It's clearly obsolete with the new 900 Tiger coming out Feb 2020 ;-) Seriously, in regards to the "it's not for what I'm doing" - it's a adventure styled street bike of which you shouldn't expect to really go off-road. For example when I wanted to get up on my TEX my jacket streaked the turn signal and it broke off! Asking the dealer he told me Triumph has changed the material to hard plastic from soft - so it looks like the flexible soft ones but doesn't flex at all. That alone gives a good idea how "off road oriented" a Tiger actually is. Great vid. Stay safe
Great video. I’m >60 and really enjoy my ‘17 XCa. At near 40,000km /24k miles I consider it to be a “SUV” of bikes. I can pack a considerable amount of camp gear and underwear for a 3 week 6500km trip, explore dirt and gravel roads (at speed), single track I take it pretty slow, and it is a hoot on twisty pavement. And runs all day at 80-90mph if you want. Oh and I can pick it up when I dump it over. As mentioned in the video do not expect it to be a “weapon” for technical enduro style off road stuff.
Sir, this is the best review I found about the Tiger 800 XC so far! I wish there were so honest reviews of other adventure tourers as well! If you ever have the time and opportunity to make a review about the Africa Twin, or about the Mulstistrada (950 or 1200/1260), please do not hesitate to upload it! We are waiting for it! You should do this for a living!
Interesting great review! I frequently ride unsealed roads(fire trails?) and carry camping gear, I don't get into the technical or narley if I can avoid it. I fitted H&B upper crash bars altered the turn signals & dropped a tooth on the front sprocket & I find the rear bottoms out. All for similar reasons. My only surprise was the way the traction control works on your bike, I've never had it activate on the road? OK, I don't hoon around, but I ride as hard or harder than your demo & I ride in the rain. I don't always drop into rain mode immediately. On gravel yes, if I'm carrying camping gear I sometimes use rain mode to stop the back-end sliding around and it reacts as you described. Long day tired just want my tea, or in Off-Road mode, she'll spin the tyre & maintain speed. Maybe your TC system needs resetting?
Your review sums up what I expected from this breed of ADV. It can do a lot but is not going to take punishment very well, as in it's going to cost in parts that get damaged. I'm actually impressed with what you were able to do with the Tiger. Thanks for the review.
Nice review. I was surprised by what this bike can do in proper hands. I wish I was at least half as experienced as you to go to places where I was scared to go. :) I think this bike held up decently to this sort of abuse. :) I also think that stiffer springs and tighter valving would make this bike more off road worthy even for such experienced rider as yourself. Thanks for the review.
Excellent review! It's an amazing bike.. When I was in the market to get an adv I initially had booked this one, I back tracked last minute and went for the Africa Twin instead and fitted that with the engine and tank crash guards and the Pannier mounts all from Hepco Becker. I would have dropped my AT about 20 times or more off road and the bars are doing what they are supposed to do, barring a few battle scars on the guards the fairing etc is in tact and not a scratch on them. A couple of my spills off road was intense after seeing this review I cannot begin to thank my lucky stars! Once again a really good review of an absolutely amazing bike! Ride safe! Ride hard!
My first ADV bike is a "18 Tiger 1200, and >1 year and 5300 miles, I'm convinced these bikes have an identity crisis. The manufacturers have no idea, so they just build high cap engines, high weight, loaded with electronics, charge a fortune. Leave it to the rider if they want to take a $21K bike down a single track; my guess is not in reality. Still a great class of bikes for all-around use, but a master of nothing, except a lot of fun.
I bought my first bike (2019 XCA) five months ago when I past my test aged 60 having never even sat on a bike before. Really enjoyed your review for two reasons: hearing about your motorcycling history and also seeing what the XCA can do that I’ll never be able to do!
I just got a '12 Tiger800. I can assure you it will never see the likes of what you just showed us. Great riding but this one will stick to basic forest service roads thank you.
Very well documented and presented review, much appreciated. All the points you made, I can see is an unbiased and honest representation. This definitely helps in my decision to go for the tiger or spend a little more on the BMW. Then there is the T700 that is out there as well. But nobody can deny, the Tiger has some killer looks.
Awesome video. Some of the exact same reasons I got my tiger 800 xcx. I ended up going with a used 2017 because of the user interface, it just seemed more rugged and easier to turn everything off, and someone else already flipped the bill for the 3 piece pannier set.
Thanks for that excellent review of the Triumph Tiger 800 - coming from a guy who knows about aggressive off-road riding. I am also a total fan of the Triumph 3-cylinder engine. My bike is a 2011 road version of the Triumph Tiger 800. It's interesting to note that what you are questioning is not the bike's ability to handle those bumps and tight corners in single track situations, but the fragility of the external components in case the bike is dropped. I got the SW-Motech crash bars that cover all the fragile parts (engine + tank and turn signals). You may want to look for those. They are much better than the original Triumph crash bars.
Yea the bike is pretty capable but it is very cosmetically fragile I think the SW motech bars connect to the lower engine bolt where mine broke The only ones I have found so far that do not connect to that piece is the Heed bars
This review is right on. I have a 2015 and have the same impressions. The traction control resetting to road mode is terrible. Road traction control is too aggressive. The plastics are fragile in a drop. With the 2015 1st gear is too tall and 6th gear isn't tall enough. Not enough torque down low. I put the tiger through its paces, but need to make repairs to keep it in shape. This week - beating out the skid plate, re-forming the front skid plate bracket, and replacing the skid plate rubber mounts. It wouldn't be too much of an issue, but to do so I had to take off the fairings, the radiator, the right engine guard, and the exhaust. The weight of the bike means I have to take whoops, rocks and drops slowly. Those are the negatives. On the positive side, the engine, aside from gearing and low-end torque, is amazing. Ergonomics are decent.
