Got the Tiger back from the dealer for the 32,000 km service. 5 valves (3 exhaust and 2 intake) required adjustment (out of spec). The 2nd gear issue requires that the transmission gets pulled from the bike to confirm what the issue is. All seems to indicate that the 2nd gear dogs are the problem. I will finish my riding season as is in order to not lose the bike for a month (parts have to be ordered/delivered etc). So the appointment is booked for the beginning of November. I will let you know the end result of my issues. So for now, I simply shift at the 4000-5000 rpm range when in 2nd gear to avoid aggravating the issue. Good thing I did purchase the extended warranty....
Thanks for the feedback Alan, yes, I bet you are glad you have the extended warranty now, good call. Still, a disappointment that it happened in the first place though. Interesting to see five valves needed adjusting at the 32K service, I'm up for mine in a couple of thousand.
I didn't know that the front break works for both. I love that feature. I wish the bike was a bit shorter. 5'11 is a stretch on this bugger. Drives like a dream
Yes, that's why the rear brake pads get eaten up quick enough. But they are cheap to replace so no real issue. I have short arms and ended up with up & back risers, made a big difference.
What a great video 👍🏻 I will buy a Tiger XCA 1200 2017, that’s around 60,000kms, the price is good I think due to kms. The seller says that all services done by Triumph, but I’m afraid and I’m don’t know if I should be worry about the kilometers. Any recommendations? I will appreciate it! Regards from Mexico 🇲🇽
Good video. If your gonna buy a used bike with this much tech you surely need to know what to look at. Also, if you ride in the heat of the summer here stateside make sure you can handle the heat of the engine. I routinely ride on 34 degree+ (Celsius) days hear in the southeast US and it does throw off some heat!
During a test ride, while in 2nd gear, run the engine up to the 6000-7000 rpm range to see if there are any issues with the transmission. Mine has developed a jerk like if there was an issue with the 2nd gear dog. At first, I thought it might have been the quick shifter (TSA) acting up from the vibration, but after deactivating it in the menu, the bike stills does it. The issue only occurs in 2nd gear. I can do an aggressive acceleration 1-2-3-4-5-6 and it's only the 2nd gear that will produce the jerk/stutter. I can hear a clunk from the transmission. It can be more than one if I maintain throttle. The bike can be shifted very smoothly from 1-2-3-4-5-6 with the quick shifter or with the clutch as long as I shift before the 6000-7000 rpm range while in 2nd gear. It smells of a mechanical problem rather than an electronic one (doubt it is the gear shift selector shaft or forks - bike shifts butter smooth). Bike just went in today for the 32,000 km valve check and I look forward to hearing from the shop with their results. I do have the extended warranty, so all should be good if they have to dig deep into the tranny... fingers crossed.
Do let us know. Would be great for feedback on the valve check too. There is history on this gearbox too so I’m not surprised there are a few out there giving problems. Good job you have the warranty. 👍
Do keep us updated. I would be curious to hear what you find out. Smart move! I dropped the cash for the 8 year extended warranty as well. There is way too much tech in this bike not too.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff So I had the bike checked after my riding season. The issue involves the 2nd gear dogs but also a shift fork that has damage also. Other gears also had damage. The extended warranty claim was rejected by the company that sold the warranty to me via the dealer with a very simple and easy claim : operator error. So, apparently I can't shift a bike. A bike that has a factory installed quickshifter. So I could shift 99.9% of the time with no clutch and yet it is still operator error. So the repairs come to $3200 CDN for the required repairs and to $3700 including $500 in extra parts while the tranny is opened up. Of course I will add the extra repairs now seeing that the cases are split. I will be looking at my options to taking this to small claims court. I still have to contact Triumph USA (no Canadian division). I am very disappointed with Triumph's reliability (way too many issues on the forums with the tranny). My 2 Yamaha FJR1300 were bulletproof. I knew that there was a risk with a Triumph not being as reliable and hence the extended warranty. The company offering the warranty is Trisura out of Toronto Canada. I guess that they could very simply refuse any claim with the umbrella excuse of OPERATOR ERROR. Every time a tranny will fail, they will easily reject the claim. This was a first for me to purchase an extended warranty and it will be my last (probably my last Triumph as well). All my issues started when I was shifting under load from 3rd to 4th with my spouse on the back while going uphill. The bike red lined and it felt like the bike went into a false neutral. From then on, it just got worse with time. And yes, I shifted using the quickshifter. The techs at the dealer keep saying that it is not a quickshifter issue but they won't fight for the client. They simply go with the rejected warranty claim. I have the parts list. I will try and post them (if I can).
