Triumph Tiger 800

Do you adjust preload from time to time for varying loads? If yes, how much pain is that?

I've got one, on my 1050, and have never touched the preload. Even two-up, tank bag, and full panniers, I didn't touch anything. If you're clear about your intentions with the bike, the shop should be able to set it up accordingly. Traxxion setup mine with a passenger and full luggage and track day possibilities in mind. I've, actually, reduced preload from where they had set it. Yeah, two-up, it will run wide. But, at that pace, I should be by myself and at the track. Otherwise, it's plush and controlled. She has made numerous remarks about how nice my bike rides. I agree.

As a side note, I setup my Daytona the same way "marloweluke" setup his. I slid down the forks in the clamps and jacked up the rear to where it was on the verge of unstable, hard on the brakes. The bike would turn on a dime. I'd setup my 1050 the same way, but, it's already taller than I'd like.

Thanks for the input everyone.

I don't really need to fool around with the preload although when I have to it certainly is not as convenient as the hydraulic preload adjuster. I do have a Torrington bearing kit between the collar and the spring which makes it a little easier to change preload. For two up touring I was considering getting a second heavier spring as it is quite easy to undo the bottom linkage, take off all the preload and replace the spring with a heavier one. Would be worthwhile doing for a longer trip. An extra spring is about $100.

Dealers are offering $1750 gift card on the XC; $1500 on the Roadie right now

Is that for accessories, or can it be applied to the price of the bike?

I'm sure it's for accessories, altho I noticed on the board that they had a Tiger at a discounted price of @$2000 off OTD price-sorry I don't remember whether a Roadie or XC, but??????

All is well with the world!

I'm the guy who made a commitment to purchase the 800XC, and a few days later, upon viewing the Trophy, had big time 2nd thoughts. Finally had a chance to demo the Trophy today. It's a great bike, I'm sure they'll sell tons of them, but for me and my needs and where I am in my life the Tiger 800 XC is head and shoulders above it as a far better choice!

Was beautiful, smooth, and very powerful.

But for this rider here are the negatives:

Legs were too cramped even with stock seat in the highest position

Bike felt heavy and cumbersome during slow speed handling. Within the first one minute of the ride that was the deal breaker for me

Compared to the light weight and plush suspension of the 800 XC, the suspension felt a little jarring on beat up pot hole filled suburban roads

Compared to the 800, I felt too isolated from the ride experience by the size of the fairing and the multitude of the electronic gadgets

Grateful that I feel clarity and a sense of peace about which motorcycle to purchase!
Thank you all for your help!!

Doxbike,

Can you share more specifics of the Gift Card you're referring to? Just checked the Triumph web site and there is no mention of it I could find.

I have committed to the purchase of a leftover 800 Tiger at a nearby dealer, but haven't picked it up yet, so you've got my attention.

Thanks.

Got to a "0" miles to go on the dash as I entered a gas station. As a matter of fact, it was 3 miles to go a few yards before and then it turned to three dashes... I assume that is a "zero". It had 231 miles on the clock since the last fill. It took 4.5 gallons to fill.

I have a hunch Doc and I are on the same mailing list for Newport Beach Ducati-Triumph...they sent it out yesterday I think. Says right on it, "Newport Beach Triumph Only". I didn't save it because I'm not on the market for another one of these things.

This same dealer tacks on freight and prep automatically, so all they're doing is discounting it back off. BFD. You still have to negotiate the best deal you can get, then add on whatever factory accessories you think you need.

I think it also said for 2012 models...so maybe they have a couple of those left.

Here ya' go. As I edited in my previous post, they also have on their whiteboard a Tiger at @$2000 of otd price. Only at local dealer, but if they have still have special on the Tiger + $1700 card, might be worth a trip from NJ??? Lotta time to break it in on the way home.

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Observation on 17t counter sprocket:

I put this on my roadie around a month ago. It probably gets me a few more mpg, but if you're a big person or ride two up (which I haven't tried yet) in a hilly area at highway speeds, you could possibly find yourself downshifting. I'm only around 150lbs with gear on, and I live in Florida, but when going up what we call a hill here at 80MPH, it seems (going off memory) I have to give it a lil more gas. Starting from a stop seems about the same - no issues. Wish I could test it in the mountains, but that's a long ride from here Still trying to get my girlfriend to jump on the back and go for a ride as well.

I would not do this mod on an XC as it has the bigger rear wheel and same gearing as the roadie (from what I understand).

New ECU map 20652 (coming from 20634):

Threw this on last night. I can't tell any difference (no surprise here), but was curious if anyone else has noticed differences with the new maps?

