MD
26th December 2008, 20:43
Well by odd circumstance it seems I have found myself with a Triumph Tiger demo bike in my gagre for the long weekend. Weird thing is I took this bike out for a weekend a month ago and it was a black Tiger. Here it is, the exact same bike in my gagre but this time it's white. Someone wanted to buy a Tiger from Motorad but not their white one for sale, so they swapped the panels off their black demo.
Anyway, sitting here relatively pissed at this point after a pleasant barbie, flushed down with a couple of Summer ales, followed by a couple of Mr J Walkers best, now I'm on to Jim's best bourbon. Always mix your drinks. That way, when you chuck up no one has any ideal what you have been drinking. Shit, sorry, where was I... no bloody idea? Oh yeah, Tiger review.
This bike is really growing on me. In the shop, as so often happens, the colour white looked like puke to me. Get it outside, ride it, park it up and wow, it works. White IS the new black. Purrfect. (that is such a crap phase but what's a person to do)
Don't tell anyone but I've racked up far more than a few hundred klicks on this big cat now. Each mile and I like it more. Yes the suspension is super plush and soft but it still seems to get around a bend bloody well. Ground clearance is way better than expected. I've touched down the pegs and considering the touring Metzler Road something or other tyres that I've never been on before, that's a big tick in the "it can carve a corner" box.
Next box. Brakes. Yep, similar brand to my Daytona I think. Didn't even need to read the manual. They must be the same brand because they work the same way- If you pull the lever on the right bar rearward the front brakes apply. Press down with your right foot and the rear locks up and gives you a fright. Must be the same type of brakes. Pull the front lever back hard enough, after a brief gentle moment to compress the, oh so soft forks, and it will either skid or if you do it right... launch the rear sky high. Another tick in a box. Actually I found this quite amusing to endo such a high/non-stunt type bike. And it does it well.
Power is as power is...Sorry, a Forest Gump mindless comment that I have no idea how to finish. But it sounded good for a moment. Well it's a triple so power is just silky smooth and all over the bloody place. Handy if you are one of those people always losing stuff. You just can't find yourself lost for power on a triple. One of my favourite sensations on the Tiger is rising out of an apex and just feeling the torque rip your arms out as it blasts you out the other side of the bend. Great fun. Tick box.
And yes, it has ample power to wheelie if required.
COMFORT is in another world to anything I've owned for years. In a good way if you're not sure what I mean. So easy to ride, so easy to flick from side to side. The weight, which I think is quoted at 198kg dry, but don't quote me on that, disappears once on the move. Much like most of our licences.
My only gripe is the seat is ridiculously high. I know , I know, I look so silly riding along with a step ladder strapped to my backpack. I have sat on one with the alternative lower seat, and just as the name suggests, it's lower! Wow, why can't they make that the standard and put the high seat in the accessories brochure under - f@%$#ing stupid tall seat suited for 1% of the world population, only $10,000 extra. Maybe the panniers come with a built in ladder system?
Mirrors work great. Gauges are good but it lacks a gear indicator which is just odd since Triumph have similar looking dashes fitted across the range but some do and some don't. Instead the Tiger has a nice readout of how many Ks to go until you can take the step ladder off your back for a moment.
I would write more but it's time to replenish my glass. Give me a sec and I will add a picture just to show what a professional I am.
Anyway, sitting here relatively pissed at this point after a pleasant barbie, flushed down with a couple of Summer ales, followed by a couple of Mr J Walkers best, now I'm on to Jim's best bourbon. Always mix your drinks. That way, when you chuck up no one has any ideal what you have been drinking. Shit, sorry, where was I... no bloody idea? Oh yeah, Tiger review.
This bike is really growing on me. In the shop, as so often happens, the colour white looked like puke to me. Get it outside, ride it, park it up and wow, it works. White IS the new black. Purrfect. (that is such a crap phase but what's a person to do)
Don't tell anyone but I've racked up far more than a few hundred klicks on this big cat now. Each mile and I like it more. Yes the suspension is super plush and soft but it still seems to get around a bend bloody well. Ground clearance is way better than expected. I've touched down the pegs and considering the touring Metzler Road something or other tyres that I've never been on before, that's a big tick in the "it can carve a corner" box.
Next box. Brakes. Yep, similar brand to my Daytona I think. Didn't even need to read the manual. They must be the same brand because they work the same way- If you pull the lever on the right bar rearward the front brakes apply. Press down with your right foot and the rear locks up and gives you a fright. Must be the same type of brakes. Pull the front lever back hard enough, after a brief gentle moment to compress the, oh so soft forks, and it will either skid or if you do it right... launch the rear sky high. Another tick in a box. Actually I found this quite amusing to endo such a high/non-stunt type bike. And it does it well.
Power is as power is...Sorry, a Forest Gump mindless comment that I have no idea how to finish. But it sounded good for a moment. Well it's a triple so power is just silky smooth and all over the bloody place. Handy if you are one of those people always losing stuff. You just can't find yourself lost for power on a triple. One of my favourite sensations on the Tiger is rising out of an apex and just feeling the torque rip your arms out as it blasts you out the other side of the bend. Great fun. Tick box.
And yes, it has ample power to wheelie if required.
COMFORT is in another world to anything I've owned for years. In a good way if you're not sure what I mean. So easy to ride, so easy to flick from side to side. The weight, which I think is quoted at 198kg dry, but don't quote me on that, disappears once on the move. Much like most of our licences.
My only gripe is the seat is ridiculously high. I know , I know, I look so silly riding along with a step ladder strapped to my backpack. I have sat on one with the alternative lower seat, and just as the name suggests, it's lower! Wow, why can't they make that the standard and put the high seat in the accessories brochure under - f@%$#ing stupid tall seat suited for 1% of the world population, only $10,000 extra. Maybe the panniers come with a built in ladder system?
Mirrors work great. Gauges are good but it lacks a gear indicator which is just odd since Triumph have similar looking dashes fitted across the range but some do and some don't. Instead the Tiger has a nice readout of how many Ks to go until you can take the step ladder off your back for a moment.
I would write more but it's time to replenish my glass. Give me a sec and I will add a picture just to show what a professional I am.