@@alanhache502 You probably already know but this forum www.tiger-explorer.com/index.php has lots of detail on this issue, especially 2nd gear. Use the search tool for gearbox problems (select most recent topics first) and you will see several owners buying the parts and fixing it themselves. Parts from Triumph are (I think) very reasonably priced. I will admit the guys doing this are resourceful and capable and this is not within most people's remit. I wouldn't say it is a widespread issue, but it is common. I would consider contacting Triumph Customer Services for your region and look for a goodwill gesture on the parts, they have been very accommodating to some owners in the past. The dealer not backing you up with the warranty crowd is a disappointment and the warranty crowd a worse shower of scammers. It seems to be a common response from a lot of these third-party warranty companies. I hope it is not a Triumph dealer you purchased the bike from, I can't imagine so. The bike gearchange should work fine without the quick-shifter (QS) and the QS can be disabled in the menu, switch it off to prove a point perhaps? I wish you well, I don't fancy the legal route, life is too short.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff ***UPDATE*** Triumph has paid 2/3 of the repair bill under their Goodwill program. Very happy this was resolved quickly (less than 48 hours after being submitted to them by the dealer). The only big fail in this story is that the insurance company that offered the so called 'extended warranty' (insurance), has simply denied the claim as operator error. I will be most likely pursuing legal action for breach of contract in small claims court. Companies like this need to be challenged with their horrible business practices. I will also be filling a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Trisura Insurance company out of Toronto Canada have simply ignored my emails (2) with no response what-so-ever. They do not even have the courtesy to at least discuss the matter. This is unacceptable. Triumph, you have earned my respect by your gesture and hopefully my beloved Tiger will restore my faith in its reliability.
Terry…thanks for the information. I have a deposit on a 2019 XRT and I am concerned about the height. I am 5’9 with a 32” inseam and I was pretty much tip-toed in the showroom. My wife an I are coming off a Triumph Trophy which was considerably lower. The dealer would not allow test drives and I only had a little while on the showroom floor to move the bike around. I have read other horror stories about vertically challenged people dropping this bike often and wanted to get your thoughts.
I would think a 32” inseam would be OK for this bike with the seat in the high position too. It will sit a little lower two up with luggage as well. BUT - it is a top heavy bike and that cannot be ignored. Big distance two up with luggage is a breeze for the bike though. You can greatly help yourself by leaving all the luggage off the bike once you get to your destination and travel 2-up lightly loaded. They should at least let you start the bike as the auto preload will not set until the engine is running and the bike is at rest. I would also experiment with the seat in the lower position.
@@rlwilding Ooh, never ridden the Trophy but it is a heavy beast of a bike with the slightly earlier generation engine to that of the 2019 Tiger. It looks superb mind, the Trophy is a lot of bike for the money.
I know it’s a little late with this tips for R-Wild but maybe someone else can find it useful but I found a little trick online on how to get the rider height a little lower by making some changes in the settingsmenu and by doing this I can put my feets flat on the ground insted of tippitoing. So whenever I need to lower the bike for instance if I arrive to a city and know that Im going to park or something that needs alot of maneuvering with my feet on the ground I just change to the usersetting in ridemodes and the bike lower itself so I don’t have to use my toes only. Only works on XRT and XCA models. In the menu riding modes Choose Rider Mode ABS = Road Map = Road TC = Road TSAS = Off-Road The Off-Road setting on the damper you can change it to whatever you like but normal is good middleground so it’s not to stiff or soft when you ride around on this lower height. Change TSAS to Off-Raod to be able to lower the ride height temporarily. As long as ABS and TC is selected and activated, you can change the height of the bike while riding without having to stop to a standstill first. I have not measured how much it lowers the bike in inches or centimeters but it makes a big difference when I feel that my feet reach down to the ground properly especially if I have a passenger or a lot of packing.
