So, I took my new Sprint ST in for its 500 mile service today to Breeze Cycle in Omaha, NE. Those are some good people there. A buddy of mine drove half way across town in his truck to give me a ride home while they worked on it. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for me, they offered me a loaner bike while mine was being worked on! I was floored!
They offered me my choice of a Bonneville, Rocket III Classic Tourer, a Tiger 1050 or another Sprint ST.
My choice:
My impressions:
Heavy bike (duh). Tons of power and torque (OMG!!!). The brakes are soft as putty. Gotta use a lot more back brake than on any sportier type bike. Just enough vibration from that huge 3 cyl. motor to know you've got a real beast of an engine under you without rattling your teeth.
This is the first cruiser I've ever ridden so it took a while to get used to putting my feet forward instead of trying to tuck them under me. The bike WAS fun to ride though. I absolutely love the sound of that motor. I got more looks and stares from that bike on the 10 mile ride home than I've ever gotten from all of the 4 previous bikes I've owned added together (ok... maybe not really but it sure felt that way). It's got a 5 speed tranny. I got it out on the interstate and, in the flow of traffic at 70mph, I never got above 4th gear. It was really smooth and a lot easier to ride than I expected.
Would I buy one? Probably not. I've got lower back issues and I could feel the pain start up by the time I got home from the ride position. Maybe it was just the seat but I don't think I could handle a long ride on that bike without some serious pain meds.
Do I like the bike and would I recommend it? Abso-friggin-lutely. I'd love to take an M109 or a Boulevard or a Warrior out to compare. It would be fun.
