Author Topic: Triumph 1050 Striple vs Gen1 (modded) (Read 6564 times)

sadlonelygit · « **on:** 01 July 2012, 02:27:44 pm »

'That's the most sorted bike i have ever ridden, absolutely phenominal!'

'i can't beleive i bought this when i could have one of these.

'

just a few of the comments of the striple owner after i let him loose on my bike today

he's a former gen2 owner but didn't gel with it and somehow has managed to avoid having a go on my bike for the last 18 months.

unfortunately i had to ride his bike as well.

good points
bottom end/midrange
the noise
the ergonomics

bad points
stupid lights on the rev counter
front brake is either on or off
suspension was 'crude'.......if i'm kind
stupid fly screen wobbling around at 'ahem' 50+
park bench seat.
the mirrors

unforgivable points
the back brake was weaker than a lib-dems handshake

and a top gear roll on from 50 has the triumph ahead by a couple of yards until the fazer hits 4k, then it's bye bye.

steeeve66 · « **Reply #1 on:** 01 July 2012, 05:07:02 pm »

I thought the 'striple' was oh...kay ish, just nothing like as good as everyone says it is - broadly I'm with you on the bad points tho.

Falcon 269 · « **Reply #2 on:** 01 July 2012, 05:31:45 pm »

I've not ridden the 1050 Speed Triple but I've tried the 1050 Sprint and Tiger versions. The much-vaunted triple bottom end punch must have passed me by because I didn't find anything to excite in either motor. Of course, the Speed Triple makes more power than the Tiger and the Sprint is quite weighty but even so, I'd take a well-sorted Gen 1 over any of these three.

stonedpillock · « **Reply #3 on:** 01 July 2012, 05:45:51 pm »

Hi
What mods have you done to your bike? The speed triple is(was!?) on my wish list. Can't bring myself to part with my gen1 so going to upgrade suspension etc. Got an r6 shock, ivanised carbs ,venhill brake lines(nice quality kit) now need to upgrade forks, but you know that from our emails. Need to renew rear linkage bearings as there is a little bit of play there. Plan is to keep the fazer and next summer get a Triumph Scrambler! Going to rip all the chrome crap off and build a stripped down copy of this www.hammarhead.com it floats my boat anyway. I want something I can just jump on with a pisspot helmet jeans and leather jacket and blat round the lanes on. The fazer will fulfill my need for speed.

sadlonelygit · « **Reply #4 on:** 01 July 2012, 06:49:35 pm »

Quote from: Falcon 269 on 01 July 2012, 05:31:45 pm

The much-vaunted triple bottom end punch must have passed me by because I didn't find anything to excite in either motor. Of course, the Speed Triple makes more power than the Tiger and the Sprint is quite weighty but even so, I'd take a well-sorted Gen 1 over any of these three.

i beleive the ST has lower gearing than the sprint which makes it quite lively up to 7k.
i expected it to be a bit of an animal as it's a 'bad boy' bike, but didn't even lift the front under a hard bit of 1st gear acceleration, unlike the fazer which launches upwards and onwards when it hits 7.5k in 1st.
though to be fair it came up perfectly well in second with a bit of clutch

PaulSmith · « **Reply #5 on:** 02 July 2012, 12:42:41 pm »

If it couldn't lift its own front wheel, then the speed triple you tried was a pretty sick example and should not be taken as typical. Sadly, that also means it owners compliments should be taken with a pinch of salt.

ghostbiker · « **Reply #6 on:** 02 July 2012, 01:15:14 pm »

It's kind of like it is with my hire bike.
Bandit 1250, the way the power and tourqe is laid down gave the initial impression that it wouldn't wheelie. Where has it just needs to be handled in a diff way than the gen 1 to get anything from it.