If your staying on the road , sealed , Very little of Gravel , and no hard off road , OK But you not hold your bike up on tip toes I am 186 cm and 94 Kg , last week I needed Every once of Muscles and length of Body to keep it up
Very useful info for buyers. I m from India. Currently looking at a 2018 3rd Gen but ran 100k Kms. Is it advisable to buy with this high mileage. It's with a Super bikes Dealer and Looks great. Priced reasonable because of high mileage. Here in India they don't prefer high mileage Bikes. Pls advice. Love from India ❤
I would be happy with that mileage if they could prove the valve service was done at every 32K km along with the Camshaft Adjustment. If not done that engine could be a time bomb. If you get a chance to test ride hammer the gearbox aggressively up and down, it has some historical weaknesses of slipping gears that could raise their head at higher mileages.
Desert was the middle version XCx plus a few extras. It was the best looking paint job (in my eyes) and the best value for money. It will be missing a few features like heated seats, auxiliary lights etc but nothing you couldn’t live without. It shouldn’t have hill hold but reports were abound that many dealers managed to activate it for buyers. If an XCa is close in price then go for that, it has everything. The main extras over the XCx were the Arrow Silencer and the Quick-shifter.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff thanks one last question you are my go to for anything tiger 1200. The service intervals, A guy at honda today told me triumph charges 900 quid for a major service is it really expensive?
@@garethwright8889 yes, the 20k mile service is a camshaft timing adjustment and valve clearances. It can very easily get to that and more. See my other video on how much mine was. 😮. Some dealers offer fixed price servicing, worth checking out.
No, they continued with the old dash on the 2018 XR but the rest is the new bike. Should have the big 1200 logo on the tank, if not it’s a leftover 2017.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Roger that. Thanks for the info. Was looking at a 2017 model with 14k on the clock. Well maintained. Should be a good buy
Thanks mate, I'm selling mine. Late 2014 Red Triumph 1215 Tiger Explorer, 10,000 miles with all the accessories £2,200 worth including lowering kit... showroom condition, ceramic anti corrosion throughout. How much would I get for it Terry ? Thanks in advance mate.
That's a tough one. Private sale ~ £5-£5.5K as these are going for €6.5K at dealers which must provide warranties etc. I wouldn't be surprised if you only got offered €4K trade in at a dealer though but it depends on what they are trying to shift on the day. You have a nice low mileage bike, should make someone a happy new owner, a lot of bike for the money.
hahaha coming from a connie 14 (08) looking at 2018 tiger 1200 XCA. I'm fully aware of that fob issue my connie will do that a lot if th e battery is weak or if my wallet is blocking the FOB in my pocket.
Dear God I couldn't be bothered with all those rider modes etc etc. rev counter speedo fuel gauge odometer, warning lights high beam indicator, etc. old school for me.
Yes, works for some and not for others. I will say Triumph’s rider modes implementation is very clean and simple to understand. But I do enjoy jumping on my 1995 Daytona 1200 and leaving all of the decisions to my brain.
Really useful real-world guidance, I am seriously tempted to buy a late model Tiger 1200. Thanksfor the info👍
Glad it was helpful!
Got the Tiger back from the dealer for the 32,000 km service. 5 valves (3 exhaust and 2 intake) required adjustment (out of spec). The 2nd gear issue requires that the transmission gets pulled from the bike to confirm what the issue is. All seems to indicate that the 2nd gear dogs are the problem. I will finish my riding season as is in order to not lose the bike for a month (parts have to be ordered/delivered etc). So the appointment is booked for the beginning of November. I will let you know the end result of my issues. So for now, I simply shift at the 4000-5000 rpm range when in 2nd gear to avoid aggravating the issue. Good thing I did purchase the extended warranty....
