Triumph Tiger 800

If it makes you feel better, the Safari tanks for the KTM 950/990 are $1600.

There hasn't been a whole lot of luck with paint or vinyl sticking to the Safari tanks.

Material plays a part but I also think the Tigger 955 tank is double-skinned isn't it (pretty sure my Speed Triple and Sprint tanks are). The issue is fuel vapo(u)rs leaking through the tank.

Having a rough time finding a dealer who'll let me test ride a Tiger 800 Roadie.
Haven't given up, but in the meantime, let me ask this:

On the dimensions of top-heaviness and ease of threading your way through city traffic, how does the roadie compare to the DL 650? Which one inspires more confidence? Which one do you fight less with?

I have no doubt the Tiger's motor is smoother and more powerful, and I'm pretty sure the ergos are similar. I'm only interested in which feels more planted and sure-footed, especially at lower speeds.

Gotta be a bunch of DL to roadie converts around here - speak up and help a brother out....

The tiger is very easy to ride, feels light, easy to control. Compared to a Suzuki, just every thing is done nicer, fit, finish, components, design. It otta be for twice the money (or close).

Surely someone with one in your locale will let you try it out. Once riden, twice smitten.

We had a 2006 DL650 a few years ago for a while. Compared to the Tiger, the DL feels generally bigger. It's mainly the tank and the huge fairing around the headlight/instrument cluster that gives this feeling.

I think the DL felt a little bit more top heavy, but I have never compared them back to back. It might make sense though with the DL having a larger tank up high and a lighter engine while the Tiger has the heavier engine and a smaller tank. But again, take that with a grain of salt, my experience is with the older DL, and on the new one I only had a single test ride.

Regarding confidence: Personally I had no issues with either, my wife finds the Tiger much easier to handle - it was her Wee we sold a few years ago because she plain couldn't get comfortable with it. I have a hard time getting the Tiger back whenever we switch ...

The DL engine is actually super nice, torquey, relatively smooth, and generally very easy to live with. I'd like having that engine in a slightly smaller, less bulky, and especially slimmer dual sport. Not DR650 slim, but maybe F650GS slim in the front and Tiger slim in the rear - if you know what I mean.

I found the ergos on the Wee out of the box better than on the Tiger. But I never rode the Wee on really long trips, longest day was 250 miles or so. Mainly local trips here in the area. The Tiger is more leaned forward, lower handle bar, longer stretch to the handlebar, too. I've put the XC risers on and that got me to where I wanted it to be, but it's still different from the Wee. You need to sit on both.

Has anyone come up with a passenger backrest other than running a standard topbox? Don't like them so I can strap stuff across the back but want to come up with something for the wife. Saw a Pelican Case modified but if she's not riding, I want to be able to remove it. Let me know your thoughts and ideas...

It's a loner from Triumph, don't know what happened to it but there's no problem running it

I had it for about 1000km didn't do fuel figures.
Don't paint it, I like the translucent so I can see the fuel level.
The bike handles very well with a full tank on loose dirt.

No, single skin just made of the right plastic. Acerbis do know what they're doing in that regard.

The DL feels much more top heavy. The tiger is better balanced in every regard. I really liked my DL650, but I fookin' love my tiger.

+1 in every respect.

The DL650 feels like oil tanker compared to the Tiger 800.

Corbin has an accessory page linked to their T800 seat page which lists a number of backrests. Not sure if these are available by themselves or only with the seat - pix look like they're separate pieces, but who knows?

Link here:

http://www.corbin.com/triumph/ttgr811gl.shtml

Thanks Pbee, Swimmer, and Chinookmark for the answers! Does the fuel gauge so work with the safari tanks?

Instead of paying $300 for the 500 mile service, I did the oil change myself.

Is there a way to reset the Service Indicator Symbol (have it go off) other than taking it to the dealer, as described in the Owner's Manual (p.29)??

Thanks in advance.

John

Dealertool can do it.

http://dealertoolcouk.ipage.com/default.htm

Thanks for the information. I'll take it that these are not sold in the US??

OK, brown, cug, internal and kildare, thanks, seems like a consensus that the T800 isn't gonna fight me.

To be clear, I own a 2006 DL650, so I'm clear on its pluses and minuses. Just wanted to hear how the two bikes compared.

This AM I got a return call from a dealer about an hour away who'll have a bike to test ride in about a week or so. I'm very psyched.

One more thing. I happen to own a Triumph Tiger already - a 1967 650 Tiger, to be exact. In pieces, in the basement, waiting for a rebuild...someday. When it was running, it was sweet - nothing like the feel of classic brit twin.

When it was running.....

I know that new Triumphs are nothing like the old ones in terms of build quality. I also know that I got very used to my Suzuki's absolute reliability. Indestructible. And I'm too old for headaches.

So, while I don't expect the Triumph to be on a par with the the DL in terms of dependability, I'm wondering how much of a tradeoff there'll be. My local dealer has a questionable rep, and the guy who's gonna let me test the bike (from whom I'll buy and whose service dept I'll use, for that reason, ) is a little over an hour away.

This is hard to quantify, but just how reliable are these things? Are there known problem areas? Are there established fixes for these? Issues I should address with the dealer before purchase, etc?

Thanks.

You can order it right from that website. For me I think it arrived within a week from England to California.

Yeah. Some are really bad:

1) It gets dirty too fast.
2) I have to fill that stupid gas tank every few days.
3) It never gave me trouble so no reason to take it apart ...
4) Seems that during the night it chews on its tires, these then need to be replaced.
5) It also scratches on its nuts and bolts and now and then you should look them over and retighten, using blue loctite.

Other than the above, it hurts my wallet because I want to make it "just perfect". And I'm on the way of doing so. When it is I bet my wife will claim it ...

Not bad. Thanks again. I will definitely look into it after work.

John

Their site says they ship worldwide - about $112 including postage.

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