Winter time killer Tiger 800

junglejim

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
2,119
Location
Northern WI
Bike
Tiger 800, NT sold
What to do on a cold (-30 degrees wind chill) winter day? Why not spend the afternoon ogling a new motorcycle on the internet?

Specifically the 2015 Tiger 800 XRX caught my attention. I think I could live with this machine. I'd add the luggage and heated grips and possibly a few other farkles, but this looks like a real capable bike that is below my self imposed weight restriction. Nearly 100 pounds lighter than the NT and a 6th gear, a 5+ gal. tank, and great fuel mileage. It might need a taller (touring) windscreen too. I'm not clear on whether it comes with a center stand or not, but I'll never have a chain drive bike without one.

I hadn't planned to go to the motorcycle expo this year, but I might have to go just to see this bike (among other things). It is about 180 miles to the expo and about 150 miles to a dealer who probably won't have one anyway.

And to use Phil's words, "I'm just looking". That's exactly what the marketing people want. Look long enough and you'll get bit by the buy bug. As I've said, I love my NT. It is set up just the way I want it. It is already paid for. What more could I ask for - except for a new Tiger. Here is my excuse - I could avoid buying a new battery for my NT next spring by getting this new bike!!!!!! But then I'd probably have to buy my wife a new horse trailer then to even the score.

Anyone else looking at this Tiger?
 

mikesim

Site Supporter
Joined
Jun 7, 2011
Messages
3,331
Age
74
Location
Union, MO
Bike
NT700, Red, #989,
Yeah, I guess I've read the same mags as you and all the reviewers have really liked it. It ticks most of my boxes as well. If'n I was to get bit by the bug, I'd want the one with cast wheels so I wouldn't have to fool with tubes in the tires. I like the idea of a lighter bike than the NT but the chain would be a deal breaker.

Mike
 

tawilke46

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Nov 26, 2011
Messages
1,252
Location
Baton Rouge, La
Yeah, I was checking out the 800XCx and the 800XRx in the latest Motorcycle Consumer News, page 11. I think I would prefer the XRx street oriented version. Unfortunately, there are no Triumph dealers close by. The only one in the state is in New Orleans.
 
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
2,007
Location
Tijeras, NM
Bike
1984 Moto Guzzi T5
I am wired to a full fairing. The dual sports or sporty bikes with a med size windshield just dont do anything for me. Heck, I needed a +6 windshield to make the NT livable, and it wasnt really enough.
 
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
717
Location
Buzzard's Breath, Ohio
Bike
Bonneville T120
If I could only have one bike, the Tiger 800 might be the one. I have two close friends who have Tiger 800s. Both are completely happy and thrilled with their bikes. I know it has a chain. So what.
 
OP
OP
junglejim

junglejim

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
2,119
Location
Northern WI
Bike
Tiger 800, NT sold
I know it has a chain. So what.
Right. They work. They are actually a more efficient way of driving a motorcycle than a shaft. And I'm not a neat freak so I can tolerate some lube on the outside of the bike.


I am wired to a full fairing.
Ya, I'd prefer more fairing too. But I have good riding gear. And those bikes sure are fun.


there are no Triumph dealers close by.
Closest one here is 3 hours away. If I chose the closest motorcycle shop I have to get a HD.

I'd want the one with cast wheels
Me too. Especially with the chain.

I needed a +6 windshield
I have a Cee Bailey +1.5 and run it down 1 or 2 notches most of the time. Maybe higher on the freeway.

The Trophy and FJR are just too big for me. But if I rode a lot of freeways I'd have one of those or a C14. But I don't ride that way. We don't even have a traffic light in my county much less a freeway.
The real problem is the one bike limit which is dictated by cost, insurance, maintenance, and storage (and a wife).
I really need a DR, a Tiger, and a Gold Wing.
So it is back to lovin my NT.
 
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
998
Location
Maryland
Bike
Honda NT700V
Jim, with respect to weight, something to keep in mind is that the weight difference between the porkish NT and other bikes decreases when you add luggage. Since the NT luggage is built-in, it's weight is already accounted for. That 480 odd pound Tiger gets heavier when you start adding stuff to it.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
junglejim

junglejim

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
2,119
Location
Northern WI
Bike
Tiger 800, NT sold
Right George. I'm one of the minority types who ride my NT with no top box. I don't like weight mounted high on the bike. So I pack my waterproof duffel and tent/sleeping bag in a dry bag on my home made trunk rack. My worst offender is my tank bag which seems to manufacture things all by itself. It is always full and mostly of stuff that shouldn't even be there. I guess it is my fault for being too lazy to put stuff where it is actually supposed to be, because the tank bag is so handy. I can have my tent up and loaded in 10 minutes after stopping and I can have the tent down and the bike loaded in 15 minutes in the AM - including getting on my riding gear - that is if I don't lose my key in the tank bag.