Thanks for the feedback Alan, yes, I bet you are glad you have the extended warranty now, good call. Still, a disappointment that it happened in the first place though. Interesting to see five valves needed adjusting at the 32K service, I'm up for mine in a couple of thousand.
Excellent video. Thanks, since I'm planning on buying one this week.
Excellent, enjoy & good luck.
I didn't know that the front break works for both. I love that feature. I wish the bike was a bit shorter. 5'11 is a stretch on this bugger. Drives like a dream
Yes, that's why the rear brake pads get eaten up quick enough. But they are cheap to replace so no real issue. I have short arms and ended up with up & back risers, made a big difference.
What a great video 👍🏻
I will buy a Tiger XCA 1200 2017, that’s around 60,000kms, the price is good I think due to kms. The seller says that all services done by Triumph, but I’m afraid and I’m don’t know if I should be worry about the kilometers. Any recommendations? I will appreciate it!
Regards from Mexico 🇲🇽
Good video. If your gonna buy a used bike with this much tech you surely need to know what to look at. Also, if you ride in the heat of the summer here stateside make sure you can handle the heat of the engine. I routinely ride on 34 degree+ (Celsius) days hear in the southeast US and it does throw off some heat!
It sure does Bob, lucky me I’m in cold, wet Ireland 😬.
During a test ride, while in 2nd gear, run the engine up to the 6000-7000 rpm range to see if there are any issues with the transmission. Mine has developed a jerk like if there was an issue with the 2nd gear dog. At first, I thought it might have been the quick shifter (TSA) acting up from the vibration, but after deactivating it in the menu, the bike stills does it. The issue only occurs in 2nd gear. I can do an aggressive acceleration 1-2-3-4-5-6 and it's only the 2nd gear that will produce the jerk/stutter. I can hear a clunk from the transmission. It can be more than one if I maintain throttle. The bike can be shifted very smoothly from 1-2-3-4-5-6 with the quick shifter or with the clutch as long as I shift before the 6000-7000 rpm range while in 2nd gear. It smells of a mechanical problem rather than an electronic one (doubt it is the gear shift selector shaft or forks - bike shifts butter smooth). Bike just went in today for the 32,000 km valve check and I look forward to hearing from the shop with their results. I do have the extended warranty, so all should be good if they have to dig deep into the tranny... fingers crossed.
Do let us know. Would be great for feedback on the valve check too. There is history on this gearbox too so I’m not surprised there are a few out there giving problems. Good job you have the warranty. 👍
Do keep us updated. I would be curious to hear what you find out. Smart move! I dropped the cash for the 8 year extended warranty as well. There is way too much tech in this bike not too.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff So I had the bike checked after my riding season. The issue involves the 2nd gear dogs but also a shift fork that has damage also. Other gears also had damage. The extended warranty claim was rejected by the company that sold the warranty to me via the dealer with a very simple and easy claim : operator error. So, apparently I can't shift a bike. A bike that has a factory installed quickshifter. So I could shift 99.9% of the time with no clutch and yet it is still operator error. So the repairs come to $3200 CDN for the required repairs and to $3700 including $500 in extra parts while the tranny is opened up. Of course I will add the extra repairs now seeing that the cases are split. I will be looking at my options to taking this to small claims court. I still have to contact Triumph USA (no Canadian division). I am very disappointed with Triumph's reliability (way too many issues on the forums with the tranny). My 2 Yamaha FJR1300 were bulletproof. I knew that there was a risk with a Triumph not being as reliable and hence the extended warranty. The company offering the warranty is Trisura out of Toronto Canada. I guess that they could very simply refuse any claim with the umbrella excuse of OPERATOR ERROR. Every time a tranny will fail, they will easily reject the claim. This was a first for me to purchase an extended warranty and it will be my last (probably my last Triumph as well). All my issues started when I was shifting under load from 3rd to 4th with my spouse on the back while going uphill. The bike red lined and it felt like the bike went into a false neutral. From then on, it just got worse with time. And yes, I shifted using the quickshifter. The techs at the dealer keep saying that it is not a quickshifter issue but they won't fight for the client. They simply go with the rejected warranty claim. I have the parts list. I will try and post them (if I can).
