Re: [ST] getting the shaft

["David W. Funk" <dwf@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 29 Mar 2003 07:52:51 -0800, Donald Olson wrote:

>>Shaft drive for a Sport-Tourer, not pure sport bike. With todays motors,
>>like the R1 and GSXR1000, losing a little HP to a shaft would be unnoticable.
>>BMW and Moto Guze (sp?) have both race shaft bike with success.

>You're talking about a sporty "tourer" not a "sports" tourer. 

This brings up a very good question. What is sport-touring? 
I don't feel like I can express it in words, but I know what it is. As a rough 
first  try I will say something like:
  sport-touring = "riding quickly on twisty roads, for a long way".
Any bike can be riden as a sport-tourer and I have seen it done, from 
an R6 to a BMW K1200LT. I think the Sprint ST is a great example of
a sport-tourer. Something that can go 500 mile days on windy backroads,
has luggage to carry what you need (want) on a long, all day ride.

>I had a Moto
>Guzzi LeMans that was breathed on a bit. Nice bike and very fast. But
>couldn't now keep up with me on the roads I ride on my ST. 

Well the LeMans is fairly old now, and new bike are better. This is not
saying much. The ST is a very very good motorcycle.

>BMW= Bend in the
>middles. Didn't like the feeling in a fast R,L,R of the back and front ends
>going in different directions or touching the case and having both ends
>leaving the ground. Watching Daytona a few weeks ago I see they still do
>this. Like one very August racing personality told me in the 60's. "You
>can't turn a pig into a race horse but you can end up with a fast pig."

I disagree with you statement about BMWs. I think BMW handle very well.
They are not an R6, but they are not trying to be. The R1100S's at Daytona
are just a good show. I am sure that my Sprint ST would need a lot of work
and still look all out of shape at Daytona, especially riden by a bunch of
talented, crazy racers.

The heads dragging on BMW R bikes is not caused by the shaft.

>
>With the chains these days the care is a no brainer. Besides I just changed
>the gearing for $16.00 for the heck of it. Do that with a shafty.

Ease of gear changing with a chain is a big factor for racing. But it is not
important to me. For the wide variaty of conditions faced by a sport-touring
ride, I am happy with my current Sprint ST gearing.

David W. Funk
'94 BMW K75S + '00 Triumph Sprint ST
Pleasanton, CA





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