The ST’s 1050 cc, fuel-injected, three-cylinder motor has huge reserves of torque for linear, effortless drive in any gear and ample horsepower for when it’s needed. Peak power is an impressive 123 bHP at 9,250 rpm while peak torque of 77 lbs. ft. arrives at just 5,000 rpm.

Enhancing the engine is a buttery six-speed gearbox – with remote gear change linkage – and clutch fitted with an anti-backlash gear. The character of the three-cylinder layout is unfettered but the engine has a seamless polish that provides a perfect counterpoint to the lusty power delivery. The Sprint ST has an engine to revel in, to explore and, most of all, use to the full.

Matching the Sprint ST’s sublime engine is a superb chassis. An aluminum beam frame, featuring a wheelbase of 57.4 in., makes for a fabulously composed yet fast-steering motorcycle, with a huge scope of ability. High quality 43 mm cartridge telescopic forks, adjustable for spring preload, are used for fine control while the rear shock is remotely adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping. A pair of powerful, four-piston brake calipers mated to 320 mm floating discs provide superb stopping power, a two-piston caliper and 255 mm disc slow the rear wheel.

The Sprint ST’s sleek look is both functional and stunning and everywhere neat touches, like the chrome infill bars and front indicators set in the mirrors, add class. Styling cues, such as the triple front headlights and triple exit exhausts, LED rear light, complement each other fluidly and the Sprint ST has a cohesive air of a machine that mixes function and form perfectly. Instrumentation includes an LCD trip computer with average MPG and speed functions, amongst others. Fuel capacity is a useful 5.5 gal.

Further expanding the Sprint ST’s role is the color-matched factory-designed hard luggage (available as an optional extra), which has been specifically designed for the ST. A host of other accessory items are also available, including factory-fitted GPS and an ABS braking system, which features high on the list of desired attributes for touring riders, particularly on the continent.

Triumph’s ABS system is carefully designed to be unobtrusive and to retain all the sensations and feel of riding, simply adding to the rider’s control under hard braking. The system, which works independently on the front and rear brakes, operates at 100 calculations per second and so can sense the exact moment the wheel is about to lock up. It then releases the brake a fraction of a second to allow the wheel to regain grip before re-applying the brake. The switch controlling this process operates at a mere four milliseconds and the system modulates the pressure between these two points to achieve optimum braking.

Three color options – Caspian Blue, Sunset Red and Aluminum Silver – are available for both the standard and ABS models.