Triumph Tiger XC

Anybody ride the Triumph 800 Tiger XC? It's ment to compete with the Beemer 900 GS. Hear any reliable reports?

gatorfan wrote:

Beemer 900 GS

800GS

There's a lot of info over on the Triumph Rat Forums Triumph Rat Motorcycles I've heard good things about the 800xc.

Triumph Rat Motorcycles. Thanks for that. That is a great website.

gatorfan wrote:

Anybody ride the Triumph 800 Tiger XC? It's ment to compete with the Beemer 900 GS. Hear any reliable reports?

A friend rode it, his only complaint was excess engine heat (summer test ride.)

But I also heard some complain about heat on the 675 Street Triple, and I never noticed excessive heat with mine. YMMV.

I have tried both bikes but just shortly.
Would go with the beemer anyday....
But thats just my first impression when i think back to my feelings when testing them.
The BMW felt "sharper" somehow than the tiger. I think mostly because of the feeling in handling and how the shocks worked.
The tiger i rode was of the older version so it may be a little unfair compared to the newer BMW....

Just my 5 cents.....

The new Beemer F800GS puts the gas tank under the seat to lower the COG. Mmmm .....

The older Tiger defiantly would not compare... its nothing like the 800XC.

I test rode one and thought it to be a good contender. I then test rode a KTM 990 Adventure...wow, is what came to mind as I rode it for a 2 hour test.

It's in my garage now.

Just picked up my WRR last month, but it's becoming clear it's part of a larger multi-bike plan now. I'll be picking up an 800XC in the spring.

I've got a KLR that while incredibly functional, is simply boring with no soul. The WRR took care of most of that, but I thought I'd hang on to the KLR for the longer slab oriented rides.

After riding the WRR for the last month, I just realized how much I hate the constant compromising of the KLR. So, I plopped into the local Triumph dealer this weekend who just happened to have a nicely equipped 800XC available for demo rides.

Holy sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet...what an awesome bike. No way I can get back on the KLR for a multi-day trip after riding that sweet machine. The engine is amazing...smooth and strong from 3K RPM's to redline, with way more torque than you would expect from an inline. Like the WRR, it's got that extra something that just puts a grin on your face every time you head out. Gearbox is to die for...slick as snot on a doorknob. Ergos are near perfect stock, with plenty of adjustability available to dial it in perfectly for most. No complaints with the stock suspension, and my first exposure to ABS brakes left my jaw droppin'...coming down an empty offramp at about 80, I decided to give them a workout. Bike stopped like NOW, without any craziness.

F800GS might be more dirt worthy - but that's not what I'm looking for, the WRR fits that role and does it better. The 800XC cleans the BMW's clock on the road, and doesn't give up a ton offroad to it's pricier competition. While the BMW dealer network is certainly larger, a quick search over at ADV indicates you'll likely need it - plenty of folks with reliability issues on the F800GS, although newer models seem to be getting the quirks worked out. Other than a stalling issue with the 800XC that has since been rectified with an ECU flash - you have to look long and far for an owner suffering from mechanical gremlins.

Can't wait...I might finally have discovered my perfect 2-bike combo. Soon as the KLR is sold, I'm going shoppin'.

Nice to hear that Syspig. I read a XC/GS comparison and ALL the demo riders agreed the XC felt lighter than the GS even though it's a tad a heavier.

"Perfect 2-bike combo" .... that's what I'm thinking.

gatorfan wrote:

I read a XC/GS comparison and ALL the demo riders agreed the XC felt lighter than the GS even though it's a tad a heavier.

I've not been on an F800GS other than sitting on one in a showroom, but the 800XC does indeed feel lighter in that limited scenario. Way more comfortable, too.

At a stop and on the road, it also feels far lighter and more nimble than my KLR - although like the GS, the weight specs say different. Obviously no experience with it offroad with just a demo ride, but I've yet to read a review that mentions it's a slouch in that area.

In fact, from a "flickability" standpoint - it almost gives the WRR a run for it's money in the twisties. Given it's lower seat height and CG, it feels almost as light as the WRR when straight up and at slight to medium lean angles. You don't start to notice the weight until you really push it, but even then it's very manageable.

There's a reason they're selling like hotcakes...I'm guessing my local salesman's closing rate is pretty high for those that have taken them out. Even this time of year, he said he typically doesn't keep new ones on the floor more than a week.

[quote="syspig"]

gatorfan wrote:

.... he said he typically doesn't keep new ones on the floor more than a week.

Well, they all say that. I've never bought a car that wasn't "hard to keep on the floor". Doesn't mean it's never true of course.

Anyway, if you haven't seen this review it's pretty good. I'm dying to get this bike. Gotta see how much a bite Uncle Sam takes this year.

Review

Have close to 40,000 km on my F800GS, and have ridden the Tiger a bit, albeit briefly by comparison to the BMW. Is one better than the other? Can't really say for sure. They're different. I didn't notice any difference in weight. But I won't be trading the BMW for the Triumph any time soon.