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Re: Adventurer 900 v. Sprint ST



Paul asks,
<< Anyway, I was just wondering what the riding differences were and if you 
are pleased with your 900.  
  >>
Hi Paul,
I found that the Adventurer screen blocked out most wind, whereas the lowish 
screen on the Sprint ST allows most to hit my face, so the face protection 
isn't good.  After a while my  visor is full of splatted flies etc.  I even 
had a vicious wasp caught in helmet and had to do an emergency stop because 
of the stinging pain and to get it out.   Some have added higher screens but 
it makes the bike look more like a trophy.  

The sitting position sometimes makes the back of  my neck and upper back 
ache, being lower and more forward, so you have to lean your head back to get 
a good view ahead.  Mind you, it could be my age showing out!  The bulbous  
tank gives you a rest though, as you can lean your whole front body weight on 
it.  This also allows you to take pressure off your hands. My wrists aren't 
affected as much as I thought they would be, except that I have less hand 
protection and wish I had heated grips sometimes.  On the Adventurer, I felt 
like I'd brought my armchair, and was superb cruising on long journeys when 
the enjoyment was the journey.  It was a pity to stop for petrol.  Although 
it is not as comfortable on the Sprint ST, The sitting position is the best 
out of all the sports bikes, and adequate for enjoying long journeys. 
   
The whole handling is great, especially going slow, and at high speeds, where 
I don't get the weaving/tank slapping I had with the Adventurer.   I can get 
more into these panniers than I could with the hard leather ones.  Getting 
180 miles out of a tank now is a bonus, I got fed up with having to fill up 
every 120 miles  when the other tourers had  180 plus.   The Sprint is superb 
for overtaking, zipping in and out safely, whereas I found the Adventurer 
couldn't reach the high speed quickly, needed for safe overtake and tended to 
be left behind when out with sports/sports tourers/tourers.  My husband has a 
Trophy and can do this quicker than me, although I  can reach overall higher 
speeds than him, so when he overtakes quick and leaves me behing, I can catch 
him up easily.   It's fun when your partner has a bike as well! Plus he 
helps? me maintain mine he.he!.  I do all the cooking and he does all the 
maintaining.  

After having to manouver a very heavy bike, the Sprint felt like a feather.   
I
As the weaving over 75-80mph resulted in more cautious driving, the ability 
to ride comfortably resting on the tank, above 120 mpg is blissful (not done 
too much because of cameras and unmarked police cars, content myself to do 90 
ish).

The space between the  foot rest and break lever seems to be the same, wide, 
which some don't like, but I'm used to it so it doesn't bother me.  I've had 
the fuel gauge changed recently because of the design fault, and the battery 
had to be replaced because it couldn't hold a charge.  One of those battery 
regulators (Opti-mate or Accu-mate) that you attach to your battery has been 
recommended, to extend the batterly life.  They cost about £40-50.  The 
battery costs £60 new.   I ride the Sprint regularly, the same as the 
Adventurer, but never once had to charge up the battery and it always fired 
up instantly, so I reckon the bike design has something to do with it.

I find the Sprint handles poorly in wet conditions, when I have to ride 
slower and be more cautious with down- gear-changing.   The London roads and 
motorways are used so much by lorries etc, and spill out diesal, so I hate it 
if it's damp  some mornings, as it feels like an ice rink.  There should be a 
law to ban them from filling up to the brim!.   The Adventurer had much more 
grip in wet weather conditions.       

I couldn't cope with u-turns on the Adventurer, but the Sprint does them 
beautifully.  I've dropped it once, at a crossroads, when my foot slipped off 
some diesal putting it back down when a car parked at the junction shot out 
across me without indicating.  I had a full tank of petrol and full panniers 
and it took two of us to lift it up, but if I was a muscly manly person, I'd 
have managed it on my own.  It's probably the same as the Adventurer because 
both are top heavy.     

I was heartbroken when my Adventurer was written off, but I now love the 
Sprint as much and will be keeping it forever, unless Triumph make the seat 
lower without compromising the suspension (I'm  a measly 5' 4").  After the 
initial neckache which improved after a few weeks,  It was a doddle.  

Go for it!

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