I owned a 2015 model XCx too until recently. I grew to hate the designer of all the plastics around the front end of the bike. I cable tied mine together until I was ready to sell it, then bought new plastics. The gear ratios I agree with you to a point. Having 6th as a one to one ratio worked well for high speed dirt highways, where my riding mates on F800s were stirring the gear shift between 5th and 6th all day, I was rolling on and off the throttle in 6th. On a sealed highway I looked for 7th gear a lot, but the Tiger was happy to rev more. If you think the road mode TC was too aggressive on the Tiger, you should try the AT. I almost went over the bars when hit a small patch of dirt and the power was cut instantly! I hated the OEM windscreen ( Madstad). The bars were too flat and low ( 2 inch Rox risers) . Still with all the above the bike handled well on rough terrain given its weight and design limitations. As a dirt road cruiser it excels , uit it is no dirt bike, unless it is someone elses' I am riding.
hello from England - thanks for a great review, Born A Goon. It would be interesting to get your first impressions of the 2020 Tiger 900. Ride well, ride safe.
Best bike I've had, 45,000KMs in 3.5 years and still going strong, and I'm over 60 years old. May not be able to handle all the off-road capabilities, but the bike has never let me down.
I have this bike and agree with the review, dirt roads great, awesome on the highway! But taking this very expensive bike on single track was a good story for me but cost me about $100 per mile in parts 😬. If your goal is extreme off road, buy an enduro. Cheers!
True I dinged it up so much I stopped fixing it. I went out and bought a new tank and fairings and put them in storage so when its time to ditch the bike I will put them on lol
4:30min mark hit me in the heart! I absolutely love my 2016 XCA, I think about upgrading to a 850gs but honestly I’m just wanting it because the tft dash, and I could just look for a 18 or 19 XCA but there a lot more then I wanna spend!
I've been looking at buying one of these and your video raised some really good points, thanks for that. This is one of the best put together and interesting reviews that I've seen on here...nice one mate, you have a new (UK) subscriber.
Thank you for that great review, and the excellent video footage of you riding an adventure bike in sand. I bought an Africa Twin 10 months ago, got 14k on it, second set of tires (2nd set is Dunlop Trailmax Mission). I haven’t near the off road experience you do, but my impression of your 800, is that handling-wise, the two bikes are a lot alike.
I had a 2011 800. The side bars i had was higher and covered along the plastic ridge. Fell over twice with it and all i did was smooth the bars down and slap a squirt of spray on it. I think there's better bars around with more coverage. But i never noticed where the bottom was attached. Great all rounder though.
Great review. Detailed. Good co text given. Appreciate the honesty. I've ridden a couple and I do love the motor. Sounds and feel great, on road. It'd take an exprienced rider to get it into single track places. I'm considering this against the GS800. The triumph is a great bike but it has a lot of competition.
The GS800 is a good bike as long as you know its weaknesses. Suspension is way too soft, twitchy handling on sandy roads if you have luggage on the back and a lot of engine vibes at speed.
Looking at a 2016 Triumph XCA. It only has 1,800 miles on it. Will check and see how that crash bar is mounted on that particular year model. Getting a great price so hate to pass it up. Other consideration was an F800 GS. I will ride some dirt and rock roads perhaps some trails but will keep it at an easy pace…maybe! Raced some in my day as well so afraid of what might happen when the trail narrows. Thank you for the review.
I love my Tiger 800, however I ride mine 99% on the tarmac, which is why I went for the XRx. I don’t have the switchgear problem, but mine is a 2015 pre TFT screen model.
Have a 2011 and it definitely loves to crack plastics. You are a serious off road guy and yeah it is a but heavy and agree it is pig in the dirt. Mine has 44k miles and use it as a mule to carry my tools to jobs in Manhattan. Great on the street some tires make the front wobble but a tank! Only had a gear shift problem and now finally have to change fork seals. Good video!
I've dropped my 2016 Tiger more times than I can recall. No auxiliary crash bars, but no body damage either. The first 3 or 4 times were while almost still...standing or backing . I did break an indicator light, the hand gaurd and the brake lever. Hooligans tipped it over in a parking lot, another broken indicator and the throttle got jammed into the handlebar which has been the most serious damage. Maybe I've gotten lucky with no body damage.
Thanks for the video. It's the first realistic off pavement review of the Tiger 800 I've seen. Like you, I love Triumphs on the pavement and would like to have another triple in the garage, but this info makes me want to get the 790 Adventure R for off road stuff.
BMW R100GS was a really heavy bike to drop. Dropped it at low speed on a clay slope took me an hour to get it upright and underway - couldn't get traction. I carried a foldable army spade after that to dig footholds in case that happened again. I was strongly tempted to go back to the dealer and buy back my R80GS. If I was doing your sort of riding I'd trade that Triumph in on a KTM 790 ADVENTURE R with the Ohlins suspension.
Good review. I would use it as mostly a road tourer with gravel road work (some poorly maintained) but not try to tackle trails with it. Seems like it fits the bill.
The component that lower guard is protecting ultimately transfers the force of the fall to that component. Kinda counter intuitive. Nice catch, great review
Nice review. I ride a 2012 with 60,000 mi. I tell people it's a really nice street bike, but anything more than dirt roads, not so much. My only real beefs with it are the lack of steering lock and the ridiculous amount of work to do a valve adj. The heated grips on the early models were useless. But I still love that motor on the back roads.
I think you got it spot on there, great road bike with mild offroad, To be honest I was surprised how well it did on that terrain but definitely not built for it really. I only road use mine and its a great bike for that. Thanks for the videos
This vid highlights what I was afraid of in purchasing a XCX 800, it will be one expensive machine to look after. Having owned a triumph before and I do a lot of single track/off road riding but on a enduro machine, where I wouldn't take this. Lets be realistic adventure bikes need to handle several falls in its life. Sorry Triumph this is off my list.
