[ARTICLE]By Iguana Joe Thomas/NC

[idroitex=250]http://www.sporttouring.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=160&stc=1&d=1335731477[/idroitex]Sitting at a traffic light, I found myself thinking about my next move on my ride. I was hungry. If I opted to turn left onto the main four lane road, I could be at a restaurant. If I crossed the main road, I could be back on my favorite twisty roads for a few more miles and stretch out my ride. Now, I need to make it clear, I had been waiting for this demo ride on Triumph’s new Sprint GT through a long, cold, snowy winter. I had to turn the demo bike back into Myers Motorcycles at some point. So, feed the body or feed the passion? As I pondered the answer, the light turned green, I let the clutch out, and then…

I own a ’07 Sprint ST, my daily ride pretty much year round and the perfect bike for me. I fell in love with the Sprint platform the first time I rode a demo model and the tach passed 5 grand in second gear. A week later I was on my very own ‘07 ST. I was a hard sell when Triumph announced that they were discontinuing the ST in the US and introducing the GT. Matter of fact, I was pretty miffed. They were changing perfection.

[igauchex=250]http://www.sporttouring.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=161&stc=1&d=1335731504[/igauchex]The folks at Myers Motorcycles were most accommodating. I had to be patient waiting for a day that was not raining, snowing or too cold without my electrics on. That day had finally come and I was doing a back to back ride, same day, same route, and same weather, to try and get a sense of the differences, improvements, and lapses between the two bikes. So, how did they change perfection? The motor is unchanged, but the injection mapping is improved. The throttle response is crisp, and the backfires during decelerations are now gone from the large low muffler. The muffler change was ostensibly to get rid of the heat on the rider’s right calf, a problem I have never noticed, even riding across Texas in 100 plus degree heat last June. The seat is taller and flatter, and feels harder due to its shape on my backside which also makes for a slightly longer reach to the bars. I think the GT will work better for long distance rides. The new bags are larger, and the new mounting system looks much more finished than the old. Also there are now underseat helmet hooks. The GT turns a little slower, due to its length and added weight, but I think it will be a fun bike for 2 up sport touring, or a great daily commuter. I have always said the ST was a sport bike for a big person that also works as a daily commuter. I miss the music from the old underseat muffler, but can live with the new version.

The only true nit I have regarding the GT is that being a 6’3”, 275lb rider, when I get on my toes for some “spirited riding” in the twisties, my size 46 Sidi’s heel wanted to get stuck in the luggage carrier bracket.

While I sat at the traffic light thinking “left turn for food or across for more twisties,” the light turned green. I twisted the throttle and rode across the street, taking the long way back to the dealership. The Sprint GT went to the top of my list the first time the tach swept past 5 grand in 3rd gear. I told the folks at Myers Motorcycles, as I dropped the GT off, “I took this ride looking for reasons to dislike this bike, but Triumph got it right, again!”
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