Adrian's Triumph Tiger 800 page
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In March 2011 I rode the street version of the Tiger 800. In December 2011 I was able to test ride the Tiger 800XC version
with ABS. In comparison to my Tiger 1050 the standard Tiger 800 feels lower and lighter, the bars are very low and the
footpegs are well forward. The 800 bike feels more Supermoto than trail bike. The XC version feels closer to the Tiger
1050 in terms of riding position. Both 800;s feels wider than the 1050 because the tank fairings stick out to hide the
radiator expansion bottle etc. The seat is smaller, harder and there is not much room for a 12 stone rider to move around.
There is no fairing as such just a distant screen to keep the wind off your chest. The C of G is lower, the thin tyres and
larger front wheel make both bikes light, neutral and flickable, in this respect it reminded me on my old Africa Twin. Getting
back on my 1050 I realised how much I have to counter steer due to the wider, grippier tyres. The 800 engine revs higher,
it is smooth with good torque and the Tiger 800 is quick enough. In Top gear the standard 800 holds exactly the same
speeds per 1,000 rpm as my 1050 in 5th. There seems to be a power band that kicks in around 7,000. The instruments
are good and I like having a gear indicator. On the XC version I gave the ABS a thorough test and I was impressed. The
ABS comes in late and 99% of the time it will be unobtrusive. I could get the back brake to invoke ABS in the slippery
conditions. The front allowed me to brake late and deep and I had to be a demon on the brakes to cause the ABS to kick
in. I will definitely have ABS on my shopping list for my next Triumph.
Overall the new 800 Tiger's are nice to ride and a bit more manageable for the shorter rider. There is such a difference in
feel and power delivery between the 800 and the 1050 engine, a bit like comparing a 2 litre car with a 3 litre. The new Tiger
800 is cheaper and the forks, swinging arm, front brakes and lack of fairing show where the money is saved. If I rode say
2,000 - 4,000 miles a year and had a short commute I'd buy one. It will also suit less experienced bikers as it is so easy to
ride. As I cover 6,000 - 10,000 miles per year and commute up to 150 per day I will keep with my 1050.
Every time I go in a bike shop I can't see anything I'd prefer to my Tiger 1050. The new Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 looks
great but at 268kgs it is huge, heavy, over priced, underpowered and no use to me. I also like the Aprilia Dorsoduro and
the Husqvarna 900 Nuda looks great but neither have a decent fairing and every Italian bike I've owned has been
unreliable. Next year Triumph start delivering the 1200 Tiger Explorer (See my 1200 page) I will consider upgrading to one
but I fear it could be more of a heavy tourer which is not for me. At 5'8" at times I struggled with my Tiger 955i but I've had
no issues coping with the Tiger 1050 at a standstill, I think the Explorer with luggage and a full tank of fuel will be a bit too
much for me on a steep off camber T junction. In which case I will probably upgrade to one of the last Tiger 1050's with
ABS.
with ABS. In comparison to my Tiger 1050 the standard Tiger 800 feels lower and lighter, the bars are very low and the
footpegs are well forward. The 800 bike feels more Supermoto than trail bike. The XC version feels closer to the Tiger
1050 in terms of riding position. Both 800;s feels wider than the 1050 because the tank fairings stick out to hide the
radiator expansion bottle etc. The seat is smaller, harder and there is not much room for a 12 stone rider to move around.
There is no fairing as such just a distant screen to keep the wind off your chest. The C of G is lower, the thin tyres and
larger front wheel make both bikes light, neutral and flickable, in this respect it reminded me on my old Africa Twin. Getting
back on my 1050 I realised how much I have to counter steer due to the wider, grippier tyres. The 800 engine revs higher,
it is smooth with good torque and the Tiger 800 is quick enough. In Top gear the standard 800 holds exactly the same
speeds per 1,000 rpm as my 1050 in 5th. There seems to be a power band that kicks in around 7,000. The instruments
are good and I like having a gear indicator. On the XC version I gave the ABS a thorough test and I was impressed. The
ABS comes in late and 99% of the time it will be unobtrusive. I could get the back brake to invoke ABS in the slippery
conditions. The front allowed me to brake late and deep and I had to be a demon on the brakes to cause the ABS to kick
in. I will definitely have ABS on my shopping list for my next Triumph.
Overall the new 800 Tiger's are nice to ride and a bit more manageable for the shorter rider. There is such a difference in
feel and power delivery between the 800 and the 1050 engine, a bit like comparing a 2 litre car with a 3 litre. The new Tiger
800 is cheaper and the forks, swinging arm, front brakes and lack of fairing show where the money is saved. If I rode say
2,000 - 4,000 miles a year and had a short commute I'd buy one. It will also suit less experienced bikers as it is so easy to
ride. As I cover 6,000 - 10,000 miles per year and commute up to 150 per day I will keep with my 1050.
Every time I go in a bike shop I can't see anything I'd prefer to my Tiger 1050. The new Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 looks
great but at 268kgs it is huge, heavy, over priced, underpowered and no use to me. I also like the Aprilia Dorsoduro and
the Husqvarna 900 Nuda looks great but neither have a decent fairing and every Italian bike I've owned has been
unreliable. Next year Triumph start delivering the 1200 Tiger Explorer (See my 1200 page) I will consider upgrading to one
but I fear it could be more of a heavy tourer which is not for me. At 5'8" at times I struggled with my Tiger 955i but I've had
no issues coping with the Tiger 1050 at a standstill, I think the Explorer with luggage and a full tank of fuel will be a bit too
much for me on a steep off camber T junction. In which case I will probably upgrade to one of the last Tiger 1050's with
ABS.
I test rode the Tiger 800XC (below) in December 2011 to give
me a chance to try out the ABS and to reassess the new tiger.
me a chance to try out the ABS and to reassess the new tiger.