Brilliant video.. which all in all highlights the capabilities of a machine focussed on more road than trail.. wagon tracks maybe .. it's pretty similar in, it's designed to get you to the wilderness with your pack and only go further if you are really brave.. it'll do for me for a bit of wild camping.. Thank you
Great video, bro.. your info is priceless to a fellow goon like me. I am exactly the same kind of rider as you.. longtime moto, then street for a bit.. not serious as you.. but this Triumph is what I have been eyeing and you really gave me the word I need to know I prob need the 790 or a T7. Thanks a million, bro.. and keep rippin' it.
The Tiger is a road bike for occasional off road use, if you do a lot of off road you need a much lighter bike, you know that. The KTM is similar but at speed on the road it is unstable ,has a big head shake !
Society has decided that everybody has to be safe 100% of the time. So we get a black box that controls everything. I like the traction control and ABS on pavement, but it is of no use in dirt. All the crappy plastic parts piss me off too. They are a pain to take off and put back on. The water pump is totally exposed on my Super Tenere and there are few skid plates that protect it. That is also a major gripe in the Ten forums of all the crash bars and skid plates bolted to the engines. But in the last few years builders have been finding ways to fix this problem. Problem is, these bikes don't really come off-road ready. I've had to replace my pegs and handlebars just so I can comfortably stand on it. My bike had a plethora of issues that seem to happen across the board on Yamaha products. Motorcycles have been this way from the beginning. You start with a basic bike and then bolt stuff to it to do what you want it to accomplish. As far as Triumphs go, I'd go for the Scrambler 900. I have a late 60's friend that tours on a KLR 650. He does the dirt and the highway. But even it has plastic panels.
Well! Good review. You're pretty good off road my friend... impressive. I've got a 2017... like this. First... I,ve got the opportunity to put everything off... with mode... even if I choose the sport throttle configuration. So I'm happy to have my version....instead of yours. It is not a off road bike as you see. But you're pretty good. It seems to me that you'll be better served with a thrue Enduro bike. I use mine on fire road, road trip... an some time small technical section during a journey. Ive got 64000km on it an still enjoyed it. I could probably get better off road fun with an enduro bike or with a v2 engine for low applications...but i adjust my way of driving to the bike. When I go on fire road or road with hard pack... I've a lot of fun... I can get a lot of speed an the bike is very stable....but it is not for sure a bike for what you doing. In counter part... on road... I've a lot of fun. Recently, I've put the Arrow map... it resolved the problem of the low torque that was having in off road condition. Thanks!
I ride Triumph Tiger 800 XC 2011. I considered upgrading to 2018 model XCA, since mine is at 60,000 km (I would ride mine to 200,000 km but wanted to not loose too much value out of it). However I like mine as it is not stuffed with electronics and also does not have ABS, generally I think the lesser the stuff to break the better.
jared the 900 is slimmer, has a more 90s Dakar feel in my opinion. Doesn’t come across on photos like it does in reality. The ‘pro’ models are truly fully-loaded and are an improvement on the 800. As I said though, there’ll be some great deals to be had on the top of the range 800s if you’re willing to take your time and find a place that has both. You can test ride back to back. Quite different bikes in the end. Had a Tiger 2012 (real solid, great bike) and Tiger 800XRT which is an incredible bike. Have yet to ride the 900 but I know it’s gonna be awesome 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
I havejust passsed the 100.000 km - have only changed the camshaft chain and the shifter gear - everything eslse works well. no mayor oil consumption...
Yes I rode a Tenere 7 I think the Tiger 800 is better on road but not nearly as good as the T7 off road It would come down to the riding you are doing if its 70/30 I would do the Tiger because you also get heated grips , electronics, and cruise control and that helps on the road. If you want more off road go with the T7 It is way easier to ride in the dirt
So I have a Tiger 800, and I absolutely love the bike street and medium dirt, the issue that I have is the front tire tread cups within 1000 miles (Sinko 705 & Dunlop Trailmax) I am aware that it's the way I ride, I'm just wondering if anyone else has the same issue, I'm thinking that my next tire will need to be more street tread.
"I'm only gonna do _light_ offroading" My dude look where you LIVE! Also, I have recently discovered road friction varies SUBSTANTIALLY across the country. DRY, the roads in texas are 10x as slick as the roads in Ohio are wet. Wet roads in Texas are a 100% do not ride.
Perhaps the new 2020 pro Rally Tiger 900 will be better for your off road riding? I think it has superior showa suspension, with good travel for tough off road trails, and bolt on passenger pegs?
I love that this conversation is all about looking for the bike that works with the history of the rider and the kind of riding that will be expected of the bike .. Just wonderful watching your years of riding take on that single track .. Way above my pay grade .The new 900 may put even more weight on that front tire trying to get the top heaveu compaint taken care of ... Interesting changing the firing order for more lower end as well .. The proof will be in the pudding ... I think that 790 is calling .. Have you looked at the new Tenerai 700 Yamaha ? Both of those bikes will not be as much fun going the 200 miles getting to the fire road ... All the best from southern New England .. PS I am on the STreet Scrambeler for lots of beautiful back dirt roads in Connecticut farm country ..( 29 inch inseam )
@@BornAGoon Sounds like a very good fit ... I think Born a Goon needs "Bullet proof" ..The Yamaha has a lot of what we were used to in the 60's ..Traction Control was called your right wrist and what you did with it :)
It would for sure have more torque I would say if you intend on doing any serious off road or spend time off road my choice would be the KTM 790 r or maybe the new Tenere 7
I would recommend the HEED bars. I have dropped my bike a few times off road and some fall were pretty scary. All I have is a scratch on one of the plastic side moldings on the tank.
The fucking turn signals, they broke the fairing on a fall from the kickstand the first couple weeks I owned it. Had to install upper crash guards and move the turn signals, plus replace the hand guards after some off road drops. It’s also super top heavy. I really like the bike and put 15K miles on it in 1.5 years, but the 790’s off road design is leaps and bounds better.
I know this review was uploaded a while ago, however is the 800 like the new 900 whereby you can stop the engine with the kickstand, and it when you restart the bike it will stay in the pre selected rider mode?
