Triumph Tiger 800

[Adv Grifter]

Originally Posted by LoriKTM

Couple of notes on the 800 XC:

1) If you need to change a flat out in the field, bring your best bead breaker. The rear Battlewing has a stiff carcass and is a mutha to break the bead. Details here by my husband after our last trip. Linky.
We had tools on the bike for changing tires out in the field, but hadn't taken into account the stiff Battlewing bead. Good thing we were at home when we changed the tube. We're adding a bead popper to our on-bike tool kit.

2) Just recorded my best tank of fuel so far (at 2600 miles on the odo). At 214.5 miles I took on only 3.92 gallons. For a whopping 54mpg!

Lori,
So glad you brought this up. I've harped on it here before and no one really seemed worried, and seems few have made plans to actually fix a flat out on the road. The front tire is one thing, pretty easy to break the bead on a 21" tire, but we all know most flats are rear tire.

Having owned two tube tire Tigers before and lots of dual sport bikes I know well the difficulty of breaking the bead on a rear tire. It is really tough.

I now use a big C clamp for this ... and dish soap. The Avon Distanzia is just as tough as the Battlewing. These are both essentially tires made for tubeless wheels and really tend to hang onto the rim. Even ridden flat, I'd bet the bead won't break.

In fact, that may present an opportunity for some as you can possibly ride to a shop to have the flat done by pros. But when you can't ... good idea to have the right tool to break that bead. You won't be doing it with tire irons or your feet.

Mounting and dismounting the tire is not hard with good technique and good tire irons (I use three). But breaking that bead can challenge even experienced riders. Been there ... done that.

My advice is to always pack a tube or two (remember, a 21" tube will work in the rear ... temporary) and good tools to break the bead and change the tube.

[Evomx971]

Originally Posted by Adv Grifter

You sound like a guy that needs to learn about Aerostich. Here in the SF Bay area we have more motorcycles on the road daily than any City in the USA ... by an order of 5. Thousands commute into San Francisco everyday from the East Bay, South Bay and North Bay.

The riding suit of choice for the old pros is the Aerostich. Plenty of daily commuters unzip the 'Stich to reveal their nice Brooks Brothers suit underneath ... every thread in place.

The stich ain't cheap but will last for at least a decade. It does pretty much everything well. Not the very best in heat but is vented. It protects your work clothes and takes seconds to get in and out of. But perhaps the very best thing about it is the excellent protection it provides ... which is close to leather. The Aerostich padding is the BEST in the industry .... ten times better than crappy "EC approved" armor in so many garments.

You are absolutely right. I'd love to get a one piece roadcrafter... I bet I look at them on the website once every two weeks, just haven't pulled the trigger. Now they have the "light" one piece version which seems like it might be a neat deal (although was turned off when I saw it was imported compared to the regular made in the USA one piece). My daily gear is a Cortech Accelerator coat (not my favorite, but it's ok) and some Firstgear HT Overpants which I really like until it gets really hot, then I have some Firstgear HT Air (mesh) overpants.


Regardless of gear though... the Tiger puts out more heat around my legs than anything else I've owned, period... and that includes a tube frame Buell. I think I'm just going to have to do some pondering to come up with a workable solution.

[Evomx971]

One note regarding the tube-type tires on the XC's. Although I deal with all kinds of tubes on the dirt bikes, it didn't really dawn on me I'd now have to be ready for a tube flat on the XC until after I had it. Dealing with a tube is obviously more of a pain than shoving in a plug.

A buddy of mine has been running the TUbliss (http://tubliss.com/) solution on his KTM off road bike for awhile and I've been really impressed. I contacted TUbliss about dual sport/adventure bike applications since their website is pretty clear it should be only used for off road. He said it's primarily a DOT thing, but that they are working on a design that will be DOT approved and they are hoping to have it available summer of 2012.

If they do, I think they'll sell a ton of the things to all those Tiger, 800GS, KLR, DR, XR guys out there. I'd definitely go that route.

[jphish]

'Tubeliss' Looks like an option worthy of consideration. Doesnt appear to be available in 17" rear though. ??

[when the road bends]

another review here

[Motorfiets]

Originally Posted by when the road bends

another review here

Safari tanks developing a extended range tank?


