Tiger 800XC first, second and lasting impressions..

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Joined
Oct 2, 2007
Messages
1,650
Reaction score
478
Location
Sierck-Les-Bains, France, (Formerly Benoni, SA)
Bike
Triumph 800 XC
I'm only 450km into riding the bike but some impressions have already been made.
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Firstly, the engine is really smooth. I've grown up riding thumpers and also owned a 1200GS for 5 years. This bike is different.
naturally the low down grunt of a 1200 Boxer motor is awesome, but that doesn't mean the Tiger isn't. It's just different, and in all kinds of good ways. I find the power delivery to be very linear, which some will argue makes the BMW F800 GS a better "Dirt" bike, due to it's noticeable power curve. If that's true, it can't be better by a lot, because any 800 by any stretch of the imagination is NOT a dirt bike. It's an adventure bike. That said, I found power sliding to be quite effortless and highly controllable due to the linear power curve.
I also found I didn't need to be too fussy about my gear selection. Whatever gear it was in would give acceleration on demand with no noticeable wait for the power band to kick in.
On the open road, there is enough Superbike/Isle of Man pedigree in this engine to make it easy and full of soul. As the revs climb up through 500RPM the bike growls like the Tiger it's named after. Very 'Soulful', as it's been described. Fun to ride indeed.
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The clutch is not as smooth nor as easy on the left hand as a hydraulic clutch system, which I think could be problematic in tighter, technical riding where frequent gear shifting is called for. On the open road I simply crash change through the gears while shifting up, and only clutch on downshifting.
I also found that trying to turn a tight circle to the right at low speed whilst seated is difficult when you're simultaneously trying to feather the clutch. I find myself straining to reach and control an already stiff clutch. Doing this on loose gravel feels tricky. It may just be that I need to change my weight distribution or simply practice these tight turns standing up, rather than seated. In any case it makes the job a tricky one. I'm 183cm (6 feet), so not a small guy. I wonder if other Tiger owners have experienced this..?

All told, the grin factor is immense and the engine overcomes any of my misgivings about the clutch. I have to add that if I didn't have some Carpal Tunnel syndrome in my left wrist I may not be bitching about the clutch at all..

Other than that the bike handles tarmac like it's on rails, tracks very, very well. I was riding some severe crosswind conditions and had to lean into the wind a lot. The bike tracked straight and true.

The steering and turning is responsive and makes the bike feel lighter than it is. Taking the hands off the bars reveals that the bike is fairly stable, but doesn't take much weight shift to make it steer left or right. It enters and exits turns very willingly and instinctively.

On dirt the bike lets you know it's an 800cc, 230kg adventure bike. Not badly so, but it doesn't fool you into thinking it's a CRF450. Handling is still positive, and the front end is definitely softer than the rear end. I found that I liked this as it relieves shock off the hands while negotiating uneven surfaces at speed. The back shock is stiffer but still manages to absorb bumps quite well. Better than I expected!! I was actually quite confident tackling hard packed gravel at 120km/h and felt that I could steer from the footpegs very well when standing. Getting airborne happened a few times at high speeds and the bike didn't feel cumbersome. I did notice the back wheel kicking out to the  right as I took flight, but that could just be my poor form. Dunno, but it was certainly no problem and straightened out beautifully upon landing.

The quietness of the bike made it difficult to gauge my speed when standing up, as I couldn't always hear the engine over the roar in my helmet. I found myself going close to 140km/h, thinking I was closer to 100. Not the kind of speed I like to traverse gravel on with a bike I don't know well.
Turning off the ABS for dirt riding takes about 20 seconds as you scroll through menus to get to the settings, but once you're used to it it's easy enough. After that, any time you switch the bike off it reverts to ABS on. It would be nice to have a magic ABS button like the BMW.
The windshield is small but does a fairly decent job. It is not adjustable, which makes it lose points. If I could elevate it to a more vertical position I'm sure it would be more effective. My 1200GS's standard fairing did a significantly better job of keeping my head free from buffet, mainly because I could elevate it to a more vertical position. Meh..
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I'd like to ride this bike and an 800GS next to each other to get a feel for where each bike has strengths and weaknesses.
I'd also like to go on an adventure biking training weekend to learn how to get the most out of the bike, and unlearn my bad habits.
Possibly then I will have to change what I think about some of the things I've mentioned.

All told I have no regrets about buying this bike. It definitely does not fall short in any way of what it was designed to do, and in other ways is quite an over-achiever.

I have yet to try it in wet conditions both on and off road. The Mitas E07's have been brilliant so far..

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