Opinons, please? I currently ride a SV650n. It was my first bike, and, being relatively small and nimble, it's is great for 'around town', which to me is N. NJ with the occasional jaunt into Queens to visit the folks. I'll also do the occasional weekend away, where I'll ride 100-150 miles, spend the night, and then back the next day. But, after seeing the 800 XC at the MC show, I'm seriously thinking about 'moving up', mostly for a bit more comfort on the longer rides, including some weather protection and having the ABS, as well as the ability to explore a bit more off the beaten path. I haven't test-rode the Tiger yet, and I'm not sure that a test ride would give me the full feel for dealing with the bike on a daily basis. I figured if I do buy the Tiger, I'd see how it did around town before making a decision to sell the SV650, but, money being what it is these days, knowing that I won't miss the SV650 and that I can put what I get for it towards the XC could make my decision a bit easier.

So, given the option of having these 2 bikes in the garage or just the Tiger, are they different enough that you'd keep both, or is the Tiger versatile enough to handle the narrow streets and parking between cars of city / suburb riding as well as the longer hauls?

Of all my bikes, I consider the XC to be the best one for "around town."

I had a SV650S some years back. Has a hoot of an engine. Fast little bike.

Being the 's' model though, with the low bars, it was very fatiguing, so after a year or so I traded it for a DL1000 V-Strom. That was about 2002.

The XC is a lot bigger feeling bike than the SV. That said I don't recommend you test ride one unless you're prepared to buy one. Once you experience that triple motor and how nice the bike rides, there's pretty much no going back. The XC is easy to handle, not a heavy weight like the bigger ADV bikes, so it's still very handy for around town. My office is just 5 miles from the house, and I ride it about half the time. It's not so big and cumbersome that you hesitate to fire it up for a short jaunt.

I think you would just love it for what you describe. It's a very satisfying motorbike. You'll see a lot of owners that have owned a lot of different bikes previously. That speaks well for what it is.

I'm coming from an SV myself (S model though, 1st gen), so I can tell you my experience with the two. If you were to have only one bike, the Tiger is far and away the better choice. The SV is a bargain bike, especially when you compare it with the likes of the Tiger. I mainly got the Tiger because I wanted a better platform for doing long trips, and being able to do some off road work (let me tell you, the SV's low clearance and exhaust do NOT like to play well with bumpy terrain.) Sounds pretty similar to what your motivation is too, and it seems like the Tiger will be perfect for that.

Around town, though, and commuting, I think I still prefer the spunky little SV. Don't get me wrong, the T800's engine is fantastic, and the ride is nice and plush, but the SV's v-twin is still a thing of beauty. And being that much smaller and lower, it really does feel a lot more nimble and maneuverable. I know guys are talking about how they can keep up with the sportbikes on their Tigers, which may be true, but I can tell you I feel a lot more confident in the twisties on my SV. Even though the SV has skinny tires by sportbike standards, they feel like fatties compared to the Tiger's. Couple that with the Tiger's higher COG, and the SV feels a lot more planted in aggressive riding. I should state that I'm admittedly still getting a feel for the Tiger, and I've upgraded the SV's suspension a bit, but still, I've had the Tiger's back end step out on me in turns that I didn't feel like I was pushing it too hard, not compared to what I'd do with the SV at least.

So that's a slightly long winded version of me saying that at least in my case, I'm keeping the SV around for now. I like its flickability on the highway, and its lightweight maneuverability. And admit that I still love that v-twin growl. I'll use it mostly for commuting since it already has a bunch of miles on it and gets slightly better gas mileage. I may take it out for the occasional canyon carving day trip too, and maybe track days if I ever feel like I don't need to buy stuff for the Tiger (hah!). But for any longer excursions, or anything hinting of off road, I'll be taking the Tiger out for sure.

I'm contemplating the purchase of an 800 Roadie this spring. I do no off-road riding, only streets, backroads and some slab.

Would there be a reason to get the XC instead of the Roadie for my purposes? I believe the shocks and forks are larger diameter on the XC, with longer travel as well. More comfortable ride? I'd probably swap out the tires for something with a road tread, but other than that, is there something that recommends the XC over the roadie for a non-dirt rider? Do you think the roadie would be better "around town" than the XC?

Thanks.

Be sure to test ride the Roadie, as well.

For road use suspension travel length won't make a big difference as the roadie already has fairly long travel for a road bike and you aren't likely to use it all anyway. The plusher (from what I have read) feel of the XC might make a difference though. For all road use and if you plan to get more road oriented tires to me it seems obvious to get a roadie. If you are more than ~165lbs you may find the roadie suspension just fine. For us light folks it often considered too harsh. Can't see why you want to go with tubed tires of the XC. For less than the cost difference you could upgrade the front suspension of the roadie. I've had my roadie one year, have put about 12k miles on it and am averaging 54mpg.