My 1982 Triumph Tiger Trail was better in that country without all that electronic wizardry. Once had to carry a rider out who'd injured his arm on a trail bike fall. He asked me if the bike going to stall going up a hill. I opened it up. I was going slow not wanting to jarr his arm. Bike was over geared.
I’m looking into buying this bike mainly for road trips in Texas where the speed limit is 75+. Do you think this is a good buy for that type of riding?
Yes I have it is a better off road bike but I dont think it is as smooth Certianly feels lighter though On the other had the new 890r is ridiculously awesome
I have the XCA and rear preload is just an alan key on the right hand side of the adjuster on the shock. With preload stiffened all the way gained about 3/4" ground clearance with my heavy ass in the saddle... greatly reduces the instance of bottoming out, but doesnt eliminate it completely. Cant remember which of the forks has the preload adjustment as I set mine to the owners manuals "sports" mode a while ago and haven't felt the need to change it again since.
@@S7AINLESS one fork is compression the other is rebound no preload adjustment on the front, also on the rear a screwdriver is used to alter rebound cranking that up as well as the preloading the spring helps. I think it needs a heavier spring/shock on the rear, but it's not so bad as to fork out cash for one.
@@berniebne8243 forgot about the rebound on the rear, haven't really adjusted that for a while, its usually hidden out of sight and out of mind by mud and road grime..... I agree probably wants slightly stiffer forks for anyone over 90kg, and deffo if you intend to keep luggage on for extended periods... theres certainly no shortage of travel in the shocks... it's the belly pan that grounds out when landing, not the forks themselves, and that's happened considerably less for me since upping the preload. It would probably land a little lighter if the front wasnt so heavy. Theres about 8mm of length in the forks above the top clamp.... wonder weather dropping them down to flush and sticking longer linkage bars on the rear could help?
So you ride for 20 years + ans still you don't know what an adv bike is? Just because it has the gas to run those bumps doesn't mean you should run it like that, it's an ADV not an enduro!
headlight lens cracks? have to buy entire headlight assembly...$400+ . the cheap plastic beak assembly will break and is rediculously assembled of complex plastic parts. never should a true adventure bike have aesthetic crap that breaks so easily and be so expensive to replace. centerstand rattles around...i have the 2012 pre-traction control so thankfully none of the associated issues, and i love the bike, just those few issues kinda bother me... oh and bike draws power from battery even when turned off, so if not connected to a maintainer it will not have enough juice to start after sitting for a few weeks.
This is meant to be an Adventure bike and you try to ride it and compare it to dirt bike. This is just stupid! I would not buy this bike from you ... no way!!
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It's clearly obsolete with the new 900 Tiger coming out Feb 2020 ;-) Seriously, in regards to the "it's not for what I'm doing" - it's a adventure styled street bike of which you shouldn't expect to really go off-road. For example when I wanted to get up on my TEX my jacket streaked the turn signal and it broke off! Asking the dealer he told me Triumph has changed the material to hard plastic from soft - so it looks like the flexible soft ones but doesn't flex at all. That alone gives a good idea how "off road oriented" a Tiger actually is. Great vid. Stay safe
Probably the most accurate review of this model by any reviewer. 👍👏
Thank you
Great video. I’m >60 and really enjoy my ‘17 XCa. At near 40,000km /24k miles I consider it to be a “SUV” of bikes. I can pack a considerable amount of camp gear and underwear for a 3 week 6500km trip, explore dirt and gravel roads (at speed), single track I take it pretty slow, and it is a hoot on twisty pavement. And runs all day at 80-90mph if you want. Oh and I can pick it up when I dump it over. As mentioned in the video do not expect it to be a “weapon” for technical enduro style off road stuff.
Time to head to Sturgis !😀
@jared Where’s “Sturgis”? 🤣
@@laurieberg2880 are you joking with me?😉😀 Every biker knows where Sturgis is. You have to go there at least once in your life to say you did it😀
Ya I was 🤪
@@laurieberg2880 hahah very funny😀🤙I'll meet you at Sturgis and buy you a beer😊
Sir, this is the best review I found about the Tiger 800 XC so far! I wish there were so honest reviews of other adventure tourers as well! If you ever have the time and opportunity to make a review about the Africa Twin, or about the Mulstistrada (950 or 1200/1260), please do not hesitate to upload it! We are waiting for it!
You should do this for a living!
Thank you I appreciate the kind words and thanks for watching the channel
love how this video starts! wow
Thank you
That's a cool intro 😎
Absolutely. Friggin awesome 👌
Interesting great review! I frequently ride unsealed roads(fire trails?) and carry camping gear, I don't get into the technical or narley if I can avoid it. I fitted H&B upper crash bars altered the turn signals & dropped a tooth on the front sprocket & I find the rear bottoms out. All for similar reasons. My only surprise was the way the traction control works on your bike, I've never had it activate on the road? OK, I don't hoon around, but I ride as hard or harder than your demo & I ride in the rain. I don't always drop into rain mode immediately. On gravel yes, if I'm carrying camping gear I sometimes use rain mode to stop the back-end sliding around and it reacts as you described. Long day tired just want my tea, or in Off-Road mode, she'll spin the tyre & maintain speed. Maybe your TC system needs resetting?
I have had my 800 for 5 years! She’s a keeper!
Its reliable I will give it that
Your review sums up what I expected from this breed of ADV. It can do a lot but is not going to take punishment very well, as in it's going to cost in parts that get damaged. I'm actually impressed with what you were able to do with the Tiger. Thanks for the review.
Thanks for watching
Nice review. I was surprised by what this bike can do in proper hands. I wish I was at least half as experienced as you to go to places where I was scared to go. :) I think this bike held up decently to this sort of abuse. :) I also think that stiffer springs and tighter valving would make this bike more off road worthy even for such experienced rider as yourself.
Thanks for the review.
