My thoughts on the Tiger 1050 vs Tiger 955i after 26,000 miles
on the Tiger 955i and 8,500 miles on the Tiger 1050
on the Tiger 955i and 8,500 miles on the Tiger 1050
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Good Points in favour of the Tiger 1050 compared with the Tiger 955i
Bad Points against the 1050 compared with 955i
Summary
If you asked any biker what they would want to do to improve their bike they'd probably say
1. More Power
2. Less weight
3. Better Brakes
4. Wider, grippier tyres
5. Modernise the looks
6. No loss in reliability
Well it seems to me that is exactly what Triumph have done with the new 1050 Tiger. A brilliant bike.
- The new Tiger 1050 feels really light and nimble. I took my sons Yamaha R6 for a ride then climbed on the new Tiger
afterwards and it still felt light. - At 12st and 5'8" I find the new Tiger is so much more manageable both in the garage and on the road.
- I have lowered the standard ride height another half an inch just by playing with the front and rear pre-load.
- My new Tiger bedded in very well whereas my 955i ran very hot with the fan permanently on for the first 50 miles.
- The 1050 gearbox is smoother and slicker even when new.
- The engine feels like it has another 10 bhp at 3,000 revs. Top gear overtaking is improved. I can rip past anything
and ride like a loon without ever going over 6,000 revs or half throttle, amazing! - On a Trackday my old 955i stayed ahead of 600's up to about 90 mph on the straights then they came past. On the
1050 600's never come past. - Those new Radial front brakes are really, really powerful and progressive. Brilliant on road and track.
- The new Tiger is so flickable. There are two double "S" bends near me with a roundabout in the middle. I was
always trying hard through there on the old Tiger 955i. The 1050 is so much easier to point & shoot. It goes
anywhere you want it to with no effort, no drama and loads of grip. It will effortlessly turn inside a 955i. - I love the Trip computer on MPG setting. e.g 60 mpg (UK) at 70 mph. 80+ mpg in a 30 limit. It sure takes some of
the boredom out of keeping a clean licence. Two trip readings and miles left in tank are another bonus. - All the controls are light, I really like the matching, adjustable Clutch & Brake leavers.
- My 1050 really does attract positive comments when you park it in front of a group of bikers. Especially with the Crash
Bars and Remus exhaust. - Plenty of room to move around on the seat. I also like having a decent bum stop.
- The standard 1050 is so quiet and smooth that my main sensation at 60 mph was feeling the chain going round
through the left footpeg. - When you work on the Tiger 1050, like removing the front fairing, the tank or the rear seat cowl, you can see the
quality of the design. It is light years ahead of the 955i. A very impressive leap forward in R&D. - Plenty of solid mounts under the seat to bolt luggage to, and room for storing tools, gloves etc
- The ECU has adapted seamlessly to every modification.
- I can fill the fuel tank without splashing Petrol everywhere. I much prefer a steel tank.
Bad Points against the 1050 compared with 955i
- The Fueling seemed a bit snatchy for the first few warm up cycles, then it settled down OK.
- If you switch the engine off with less than 70 miles left on the computer then start it up the fuel light comes on and the
computer shows "---" miles left. At this point I still have over 7 litres in the Tank. Seems like I will have to use the Trip
and learn not to panic. - I once ran out of fuel with 14 miles still showing on the gauge. Another time I had to ride 20 miles beyond the gauge
reading zero. Not very consistent. - I never tour with a pillion, my guess is the pillion seat on the 955i is much better.
- I am getting a slight buzz through the bars, it would be harsh to call it true vibration. I certainly get more pins &
needles than on the 955i. I am convinced this is due to my fitting aftermarket Crash Bars and Handguards. - The trade-off for the outstanding handling is a firmer, bumpier ride on UK roads. I now have to slow down for speed
bumps. There was some "Stiction" in the front forks for the first thousand miles. - The standard Chainguard is a joke and allows chain lube to be flicked all over the bike, rider & luggage.
- The seating position gives me more up draft under my Motorcycle Jacket. Good on a warm day, bad on a cold day.
- I realise that a 17inch front tyre will limit off road tyre options. I ride off road more than most. When I get to the top of
Mont Sommelier on the Stella and see R1's, Blades, a 2 up Norton Commando, a Harley, a BSA Bantam etc, etc. I
have to admit that any decent rider can take any half decent bike anywhere. I will not have to compromise my
adventure riding for the sake of a 17 inch front tyre. But I will have to respect the reduced ground clearance. - I have ridden the Tiger 1050 off-road. It is well balanced but it lacks ground clearance so any pothole deeper than 2
inches must be ridden over gently. Either the rear shock linkage will catch the far lip or the shock will bottom out. I
used to be able to jump off ramps with the old 955i, not this one. The front brake has to be used cautiously off-road.
Summary
If you asked any biker what they would want to do to improve their bike they'd probably say
1. More Power
2. Less weight
3. Better Brakes
4. Wider, grippier tyres
5. Modernise the looks
6. No loss in reliability
Well it seems to me that is exactly what Triumph have done with the new 1050 Tiger. A brilliant bike.
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