After my trip to Italy last year, a few of us have decided to go back this year over a 2 week period. We are going to Ducati factory & museum, Lambretta museum, Nurburgring, Ferrari museum and a few other places. Obviously the compulsory Swiss / Italian mountain roads and the German B500 will be visited. But my plans to do it on my new Tuono left me with a few niggling thoughts. The bike could be used, but isn't the most practical, especially for luggage. My neck flared up last year and although it's now OK, if it starts to go again, an unfaired bike for 2 weeks could be hard work. It's also mint and the thought of some bad weather and covering it in crap for 2 weeks left me cold. So after selling my Hyperstrada last year and having sports bikes in the garage, what do I buy to go on? I had a very specific list for a bike to tour on, all very sensible. Around the 1,000cc mark Single sided swinging arm No garish colour schemes, it had to be one colour, so Japanese was out American was also out, so that left a European bike Made by a manufacturer with a large involvement in GP racing Less than 4 cylinders, for torque out of the bends Underseat exhausts Carbon hugger Multiple headlights Indicators in the mirrors. Some semblance of sporty intentions I decided what I wanted, but had till August to buy one and was in no rush, but when my Tuono was in the dealers last week to have an Akrapovic exhaust fitted, I walked through the door and there was just the bike in the showroom in front of me. It had been taken in px the day before, a quick chat and haggle and I had bought it. The dealer dropped it off with my Tuono last week. It's blatantly obvious what I bought, but case some haven't guessed. It's............ A Triumph Sprint ST 1050 MCN Review Pretty much as clean as you could hope, even after 13 years. It has the benefit of the luggage option, the £850 ABS option and heated grips. They represent great value, it fits all of my very important criteria and at around 20k miles, should fit the bill quite nicely.
hey, if ya doing the nurburgring, you should get in touch with @doogalman as he lives in the area and instructs at the track... he's a cool ducati dude like us....
Looks good, double Ventura pack with those panniers and all your luggage for 2 weeks will be sorted no problems.
the large involvement with gp racing may be a bit of a stretch... 1 year in moto2 so far? although i guess they were involved when you was young....
I'll look for a top box on eBay as I never got one. (There's one on eBay right now in the right colour, but I'm not up for paying £200 for it) I'm not too fussed though as I have a large Givi waterproof bag that I can use for clothes etc, carry into hotels and leave the hard luggage on the bike. I think that might work best.
