The more I test ride motorcycles the more I come to hope I don't need to decide on buying one or another any time soon. I keep finding bikes I really like, and the decision keeps getting harder.
The latest on the list is the Triumph Tiger 800. I rode one of these on Friday and it was sweet.
I was really more interested in the Tiger 800 XC, which is the dual-sport version, but had to settle for the street model. As such, I had no problem planting my feet firmly on the ground and the light weight made it a very comfortable machine to handle at parking lot speeds.
The seat was comfortable and seemed as though it would remain so for long periods. The bikini fairing did an adequate job of breaking the wind blast against my chest. I was surprised how much I liked the gearshift. It shifts so smoothly and with such confidence that it just felt good. Really good.
Taking off from a stop the Tiger gets up to speed very nicely, with good power, and it doesn't seem particularly picky about what gear you use. For city riding you would not need to be doing a lot of shifting, but if you have particular needs at the moment the ability is there to meet those needs. I did find, however, that up in 6th gear there were times I was looking for a higher gear. It just felt like it needed an upshift.
Stopping was no problem at all, thanks to dual disks in from and a single disk in the rear.
I've complained a lot lately about the totally inadequate mirrors on some Kawasakis I've ridden and I'm pleased to say that the Tiger's mirrors worked well. I think it's simply because they are back closer to the rider and are therefore better able to actually show you what's behind you. I've always figured the Kawi mirrors could be fixed, you'd just need to spend some money.
The instrument display is large and easy to read.
Passenger accomodations seem adequate, though far from plush. You wouldn't expect them to be plush. This is not a luxo-barge. I would be concerned about the close proximity of the exhaust to the passenger's leg, but there is a heat shield there. Presumably Triumph figures they've addressed the issue.
All in all, the Tiger 800 was a very nice bike. I liked it, and if I were in the market it would definitely be on my list of possibilities.
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