Well the bike arrived. I actually bought it without ever having ridden one, which I don't really recommend but there you go. I'm pretty happy with it. Slightly more on the wrists than my TBird which was expected. Great engine. Slightly taller than I expected. I'm 5 foot 11 and can only just get my feet down properly. Easy to flick about on the move. Very planted. Suspension seems very good. The only issue I have encountered so far is the indicator switch does not turn off the flashers when pressed. Im a bit annoyed at the dealer as this is dangerous. Dealer has otherwise been pretty good. Hopefully I can take it to bits and do a repair. I'm a bit paranoid about engine noises. Bike has only done 21k so hopefully trust will build as I put some miles on. She turns in very easily, but tries to sit up, which i think is the tyres being a bit flattened off, particularly the front. There is some life left in it but I might have to buy a new one. Clutch lever is a bit heavy but not ridiculous. Cable looks ok. If I don't get used to it I'll run a new one. Gear box is good so easy enough tonfind neutral, which helps. She starts. Suspension is good. Brakes good and she looks good. So I'm a happy man, planning trips to Wales, the Peak District and Isle of Wight
Happy New Bike Day! I take it the bike came with an MOT? Surely the dealer should have spotted the indicator switch not functioning. I would definitely be in touch with them. Also if the tyres are that worn a decent dealer would have replaced them.
Happy New Bike Day! Nothing like getting a new bike to make one feel like a kid again. Great write up about your initial impressions, @Stu9000.
@Stu9000 Its looks a nice machine. My cables once a year i use a syringe and fill it with light oil and feed it into the cables and leave over night. Seems to work for me. If you are not far from the dealer let them sort the indicator should never have left the dealers with dodgy indicators or switch's. The engine is a lump so does make the odd noise but those sprint's are good for very high miles. Think when i sold my 1050 it had around seventy thou miles on the clock and still wanted to motor. I did love it. But I think as a lot of peeps on here know i get the itch very quickly. So it was sold for something new can't remember what i got.
Thanks all. I agree MOT should have flagged the switch. I mentioned it to the dealer but they fobbed me off with suggestion that contact cleaner might fix it. I say fobbed cos it had clearly been taken apart recently. When I took it apart there was nothing obviously broken. Strangely if I press down, then turn the switch in the direction the flashes are on, it turns off. Triumph replacement part over £150 so I'll live with it or find a fix. At least it is consistent so not too distracting . Tyres are legal and for a 3k bike I can understand a reluctance to put a new one on. Bike seems in good shape otherwise, fingers crossed.
I love the sounds it makes when switched off. An endearing mix of R2d2 and an old daisy wheel printer.
I bought mine with 25k on the clock, and now have 43k miles. It's been a fun ride (max speed so far was 115 mph). I had the forks and valve clearances done around 42k. My wife enjoys the ride on the back, too, as long as I have the top box mounted with a backrest. I've had some issues with the tranny not wanting to leave 1st gear when it is cold. A little pressure on the gear shift while releasing the clutch, and it snaps into the next year. 5 minutes later, there is no issue. Good Luck!
OK so a week in, and I'm still in a loving and mutually supportive relationship with the new bike. We've not hit the motorway yet but I have commuted most days. Town rides and a bit of 50 mph dual lane stuff . No doubt when I get her out on the open road I will access the true mile munching missile she built to be. A weekend jaunt is coming soon. Wales or Peak District. It's all relative, so remember the previous bike was the TBird 900 which is lighter with the weight and seat height lower. Arguably better round town but even with the Dart flyscreen not really designed for 70 mph speeds. The engine will do it but the wind blast of a naked bike gets tiring over long distances. My non biker mates like the tbirds classic style but I'm loving the GTs curves and the Aluminium silver (grey to some) has really grown on me. The GT is heavier and the weight is higher. I'm 5'11" and cannot quite get both feet flat on the ground so I have to be cautious walking the bike around when parking. But it is do'able. Once moving I would characterise the bike as a dainty rhino. Comparatively wider to straddle. Enormous smooth linear power. Very stable but still flickable. If i remember rightly, it has similar ergonomics as my old cbr 600. A little weight on the wrists. Noticeable when cutting through city traffic for 45 mins, but not ridiculously sports bike wrist achingly bad. Ive no complaints and am in no rush to fit bar risers at the moment. Every bike is a compromise but I'm really very happy that this bike will cross France in comfort but still is narrow enough to filter through London traffic. Thats great design. Suspension is a million times better than my T Bird. It handles pot holes and geneal road bumps with aplomb. I read a fair bit about the wheel base being longer than the ST. The GT is plenty sharp enough even with the extra couple of inches. I like that there is room to shift about a bit, although the ol lower back is still well supported. The ST underseat exhaust looks great and sounds amazing but, for me, the standard side mounted exhaust on the GT is a more practical set up. The engine still has some character even with the standard exhaust and certainly sounds better to me than the in line 4s of other bikes. The triple, for me, gives thr best of both worlds offering great torque across the dial without being too vibration prone. As mentioned previously the switch gear is behaving a little strangely. If I click on the turn signal briefly it only switches off if I press the middle setting, and then click it in the direction it is flashing. If I am turning for longer, or more steeply it seems to work as it should. Odd huh? Brakes are amazing. Suspension great. Engine seems fine so far. I'm always paranoid about the various noises until we've done a few miles together, but nothing to worry about as far as I can tell. So when all is said and done I'm a happy man, who will be even happier when I stretch her legs properly.
I had a 2005 Sprint ST - almost the same bike as the GT and I still think of it as one of the best bikes I had. Enjoy!
I also had a 2005 Sprint ST. Not my style of bike but to be fair, scarily good at... ahem motorway speeds. Enjoy your new bike and keep note of those licence points!
Still pretty happy with the bike but I am still a bit confused by he switchgear. I have bought a used switch off eBay and will fit it next weekend. Current switch has me srarching my head. It's a weird consistent issue rather than a gunged up connection. It does not switch off when I press it. But if I turn a corner it does seem to switch off the blinkers. Is it some safety feature?