Sent using Tapatalk

[Evomx971]

Originally Posted by jphish

'Tubeliss' Looks like an option worthy of consideration. Doesnt appear to be available in 17" rear though. ??

No... no 17" yet, hopefully next year... and while I'm sure their current 21" front isn't DOT approved... I wonder if there is anything else (balancing perhaps) that would prevent using it now on an 800XC? Would have to drill a second hole in the rim. I tried to ask that in my email but didn't get a straight response, only that it's not DOT approved (no surprise).

[ttfrank]

Originally Posted by Adv Grifter

Comparativa maxienduro Motociclismo 2011

http://www.tiger800.co.uk/index.php/...topicseen.html

I don't speak Italian, I speak Spanish but they are somehow alike, so this is what I understand about this review:

"The first 2… 1200 gs and 800 gs they have performed in an excellent way during this test; both the small 800 and the larger 1200 did excellent. The 800Gs had shown to be very, very efficacious in this trip, however the fuel consumption was a downside for this bike. Of course the 1200 gs happened to show better results as far as the fuel consumption and comfort.. good on road, good off road.

“The Comfirmation” and “The Surprise” in this test in Sicily were: “ The surprise” was the yamaha tenere, which despite being a mono-cylinder bike performed really well on road (of course, its off road behavior is superb)… “The Confirmation” was the KTM 990, it is really, really something off road with a good “globe trotter” (touring??) quality….

The last bikes in this group are this three “maxi-enduro” …. The Super Tenere, despite the Name it carries, showed that “off roading” it’s not the proper use for this bike, but its performance on road was outstanding; it’s a very “fluent or fluid” bike and a very protective bike as well (I am guessing he is talking about wind protection when he says “protective bike”) with a better comfort than the legendary r1220gs…
Next is the Honda, Transalp, very easy bike to drive.. Noobie proof.. it is almost like a scooter!! It is a bike that gets the job done.. very god bike

And then is the Triumph, the new Tiger 800…. Which did not convince everybody as far as the cylcistic (I don’t know what he meant with “cyclistic”… I think he meant “ERGO”... according to the context). However its 3 cylinder engine is something that we did fall in love with"

Again..... Italian is not my tongue so this is not a word by word translation but I think we all get the idea...

[ttfrank]

^^^^^

Great video....


... but the poorest reviews I've heard about some of this bikes...

[Adv Grifter]

Originally Posted by jphish

'Tubeliss' Looks like an option worthy of consideration. Doesnt appear to be available in 17" rear though. ??

I've read a few reviews where the Tubeliss system melted and came apart just riding off road. IMHO, they have a ways to go to perfect this fiddly system and make it operational. I doubt they can afford the liability involved for claiming their system safe on highway. Giant leap.

I'd be more inclined to let a pro like Woody's Wheel works seal the spokes and convert the wheels to tubeless ones. Up front, I would always run a tube
(which is what Woody recommends) but the rear needs to be dealt with as repair is a PITA out on the road.

Tubeless conversion are not new ... has been done before.

[Adv Grifter]

Originally Posted by ttfrank

I don't speak Italian, I speak Spanish but they are somehow alike, so this is what I understand about this review:

"The first 2… 1200 gs and 800 gs they have performed in an excellent way during this test; both the small 800 and the larger 1200 did excellent. The 800Gs had shown to be very, very efficacious in this trip, however the fuel consumption was a downside for this bike. Of course the 1200 gs happened to show better results as far as the fuel consumption and comfort.. good on road, good off road.

“The Comfirmation” and “The Surprise” in this test in Sicily were: “ The surprise” was the yamaha tenere, which despite being a mono-cylinder bike performed really well on road (of course, its off road behavior is superb)… “The Confirmation” was the KTM 990, it is really, really something off road with a good “globe trotter” (touring??) quality….

The last bikes in this group are this three “maxi-enduro” …. The Super Tenere, despite the Name it carries, showed that “off roading” it’s not the proper use for this bike, but its performance on road was outstanding; it’s a very “fluent or fluid” bike and a very protective bike as well (I am guessing he is talking about wind protection when he says “protective bike”) with a better comfort than the legendary r1220gs…
Next is the Honda, Transalp, very easy bike to drive.. Noobie proof.. it is almost like a scooter!! It is a bike that gets the job done.. very god bike

And then is the Triumph, the new Tiger 800…. Which did not convince everybody as far as the cylcistic (I don’t know what he meant with “cyclistic”… I think he meant “ERGO”... according to the context). However its 3 cylinder engine is something that we did fall in love with"

Again..... Italian is not my tongue so this is not a word by word translation but I think we all get the idea...