@@alanhache502 You probably already know but this forum www.tiger-explorer.com/index.php has lots of detail on this issue, especially 2nd gear. Use the search tool for gearbox problems (select most recent topics first) and you will see several owners buying the parts and fixing it themselves. Parts from Triumph are (I think) very reasonably priced. I will admit the guys doing this are resourceful and capable and this is not within most people's remit. I wouldn't say it is a widespread issue, but it is common. I would consider contacting Triumph Customer Services for your region and look for a goodwill gesture on the parts, they have been very accommodating to some owners in the past. The dealer not backing you up with the warranty crowd is a disappointment and the warranty crowd a worse shower of scammers. It seems to be a common response from a lot of these third-party warranty companies. I hope it is not a Triumph dealer you purchased the bike from, I can't imagine so. The bike gearchange should work fine without the quick-shifter (QS) and the QS can be disabled in the menu, switch it off to prove a point perhaps? I wish you well, I don't fancy the legal route, life is too short.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff ***UPDATE***
Triumph has paid 2/3 of the repair bill under their Goodwill program. Very happy this was resolved quickly (less than 48 hours after being submitted to them by the dealer). The only big fail in this story is that the insurance company that offered the so called 'extended warranty' (insurance), has simply denied the claim as operator error. I will be most likely pursuing legal action for breach of contract in small claims court. Companies like this need to be challenged with their horrible business practices. I will also be filling a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Trisura Insurance company out of Toronto Canada have simply ignored my emails (2) with no response what-so-ever. They do not even have the courtesy to at least discuss the matter. This is unacceptable. Triumph, you have earned my respect by your gesture and hopefully my beloved Tiger will restore my faith in its reliability.
Im looking at a tiger 1200 xrx from 2017. Test riding it in a couple of days !
Did you buy :-)
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff yes ! And I'm on a 3000km road trip through the Alps with it as we speak. It's an amazing bike !
Someone didn't try to connect switching lights together with the display
Terry…thanks for the information. I have a deposit on a 2019 XRT and I am concerned about the height. I am 5’9 with a 32” inseam and I was pretty much tip-toed in the showroom. My wife an I are coming off a Triumph Trophy which was considerably lower. The dealer would not allow test drives and I only had a little while on the showroom floor to move the bike around. I have read other horror stories about vertically challenged people dropping this bike often and wanted to get your thoughts.
I would think a 32” inseam would be OK for this bike with the seat in the high position too. It will sit a little lower two up with luggage as well. BUT - it is a top heavy bike and that cannot be ignored. Big distance two up with luggage is a breeze for the bike though. You can greatly help yourself by leaving all the luggage off the bike once you get to your destination and travel 2-up lightly loaded. They should at least let you start the bike as the auto preload will not set until the engine is running and the bike is at rest. I would also experiment with the seat in the lower position.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Thanks for getting back to me…really struggling to make the decision between the Trophy and Tiger….
@@rlwilding Ooh, never ridden the Trophy but it is a heavy beast of a bike with the slightly earlier generation engine to that of the 2019 Tiger. It looks superb mind, the Trophy is a lot of bike for the money.
I know it’s a little late with this tips for R-Wild but maybe someone else can find it useful but I found a little trick online on how to get the rider height a little lower by making some changes in the settingsmenu and by doing this I can put my feets flat on the ground insted of tippitoing.
So whenever I need to lower the bike for instance if I arrive to a city and know that Im going to park or something that needs alot of maneuvering with my feet on the ground I just change to the usersetting in ridemodes and the bike lower itself so I don’t have to use my toes only.
Only works on XRT and XCA models.
In the menu riding modes
Choose Rider Mode
ABS = Road
Map = Road
TC = Road
TSAS = Off-Road
The Off-Road setting on the damper you can change it to whatever you like but normal is good middleground so it’s not to stiff or soft when you ride around on this lower height.
Change TSAS to Off-Raod to be able to lower the ride height temporarily.
As long as ABS and TC is selected and activated, you can change the height of the bike while riding without having to stop to a standstill first.
