Confession time!

[Carport]

Looking forward to the pics and ride report.

[africajim]

Thank you all for the responses, I hope to pick up the Tiger on Tuesday, as soon as my insurance arrives. It took quite a bit of soul searching to change from the Honda but they just didn't come up with a new @T!

I do hope to buy another @T in the future for a project I have in mind so I'll still be around and bore everyone with my thoughts!

As soon as I get the Triumph and put a couple of hundred miles on it I'll post pics and a review of how I rate it compared to the Varadero and the @T.

[africajim]

Well, I picked up the Tiger from Wullie Young's today.
That's the first 100 miles in and I'm getting used to it! Compared to the Varadero, it's less bulky and feels less lardy but the Varadero is more aggressive and faster top speed wise. The Tiger feels a harder ride, seat and suspension wise but this does help the handling, it doesn't waddle as much as the Varadero but can get a bit confused if you hit the right shaped bump in a corner!
The Tiger is no sports bike, at over the ton it's very windy! The varadero copes better at speed. That said, it's got a stonking motor that whines like a banshee right up to the rev limiter pulling like a train. It will lift the front wheel off the throttle and would continue until you were upside down if you don't back off! Best I could coax out of it today was 120mph, verified by sat nav. 4th gear is very strong, and will pull from 30 to around the ton no problem. With six gears it cruises rather well, not to stressed and plenty of midrange to overtake with. I think it'll make a great tourer for the summer.
Ok, better than the Varadero or Africa twin? I'm not sure that would be my choice of words. The Tiger makes it's power differently from a twin, it's a lot smoother and feels less aggressive but end result is forward motion with a grin factor! I really think they are a much of a muchness, good points, bad points, they all have them. I like the Triumph, we'll see how it copes in Italy this Summer, I'm off to find crash bars for it!
Here's links to a couple of pics on my website.
http://www.jamessimpson.dsl.pipex.com/tiger.JPG
http://www.jamessimpson.dsl.pipex.com/tigerandme.JPG

[MacP]

That's a nice bike! And lovely colour!

I will have to try a Tiger at some point...

How long will it take to remove the grin BTW ...

[Chad]

ive always thought the tiger was a nice bike and that colour scheme rocks but ive heard the are a little cramped for the taller rider
how would you say it compairs in that dept ie leg position

[robelst]

We may need a Tiger forum on here as well?

After my AT's unplanned meeting with a reversing lorry I was very close to buying a great looking fluorscent-green / black striped Tiger 955 (well priced at 5.5 k, 6 months old with warranty etc). The test-drive did not convince me though. There was nothing to critisize and the bike's must faster / better braking than both my AT and my Buell, but the triple just left me cold completely. Not the sound nor the character I expected, and the whole feel and handling of the bike is much more like a conventional road bike than a trailly. A real shame, I really wanted to like the bike but I didn't. Still love the looks though, it's clearly an athlete compared to the "obese" looking Vara/V-Strom/Caponord fraction.

I decided to rebuild the AT. Not sure what I'd buy really as a new bike, nothing out there that really makes me desperate to own at the moment. I am perfectly happy with the AT and Buell in the garage. I may exchange them both with a Buell Ulysses if any of these bike would start to fall apart completely.

[Chad]

We may need a Tiger forum on here as well?

After my AT's unplanned meeting with a reversing lorry I was very close to buying a great looking fluorscent-green / black striped Tiger 955 (well priced at 5.5 k, 6 months old with warranty etc). The test-drive did not convince me though. There was nothing to critisize and the bike's must faster / better braking than both my AT and my Buell, but the triple just left me cold completely. Not the sound nor the character I expected, and the whole feel and handling of the bike is much more like a conventional road bike than a trailly. A real shame, I really wanted to like the bike but I didn't. Still love the looks though, it's clearly an athlete compared to the "obese" looking Vara/V-Strom/Caponord fraction.

I decided to rebuild the AT. Not sure what I'd buy really as a new bike, nothing out there that really makes me desperate to own at the moment. I am perfectly happy with the AT and Buell in the garage. I may exchange them both with a Buell Ulysses if any of these bike would start to fall apart completely.

if i was honest iwould have to say the only other bike out there that really yanks my crank is the KTM 950 adventure carbed version

but its gonna be a feckin long time before i could afford one of those

plus its more fun chucking what little funds i have at the @

[Rubberchicken]

Still love the looks though, it's clearly an athlete compared to the "obese" looking Vara/V-Strom/Caponord fraction.

If I had to buy something new today, it'd probably be a strom...
The 650 is apparently a pretty good ride, and with a bit of work they can be made to look at least halfway decent, though those headlights are still a pretty big handicap.
http://www.cmgonline.com/bikes/artic..._camper_bg.jpg
This one looks the business, though it really needs some spoked wheels...

[MacP]

Mate I know what you mean...

London 7th April - our chance to talk about out @ addiction....

[stoo]

if i was honest iwould have to say the only other bike out there that really yanks my crank is the KTM 950 adventure carbed version

Get away - I saw you checking out the XR with a mischievous glint in yer eye


I can't see me hanging on to the TA for long unless I can sort out the cramped seating position and useless fairing/screen. Suspect I'll still end up taking it on the big Europe trip in June - put too much effort into the thing over the winter to not do. That'll teach me to buy a bike and start sorting it out before I've had a chance to ride it.

No idea what I'll replace it with though - I'm thinking either a Speed Triple, a V-Max, or a MX bike. Or maybe something else.