Some of you may remember the picture of Coyote Chris standing in front of his tent at Spearfish with his many tent contents strewn about on the grass when he was looking for his computer. I told him at the time that that event would be remembered (publicly). He probably thinks it is funnier by now. Oh, ya, he did find the computer in the tent. Sorry Chris. Your turn now. And the year before Phil stored his cell phone in his tent for 2 days before he found it. But he did find it.
 
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Messages
1,231
Location
oregon
Bike
2011 NT, 01 Ultra, 04 VLX
Jim, you are treading in dangerous waters! I was just going to look at FJR too! and you know the rest of the story!

eldon
 
OP
OP
junglejim

junglejim

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
2,119
Location
Northern WI
Bike
Tiger 800, NT sold
Jim, you are treading in dangerous waters! I was just going to look at FJR too! and you know the rest of the story!

eldon
Eldon, you have a reputation. Didn't some little red machine follow you home too?
 

Phil Tarman

Site Supporter
Moderator
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
9,367
Age
81
Location
Greeley, CO
Bike
2010 Silver NT700VA (ABS)
I can have my tent up and loaded in 10 minutes after stopping and I can have the tent down and the bike loaded in 15 minutes in the AM - including getting on my riding gear - that is if I don't lose my key in the tank bag.
I can attest to that! Jim is at least a candidate for minor sainthood because he was able to travel with me for over three weeks without: 1) killing me, or 2) being driven completely insane. I could manage to have my tent up in maybe 40 minutes after we stopped and everything packed and on the bike and be almost ready to ride in, oh...maybe an hour and a half on really good day.

Back on topic, I've been spending some time today looking at "Rider" and "Cycle World" and I, too, paid a good bit of attention to the Tiger XRx. I'm lucky enough to have a Triumph dealer only 25 miles away.

In the current "Rider," there's also a test of the Moto Guzzi Norge that makes me think of it as a possible replacement for the NT one of these days. I really, really like Gooses (Geese?), even though I've never ridden one. Rider makes the current Norge sound like a desirable bike, and there's a Moto Guzzi dealer in Ft Collins, about 30-35 miles away.

However, I'm still planning on riding the NT for a lot more miles/years. Really!
 

DirtFlier

Site Supporter
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Messages
3,332
Location
Troy, OH
Bike
2010 Silver NT700V/ABS
I too looked seriously at a Tiger 800, the model with cast wheels. They have a low seat available plus it has a linkage rear shock so the seat height can be reduced further without too much trouble. Although I've never owned a street bike with chain drive, I didn't really see it as too much of a detriment. Never say "Never." :) I ended up with Elizilla's NC700/w DCT and feel I made the right choice.

When I rode to the Left Coast a few years ago, I noticed most of the bikes I saw in the desolate stretches were adventure bikes, loaded with luggage, so people are using them for touring. The cruisers were mostly seen closer to towns and cities. Adventure bikes are the new sport touring bikes - especially if you look at the numbers.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
junglejim

junglejim

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
2,119
Location
Northern WI
Bike
Tiger 800, NT sold
Ugh! Today it is even colder. So I'm not playing outside today. But the coffee is good.

Like Phil, I too have looked at the Norge for years as a bike for me. And like Phil I have never ridden one. But I just wasn't comfortable on the ones I sat on at the Expos. I don't even know where the nearest dealer is, possibly Minneapolis.

There are some very good adventure bikes that folks are touring on, but they are in my opinion not in their optimum environment. They are sort of like the SUV 4X4s that never get out of town. As others have noted most adventure bike riders don't get off the pavement and when they do they'd be better off with a dirt bike weighing about half of a loaded adventure bike. I know I'm too old to ride a big bike off road. My 25# mountain bike is about right for that, and healthier as well (exercise and I don't crash as fast either).

I've spent more money on farkles for my NT than any other bike I've owned. (A new motor for my Connie doesn't count as a farkle.) I feel obligated to keep it. Besides I like it.
 

Mellow

Admin
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
1,881
Location
Carrollton, TX
2024 Mileage
000540
Bike
21 R1250RT
My Super Tenere is actually easier to ride off road than the vstrom. I'm sure an Expert rider could do more with the lighter vstrom but I don't plan off road trips, I got them to tour on with the added benefit of handling some non pavement situations better than a touring bike would. I like that I can choose the luggage configuration myself and even change it if I wish. I probably wouldn't be selling the vstrom if it had a bigger alternator, the Tenure is working out to hopefully be a long term bike.