Thank you I just posted another video of some really tight trails Its heavy bike but capable
Excellent review! It's an amazing bike.. When I was in the market to get an adv I initially had booked this one, I back tracked last minute and went for the Africa Twin instead and fitted that with the engine and tank crash guards and the Pannier mounts all from Hepco Becker. I would have dropped my AT about 20 times or more off road and the bars are doing what they are supposed to do, barring a few battle scars on the guards the fairing etc is in tact and not a scratch on them. A couple of my spills off road was intense after seeing this review I cannot begin to thank my lucky stars! Once again a really good review of an absolutely amazing bike! Ride safe! Ride hard!
thank you
My first ADV bike is a "18 Tiger 1200, and >1 year and 5300 miles, I'm convinced these bikes have an identity crisis. The manufacturers have no idea, so they just build high cap engines, high weight, loaded with electronics, charge a fortune. Leave it to the rider if they want to take a $21K bike down a single track; my guess is not in reality. Still a great class of bikes for all-around use, but a master of nothing, except a lot of fun.
I bought my first bike (2019 XCA) five months ago when I past my test aged 60 having never even sat on a bike before. Really enjoyed your review for two reasons: hearing about your motorcycling history and also seeing what the XCA can do that I’ll never be able to do!
Thanks for watching Triumph is a good bike you will have many years of fun on it and who knows maybe you will end up on some rough trail lol
I just got a '12 Tiger800. I can assure you it will never see the likes of what you just showed us. Great riding but this one will stick to basic forest service roads thank you.
Right on!
Very well documented and presented review, much appreciated. All the points you made, I can see is an unbiased and honest representation. This definitely helps in my decision to go for the tiger or spend a little more on the BMW. Then there is the T700 that is out there as well. But nobody can deny, the Tiger has some killer looks.
Awesome video. Some of the exact same reasons I got my tiger 800 xcx. I ended up going with a used 2017 because of the user interface, it just seemed more rugged and easier to turn everything off, and someone else already flipped the bill for the 3 piece pannier set.
That's just about what I'm considering. Sounds like a good way to go. Still happy with it?
Thanks for that excellent review of the Triumph Tiger 800 - coming from a guy who knows about aggressive off-road riding. I am also a total fan of the Triumph 3-cylinder engine. My bike is a 2011 road version of the Triumph Tiger 800. It's interesting to note that what you are questioning is not the bike's ability to handle those bumps and tight corners in single track situations, but the fragility of the external components in case the bike is dropped. I got the SW-Motech crash bars that cover all the fragile parts (engine + tank and turn signals). You may want to look for those. They are much better than the original Triumph crash bars.
Yea the bike is pretty capable but it is very cosmetically fragile I think the SW motech bars connect to the lower engine bolt where mine broke The only ones I have found so far that do not connect to that piece is the Heed bars
Born A Goon - nice to know. I was looking at fitting the heed bars too.
This review is right on. I have a 2015 and have the same impressions. The traction control resetting to road mode is terrible. Road traction control is too aggressive. The plastics are fragile in a drop. With the 2015 1st gear is too tall and 6th gear isn't tall enough. Not enough torque down low. I put the tiger through its paces, but need to make repairs to keep it in shape. This week - beating out the skid plate, re-forming the front skid plate bracket, and replacing the skid plate rubber mounts. It wouldn't be too much of an issue, but to do so I had to take off the fairings, the radiator, the right engine guard, and the exhaust. The weight of the bike means I have to take whoops, rocks and drops slowly. Those are the negatives. On the positive side, the engine, aside from gearing and low-end torque, is amazing. Ergonomics are decent.
I owned a 2015 model XCx too until recently. I grew to hate the designer of all the plastics around the front end of the bike. I cable tied mine together until I was ready to sell it, then bought new plastics. The gear ratios I agree with you to a point. Having 6th as a one to one ratio worked well for high speed dirt highways, where my riding mates on F800s were stirring the gear shift between 5th and 6th all day, I was rolling on and off the throttle in 6th. On a sealed highway I looked for 7th gear a lot, but the Tiger was happy to rev more. If you think the road mode TC was too aggressive on the Tiger, you should try the AT. I almost went over the bars when hit a small patch of dirt and the power was cut instantly! I hated the OEM windscreen ( Madstad). The bars were too flat and low ( 2 inch Rox risers) .
Still with all the above the bike handled well on rough terrain given its weight and design limitations. As a dirt road cruiser it excels , uit it is no dirt bike, unless it is someone elses' I am riding.
hello from England - thanks for a great review, Born A Goon. It would be interesting to get your first impressions of the 2020 Tiger 900. Ride well, ride safe.
Love to get my hands on that Tiger 900
Best bike I've had, 45,000KMs in 3.5 years and still going strong, and I'm over 60 years old. May not be able to handle all the off-road capabilities, but the bike has never let me down.
Best 20sec opening intro ..no doubts 💥
thank you
I have this bike and agree with the review, dirt roads great, awesome on the highway! But taking this very expensive bike on single track was a good story for me but cost me about $100 per mile in parts 😬. If your goal is extreme off road, buy an enduro. Cheers!
True I dinged it up so much I stopped fixing it. I went out and bought a new tank and fairings and put them in storage so when its time to ditch the bike I will put them on lol
So far, this is the best review of the Tiger. Thank you for this video
A great honest review Born a Goon. Triumph make great bikes. I like the Tiger 800's...good choice. Keep up the good work. 😁
Thank you
Love the review, the way you ride it as well, you have balls of steel the way you ragg it around. Brilliant 👍
thank you
4:30min mark hit me in the heart! I absolutely love my 2016 XCA, I think about upgrading to a 850gs but honestly I’m just wanting it because the tft dash, and I could just look for a 18 or 19 XCA but there a lot more then I wanna spend!
true that cant help ourselves
I've been looking at buying one of these and your video raised some really good points, thanks for that. This is one of the best put together and interesting reviews that I've seen on here...nice one mate, you have a new (UK) subscriber.
