2010–2016 · Sport Tourer · Buyer's Guide
The Triple That Just Works
The Sprint GT runs a 1050cc inline-three retuned for the long haul, and the numbers tell the story: 128 hp up top, a fat 80 lb-ft of torque sitting low in the range, and a single fuel map that simply works. There's no mode wheel to fiddle with. The chassis is stretched out, with a 60.5-inch wheelbase and conservative geometry that trades quick-steering sharpness for rock-solid stability at speed. ABS comes standard. This is a genuine mile-eater that still keeps enough sporting triple character to stay interesting when the road starts to flow.
On the road it behaves exactly like its spec sheet promises: composed, unhurried, content to reel in distance without asking much of you. The suspension is tuned for comfort first, so it stays plush on good pavement but reaches its ceiling when the tarmac breaks up and you keep pushing. It ages well if you stay on top of maintenance, particularly the regular greasing the swingarm adjuster and rear linkage pivots want. This one suits the rider who values arriving relaxed over carving a canyon at ten-tenths. Ask it to be a sportbike and it politely declines; ask it to cover a big day two-up, and it's right at home.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 128 hp (96 kW) @ 9,200 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 80 lb-ft (108 Nm) @ 6,300 rpm |
| Displacement | 1050 cc |
| Engine | Inline-three |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 180/55-17 |
| Wheelbase | 60.5 in (1537 mm) |
| Seat height | 32.1 in (815 mm) |
| Wet weight | 591 lb (268 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.3 gal (20 L) |
| Top speed | 160 mph (257 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 40 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Safety
Thumb the starter and the triple settles into that off-beat three-cylinder thrum, more musical than a twin and smoother than it has any right to be at a cruise. Drop into the saddle and the riding triangle lands under you naturally; after a full day at pace I climbed off without the usual stiff knees or dead backside. The screen and fairing keep the airblast handled from town speeds to well past the limit, so the wind stops being something you fight all day. What surprised me most was the mood it sets. At the rest stop nobody was trading near-miss stories; the talk was about forest colors and roadside guesthouses. It moves you through a landscape without asking for drama. Load it up and the rear stays planted at highway speed, and the seat never cooks in slow traffic.
My own 0–100 score for this bike against the class, area by area — the marker on each bar is the class average.
Two things carry the comfort here over a long day. First, the ergonomics hold their shape: I've ridden it hard from morning to dark and climbed off loose rather than beaten up. Second, the bodywork manages the airflow well past touring speeds, so I'm not braced against the wind for hours at a stretch. The exhaust routing also keeps warmth off both seats, which counts for a lot when you're crawling through traffic two-up.
The triple's real appeal for me is how little it asks me to manage. One calibration handles everything I put in front of it, so I'm never digging through menus to suit the road. The spread of pull is what makes that work. There's enough low in the range to stay in a high gear through slower corners, and enough up top to wake it up when I want, without the motor ever feeling peaky or demanding. It just gets on with it.
Steering is the part I'd point a cautious buyer toward. Input and lean stay proportional, so you push the bar or shift your hip and it rolls in exactly as much as you asked, then holds the line. There's no learning curve to it, which is why a short dealer loop really is all you need to feel settled. Even riders with years behind them find that predictability restful. The one caveat is that the soft setup would rather you didn't chase a hard pace on rough roads.
Sixth is a true overdrive, and I use it exactly that way. Settle into a highway cruise and drop it in: the revs fall away, the triple quiets into a longer-legged gait, and the fuel figures come back your way. It isn't a gear for pressing on, and it doesn't pretend to be. As a tall top for eating steady miles it does precisely what it was built for, which is one less thing to think about on a big day.
Around town and on ordinary roads the brakes are easy to live with. The feel is honest, the bite comes in gradually, and modulation is simple. My one gripe turns up only when I really need to scrub speed in a hurry. At that point I'm putting a lot of muscle into the lever to get the stopping power I'm after. It does the job, but it doesn't do it lightly once you're pushing hard, and you notice the effort every time.
What this bike is genuinely good at is disappearing underneath you. It doesn't goad you into big inputs or reward showing off. It just covers ground and lets the terrain itself be the point of the ride. Over a long day that turns out to be exactly what you want from a machine like this. The attention it frees up goes toward where you're headed instead of toward wrestling the motorcycle there.
The luggage is optional, but if you spec it, it's genuinely thought through. The story I heard is that the engineer sized the cases by buying the biggest XXL helmet he could find and building around it, and it shows in what they'll actually take. There's a small front cubby for a phone and wallet too. The clever bit is the mount: a rod lets the cases flex at the pickups instead of feeding vibration into the frame. Sounds odd, works well.
Over the years riders have filled my inbox and bent my ear about this bike: long threads, conversations at rest stops, messages from owners who've lived with one for seasons. The pattern that comes back is steady. People trust this machine and hold onto it, even as a few complaints surface again and again.
The strongest thread in the chatter is durability. Owners consistently call the 1050 triple close to bulletproof, with little beyond scheduled service and the odd sensor or regulator over the years. That reputation feeds the next point riders raise: prices have fallen far, which puts a clean, low-mileage example within easy reach for a 128 hp tourer.
The recurring gripe is handling. Many find the steering lazy, slow to turn in and reluctant to change direction on a twisty road. Owners also mention a notchy gearbox that asks for deliberate shifts, and some flag weak headlights that leave unlit roads short of light. A few note the fuel range runs tight enough to plan your stops.
Safety recall: incorrect oil filler plug/dipstick length
Triumph recalled selected 2010 Sprint ST and GT motorcycles because the plug/dipstick was of an incorrect length, potentially leading to inaccurate oil level readings and engine damage.
Sprag clutch failure (early engines)
A weak sprag clutch on early 1050 engines can fail, causing harsh starting noises and potential damage; later models received an updated unit.
Seized eccentric chain adjuster
The single‑sided swingarm’s eccentric adjuster can seize if not regularly greased, making chain tensioning difficult. Preventive maintenance every 12,000–18,000 miles is advised.
Corrosion of rear suspension linkage pivots
The bearing pivots in the rear linkage are prone to corrosion if not stripped and greased regularly, leading to squeaks and rough movement.
Regulator/rectifier failures (less common than on ST)
Some owners report premature regulator‑rectifier failure causing charging system issues; the GT’s unit is improved over the ST, but occasional failures still occur.
Where this Triumph Sprint GT pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Sprint GT is actually built for.
This is your bike. Day rides of 200 to 400 miles on roads like the Blue Ridge are exactly what it was built for: comfortable, stable, and content to let the landscape do the talking.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
Add the optional cases and it's a natural fit. The tall sixth gear quiets the miles, the fairing blocks the weather, and it stays planted fully loaded two-up on a Going-to-the-Sun run.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
Straight talk: at 591 lb with soft, comfort-first suspension, this isn't the scalpel you want for repeat Dragon runs. It flows through corners happily, but it won't reward limit-chasing.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway