Paradoxical day, glad then sad. [Archive]

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oldrider

20th February 2007, 20:34

Well today I made a decision, the outcome of which makes me both "glad" and "sad".

The glad bit is, I decided to buy this! (see pic No1 below)
New 2006 Triumph Tiger 955i. (it can still be seen on TardMe.)

The sad bit is that I have traded in this! (see pic No2 below)
My dear old 2001 XL650v TransAlp complete with it's new Mitas EO7's.
Someone will get a very good bike if they buy this.

What influenced me to do it was this! (see pic No3 below)
This guy (Mark) and his trusty Triumph, an excellent partnership. (Skillful rider and capable bike.)
(Note: they both have 24 liter tanks)
Every rider (on the passes ride) without exception rated this bike including me when I too tried it. Pretty good testimony in my book.

An aside:This guy and his bike won my respect big time! (see pic No4 below)
Some of you will have seen the pics of his bike on it's back while he made a few adjustments.
I don't want to buy one anymore but any bike that can take a bump like this one did and still be ridden home by it's injured rider with little obvious damage gets my respect. (Steve is a real nice guy)

So as of today I own a Triumph Tiger 955i but I don't go up to get it until about the 27/02/07, anyone want a good reliable little Honda TransAlp 650cc venture bike get in touch with Thunderbikes in Nelson. :ride: Cheers John.

Steam

20th February 2007, 20:48

Congrats on the new bike! How much do you think Thunderbikes will want for your TransAlp? I'm on the hunt...

T.W.R

20th February 2007, 21:00

:Punk: Well done John, you're going to enjoy yourself on the Tiger :yes:

Onwards & upwards, shame about the Transalp but she served you well :yes:

far queue

20th February 2007, 21:21

Well I guess congratulations and commiserations are in order then.

miSTa

20th February 2007, 21:25

Well done John. :Punk:

You'll be able to show us what it can do next week end now...

James Deuce

20th February 2007, 21:28

Good stuff mate!

Mr. Peanut

20th February 2007, 22:11

Awesome bike John! I want one :)

timg

21st February 2007, 20:57

Ruralman

21st February 2007, 21:17

Hey John, enjoy your new ride. I hope you'll still answer all my dumb questions about my TA tho :yes:

I was fortunate to do a portion of the first day of the passes ride. Duck01 and his Tiger were certainly a well sorted unit. What made you choose it over the Honda Varadero you were thinking about?

Feel free to drop in for a coffee on your way home from Nelson :drool:

Cheers, Tim.

I think what helped decide was the way myself and others on the Passes ride were raving about the Tiger (but not the new one with the 17inch front which is a neutered version made for old urbanites needing an upright riding position but don't need to do gravel roads etc).
Mark used to have a 600 Transalp - prior to putting me on the Tiger (on a gravel road to start with) he told me how I would instantly feel at home after the T/A. In short he was exactly right. I rode it from the start of Moleworth to the top of Ward Pass. Within a very short distance I was punting it along just like my Transalp. I also rode it from the Arthurs Pass lookout over the viaduct down to Kumara Jnctn. It does everything very much like the T/A but just has a lot more power when you want to turn it on - and the sound of that triple when you do it is amazingly addictive. It makes passing just so easy as well as hills etc. If you were riding 2 up a lot then it offers a lot over the Transalp - it also happens to use a lot less fuel, although my fuel consumption rose considerably as I spent the week trying to keep up with 1000cc bikes on the highway sections (not a problem on the gravel) with a pretty big load.
If I had the spare cash I'd trade up in a flash. As it happens I haven't so I won't. I would also say however that once back to riding at my normal speed and away from a group ride doing big distances each day, the Transalp is still an almost perfect bike for me. I've got a few demerits so high speed runs are largely off the options list so the Tiger actually doesn't really fit into the needs category, more the "wants".
The only negative on the Tiger on our trip was that the footpegs were too high for me and others which cramped me up and also alters your sitting angles which would have got uncomfortable after a while. This one was a jap import and we don't know whether this meant the pegs were in a different place to another countries specs - I would have got them lowered. I will be interested to sit on Johns to see if theres a diference.
If you were intending to do hard out backcountry riding on really rough rocky roads then the other consideration could be that Johns one will have alloy wheels rather than genuine spoked wheels which handle this sort of abuse better - realistically I don't see this being an issue for what most of us would do on this bike.

oldrider

21st February 2007, 21:47

Transalper

21st February 2007, 22:00

Assuming you do alot of two-up riding, i imagine the Tiger will suit your needs well. As for me, I'm doing less two-up stuff than before and have become a fan of the DR650 for the more difficult Adventure tending trail rides... J can I borrow your new bike again?

warewolf

22nd February 2007, 09:25

Nice!

I thoroughly enjoyed my Tiger, a used '94 model I took from 60 to 80,000km over two years. Probably should've bought one instead of the Trophy way back when...

I see the new one as being a rough/bumpy roads sports-tourer, something to replace the Trophy.

Enjoy the new scoot!

Macktheknife

22nd February 2007, 09:42

Ruralman

22nd February 2007, 10:15

Just for curiosity John, was there a Vstrom 1000 to compare it with? I have heard they do extremely well. I really like the appearance of the Tiger, but the price of the only one I have seen was intimidating.

WE had a V Strom 1000 with us on the Passes ride - I didn't ride it on the gravel. Its a great 2 up road bike, capable on the gravel but on tighter twisty gravel and rough tracks it was not as good as the Tiger or Transalp - it still will get you there make no mistake, you just have to adjust your speed etc.
On the tight gravel the T/A and the Tiger just turned in so much easier. On the road the Tiger felt like it had more go and the motor is just so smooth (and with that triple growl).
On really tricky tracks where you had to pick your line through ruts etc (the Maungatapu track) the V Stroms biggest weakness was exposed - Jantars one was geared down through changes to both the front and rear sprockets but his minimum speed was still around 20km/hr - below this (about 3000 revs) the thing just dies. Where the T/A and the Tiger could slow down to near stopped and then just pull away quietly the Strom risked stalling. Quite frankly Jantar deserves an award for getting the big beast through that track and only coming undone the once. The same issue makes getting through fords with tricky surfaces more difficult than on the other bikes - but he did get through.
It depends then on how much of this sort of riding you are going to do and your riding skills. Theres obviously a price premium to the tiger (although the special deal at the moment includes panniers which narrows the gap a bit) which reinforces that the big Strom is bloody good value. If your going to own it for a long time then the pain of the extra dollars will be forgotten long before you stop smiling from riding the Tiger.

oldrider

22nd February 2007, 10:25

Just for curiosity John, was there a Vstrom 1000 to compare it with? I have heard they do extremely well. I really like the appearance of the Tiger, but the price of the only one I have seen was intimidating.

Yes Mack, Jantar was one of the riders and his testimony or opinion was a strong influencing factor on my buying the Tiger!

Bare in mind that I believe that the V-Strom 1000 is currently the best bang for bucks new bike on the market currently in NZ, so why did I buy the Tiger you may well ask?

The Tiger that I bought was on a special end of run sale and the deal and that put it ahead of buying a V-Strom.

The availability of deal and the combined testimonies of the Pass riders and my own evaluation of the Tiger influenced me to buy the one on offer.

The proof of the pudding of course will be in the eating and right now I am in the limbo land of being "between bikes" and I don't particularly like where I am at just now!! (roll on 27th of Feb)

The new 2007 Tiger has no appeal for me at all, I think they are trying to pander to sport bike rider converts with the comfort of the sit up position, they have drifted away from the venture bike concept altogether. Cheers John.

Macktheknife

22nd February 2007, 12:54

Cheers for that guys! I really liked the Tiger but it was out of my budget for a while, so I dropped it from consideration.
I have yet to see the 07 model changes but now know I should pay close attention to them.
The Vstrom seemed to be the best I could afford, and it sounds like you are reinforcing that, if I don't want a TA that is! lol.

mstriumph

22nd February 2007, 13:01

lovely!!! :yes:

SPman

22nd February 2007, 13:05

Nice one, John.

Marty (Zadok) over here has just got one and he loves it!

SDU

22nd February 2007, 13:12

Congrats on your awesome new toy! Enjoy!
5 more sleeps to go.
If you have the chance call in when passing through to show it off to us.

98tls

22nd February 2007, 17:36

Congrats john...........enjoy.

