Re: [ST] A Trophy not a Sprint ST

["Mike Bostock" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In your message regarding [ST] A Trophy not a Sprint ST dated Sat, 9 Mar 2002
07:14:26 -0800, Mike Benzon said that ...

>MB-   I believe there are two distinct classes of
>MB-  Sport Tourers and the Sprint ST and Trophy clearly define that.

As other posters have commented, your phrase really hits the nail on the head.

There are (amongst other classes)

1. Sports bikes
2. Sports/Tourers
3. Tourers

You wouldn't want to do 600 miles in a weekend on an NC50, neither would you
want to drag the Gold Wing out to do 10 miles round the block.  The Sport
market is easy - extremely fast, flawless handling, sod-all comfort.  The
Tourer market is stacks of comfort, low maintenance, luggage space enough for a
50 piece orchestra and fuel capacity to go once round the world without
refueling.  Whereas the Sports/Tourer is a compromise, where it fits within
that niche market depends on how heavily weighted the bike is to either end of
the spectrum.  

I personally feel that the Sprint ST fits 60:40 Sport:Tourer (others may
disagree).  That niche suits me at the moment.  However, I bought the bike for
other reasons that the S:T ratio ... but *because* of the bike's S:T ratio I
find myself and my riding falling into that niche - a case of the bike
determining the riding pattern.  I will drag out my Pan riding friend who is
happy to do a return trip of 150 miles for fish and chips at lunchtime whereas
my Fazer riding friends are knackered after 90 miles and the Sprint ST will
outride (with no particular skill on my part) both.

Now although the Sprint's niche suits me at present, I now find that an
increasing amount of my time is spent two-up touring.  Whereas the Sprint is
quite capable of this and for the moment my pillion is capable of a 350 mile
day (under protest) I can't help feeling that a bike with a shaft drive with a
slightly more upright seating position would be better suited for this rôle -
the weight of the Pan is discouraging thus the FJR1300 may just fit the bill. 
There again, I would probably find that I missed the 'Sport' superiority of the
Sprint.

In conclusion, 'Horses for courses' is the expression here in the UK (not sure
if this has reached across the Atlantic) - the Sport/Tourer market is very
broad and difficult to satisfy 'all the people all the time' thus the
considerable variance in the balance between the Sport and Touring aspects is
to be welcomed as somewhere out there is a bike which will fit the individual
need of the individual rider.



- -- 
Mike Bostock
http://www.toothfairy.co.uk/
Wales & SW ST Riders
http://www.sprint-st.org/

'99 Red ST

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