Still think its god awful but its not as poor as my first ride impressions.
Same thing when I took out a 1050 tiger, nice engine but needed to be handled in a diff way to get the best from it.
So far the zx1000sx is the most like a well sorted gen 1 I have found.
But all bikes take time to get used to how to get the best from.

allanmac · « **Reply #7 on:** 02 July 2012, 03:14:49 pm »

Had a loan of the local triumph dealers demo bike when my daytona was in to get some work done and couldn't say i was that impressed with the speed triple. It was nice enough but didn't make me want to rush out and buy 1. $:\$ Kinda the same with the 1050 tiger which is why i still have my old girlie and the fazer.
Cheers Allan

ddtwelve · « **Reply #8 on:** 02 July 2012, 03:41:04 pm »

took a sprint 1050 st (brand new off the shop floor) out for a couple of hours and after filling up with fuel

got all of 30mins riding as stopped for a natter with fiance and the bloody thing wouldnt start again

but for a 1000cc bike didnt think it was any better than my 600 granted it was more planted on the floor and seats were more comfy but thats down to yamaha's cheap suspension , i wont be buying one but the 1200 comming soon

mcyoungy · « **Reply #9 on:** 02 July 2012, 05:47:34 pm »

maybe if he spent the money you have on modding his Sprint it would be more of a "comparison".

sadlonelygit · « **Reply #10 on:** 02 July 2012, 09:24:07 pm »

Quote from: PaulSmith on 02 July 2012, 12:42:41 pm

If it couldn't lift its own front wheel, then the speed triple you tried was a pretty sick example and should not be taken as typical. Sadly, that also means it owners compliments should be taken with a pinch of salt.

it would lift the front wheel alright, but not in first away from a standstill like the fazer does, needed 'encouraging' in second shall we say. might be a case for a TRE.

sadlonelygit · « **Reply #11 on:** 02 July 2012, 09:30:46 pm »

Quote from: mcyoungy on 02 July 2012, 05:47:34 pm

maybe if he spent the money you have on modding his Sprint it would be more of a "comparison".

fine by me, project shoestring now stands at £1880, but i have just bought 2x E36 givi and 1x gen-ewe-wine yamaha 46l top box and a wingrack.
which means he has spent £3119 more so far!
and it's a speed triple by the way.

mcyoungy · « **Reply #12 on:** 02 July 2012, 10:10:23 pm »

apologies......... night shifts confuse me somewhat.

pitternator · « **Reply #13 on:** 03 July 2012, 08:02:24 am »

I wouldnt expect most fazer owners to understand the appeal of a triple engine.Most riders confuse ultimate power with a bikes worth and enjoyment. Sure a 1050 engine cant compete in outright power terms, but then ibso facto a fazer is shit by say a blades engine standard or a S1000RR. I really enjoyed the character of my speed triple. And as a fazer rider of 70k miles, I have enuff perspective to make comparisons. The speedy always gave me a grin whenever I rode it...its almost a tongue in cheek ride every time...the fazer is a bit bland in the way it makes its power, like any high powered four cylinder bike.The triple is very punchy , it does have great bottom end drive, and the noise evokes another side of biking , like riding a big twin.I was rarely feeling underpowered on the road, a speed triple will keep up with most bikes on most roads, but then again, if you want always to be the fastest ...you wont buy this bike.Ultimately any character bike will be shunned by the majority who cant understand its appeal.I am fortunate enuff to be able to afford several bikes, so can indulge a passion for such bikes, while still having a fazer in the garage if I desire it...
Also if you can only afford 1 bike, it almost always will tend to be an allrounder, so bikes like the speed triple wont figure high enuff in " comparisons"...so inevitably riders will buy the most " powerful" bike they can for their buck.The old ZX-9 was another of this ilk. Cheap power,reasoable riding position,n but little else to really recommend it.
The fazer still is one of such bikes, lots of power ( though now eclipsed in speed stakes by most sports 600s), and in spite of some dire stock parts , is still cheap enuff to modify .However , as the bike aint been made for 7 years...I wonder how long the stock will last ? I know my 04 bike is looking a bit jaded after 35k miles . Shame that there still aint really another new bike out there which will do similar job...

The bandit was a cheap bitsa when new, so again, logically as they get older they become less and less desirable.

Slaninar · « **Reply #14 on:** 03 July 2012, 08:20:14 am »

Quote from: pitternator on 03 July 2012, 08:02:24 am

The speedy always gave me a grin whenever I rode it...