Spaanzy

23rd February 2007, 22:06

Al here, the Bandit rider from the passes ride. The only problem with all this talk of Marks Tiger, is that it will cost him so much because he will have to buy a new helmet to fit his swollen head. But its OK cause he is used to all the press as he is the fastest man on earth:scooter: Great meeting you both at Naseby and I hope you really enjoy your new toy. All I can say is that they look great from behind. (take from that what you want) !!!
Cant wait to get down to your awesome part of the country again and carve up some more gravel. Hopefully I will be on a more suitable mount next time.
Cheers Al

MyGSXF

23rd February 2007, 22:18

I don't go up to get it until about the 27/02/07

Hey John... Congrats on ya new toy!!!!!! :Punk:

I shall look forward to your visit while ya up this way too!!!!! :yes:
& if ya need a place to say.. holler!!! :mega:

Jen :rockon:

Jantar

23rd February 2007, 22:23

Just for curiosity John, was there a Vstrom 1000 to compare it with? I have heard they do extremely well. I really like the appearance of the Tiger, but the price of the only one I have seen was intimidating.
I was riding the VStrom on the Passes ride. As Ruralman has already commented, the VStrom was quite capable on that trip, and it was fitted with the most road oriented tyres of all the bikes. However I will support all the other riders in their opinions about the Tiger. It had the smoothest and most tractable engine of that size that I have ever expeienced.

On the Maungatapu track the VStrom was a real handfull, and to keep the engine spinning in the right rev range meant that I couldn't slow down enough to pick the best lines, whereas in the loose I had to slow down ealier than the other bikes because the Strom just couldn't turn in as quick. The Tiger just took it all in its stride, and with such a smooth engine it could be ridden slowly when picking the right line was important and still power through the loose stuff. For the type of riding that Old Rider does I believe the Tiger will be perfect.

oldrider

24th February 2007, 13:47

Thanks for all the nice supporting comments people, unfortunately one thing it seems you never grow out of is "The after purchase blues"!
(or jitters, nervousness or whatever you like to call it)

Too long between decision and closure on this one and every time I go out to the shed to prepare the T/A for the trip up to Nelson, I find myself thinking, what a great little bike this is, did I need to buy the Tiger?

And look at the beautiful weather we are having!!!! We should be out riding somewhere, right now!

I have spent any spare time I get looking through all the Triumph Tiger 955i reviews and all it seems to do make me feel that I have overnight become the shortest man on earth and I am afraid I will not even be able to ride it home? (They keep saying, over and over, "this is a very tall bike")

It is amazing how our heads can seemingly succumb to all these crazy negative stupid thoughts and nighttime are even worse than the day!

I really thought that I was past all this sort of negative mental turbulence.

Roll on Monday so that I can start the ride towards Nelson and get this exchange thing over and done with, it's starting to do my head in!

We went to Wanaka for a couple of days and got a smashed windscreen (Stone off a poxy bus) and I almost got into a punch-up on the one way bridge across the Lindis river.

Only Mrs O/R saved the day (according to her) by backing the car off and letting the other "rabid fucker" drive past and escape my wrath. (we had right of way too damn it)

In a moment of madness I had forgotten my arthritis, my recent strokes, failing eyesight, etc etc and all the lessons I have learned over the past 68 years!

Thank god for Mrs O's coolness under fire but it would have felt good for at least one smack at that arrogant sonofabitch's sneering festered bloody mouth but he wound up his window and locked his car and drove off as the victor, while I got told about it all the way home! Fucking arsehole! :angry2: John.

The Duck 01

24th February 2007, 19:32

:yes: Hi John,
As a newbie to this site[look at your watch] i have been looking around to see how things work and low and be hold i spotted alittle reply in a thread
:dodge: Yes you have been lurking around the Tiger cage for awhile and this explains the quick decison to buy a cat that purrs.I get the feeling you were hoping father xmas might have dropped one down the chimney for you but he was flying high over Black Forest due to low cloud that night and over shot Otematata completely,never mind good things come to those who wait[not many sleeps now]:zzzz:
Getting a new bike is so cool,a breath of fresh air and new places to take it even if your have there before.:love:
So don't worry yourself:sick: about how she will be they can be alittle kitten and a gworlling cat.
You will be an excellent team Mrs O/R you and the Tiger.
I think i'll have to come down your way before my cat gets caged to go to Aussie.
:bye: Remember what i said at Naseby, You are only as old as the ****

NordieBoy

24th February 2007, 20:15

You're only as old as the stars?

