Hmmm. After the initial euphoria of riding this lovely bike, some reality is dawning – an expensive reality. I’ve noticed that the front fork oil seal isn’t doing its job and oil is leaking right almost down to the brake discs, so that needs replacing – probably £100. It may be low mileage but it hasn’t been serviced in 4 years so a major service is due – price unknown so far, and today I got dressed up for a quick ride and the battery is absolutely flat – another £40 or so. So this beauty is booked in for a sort out next week at Cambridge Motorcycles in Cheddars Lane – but a trip up there by foot is called for to get a new battery so that I can actually get the bike up there. My enthusiasm is definitely on hold until the end of next week. What I hopefully get for the sale of the maligned but reliable Bandit will pay for this and some luggage and GPS with any luck. Oh by the way, also when I picked it up I realised it wasn’t taxed so there went £60 in the local post office to ride it home legally….

While this machine is still strange to me, comparisons with the Bandit 600 are very clear. This bike feels SOLID and in some ways its what I expected from a big bike and what the Bandit doesn’t deliver. I never really got used to the Bandit’s high revving motor. One touch on its throttle for example and the engine whines at high speed and first gear is just for getting going and many times I tried to move up into an imaginary 7th gear. Riding on the Sprint and you are aware that there are pistons going up and down and creating a great deal of power and forward motion. The throttle isn’t on some hair trigger. The clutch and gear change are both much heavier and this can lead to a tired hand in traffic. Out on the motorway, there is just so much willing power to spare. Cruising at 80 is entirely comfortable and 90 feels no different at all. Getting up to 100 which I think I did just feels like driving – on the Bandit it felt like a real event and not very comfortable. Riding all day? Hmm. My shoulder was hurting after 45 minutes but eased off. There seem to be more riding positions than available on the Bandit: you can ride with bent or straight arms and that helps. Other nice things: it has a fuel gauge and an auxiliary power socket. What I don’t like: as one review said, the mirrors give you a great view of your shoulders, and I noticed that the the fork oil is leaking when I arrived home. What next? A service, new fork oil seal, a luggage rack and a tank bag, a Scottoiler and maybe get the headlights rewired so that they both come on.