I looked at the Tiger 800xc before getting the ST and they don't deal at all in this area, it was going to cost 500 more that the Tenere.
 
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
998
Location
Maryland
Bike
Honda NT700V
Chris, Jim didn't say that he wanted to replace his NT, he said, "As I've said, I love my NT. It is set up just the way I want it. It is already paid for. What more could I ask for..." The Tiger and the NT are completely different bikes which don't compete with each other. The FJ09, in the other thread for droolers, seems to be competition for the Tiger. They're both 800c-ish cc 3 cyl bikes. The Tiger is much better equipped, though more expensive. It weighs more and has less power, but is supposed to get better fuel mileage. The Tiger appears to be a very nice bike, nicer than the FJ09, but I wouldn't replace my NT with one.
 
OP
OP
junglejim

junglejim

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
2,119
Location
Northern WI
Bike
Tiger 800, NT sold
The FJ09, in the other thread for droolers, seems to be competition for the Tiger. They're both 800c-ish cc 3 cyl bikes. The Tiger is much better equipped, though more expensive. It weighs more and has less power, but is supposed to get better fuel mileage. The Tiger appears to be a very nice bike, nicer than the FJ09, but I wouldn't replace my NT with one.
Exactly! Well said George.
 
OP
OP
junglejim

junglejim

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
2,119
Location
Northern WI
Bike
Tiger 800, NT sold
There are some bikes reputed to have off road capabilities that they just don't have the way they are sold. The Versys650 and DL650 are two that come to mind. I tried my Versys off road and is was NOT an off road machine. Maybe IF I put knobby tires with much less air pressure and a skid plate it would have made a poor off road machine. The DL is only a little bit better because of a larger front tire and 6 speeds. The Super Ten and GS are a bit better yet, but getting way to big for an off road bike as far as I'm concerned. I thought my Versys would handle our lousy roads better than it did because of its suspension range - it didn't. It was actually worse because of it's shorter wheel base. Quick handling, but squirrely.

So, in the end, it is best to use a product for its designed purpose. We always spend money to make something do something the engineers never intended. And on our motorcycles we have fun doing it whether it works or not. I know a few Versys riders who ride off road quite a bit and love it.
 
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Messages
1,231
Location
oregon
Bike
2011 NT, 01 Ultra, 04 VLX
Guilty as charged
Eldon, you have a reputation. Didn't some little red machine follow you home too?
Guilty as charged Jim, same thing happened o me in San Francico at the first Aerostich test and prder, function and 10 months later at Langlitz Leathers in Portland Or. Only place I seem to be safe is at the monthly Corvette club meeting which is held at the Chevrolette dealersip. BUTT I did get sagely through the BMW store when I went to look at a R1200RT:p
 

Warren

2
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Messages
2,332
Location
O'Fallon, MO
Bike
2019 Yamaha XMAX
If I had any interest in adventure touring I would go with a KLR650. Much lighter and more off road worthy than most of the others with lots of options available in the aftermarket and its a proven world traveler.
 

Phil Tarman

Site Supporter
Moderator
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
9,367
Age
81
Location
Greeley, CO
Bike
2010 Silver NT700VA (ABS)
In Centralia, WA, at the '05 Concours Owners Group Rally, Dr. Greg Frazier was our speaker. At that time, IIRC, he had done two round-the-world trips on BMWs and had just finished one on a KLR650. He said that he couldn't believe that he'd spent the bucks on the Beemers and that the KLR was the best bike he could imagine. He didn't even have a flat on the whole trip.

Since then, he's done at least one more round-the-world trip with a woman who has MS as his passenger. When she needed a break from the road, he'd just sell whatever bike he happened to be riding at the time. When they got ready to resume the trip, they'd fly back to where they had stopped and buy something else used. Seems to me that he used a couple of Honda CX-500s for two of the legs of that journey.

My buddy in Fort Morgan, who's now riding an R80GS that's had a big-bore kit put in it that makes it a 1000cc bike, had a KLR after his first R80GS suffered final drive failure in Montana, 400 miles from a BMW dealer and it took six weeks to get a final drive. He liked the KLR but his richer riding all were on R1200GS's and he couldn't keep up with them on the pavement. Since then, he's had a Wee-Strom, a KLM Adventure 990, and now his big-bore R80GS.

His discontent with nearly everything he's had makes me appreciate my deep satisfaction with my NT.
 
Top Bottom