more touring - will the Sprint revolutionise that for me, or should I really get intimate with the CBR?

Fuck I waffle don't I?
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Then: Kawasaki ZZR250 > Suzuki Across 250 > Suzuki SV650 > Honda CB750
Now: Honda CBR600F and Triumph Tiger 800 XRT

[Itchy]

You can tour on anything, it is more the will to do it rather than the bike.

Thus you might well buy an ST1050 and not tour on it.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[arry]

I went from CBR to Sprint

I like my sprint but it's far from perfect in many ways.

I am thinking of selling it, in fact

[TCFA]

What would you say are the drawbacks? For some reason I always fancied it over a VFR
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Then: Kawasaki ZZR250 > Suzuki Across 250 > Suzuki SV650 > Honda CB750
Now: Honda CBR600F and Triumph Tiger 800 XRT

[arry]

I'll just quote myself for ease:

_______________________________________________
I've had my Sprint for ~4 years now. Here's a selection of a few posts I've made about it in that time:

Quote:
Have you got the perfect bike?
Nope. Nowhere near it.

Firstly, the Sprint is a bit too heavy really. That bothers me.

Secondly, I bought it as a bit of a do it all bike. But now I'm looking to do a tour some things have come to light which kind of pee me off; it's just how completely spastic my bike is as a sports tourer.

The panniers are really useful, if everything you want to take happens to be square and of a certain size. Can't get a tank bag without mega expense as it's a plastic tank and TBH the tank is so high that it'd just be in the way anyway. Can't get a standard tail pack as there's no bungie strap mount points etc. Can't strap around rear seat as under-slung exhaust would set fire to everything. So, my old CBR would have been more practical. Great.


Quote:
My Sprint came fitted with the Datatool S4 which didn't bleep. That was nice. Then it burnt out, bleeped a lot, set the indicators flashing, powered the bike down and immobilised the ignition circuit.


Quote:
I've got a sprint - which is the same engine, and bought it because of the engine, which I really enjoyed in the Speed but couldn't justify the Speed to myself as I do a lot of 2 up with the missus.

I like my sprint but I'm not totally sold on it. IMO, it's a good sports tourer but it does neither brilliantly. Yes it's probably the best handling sports tourer in its class but it's not a sports bike. Yes it's useable as a touring bike but it's nowhere near as good at it as the proper tourers are - the panniers are rubbish for space, for a start. It's too much of a compromise on both.


Quote:
The 4069 is stunning scenery wise; starts off through the trees on quite wide but very winding roads, then pops out over a cattle grid and straight out across the mountain, climbing up high with a series of hairpins, then back down the other side again. Rather technical - the Sprint didn't feel at home here at all



So, in essence. It's a good bike, but not a great one. It's too compromised in either of its disciplines which makes me feel like I really want a sports bike, or really want a tourer, not an odd hash of the two.

Handling wise it's competent but weighty. Engine wise it's excellent as the 1050 is a peach, but the weight robs it of real acceleration and it's only really marginally faster than a CBR600. Albeit it has a lot more thump throughout, and sounds much nicer. Brakes are adequate not amazing.

Build quality has been pretty good TBH, not exceptional but it won't rust out from under you.

I've enjoyed owning it but I've not fallen in love with it. Shame, but that's the way it is.
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The main thing for me is that it's neither a sports bike or a touring bike, and I feel that I'd have more joy on either / or. Don't get me wrong it wasn't hopeless at touring but it certainly wasn't easy either, this is how it got loaded up:

https://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk301/arryR32/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20140726_114247_zps3c5d8e2b.jpg

Could my old CBR have done that? Frankly, yes.

[raesewell]

As already said you can turn almost any bike into a tourer but if you are going to do lots of serious touring you need the right tool for the job.
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Yamaha FJR 1300 Normanton West Yorkshire

[Casper]

I tour on my old GPz750A. I put upright bars on it and ditched the fairing and now the sore wrists have gone. I cruse at 80mph so almost any bike would do me as long as it has a large (ish) tank. I am looking for a larger one for my GPz but the standard one is no drama at 19lt. Got myself a top box for next tour what will be my wifes back rest. Only downside now is if raining I have no protection but hey, its an adventure.

