Re: New Member

["Ian Pollen" <ian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Bostock" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

> Hi
>
> I am about (I hope) to become the proud owner of a Sprint ST having just
> paid a deposit, subject to road test, on a May '99 ST, 7,500 miles,
> immaculate condition.

Hi Mike,

Welcome back to two wheels.
Just about run-in then :-) The road test will not disapoint I am sure.

> Brief history:
>
> I am a 46 yr old, 225 lb, work and computerholic who ceased motorcycling
> 13 years ago and my last bike was a Honda GL650 Silver Wing on which,
> commuting, I did >30,000 miles in 18 months.  I have been encouraged (it
> needed very little) to rejoin the human race by one friend who owns a Pan
> and a Thunderbird and a neighbour who owns a Fazer.  Both are oldies, like
> me :-) - the friends that is, not the bikes.
>
> Anyway to cut a long story short, SWMBO reckons that men of my age either
> have an affair or get a motorbike and with my figure if it were the former
> I had better be nice to her guide dog :-( - in any case the motorbike
> option is cheaper!

LOL, they don't answer back either.
Well, you could count that wonderful GROWL! when on full throttle :-)
*** WARNING: The above behaviour is ADDICTIVE ***

> Last Sunday - in the worst weather in the UK for the last decade, I did a
> refresher on a Kawasaki 500 (a birthday present from SWMBO - the refresher
> not the bike). So with an instructor blasting advice into my right ear
> from the radio I spent a day re-visiting old skills and learning a few new
> ones (who said old dogs can't learn new tricks).  The ride up a twisting A
> road onto Dartmoor was more of a tiptoe across a lethal carpet of wet
> leaves and surface water serveral inches deep whilst being buffeted by
> 50mph winds and turned into a survival exercise but in spite of the
> conditions I knew I just had to get back on two wheels.

This sounds like my regular commute. British weather has been none too kind
of late.
In fact I live in Broadstairs, Kent and we have another storm force weather
system due to hit us today :-)
A number of people reported tornados off the coast on Friday, very strange.

> So I delved around a bit on the Internet, wondered aimlessly around our
> local dealer's showroom and spoke to few other bikers. Since I essentially
> wanted something to ride the short 8 miles into work AND have some fun at
> the weekends AND be able to accompany my friend down to the South of
> France with him on his Pan and me being able to walk after being 300+
> miles in the saddle I really had to go for a comfortable sports-tourer.
> The final decision appeared to rest on a VFR800 or the Sprint ST.
>
> The VFR's reliability seemed to have the edge but the sentimental part of
> me considered that it would be just 'nice' to own a bike with a British
> name even if most of the bits were made in Japan, Italy, France or Outer
> Mongolia.

I have racked up 33,000 miles in just over 12 months with no real show
stoppers.

New rear shock at 15,000 miles, oil seal failed.
One fuel line replaced, developed 3mm split.
Rear brake light switch replaced.
Leaky fuel sender replaced three times but now replaced with the latest
version that should cure this well documented problem.
All the above was done under warranty.

The above may sound a lot but averaged out over the 33k it's not bad. The
backup from Triumph has been excelent.
The fuel line leak dumped 5 litres of fuel over me and resulted in Triumph
replacing my leather trousers and boots. The nice thing was they offered to
do this with no pressure from me :-)

> So when I walked into our local dealer and they had only just finished
> pressure washing this pristine example I was sure I wasn't going to leave
> without laying claim to it (subject to test ride yet to come).
>
> The price, judging by the 2nd hand adverts in MCN is fair, and, although I
> had my heart set on a brand new green model, the advantage of buying this
> second-hand red one should I decide to re-sell in a year or so has won
> favour with the more realistic part of my brain.
>
> I have a few questions but I suppose asking you assembled converts "Have I
> done the right thing?" would be a waste of time :-))
>
> Here are the rest of my questions:
>
> Will it live up to my expectations/requirements?