Nice Job TT! Close enough. I speak a bit of Spanish but only got about half a dozen things. Super knarly conditions and obviously some super talented riders on those bikes. The Italians are almost always in the top ten in ISDE and World Enduro.

[LoriKTM]

Originally Posted by jphish

LoriKTM - I've always been able to use side stand foot to break bead. I'm replacing Battlewings with Heidi's - dont imagine they will be any more compliant for removal. So... are you saying side stand is insufficient for task ? If so - guess I gotta add a bead breaker to kit. Im going to have to get a side car just to haul all the tools.

In fact, we had to use the sidestand trick at home to break the bead on the rear Battlewing. My 200 pound husband got on his Ulysses, while I placed the rear Tiger wheel under the sidestand. It took several minutes of working the sidestand against the bead and rotating the tire, but the bead finally....finallly! broke. We've changed many, many dirt bike tires and dual sport tires over the years (DR 650, KTM 640) and this was the first one that required the sidestand trick. Once the bead was broken (both sides) it was easy enough to extract the tube and replace it with a new one.

Me, I'd rather have a bit more elegant solution to break a bead while out in the field, so a bead popper or C-clamp is going in the tool kit. And I don't know that the sidestand trick is that useful if you are out alone.

[ttfrank]

Originally Posted by Adv Grifter

Nice Job TT! Close enough. I speak a bit of Spanish but only got about half a dozen things. Super knarly conditions and obviously some super talented riders on those bikes. The Italians are almost always in the top ten in ISDE and World Enduro.

Agree... great conditions to test this bikes...

But I don't know... a lot of super 10 fans can feel aggraviated by comments said (or suggests) like the new Super Tenere is "only the name stampted on it", implying that the "name"was the only legacy that this bike took from the legendary dakar super tenere.... what?.... come on.... you have seen what a skilled guy like Francesco Catanese can do over this new Super10...

Personally (tiger lover) felt very disapointed with his "comments about the tiger... in few words he said "excellent engine but weird cyclistic (something to do with ergonomics and design i guess)" ARE YOU SERIOUS??????

After driving this bikes more than 1000km across Sicily I was expecting a review more realistic, more objective and more professional than that.... something like: "beemer 1200 and 800 good bikes... ktm good off road not that confortble for long roads... and tiger 800 definetly, with no doubts, the absolute quintessence of the enduro bikes... simply outstanding..." Now, that would have been a great review.....

Shame on you Motociclismo Magazine reviewers...!!!

[-lurkster-]

After checking the oil level in the sight-glass today I noticed the oil looking at bit dark, so I just did the first oil / filter change on the Tiger XC at 380 miles. I recall someone commenting earlier in the thread on how clean the oil was at the first change, but I don't think that was the case with mine- the drained oil was somewhere between Stone IPA and Guinness in appearance (I opted not to confirm this with a taste test). Is this similar to other people observations or should I be watching out for something?

[GrahamD]

Originally Posted by ttfrank

Agree... great conditions to test this bikes...

But I don't know... a lot of super 10 fans can feel aggraviated by comments said (or suggests) like the new Super Tenere is "only the name stampted on it", implying that the "name"was the only legacy that this bike took from the legendary dakar super tenere.... what?.... come on.... you have seen what a skilled guy like Francesco Catanese can do over this new Super10...

Well The S10 is easy to pick up, works well on dirt and road, has lots of safety features that work really well, BUT if you get stuck uphill on Greasy mud you still have to push and extract 268Kg worth of bike and no amount of clever COG engineering makes it lighter to lift and push. Maybe they should install a winch as standard on the big PIGS. It's not an MX bike. Neither is anything that big.

The Triumph scored low because it's not Italian. The poms were on the wrong side in the war and they're still pissed about it.

(that was a joke, An insensitive one but still a joke)

Anyway, whatever. The Triumph is still a good thing that seems to make lots of people happy and it's not as heavy as the BIG Boys.

Did anyone notice that the tests are now FULL of adv variants rather than BMW vS BMW Vs KTM.

Cheers
Graham