Tiger tour report

[africajim]

Hi all, Tiger tour report from the Normandy meet.

Well, 2038 were clocked up on the Tiger going to the XRV Normandy meet last week. That's 27,000 miles on to it now and still plodding on! Day one, arrived south of Penrith, 300 miles from home, parked in campsite, got off bike and turned to a horrendous cloud of steam which looked like the Tiger was on fire big time!

This turned out to be the excess from the expansion tank pouring over the exhaust, this may have been due to my over filling it during the service! (mental note, rememeber to replace rad cap!)

The rain didn't deter the Tiger in the slightest which shows the wiring seems to be up to the job, although my horn did refuse to work after the second day!

I've lost another hero blob off the left peg again, this seems to be due to my need to cut the verge too tight, a kerb or drain in the wrong place and bang, the blob is gone! It may have been a cat's eye over in France as I did catch a few of them. (mental note 2, try not to touch down the pegs so much!)

I outpowered an @T on a straight passing a car, damn these Tiger's can rock! Pity I ran out of road at a hairpin and made the most messy entry to a corner ever, and all caught on film!

Main thing is, the Tiger has been over to Europe for the third time, two up, fully laden with camping gear and held it's own against all the others, and with a wash still looks like new! I'm hard on the bike and hit the rev limiter on a quite a few occasions, I corner hard and fast and this bike never lets me down. I can't speak more highly of the 955 Tiger, they can only hope the 1050 is as good!

[Jacqueslemac]

Tigers have rev limiters? Well, I've learned something today, thanks Jim.

[vanman]

I did 29000 on my 56 plate 955i commuting every day and a couple of long Europe tours - fantastic bike never missed a beat, now just got the 1050 5 weeks and 1800 miles later , not the same bike at all- faster ,more modern looking,better brakes, not really a Tiger if you know what I mean,but still a great bike so far- roll on Europe and some big miles and we'll see what she's made of,don't know if she'll handle the hair pins round the French Alps and Stelvio and the Dolomites like the 955

[africajim]

Let us know how you get on mate, I'm undecided if I want to trade up to the 1050 or not. The orange one is drop dead gorgeous but will it manage offroad?
I'd say one of the big questions is will it cope offroad? This will swing it for a few on this forum. If the answer's no then we'll all have to look elsewhere.

BMW up in Inverness have an 07 F800 in which I might pop up for a look at, yellow as well, ho hum!

[vanman]

It will be no good what so ever off the tarmac- if that's what you want -forget the 1050!. I have an XR250 for Green laning down here in Kent and will keep the Tiger for the road only... cheers Steve

[vanman]

Sorry to all Triumph fans ,but the 1050 was just not up to it, in my opinion- good looking bike ,great engine,but the headlight was terrible,the buffeting on the motorway from traffic in front especially vans etc. was too much and after only 5000 miles the front discs were starting to warp,giving bad vibrations under heavy braking....... So after 2 750 bonnies,1 750 daytona, and 5 'proper tigers' the 1050 forced me to the Dark Side of KTM with a 990 Adventure !! after 1100 miles and half a dozen gentle byeways too- I love it, Great handling,Great suspension,Great brakes,ABS,Great headlight-similar riding position and size to the old Tiger-ain't too pretty,but then the Tiger wasn't either! I know I should have gone straight for it instead of the 1050..... Book your test drive up now!!!

[Jacqueslemac]

When my "proper" Tiger was in for its MoT I borrowed a 1050 Tiger. Apart from the fact it was lower and faster there wasn't a single element I liked better than my Tiger.

When I returned it, the chap asked what I thought. He agreed and said he'd no idea why Triumph bothered to call it a Tiger as it had so little in common with the 955i.

Having just tried a KTM 990 Adventure, I know what my next bike will be when the Tiger eventually goes.