Glad you liked it!
Thank you for that great review, and the excellent video footage of you riding an adventure bike in sand. I bought an Africa Twin 10 months ago, got 14k on it, second set of tires (2nd set is Dunlop Trailmax Mission). I haven’t near the off road experience you do, but my impression of your 800, is that handling-wise, the two bikes are a lot alike.
Thank you for watching
I had a 2011 800. The side bars i had was higher and covered along the plastic ridge. Fell over twice with it and all i did was smooth the bars down and slap a squirt of spray on it. I think there's better bars around with more coverage. But i never noticed where the bottom was attached. Great all rounder though.
Great review. Detailed. Good co text given. Appreciate the honesty. I've ridden a couple and I do love the motor. Sounds and feel great, on road. It'd take an exprienced rider to get it into single track places. I'm considering this against the GS800. The triumph is a great bike but it has a lot of competition.
its a good bike
The GS800 is a good bike as long as you know its weaknesses. Suspension is way too soft, twitchy handling on sandy roads if you have luggage on the back and a lot of engine vibes at speed.
it's "through the wringer", reference to a device that was used to squeeze excess water out of wet washing.
Looking at a 2016 Triumph XCA. It only has 1,800 miles on it. Will check and see how that crash bar is mounted on that particular year model. Getting a great price so hate to pass it up. Other consideration was an F800 GS. I will ride some dirt and rock roads perhaps some trails but will keep it at an easy pace…maybe! Raced some in my day as well so afraid of what might happen when the trail narrows. Thank you for the review.
I love my Tiger 800, however I ride mine 99% on the tarmac, which is why I went for the XRx. I don’t have the switchgear problem, but mine is a 2015 pre TFT screen model.
Good honest review.
Like you said, the tiger wasn't built for the type of riding you do but it's nice to know it'll do it. Cheers.
thanks for watching
Have a 2011 and it definitely loves to crack plastics. You are a serious off road guy and yeah it is a but heavy and agree it is pig in the dirt. Mine has 44k miles and use it as a mule to carry my tools to jobs in Manhattan. Great on the street some tires make the front wobble but a tank! Only had a gear shift problem and now finally have to change fork seals. Good video!
Thank you The tiger is a great bike
Thats good to know. Thissss is why I ride an 81 model
I've dropped my 2016 Tiger more times than I can recall. No auxiliary crash bars, but no body damage either. The first 3 or 4 times were while almost still...standing or backing . I did break an indicator light, the hand gaurd and the brake lever. Hooligans tipped it over in a parking lot, another broken indicator and the throttle got jammed into the handlebar which has been the most serious damage. Maybe I've gotten lucky with no body damage.
Thanks for the video. It's the first realistic off pavement review of the Tiger 800 I've seen. Like you, I love Triumphs on the pavement and would like to have another triple in the garage, but this info makes me want to get the 790 Adventure R for off road stuff.
I would for sure go with the 790 r if you can swing it Maybe this new Tenere 7 is a winner with the 10k price tag
Having owned KTMs before, I would wait for model #3 by which time they have worked out the bugs. That or carry your sneakers.
BMW R100GS was a really heavy bike to drop. Dropped it at low speed on a clay slope took me an hour to get it upright and underway - couldn't get traction. I carried a foldable army spade after that to dig footholds in case that happened again.
I was strongly tempted to go back to the dealer and buy back my R80GS.
If I was doing your sort of riding I'd trade that Triumph in on a KTM 790 ADVENTURE R with the Ohlins suspension.
Yes Check out the video I just posted on the trail of me trying to pick it up, its comical. I might need the 690R lol
Good review. I would use it as mostly a road tourer with gravel road work (some poorly maintained) but not try to tackle trails with it. Seems like it fits the bill.
Its a good bike
The component that lower guard is protecting ultimately transfers the force of the fall to that component. Kinda counter intuitive. Nice catch, great review
Nice review. I ride a 2012 with 60,000 mi. I tell people it's a really nice street bike, but anything more than dirt roads, not so much.
My only real beefs with it are the lack of steering lock and the ridiculous amount of work to do a valve adj. The heated grips on the early models were useless.
But I still love that motor on the back roads.
Yea its got some bugs My beef is the cosmetic parts cant handle the abuse and small drops The rest of the bike is solid
I think you got it spot on there, great road bike with mild offroad, To be honest I was surprised how well it did on that terrain but definitely not built for it really. I only road use mine and its a great bike for that. Thanks for the videos
Thanks for watching It does well off road when its moving lo but when you slow it down you feel that weight
This vid highlights what I was afraid of in purchasing a XCX 800, it will be one expensive machine to look after. Having owned a triumph before and I do a lot of single track/off road riding but on a enduro machine, where I wouldn't take this. Lets be realistic adventure bikes need to handle several falls in its life. Sorry Triumph this is off my list.
As soon as you made reference to the 675 and the street triple I knew I was making the right decision
Great bike
Brilliant video.. which all in all highlights the capabilities of a machine focussed on more road than trail.. wagon tracks maybe .. it's pretty similar in, it's designed to get you to the wilderness with your pack and only go further if you are really brave.. it'll do for me for a bit of wild camping.. Thank you
Great video, bro.. your info is priceless to a fellow goon like me. I am exactly the same kind of rider as you.. longtime moto, then street for a bit.. not serious as you.. but this Triumph is what I have been eyeing and you really gave me the word I need to know I prob need the 790 or a T7. Thanks a million, bro.. and keep rippin' it.
The Tiger is a road bike for occasional off road use, if you do a lot of off road you need a much lighter bike, you know that. The KTM is similar but at speed on the road it is unstable ,has a big head shake !