That's not very nice, is it :(

The Duck 01

24th February 2007, 20:33

:gob: Nordie,
I have to be pc as a newbie and might get blacked flagged,:dodge: for comments that might offend some members,or that i have a :sick: sense of humour.
Now the tight five after afew days on the road soon realised it is in good taste and what goes on tour stays on tour:scooter:
I was talking O/R this arvo and he is one cool dudd and have been lucky to have meet up with him and his lovely wife.
So i'm just an :innocent: rider who is always looking for a laugh and new gravel roads,tracks and rivers to cross:scooter:
:bye:

NordieBoy

24th February 2007, 21:08

:shifty: :2thumbsup

Lou Girardin

25th February 2007, 06:14

Good move, those Tigers are good buying right now.

miSTa

25th February 2007, 07:06

... I was talking O/R this arvo and he is one cool dudd and have been lucky to have meet up with him and his lovely wife.

:shit: Ummm, I think you mean 'dude'? No on second thought it's probably appropriate...:whistle:

Welcome to the site btw

zadok

25th February 2007, 07:17

Stop worrying John, you are getting a brilliant bike.
Now about your anger problem...........:motu:

timg

25th February 2007, 08:19

Hey Mark, welcome to KB:Punk: It was great to meet you guys and do the first few passes with you. Look forward to catching up again some time. Cheers, Tim.

The Duck 01

25th February 2007, 22:08

John hasn't got backto us all about his lurking :dodge:around the Tiger cage.
:Punk: I thought it was just a one off on Xmas Eve[yes John i spotted it]:shit: but he has finally confessed to have been lurking well before that in another forum that i can't say but you don't have to be a rocket scienceist to figure out:gob: where that was.

I like O/R was a happy Honda rider/racer for many years,flying the flag and quite happy doing it and winning on there bikes.Ah Spaanzy:second: or even :third: you know :angry:

So there you have it World cause this computer thing is just amazing and the world is so small now,even smaller than Otematata or even Shannon if people don't know where they are just Google Earth them and who knows you just might see a Tiger in both towns if you are lucky but chances are they will be on the back roads kicking up a dust storm.

:nono: So O/R do a Tuku and come clean [not your undies] and tell us how it really is on this forum.
YOU HAVE BEEN SNAPPED:shit: The World Is Waiting:bye:

oldrider

26th February 2007, 09:19

Yes Mr Duck 01, I had been lurking and looking over the various forums and brands in the 1000cc range for a while to see what I might buy to replace my TransAlp when the time was right.

The option on the Tiger made it sooner than I had anticipated!

I was attracted to the Varadero (because it is a Honda) but there was not a lot of evidential support for it as a gravel road performer and it is tyre pressure sensitive so I was cautious as to what sensitivities it would have to various road surfaces.

Too much of an unknown quantity for me at this time but I was keeping my options open anyway.

Then a certain Duck 01 offered me a try out on his trusty Tiger and the collective unbiased testimonies of the Pass riders on the merits of the Tiger made it clear that the Tiger was a bike worth looking at.

I wondered why there never seemed to be any Tigers for sale in the "dual purpose" columns on the Internet markets, like TradeMe so I looked into the Tourers and there was the one I have bought, just waiting for me to come along.

Unlike the Duck I have never been a racer but just an ordinary day to day biker who has been doing it for quite a long time and just enjoying the feeling of freedom that biking gives us.

I leave tomorrow morning for Nelson and when I get there I will be terminating my long term relationship with Honda and starting a brand new partnership with Triumph!

A gamble or a calculated risk? Only time will tell.

Thank you for your generous support Mr Duck 01, all the Pass riders and everyone on KB, I will keep you posted. Cheers John.

The Duck 01

26th February 2007, 09:36

I was a understudy of Rodney Hide:innocent: as we have alot in common we both ferret out the truth and have 24lt tanks :yes:
Rodney lost some of his by dancing,i think i will loose mine by :dodge: bullets like a wallaby on TE AKA Station if allowed back down there.:shit:
I think i will have to be down there in stealth mode[on a Tiger i don;t think so]
as Mrs O/R can here a triumph five blocks [paddocks] away,she told me:love:

And like Rodney i have a nose for a story and the world is still waiting waiting John.:dodge:

Now i know it is close to the marriage day with the Tiger after a short seperation:innocent: so when you get back from your honeymoon the world will need a reply to all the allegations that i have posted.
Have a safe and enjoyable ride home John.
PS Take the long way home via Shannon,The Hilton is going though a refit but there is floor space available and you can park your Tiger in the lounge with mine.:zzzz:

:bye:

warewolf

26th February 2007, 11:59

Just back from the Triumph RAID in Dunedin over the weekend. Plethora of Tigers about, probably spread evenly amongst the new '07, the '06 with the cast wheels, and the pre-'06 955i's.