I have not measured how much it lowers the bike in inches or centimeters but it makes a big difference when I feel that my feet reach down to the ground properly especially if I have a passenger or a lot of packing.
If your staying on the road , sealed , Very little of Gravel , and no hard off road , OK
But you not hold your bike up on tip toes
I am 186 cm and 94 Kg , last week I needed
Every once of Muscles and length of
Body to keep it up
Very useful info for buyers. I m from India. Currently looking at a 2018 3rd Gen but ran 100k Kms. Is it advisable to buy with this high mileage. It's with a Super bikes Dealer and Looks great. Priced reasonable because of high mileage. Here in India they don't prefer high mileage Bikes. Pls advice. Love from India ❤
I would be happy with that mileage if they could prove the valve service was done at every 32K km along with the Camshaft Adjustment. If not done that engine could be a time bomb. If you get a chance to test ride hammer the gearbox aggressively up and down, it has some historical weaknesses of slipping gears that could raise their head at higher mileages.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff thanks a lot. Noted.
Thank you for the excellent 1200 reviews. If Gen 3 is years 2018-2021 (not sure if a 2021 model), what was Gen 2 years?
16-17 for Gen 2. Triple segment clocks rather than the gen 1 dual segment.
Looking at possibly purchasing one but want to know what the difference is between the xca and the dessert edition
Desert was the middle version XCx plus a few extras. It was the best looking paint job (in my eyes) and the best value for money. It will be missing a few features like heated seats, auxiliary lights etc but nothing you couldn’t live without. It shouldn’t have hill hold but reports were abound that many dealers managed to activate it for buyers. If an XCa is close in price then go for that, it has everything. The main extras over the XCx were the Arrow Silencer and the Quick-shifter.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff thanks one last question you are my go to for anything tiger 1200. The service intervals, A guy at honda today told me triumph charges 900 quid for a major service is it really expensive?
@@garethwright8889 yes, the 20k mile service is a camshaft timing adjustment and valve clearances. It can very easily get to that and more. See my other video on how much mine was. 😮. Some dealers offer fixed price servicing, worth checking out.
Have a question for you Terence. Is the 2018 xr model a holdover from 2017 since it doesn't have the tft?
No, they continued with the old dash on the 2018 XR but the rest is the new bike. Should have the big 1200 logo on the tank, if not it’s a leftover 2017.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Roger that. Thanks for the info. Was looking at a 2017 model with 14k on the clock. Well maintained. Should be a good buy
@@milesdavis8665 best of luck, fantastic suspension. Reset everything to get all the factory defaults back. Enjoy 👍
@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff I sure will. Thanks. Its that or a 2013 gs. Water cooled with low miles to
@@milesdavis8665 nice choice to have 😃
Thanks mate, I'm selling mine. Late 2014 Red Triumph 1215 Tiger Explorer, 10,000 miles with all the accessories £2,200 worth including lowering kit... showroom condition, ceramic anti corrosion throughout.
How much would I get for it Terry ?
Thanks in advance mate.
That's a tough one. Private sale ~ £5-£5.5K as these are going for €6.5K at dealers which must provide warranties etc. I wouldn't be surprised if you only got offered €4K trade in at a dealer though but it depends on what they are trying to shift on the day. You have a nice low mileage bike, should make someone a happy new owner, a lot of bike for the money.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Nice one Terry, appreciated mate.
hahaha coming from a connie 14 (08) looking at 2018 tiger 1200 XCA. I'm fully aware of that fob issue my connie will do that a lot if th e battery is weak or if my wallet is blocking the FOB in my pocket.
It drives you to distraction sometimes, it’s so bloody sensitive on the range. Not unique to Triumph then 😊. 👍
What years are Gen 2?
16-17. Readily identified by the three section clocks rather than the Gen1 two piece setup.
Dear God I couldn't be bothered with all those rider modes etc etc. rev counter speedo fuel gauge odometer, warning lights high beam indicator, etc. old school for me.
Yes, works for some and not for others. I will say Triumph’s rider modes implementation is very clean and simple to understand. But I do enjoy jumping on my 1995 Daytona 1200 and leaving all of the decisions to my brain.