True I like these big bikes though
Society has decided that everybody has to be safe 100% of the time. So we get a black box that controls everything. I like the traction control and ABS on pavement, but it is of no use in dirt. All the crappy plastic parts piss me off too. They are a pain to take off and put back on. The water pump is totally exposed on my Super Tenere and there are few skid plates that protect it. That is also a major gripe in the Ten forums of all the crash bars and skid plates bolted to the engines. But in the last few years builders have been finding ways to fix this problem. Problem is, these bikes don't really come off-road ready. I've had to replace my pegs and handlebars just so I can comfortably stand on it. My bike had a plethora of issues that seem to happen across the board on Yamaha products. Motorcycles have been this way from the beginning. You start with a basic bike and then bolt stuff to it to do what you want it to accomplish. As far as Triumphs go, I'd go for the Scrambler 900. I have a late 60's friend that tours on a KLR 650. He does the dirt and the highway. But even it has plastic panels.
Well! Good review.
You're pretty good off road my friend... impressive. I've got a 2017... like this. First... I,ve got the opportunity to put everything off... with mode... even if I choose the sport throttle configuration. So I'm happy to have my version....instead of yours. It is not a off road bike as you see. But you're pretty good. It seems to me that you'll be better served with a thrue Enduro bike. I use mine on fire road, road trip... an some time small technical section during a journey. Ive got 64000km on it an still enjoyed it. I could probably get better off road fun with an enduro bike or with a v2 engine for low applications...but i adjust my way of driving to the bike. When I go on fire road or road with hard pack... I've a lot of fun... I can get a lot of speed an the bike is very stable....but it is not for sure a bike for what you doing.
In counter part... on road... I've a lot of fun.
Recently, I've put the Arrow map... it resolved the problem of the low torque that was having in off road condition.
Thanks!
I ride Triumph Tiger 800 XC 2011. I considered upgrading to 2018 model XCA, since mine is at 60,000 km (I would ride mine to 200,000 km but wanted to not loose too much value out of it). However I like mine as it is not stuffed with electronics and also does not have ABS, generally I think the lesser the stuff to break the better.
I am not a fan of the electronics either. On this bike they are useless
Really honest review. Thanks for the effort and upload. 👍🏼 Keep making videos!
Thank you for the kind words
I soon want to buy a tiger one day!they look like an awesome bike
jared wait for the Tiger 900 🐯
It’s fantastic but... the 800 XRT is still 👌🏼
@@damelzat5309 is there much difference between the new 900 and 800?I've only seen photos and I do like the look of the new 900s!
jared the 900 is slimmer, has a more 90s Dakar feel in my opinion. Doesn’t come across on photos like it does in reality. The ‘pro’ models are truly fully-loaded and are an improvement on the 800. As I said though, there’ll be some great deals to be had on the top of the range 800s if you’re willing to take your time and find a place that has both. You can test ride back to back. Quite different bikes in the end.
Had a Tiger 2012 (real solid, great bike) and Tiger 800XRT which is an incredible bike. Have yet to ride the 900 but I know it’s gonna be awesome 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
I havejust passsed the 100.000 km - have only changed the camshaft chain and the shifter gear - everything eslse works well. no mayor oil consumption...
Time well spent-great review!
Great review. Curious if you've had the chance to ride a Yamaha Tenere 700 since it came out. If so - would you compare it for me?
Yes I rode a Tenere 7 I think the Tiger 800 is better on road but not nearly as good as the T7 off road It would come down to the riding you are doing if its 70/30 I would do the Tiger because you also get heated grips , electronics, and cruise control and that helps on the road. If you want more off road go with the T7 It is way easier to ride in the dirt
Great review I need this bike for the bad roads and pot holes in uk 😁
Awesome driver.Triumph should consider your .points
Thank you
So I have a Tiger 800, and I absolutely love the bike street and medium dirt, the issue that I have is the front tire tread cups within 1000 miles (Sinko 705 & Dunlop Trailmax) I am aware that it's the way I ride, I'm just wondering if anyone else has the same issue, I'm thinking that my next tire will need to be more street tread.
Thanks for watching and commenting I appreciate it
"I'm only gonna do _light_ offroading" My dude look where you LIVE!
Also, I have recently discovered road friction varies SUBSTANTIALLY across the country. DRY, the roads in texas are 10x as slick as the roads in Ohio are wet. Wet roads in Texas are a 100% do not ride.
greate , make more video about this bike pls . I'm planning to buy a tiger 900
cant wait to ride the 900
Im also seriously considering buying the Tiger 900 since the Tenere 700 still isn't available to us here in the U.S.
Im set to get the 900 as my first bike i acnt wait
Perhaps the new 2020 pro Rally Tiger 900 will be better for your off road riding? I think it has superior showa suspension, with good travel for tough off road trails, and bolt on passenger pegs?
I love that this conversation is all about looking for the bike that works with the history of the rider and the kind of riding that will be expected of the bike .. Just wonderful watching your years of riding take on that single track .. Way above my pay grade .The new 900 may put even more weight on that front tire trying to get the top heaveu compaint taken care of ... Interesting changing the firing order for more lower end as well .. The proof will be in the pudding ... I think that 790 is calling .. Have you looked at the new Tenerai 700 Yamaha ? Both of those bikes will not be as much fun going the 200 miles getting to the fire road ... All the best from southern New England .. PS I am on the STreet Scrambeler for lots of beautiful back dirt roads in Connecticut farm country ..( 29 inch inseam )
I think that Tenere is in my future The price is right on those Cant wait to see it up close
@@BornAGoon Sounds like a very good fit ... I think Born a Goon needs "Bullet proof" ..The Yamaha has a lot of what we were used to in the 60's ..Traction Control was called your right wrist and what you did with it :)
best part was about how some people can't help be hooligans it's just a DNA thing !!
yes its a goon thing
Ciao ma x un uso cittadino, autostradale l elettronica come le mappature darebbero problemi?
Thanks for the review; sounds like this is a LOW torque bike, I am thinking the new 2020 African Twin Adventure Sport is a better performer!?!