Lots of them very dirty. The Auckland bunch did something like 600km of gravel on the way down. Waikaremoana, Moleworth, Rainbow, Maruia, Black Forest etc etc. By all accounts, the '07s were never left behind, and were found to survive low-speed drops well.:innocent:

Quite a few are recent converts to the joys of gravel touring and their number is growing markedly. Only two or three years ago Tigers were almost non-existant.

Makes me wish I could afford to change my Trophy for a Tiger :crybaby:, but at 170,000km it's only just run in...

Ruralman

26th February 2007, 15:18

[QUOTE=warewolf;952706]Just back from the Triumph RAID in Dunedin over the weekend. Plethora of Tigers about, probably spread evenly amongst the new '07, the '06 with the cast wheels, and the pre-'06 955i's.

Good of you to let us know you were down in our patch - I think the Harley crowd were having something as well.

Lots of them very dirty. The Auckland bunch did something like 600km of gravel on the way down. Waikaremoana, Moleworth, Rainbow, Maruia, Black Forest etc etc. By all accounts, the '07s were never left behind, and were found to survive low-speed drops well.:innocent:

Quite a few are recent converts to the joys of gravel touring and their number is growing markedly. Only two or three years ago Tigers were almost non-existant.
]

This may be true but we don't know what they were like to ride on the gravel, and whether the changes contributed to testing their survivability, how fast they were or weren't going - the new one doesn't look like a gravel road blaster to me (unfortunately)

far queue

26th February 2007, 17:31

I have to be pc as a newbie and might get blacked flagged,:dodge: for comments that might offend some members,or that i have a :sick: sense of humour.PC? On KB? :laugh: :killingme :killingme :rofl: :rofl: Hold on, I'll go get you a Tui. If you're PC on here, you'll be the only one :yes: But welcome to the site, umm, I mean nuthouse.

John - Don't worry about your decision, you've said a few times over the last few months that you've had a hankering for more power on the road, and you've hinted at your previous bikes and the extra power they've had. I'm sure you'll love the new bike. It must be the season for it, I pick up a sexy Italian redhead in 2 sleeps:love:

oldrider

26th February 2007, 18:58

It must be the season for it, I pick up a sexy Italian redhead in 2 sleeps:love:

Way to go FQ, 2 sleeps each, all the best with your new girlfriend. (Italian redhead, wow) We can compare (you show me yours and I....etc) notes when everything settles down. Cheers John.

warewolf

26th February 2007, 22:33

This may be true but we don't know what they were like to ride on the gravel, and whether the changes contributed to testing their survivability, how fast they were or weren't going - the new one doesn't look like a gravel road blaster to me (unfortunately)May not look like it on the spec sheet, but there are people out there enjoying it on gravel - the more the merrier. They sure look like an adventure tourer when they are covered in crap and the riders are raving about climbing 4-foot high shingle slips on the Black Forest road.

The off was at a near-standstill, slightly off-camber and a touch too much front brake. It was down before any time to react, would've happened on any bike.

oldrider

4th March 2007, 22:24

Talk about drama but we are home now with 756 miles on the odo and probably a trip to Dunedin for it's first warranty check comming up.

First ride, I went over to Upper Takaka for a getting to know you ride.

It was also the first time I experienced orgasm with a "CAT"!!!

What a fantastic and beautifully balanced bike, I have ridden that hill on many occasions and on a reasonable number of different bikes but that Tiger had me absolutely enchanted (and beyond) I kid you not. :yes:

No time now but shall try to write a ride report soon, so much to write so little time. Cheers John.

Jantar

4th March 2007, 22:26

Good one John, I can't wait to see it. :yes:

far queue

5th March 2007, 17:38

home now with 756 miles on the odoMiles?

It was also the first time I experienced orgasm with a "CAT"!!!mmmm, possibly a bit too much info there, but I hear ya. I found my new bike a bit tricky to ride with a hard on too :laugh:
What a fantastic and beautifully balanced bike, I have ridden that hill on many occasions and on a reasonable number of different bikes but that Tiger had me absolutely enchanted (and beyond) I kid you not. :yes:Well done young man, I'm pleased you like the new bike, it's a good feeling alright.