The fazer still is one of such bikes, lots of power ( though now eclipsed in speed stakes by most sports 600s), and in spite of some dire stock parts , is still cheap enuff to modify .However , as the bike aint been made for 7 years...I wonder how long the stock will last ? I know my 04 bike is looking a bit jaded after 35k miles . Shame that there still aint really another new bike out there which will do similar job...

Very good points. An experienced ex racer I know praises triple as the bike with a perfect engine. Said he's ridden nothing better than the 3 cylinder Triumph.

And yes, it is a pity they no longer make bikes like fazer.

sadlonelygit · « **Reply #15 on:** 03 July 2012, 11:26:32 pm »

Quote from: pitternator on 03 July 2012, 08:02:24 am

I wouldnt expect most fazer owners to understand the appeal of a triple engine.Most riders confuse ultimate power with a bikes worth and enjoyment. ...............The old ZX-9 was another of this ilk. Cheap power,reasoable riding position,n but little else to really recommend it.

funnily enough he used to own a zx9f2. banzai ballistic bike, really comfy, bit of a Q bike, then he had a late model vtr, again a bike greater than the sum of it's parts.
as for me, my last bike was a bmw 1100s, which was a cracking bike, and totally different to a fazer apart from being a brilliant all rounder.
if you read my 'critique' of the bike, the engine was one of the few things i actually liked, everything else was disappointing!

Falcon 269 · « **Reply #16 on:** 04 July 2012, 04:29:08 am »

Quote from: pitternator on 03 July 2012, 08:02:24 am

I wouldnt expect most fazer owners to understand the appeal of a triple engine. Most riders confuse ultimate power with a bikes worth and enjoyment.

Not me, Jon.

I really wanted the triple to live up to all the glowing 'best real-world engine' tributes it receives, particularly from the Brit bike press (understandable jingoism, of course). In reality, I didn't feel the punch expected off the bottom end nor the much-vaunted mid-range. To me, both 1050 triples I rode felt wooffly and slightly flabby - powerful enough but lacking edge, if I can put it that way.

My mate with the Tiger 1050 arrived last night for a few weeks holiday, so I'll blag another ride on his soon to see if I'm doing Triumph an injustice.

pitternator · « **Reply #17 on:** 04 July 2012, 07:19:08 am »

Hi mike
You arent doing triumph any injustice, cos I am sure if you had ridden my 1050 speedy with its arrow cans, you would feel different. The tiger is weedy by comparison. Firstly its almost 20 bhp down on the speedy, its a diffrent engine tune.The sprint is more highly geared ( 170 poss on the clock) , so although " punchy" , just has not got the speedys immediate punch. What is still so impressive about my bike was the any gear shove off any throttle opening. Never have ridden a bike with better throttle response. The bike pulled very hard from as low as 3k rpm, then at 6k it went hyper, sounded more V8 than triple, it was very addictive. I struggled to get more than 1200 miles from any rear tyre except 023 or roadsmart , which maybe did 3000.It was a bike you just had to ride like a twat !...the fazer with the full monty is very fast , picks up very well, better than any sub 1300cc four I have ridden, but still doesnt have that instant drive of the speedy.For sure the speedy is a character bike, will never compare in the allrounder stakes like a fazer. As such , almost any fazer rider wont probably be looking for what the bike can give. For me it was also a reminiscence of " proper" motorbikes of the past - noisy , involving , scary almost ....the complete opposite to the geniality of a fazer.I always see my fazer ,like a GS ,or an FJR as an armchair to settle back into after tazzing about on such bikes...
When the 2010 speedy came out , I felt it had changed, lost most of this character..low down shove moved a bit towards top end...handling sanitized to hondas standards...even the exhaust sounded more like a four...thats why I aint rushed out to buy one.

Falcon 269 · « **Reply #18 on:** 04 July 2012, 09:16:40 am »

Evidently I need to blag a test ride on a Speed Triple, mate. Sounds like that's the one with the pukka motor.

