Triumph should bring out a new version for 2005, we just weren’t expecting such a sport orientated move. (Photo: Tom Riles) » More Photos

Leaving the highway and heading in to the twisties, the weather took a turn for the better, which made it possible to shed my wet weather gear. Feeling lighter and more nimble in just my leathers, it was time to let the triple sing as I strafed the near deserted Alabama back roads. Testing in the countryside around the Barber museum, we were blessed with a superb variety of roads, which really put the ST to test at times. While the bike will rail through the smooth turns like a bandit, throw in some surface irregularities and the stock suspension settings will start sending warning signals to your throttle hand. Suspension adjustment up front, as with the previous ST, is limited to pre-load only, with the same pre-load and rebound adjustment option existing for the rear shock. As tested, the slightly soft settings were actually a good compromise for the aforementioned changing road conditions, although when riding faster or carrying a passenger owners will no doubt want to make some changes.

As with the ST of yore, the new bike uses an aluminum beam perimeter frame, which of course has been redesigned to allow for the shorter wheelbase and sharper rake and trail. Taking a look at the spec sheets, revealed it is not necessarily lighter, as the bike has actually gained some six pounds this year. This weight has been very cleverly hidden though, because I would have bet money that the new bike was a few pounds lighter than the previous ST after my first day in the saddle.

One area that appears to have remained unchanged is the braking department. Still offering solid, reliable stopping power from the 320mm discs and four piston Nissin calipers up front, their performance is more than adequate, if not earth shattering. There is actually a slight vague patch right at the beginning of the lever’s travel, and while I am complaining, could we please have some thinner levers please? This thing looks and feels like it was left over from the ‘80s. The rear brake was actually a bit of surprise as it worked very nicely, and provided good feel early in the ride on the very slippery, damp mountain roads.

SeeThe Photo Album