This afternoon I took my first ride on a bike that's larger than my Suzuki GZ250! To date, 250's have been the largest bikes I've ridden. Today's "Big Boy's" bike was a Triumph Sprint ST, a 955cc, British, sport-touring bike. Thanks again, John S.! Here's a photo John took right after I saddled up:
(Click Photo for Larger Image)
Cool, eh?
The experience was the same as on my GZ250, and yet enthrallingly different.
Everything I learned in last summer's Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) BasicRider Course at UofI's Motorcycle Rider Program certainly applied. As did my 1000 plus miles of riding and practice that I've put in since on the GZ250.
In contrast, the Triumph is huge compared to the GZ250. Everything about it is bigger: the engine, the brakes, the seat height, the handlebars, the weight, you name it. The sport bike riding posture is totally different, too. The handlebar is more forward. The foot pegs and controls are more rearward. (When I got back onto the GZ250 afterwards, my feet couldn't find the pegs or controls! They kept going behind me, instead of in front of me where they needed to be! :-))
The handling of the two bikes is totally different, too. The GZ250 is much nimbler in slow and tight corners. It requires relatively little pressing of the handlebars at higher speeds to change lanes and such. In comparison, I found it much harder to turn the Triumph tightly at slow speeds, and at higher speeds more handlebar pressure was necessary to change lanes. A lot of this has to do with experience, I'm sure. I'm equally sure that some of this is just basic difference between smaller and larger bikes, and between cruiser versus sport bike form factors.
The Triumph really shined at higher speeds. I felt a lot more stable, secure, and comfortable on it at Interstate speed. Of course, where my GZ250 tops out, this bike has a LOT more room to breathe!
Baruch Hashem, owning a larger bike is in my future! In the meantime, however, I'm going to get that new windshield and those new saddle bags onto the GZ250, and keep practicing with it. When the time comes for that larger bike, I'll know it, and I'll be all the better prepared for it.
Here's to many more miles of good and safe riding!
--Bri