The Duck 01

5th March 2007, 19:35

Come on Far Que,:nono: Think about it John bought a blue one to match the little blue tablets we have to take at our age:sick: But riding a good bike is a natural high[i don't do drugs]:yes:

A new bike is like a new girlfriend you know within ten minutes of riding weather it's :love: or just another bike:shit:

Better get me a Tui out of the fridge i think this PC thing is about to end.:bye:

far queue

5th March 2007, 20:20

Better get me a Tui out of the fridge i think this PC thing is about to end.:bye:Ha ha, welcome to the fray

The Duck 01

5th March 2007, 21:16

Hi All this Rodney Hides understudy Again,:Punk: Warewolf only told us half the story again about the new 07 Tiger and it's marvealous off road abilties on The Molesworth Highway[yes it is pretty easy]

:gob: As a teller of the truth one said 07 Tiger came out of this road with wait for it not one but Two bent rims:sick:

I guess as a ferret i just happen to come across this information and as any good stirrer one has to bring this to the attention of the wider biker world

So there you go BEWARE THE DUCK IS ALWAYS ON THE LOOK FOR THE NEXT STORY.:bye:

oldrider

6th March 2007, 20:50

Picture 1. Hello Tiger, :spudwave:

Picture 2. Good bye TransAlp. :bye:

Picture 3. Buller Gorge.

Picture 4. Karamea pub.

Picture 5. Formerly, the Blackball Hilton.

Picture 6. The bike and the bloke that started it all.

I arrived at Thunderbikes to find that the Factory side boxes for the Tiger have been sent by ship instead of air freight and will take five weeks to get here.

After a bit of too and frowing they decided to lend me a set of Givi 36litre side boxes until the new ones arrived.

I then sold them the T/A as a trade in and proceeded to finalise the purchase of the Tiger.

Went to the bank for a bank cheque only to find there was no money in the account despite it having been deposited well in time for it to be available to draw on 28th.

No new bike, no old bike, no transport out to my sisters house at Ruby Bay!

Thunderbikes generously lent me my old bike for the night.

Next day money problem sorted by bank and bank cheque issued for Thunderbikes and Motorsport, bike payed for and paper work completed.

All set to swap belongings into the loaned Givi boxes put my own top box on the Tiger and tie on the tent and bed roll and we will be on our way.

Not so, small problem, some one had broken the keys off in the box locks!

Late Thursday afternoon, locks fixed but only one dicey key available but hey we can at least take our new bike and depart!

I rode out to my sisters and dropped most of my gear off, put the necessaries into the top box and went off for my initial ride on the Tiger. (alone with my new bike at last)

Where to go? Upper Takaka to visit my old Cobb power station friends.(good idea about 100km each way, just nice)

As I have mentioned elsewhere, the ride over the Takaka hill and back was the most satisfying I have ever had, the tiger was absolutely brilliant, as close to orgasm as you can ever get without actually having one. (sex with a "cat" and loving it, how kinky is that!)

I have ridden (and driven) over that hill many times, on many different bikes but the tiger was the best combination of power and balance I have ever experienced, it was just bloody brilliant.

Grinning broadly I returned to my sisters a bit later than intended, had my tea and then went off to visit my nephew and hopefully, time permitting, Jen (MyGSFX) and her kids.

As I turned into my nephew's shared driveway and turned slowly past his neighbours car, it's reversing lights came on and I tried to sound the horn but was unable to locate the button on the new bike and in doing so began to lose the bikes balance.

I went to place my right foot down but the hero knob on the foot peg hooked up in my boot top and by the time I shook it loose the bike was too far over for me to get back on balance!!!

It took me all of my strength to hold the bike and lower it as slowly as I could to the ground. Yes, I dropped my new bike and hit the kill switch but I was still trying to stop the silly old cow from running it over as well.

My nephew stopped the old girl from backing over the bike but she just drove off oblivious to my plight while my nephew and his partner helped me get the tiger back onto its feet.

Luckily I had decided to buy a set of crash bars from Thunderbikes and have them fitted as part of the deal and the only damage was to a little bit of the paint on the bars so as far as I am concerned they have paid for themselves already.

So by the time I had checked the bike over, visited the family with their new baby and said farewell it was too late to visit Jen and her family who actually didn't live more than a few short blocks away.(Sorry Jen)

The next day I met KB'r Keith the Pom in Richmond and had another friend (in a shop) to visit while he went to the bank!

After lunch we set off for Westport and at last I was actually on my way with my new Tiger purring like a kitten, I was beginning to think it was never going to actually happen.

