Sport touring is fun. The ability to carve the curves yet comfortably hammer the slab when necessary is a combination that can't be beat. Granted, the performance of some of the big touring rigs belies their size on the two-lanes, and even a few cruisers can hold their own in the tight stuff, but a healthy dose of sportbike agility mixed with a spacious set of hard bags is an ideal combo. Case in point, our bright red Triumph Sprint ST. A mere glance in its direction conjures visions of blue highways and wanderlust that entreat you to pack up, climb aboard, and hold on. Highway duty is eminently doable, but the back roads are where this scintillating British beauty truly shines.

Thinking Three

I had already gotten a little taste of the Sprint's prowess at a new model introduction in the spring, and my initial impression of the three-cylinder mill was cautiously positive, but I was the only one aboard then and the bags were empty. The true acid test of its long-term trial would be how well it could hold up under real world loads on all types of roads.

Triumph's 1050cc, fuel-injected three-banger is a bit of an anomaly. Its power characteristic fills a unique niche that falls between the torquey nature of a big twin and the free-revving propensities of an inline four. At lower rpm, the genteel exhaust note emanating from the three, separate under-seat tailpipes assures muted exits from the neighborhood. But once away from the sensitive ears in the houses next door, liberal throttle treatments release a howling animalism that would have Sasquatch sending roses. Even with all three bags full and pillion aboard, third and fourth gear roll-ons produce a jump bettered by only a few models boasting bigger displacement. There's something to be said for having 125 ponies in the barn. Once cruising velocity has been achieved, the Sprint settles into a velvety rhythm and is capable of carrying one or two comfortably across any stretch of road in vibration-free comfort.