[Deaks]

If you like the 1050 engine, I tour on my Tiger 1050.

I absolutely love it and I do use it for everything. Commuting, touring and hooning.

This year I went to Assen Moto GP, then down to the Stelvio pass and back, then another trip to Amsterdam and the Nurburgring, and it performed really well on the 'Ring. I would even consider doing a track day on it.

I agree with arry that the panniers are poor, and as I plan on doing 5ish weeks in Scandinavia I'm going to splash out and get some SW Motech metal ones.
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Suzuki SV650S '04 (09/08-02/11), Triumph Tiger 1050 '07 (02/11 - current).

Live to Ride. Ride to Feel Alive.

[Chain driven]

Tcfa , interesting reply to you thread, so I,l put my tuppence in
Two up on a Vfr ( 5th gen.) handles well loaded down side lacked power low down ( pulling away from starts) . This year did it on a full on cruiser ( vn 1500 nomad ) flipping brilliant down side down right dangerous at low speeds ( it does weigh close to 1/2 a ton ) .
Now gone back to a tourer/ sport ( cbf1000 the g t model ) to date it does the sports bit very well , it carries two up well the carrying capacity looks good and it will be next year for the touring test

[noobRider]

I'm on my second 955ST and haven't got much to compare it to but I found it great as a tourer. It is heavy but it doesn't feel it at low speeds, and sluggish compared to a Street Triple or an out and out sports bike. The exhaust is low so doesn't get in the way strapping stuff on, and my current one has a rear rack anyway. It pulls well across the revs and is fast enough for me.

Panniers are big enough to take a helmet and I like that they are smaller than the handlebar width so I can filter ok with them on. I don't need any more space with stuff in a bag on top if required. The plastic tank is a pain but a small strap on bag is all I needed for docs and a map. I only needed the panniers for the Normandy trip this year.

It's annoying that there isn't anywhere easy to mount a SatNav and you have to remove the plastics to get to just about everything. I'm also annoyed by the mis-matched dial colours on the dash. I don't love it like I did my Guzzi, but it's a way better bike.
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Licence: Nov 2012, Bikes: Suzuki GN125, Moto Guzzi Strada 750, Triumph Sprint ST 955i x 2
AnPhonEh: I need plans, I need contingency plans also, I need back up contingency plans

[c-m]

Isn't a Sprint 1050 lighter than the VFR800?

I used to want one, but at the time my ZX9R was brilliant tourer, the only thing the Sprint seemed to do better was pillion accommodation.

These days I'd be looking at the Tiger 800.

[cheeseman]

I had a 955 Sprint, which I think was probably a better bike for touring than the later 1050. The problem you need to watch out for with the later uprated 955 models with the starter clutch on the end of the crank is the dodgy crankshaft snapping. I had an early one and had no unusual mechanical problems at all. Just the electrics didn't like being left outside in the Scottish rain. Other than that I thought it was a great bike and good for most things.

I've now got an 1100 Pan and have to say that for long distances it wipes the floor with the Sprint. It's a bit of a dull bike though at first but you grow to love it after a while! Best thing about it is its stability in strong cross winds - the Sprint was utter shite for this but the Pan is better than any car I've driven never mind bike! Must be the depleted uranium frame that it seems to be constructed from.

[TCFA]

So I need a light weight bike with a depleted uranium frame and a metal tank ... hmmm

Actually, I've never considered an adventure bike but I'm quite liking the idea of the 1050 Tiger. Isn't the engine a bit detuned from the Sprint though? I started browsing DL thou V-Stroms today too (I do some work sometimes, honest).

I've never tried the 1050 engine. Bac k when I had my SV650 I tried out a 955 Sprint and felt very happy and comfy. That sort of got me onto Sprints.

Interested to hear re the ZX9R. The other consideration has always been an old school chubby litre-ish sports type bike for touring. (Particular hard-on for a ZZR - my first ever bike was a ZZR250)
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Then: Kawasaki ZZR250 > Suzuki Across 250 > Suzuki SV650 > Honda CB750
Now: Honda CBR600F and Triumph Tiger 800 XRT