Keith and I went to Westport, Karamea, Greymouth and then to the Formerly the Blackball Hilton for an interesting stopover.

In the morning Keith went on his way to Hanmer and I rode on down via Moana, Athurs Pass, Lindon road, Rakia Gorge, Geraldine, Timaru, Waimate and up the Waitaki Vally to arrive home at approximately 6:00PM.

I was on the lookout for Kiwibikers making their way home from the March Hare but didn't see any unfortunately.

I have now got enough miles on the clock for the first warranty check and service so am off to Dunedin in the morning to get it done.

Am I pleased with the new Tiger? You bet and I expect it to get better as I get to handle it the way it should be handled, good things take time the cheese maker says. I think I agree with him :yes: but how much time have I got? Cheers John.

Ruralman

6th March 2007, 22:25

warewolf

7th March 2007, 08:51

not one but Two bent rimsI think Triumph are trying too hard to emulate KTM...

MyGSXF

7th March 2007, 09:19

Awesome writeup John!! :Punk: Sounds like you sure had ya share of trials too though.. :sick: Was looking forward to seeing ya.. but never mind..:bye: next time!!! :yes: She sure is a purdy puddy tat for sure!!! :love: & I bet she purrrrs!! We Leo's do.. :innocent:

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :2thumbsup

Jen :rockon:

fleethaul

7th March 2007, 14:32

John heading home after the 1000m Service

http://www.oamaru-pharmacy.com/oldrider.html

He is a happy man.

Jeff

oldrider

7th March 2007, 19:40

John heading home after the 1000m Service

http://www.oamaru-pharmacy.com/oldrider.html

He is a happy man.

Jeff

Boy was I worried about fleethall posting that video, it looks much better control than I really had on that take off!

I am still like a baby albatross learning to fly when starting off on the damn thing, all flapping feet and feathers until I get my feet up and underway.
(it is a very tall bike for me at standstill.)

The initial power is more than I can handle at take off sometimes because the T/A was higher geared and you had to slip the clutch and put the power on to get away, I forget that this thing just goes, right up the rev range, with, or without me, if I am not careful!

Well that is the first 1000 mile check and tune completed OK and I'm :love: ing it more each time I ride it!

I notice it seems to like to volunteer to shoot for 70mph/112kph @ 5000 rpm :shit:

Of course I can not condone that and force it quickly back to 60mph/100kph @ 4000 rpm :nono:

Discipline (not smacking) is essential on our roads at all times. :innocent: Cheers John.

oldrider

7th March 2007, 20:19

It looks great and I for one am relieved you are loving it as much as you do - some of us gave it a rather big recommendation!
Looks like you've had a good trip after a slightly shaky start and I look forward to seeing you and the new beast in the flesh down here sometime soon.
How are the footpeg positions compared to Marks bike???

Ruralman,

I am getting used to the foot peg positions and have no trouble riding the bike all day because it is quite comfortable all round and doesn't seem so cramped now.

The foot pegs are in a direct line with where I put my feet to the ground at standstill and the hero pegs dig into the tops of my boots and are a bit of a pain really.

Being a tall heavy bike, the foot-pegs force your legs wider and exacerbate the height problem even further and the hero pegs just make things plain dangerous, I am thinking of removing them altogether.

Mrs O/rider finds the pillion pegs force her legs up like a jockey on a horse but we are going to give it a chance to see if she can get used to the change before I alter them to suit her.

We are going to ride over to Wanaka and back this weekend to try it out.

I could of course just massage her legs until they fit the bike but I think I have left that option too late. (Viagra are the blue ones arn't they?)

We may have to send the seats to MacDonald's (Rider Seats) in Tauranga and get them remodeled to suit our needs like we did the T/A.

Mac has already sent me some ideas of some (Tigers) that he has done. Cheers John.

oldrider

15th March 2007, 10:15

Just learned today that my trusty TransAlp has been sold by Thunderbikes and so ends the paradox. (good riding to the new owner)

I know the new owner will have a good run with that bike and I am settling in with and really enjoying the new Tiger. :yes: Cheers John.

SDU

16th March 2007, 13:24

Sweet looking bike John!:rockon:

She sure is well & truly yours after all the kms & dropsie you must be right at home with her now.

I know what you mean about the peg thing- I have bruises on my calves from where my V11 pegs rest when I put my leg down, but I'ld rather that then dropping it from trying to stick my leg out further:gob:
cheers
Sal