Triumph Tiger 800

I know this has been mentioned before but, what was Triumph thinking with the gear ratios. If this transmission was in a sport bike it would be one of the best in the business. However, it just doesn't suit the Tiger. First is too high and 6th is too low and they are all too close to each other. I've been playing around on my commute and double shifting. 1-3-5-6 from a dead stop and 2-4-6 when making a right turn that doesn't require a full stop. The motor pulls so well down low that it is very easy to ride like this. I just can't double shift fast enough to do it smoothly. Hopefully, this will be something Triumph corrects sometime in the future.

Don't want to paint a negative picture here. My Tiger is far and away the best bike I have owned.

As Jerk has said setting up the throttle cables correctly makes a huge difference. I did a how to on Tiger800.co.uk

http://www.tiger800.co.uk/index.php/topic,1465.0.html

Throttle response will be as smooth as a baby's bum after adjustment.

The bike was recently serviced and has the latest tune and slack taken out of the cables. It is smoother but needs more range of motion at slower speeds. In normal riding (not drag racing) I only use about an 1/8" of throttle motion to accelerate through the gears. It will be a few weeks before I try the G2 throttle. They don't have one listed specifically for the Tiger 800 but was told they could fix me up if the bars are 7/8".

Airing down and/or different tires makes a HUGE difference!!! Ball bearing gravel roads or not...

Airing down tires on a bike this heavy can mean bent rims. And it is such a hassle. I'm mostly a dirt rider and I've ridden bikes with all sorts of tire wear, I know thread makes a difference. But not as much as people tend to believe. Thanks for your comments.

One thing I forgot to mention on that small review: the front forks absorb the small bumps very well.

Picked up my 800XC on Saturday

Saturday:



Sunday:



So far so good. Few pucker moments yesterday but she didn't go down. I really have to get some guards before I do this again.

I am extremely jealous

Nice looking bike, even for a scouser supporter

They don't do red so I had to get the closest colo(u)r I could

And some tyres.

Yup...although they weren't that bad (not too much mud out on the trails) but def need something better. Worst thing was not being able to stand (I need risers) - that hindered me more than the tires did.

It appears that others have had the same "Jerky Throttle" problem as I have had.

Thanks for all the suggestions to my "Jerky Throttle" thread. I will make sure my bike has tune 20495 and have the freeplay taken out by a dealer different from the one that told me it was "normal".

Did you roll the bars forward? It moves them up a lot, but it also puts them slightly further away. I'm happy with the 20mm risers.

What I actually need is to raise and also bring them back towards me a little - I will get some Rox risers to do that.

Good video.
Having had a close look at the chain to swing arm clearance, there isn't much. So I'm fairly convinced all this clattering is the chain slapping on the swing arm protectors. I wonder if there's someone out there that can rig up a video camera pointing at that area?

ok
airing down on this bike means you have more control on offroad situations. i would much rather have control than worry about a bent rim. i can ride home with a bent rim. a broken arm may be a little tricky! you dont air down to 12 or 13 like a Dirt Bike, the manual recommends 22psi i think...

Do you think at that pressure rim locks are required ? Anybody planning on adding rim locks

No. As I understand it the tyres are a very tight fit on the rims. Almost like a tubeless fit. So I don't think rim locks are needed. Also, if they were needed, Triumph would recommend them with the Karoos that are the option tyre. That could also be why the pressure they recommend is 22psi not a dirt bike 12psi.

I 100% agree with this approach. It remains to be seen how tough the Tiger rims will be. Generally speaking, Excel rims of the spec used on the Tiger are pretty strong, can take a good hit. I'd guess running 20 to 22 PSI will not put them at much risk unless you are riding at race pace in nasty rocks.

But as Lion says; low pressures can result in a dented rim. But for me control is everything ... and is literally a life saver. Having owned two Vstroms and ridden several GS's off road, I know the substantial improvement in feel and control that is gained from running lower pressures in front and rear tires.

Yes .... it's a bit of a hassle. But if you don't go too low for off road, then once back on pavement the bike will mostly still work OK

I've gone with lower pressures on street tires (like the Battle Wings) and braking ability and corner confidence was greatly improved. Even better with tires like TKC80's, D606 or T-63's.

Baja is famous for ruining rims ... and I've dented a few there. But I run lower than average pressures on dirt bikes. In Baja ... or other rocky, fast terrain, you do need to increase pressure a bit. But most important, you need to slow down, pay attention and watch for embedded baby heads and square edged holes.

I have no doubt by the end of Summer we should know more about the durability of the Tiger's rims.

A plug in elec. mini compressor makes airing up less a pain ... but pretty slow. Once you've seen a good trials rider do their routine ... you'll understand the value of low pressure tires (Trials riders run about 8 psi). Same principles apply to bigger bikes.

I never run that high of air pressure in sections!