It would for sure have more torque I would say if you intend on doing any serious off road or spend time off road my choice would be the KTM 790 r or maybe the new Tenere 7
I would wait for the third model of any bike you are interested in. By then they tend to have the bugs sorted out
I would recommend the HEED bars. I have dropped my bike a few times off road and some fall were pretty scary. All I have is a scratch on one of the plastic side moldings on the tank.
HEED is my next choice
The fucking turn signals, they broke the fairing on a fall from the kickstand the first couple weeks I owned it. Had to install upper crash guards and move the turn signals, plus replace the hand guards after some off road drops. It’s also super top heavy.
I really like the bike and put 15K miles on it in 1.5 years, but the 790’s off road design is leaps and bounds better.
Thanks for the review.
Cheers
Well here goes on flames my dream bike
I notice you are in SD. I too have a Tiger 800, the 17 XCX. would you be willing to share where you are riding on the single track? Thanks in advance
Coral Canyon OHV
I know this review was uploaded a while ago, however is the 800 like the new 900 whereby you can stop the engine with the kickstand, and it when you restart the bike it will stay in the pre selected rider mode?
same problem thats why i bought a ktm 790 adventure
Would love to see your comparison if the tiger vs 790! Also the T700
I would love to ride those two bikes
Nice video that crash bar should not be mounted that way. Everything else I could live with.
Thanks for the informed review,
Guess I wil keep looking for my next bike :-)
very nice vid! I am looking about this one to change my honda cb500x
Do this setup use 19" front wheel or 21"??
21
My 1982 Triumph Tiger Trail was better in that country without all that electronic wizardry. Once had to carry a rider out who'd injured his arm on a trail bike fall. He asked me if the bike going to stall going up a hill. I opened it up. I was going slow not wanting to jarr his arm. Bike was over geared.
I’ve got 7k on mine and haven’t dropped her once? Maybe she shouldn’t go down as much?
Nice review.. Really thinking of getting this bike
Thank you
I’m looking into buying this bike mainly for road trips in Texas where the speed limit is 75+. Do you think this is a good buy for that type of riding?
Yes it is Its fantastic on the road
Hit stop after 1 min and 13 seconds. 3,800 miles??? When you get 40 or 50k then let me know how it did.
Would a bit more pre-load or compression dampening on the front fork help prevent bottoming out?
Maybe but the bike is so heavy. Wait till you see the trail video I just posted
This was a great video! Thanx !
Thank you for watching
Awesome view.
Great review!
Thanks!
Was considering this bike until you went over the damage. The crash bar mounted to the engine is unacceptable.
It is a terrible design and they did not change that on the 900
You couldn't remove the fuse to disable traction control
Off road pro removes traction control
Did you buy the T7 yet?
Woooohhhaa .... 😍
I got a 2011 tiger xc and it don't have rider modes 😂
I hate the rider modes Love the cruise control
Have you tried the tenere 700?
Yes I have it is a better off road bike but I dont think it is as smooth Certianly feels lighter though On the other had the new 890r is ridiculously awesome
Can’t you adjust the preload and rear ?
I have the XCA and rear preload is just an alan key on the right hand side of the adjuster on the shock. With preload stiffened all the way gained about 3/4" ground clearance with my heavy ass in the saddle... greatly reduces the instance of bottoming out, but doesnt eliminate it completely. Cant remember which of the forks has the preload adjustment as I set mine to the owners manuals "sports" mode a while ago and haven't felt the need to change it again since.
@@S7AINLESS one fork is compression the other is rebound no preload adjustment on the front, also on the rear a screwdriver is used to alter rebound cranking that up as well as the preloading the spring helps. I think it needs a heavier spring/shock on the rear, but it's not so bad as to fork out cash for one.
@@berniebne8243 forgot about the rebound on the rear, haven't really adjusted that for a while, its usually hidden out of sight and out of mind by mud and road grime.....
I agree probably wants slightly stiffer forks for anyone over 90kg, and deffo if you intend to keep luggage on for extended periods...
theres certainly no shortage of travel in the shocks... it's the belly pan that grounds out when landing, not the forks themselves, and that's happened considerably less for me since upping the preload. It would probably land a little lighter if the front wasnt so heavy.
Theres about 8mm of length in the forks above the top clamp.... wonder weather dropping them down to flush and sticking longer linkage bars on the rear could help?
Will buy one
You will be happy
@@BornAGoon Amen bud
You have been everywhere with the bike, however you only have 3800 miles on the bike...
So you ride for 20 years + ans still you don't know what an adv bike is? Just because it has the gas to run those bumps doesn't mean you should run it like that, it's an ADV not an enduro!
Yes I know what an adv bike is and mentioned in the video I thought I would ride it gently but I didn't Hence the name Goon lol
I want one!!!
First time on the channel. Got shit scared by the way video starts.
To be honest in 10:27 if you ask do you see it .how can we see in that shining day. 😟
Basically you bought the wrong bike for what you wanted to do with it. It’s an adventure style bike for gravel tracks at best lol
Yes I did but at the time I didnt think I would use it for this
Born A Goon fair play. Cracking bike though. Love mine but no sand dunes here Hahahah
headlight lens cracks? have to buy entire headlight assembly...$400+ . the cheap plastic beak assembly will break and is rediculously assembled of complex plastic parts. never should a true adventure bike have aesthetic crap that breaks so easily and be so expensive to replace. centerstand rattles around...i have the 2012 pre-traction control so thankfully none of the associated issues, and i love the bike, just those few issues kinda bother me... oh and bike draws power from battery even when turned off, so if not connected to a maintainer it will not have enough juice to start after sitting for a few weeks.
Yes I broke the mounting bolts on the back of the headlamp and have to replace the whole unit
This is meant to be an Adventure bike and you try to ride it and compare it to dirt bike. This is just stupid! I would not buy this bike from you ... no way!!
Isnt this not an adventure? Never compared it to a dirt bike. I road it in a bunch of places and told people how it performed there, thats a review.