Phil TK · « **Reply #19 on:** 04 July 2012, 01:11:43 pm »

I had a Firestorm for a few years, it was expensive to buy and run but for low down 'urge' it was the boss. They cost peanuts now and it terms of stomp per pound are very good value if you want that sort of thing. Bad side was rather wooden suspension, vague steering and the silly scrotum sized petrol tank that gave a range of 100 miles (or even less). Like most Hondas it was too bland to get properly fond of but you never forget that torque..

pitternator · « **Reply #20 on:** 04 July 2012, 05:44:23 pm »

phil
I lusted after a VTR for some time after seeing it at NEC show when It came out. When I had my test ride I was shocked at how much grunt it did have...instant wheelies no problem. Trouble is I felt the front very vague, and the engine vibes sent my hands numb within minutes!...later I owned an aprilia falco but that engine was fine, no numbness.

Sorry if I sound boring , but that 1050 triple was sweet, no vibes to numb me hands, but enuff snarl to make you know it meant business. With loud cans on, its almost a pastiche of its genre...bristling , brawny ,a rorty pug of a bike...just made to clown around on and make a nuisance of yerself...

Interestingly I found the seat to be every comfy, its weak point definitely the suspension, which although fully adjustable, just didnt have the ride quality and damping finesse such a bike demands. I did sort of master it , could get some impressive lean , but never really loaded the front like I can the fazer.I shied away from a trackday , but took the fazer ...that bike is just so great handling ...its almost " uncrashable"! There...I have done it now !....but in truth this is the first bike I have owned for 4 yrs, done 27k miles on and not crashed ...mind you its been 6 yrs since me last big one...so I ride a bit within meself these days.

AyJay · « **Reply #21 on:** 06 July 2012, 11:52:03 pm »

Quote from: pitternator on 03 July 2012, 08:02:24 am

Shame that there still aint really another new bike out there which will do similar job...

Cof. Er, there might be....

Me ZZR1400s turning out to be another one of those well kept secrets, just like the Fazer. The ZZR's headline news is all about the speed, but actually, it's a do it all machine and utterly effortless in every situation. I just came back from a trip to the Nurburgring and with bar risers and a touring fairing it was sublime. Honking quick of course (yawn), but as comfy as the Fazer (even with a much harder seat) but much roomier, utterly stable at any speed, as simple to ride, and it even averaged 45mpg. And that included 4 laps of the Ring and cruising at 150 in Germany. And a top speed test. Well, you've got to haven't you? Straight off the clocks with no effort at all. 5k it cost, 200 to insure. Bargain.

Still love my Fazer though, revvy little buzz bomb that it is. (comparatively!)

As for character, I had a thought - suppose it was triples that were the UJM engine, and 90% of the market's bikes had them. A four would then be distinctive and different, surely? Or is there something about triples and twins? Or bent engines? Does the Crossplane R1 have character? Is it the vibration characteristics, or the sound that gives a bike character and don't fours have character anyway - a four cylinder character?

steeeve66 · « **Reply #22 on:** 07 July 2012, 12:25:12 am »

Quote from: AyJay on 06 July 2012, 11:52:03 pm

Quote from: pitternator on 03 July 2012, 08:02:24 am
As for character, I had a thought - suppose it was triples that were the UJM engine, and 90% of the market's bikes had them. A four would then be distinctive and different, surely? Or is there something about triples and twins? Or bent engines? Does the Crossplane R1 have character? Is it the vibration characteristics, or the sound that gives a bike character and don't fours have character anyway - a four cylinder character?

Good point, well made. Oddly I still love my SD (twin) as having more 'character'...

Fazerjon · « **Reply #23 on:** 12 July 2012, 02:09:52 pm »

Quote from: PaulSmith on 02 July 2012, 12:42:41 pm

If it couldn't lift its own front wheel, then the speed triple you tried was a pretty sick example and should not be taken as typical. Sadly, that also means it owners compliments should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Totally agree, I had a new Speed Triple 2 years ago and the front wheel lifted off the ground EASILY in 1st gear!! I found the bike a little too easy to ride to be honest, didnt really have to put much rider input into the bike. Was good fun though!