2nd Triumph: Scrambler or Tiger?

[skeepee]

I'm suprised how much I am wracking my cauliflower over this. Rather than pose the question to the respective Classic or Tiger forums, I come here to get the totally unbiasaed, nutter opinion

Situation: I'm a happy '04 S3 owner. I have a '98 Honda Valkyrie Tourer that, while a great bike, I just don't ride anymore. I bought it primarily as a 2-up bike, which it excels at. Windshield, hard bags and all that. It replaced a '98 Trophy 1200 and it's far more manageable with a passsenger and full luggage, I'm sorry to say. Alas, I do very little 2 up riding these days. When I do ride the beast it's mostly out of guilt or to keep the battery charged. Apart from its 2-up virtues it's overweight, gets caRp mileage, and just no fun when there's an S3 in the garage.

My saint of a wife has noticed all this. She's also observed how that whenever I stop by the local Triumph dealer I can't keep my mitts off the classics. I always have to hop on whatever Thruxton or Bonnie they have on hand (disclaimer: they rarely stock Tigers). I really dig their simplicity and honesty , and I about lost it when the Scrambler was released. I have a '79 Yammie XS650 that I'd always planned to rebuild into a cafe racer, scrambler, or street tracker, but dambn it's hard when Hinkley releases such faithful and affordable and alternatives!

So why even consider the Tiger? Because I like to ride as much as I can, and near Seattle that means a share of cold and rain. This last winter I found that when I did venture out on 2 wheels it was nearly always on the S3, in spite of the lack of weather protection. It's just way more fun than the Valk, and I made concessions to make up for its practical shortcomings. (For these reasons I've also considered getting a BMW this-or-that, but they just don't hold up when you compare them to other alternatives).

I've got a Givi top-box and an electric socket for my Gerbings on the Triple, but it really needs a proper windscreen to be a year-round bike. Beyond the Laminar Lip (which I haven't tried) there are no options here. While on one hand I enjoy honing the S3 to meet my particular needs, I slightly regret moulding the poor thing into a role for which it was never intended. And no matter what I do to the S3 it would still stink on a USFS gravel road. Neither the Tiger or Scrambler would wince at one of those. I equate the Tiger to an all-weather, more-terrain Speed Triple.

So here I am. Do I go for the Scrambler as a purely fun and nostalgic addition, which is also less costly and quite different; or do I appease my practical side and go for the Tiger, which costs a fair shake more and could potentially usurp my dear S3 on a usefulness/performance level? In the end I expect to be irrational in my decision but still would value the collective weigh-in of this forum :razz:

[Avi8or]

Heard that a new Tiger should be coming along. I'd wait a bit & see what the new bike has to offer.

[corners]

I think you should go with the Scrambler..... why... because I was thinking of getting one for a second street bike also :razz: and turning my gsxr into a track bike

[ This message was edited by: corners on 2006-05-06 05:23 ]

[02S3]

I'd go with the Tiger as I think it would be more versatile than the Scrambler.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to spend someone
else's money? :-D As a fellow Cedar Fallser and XS650
owner I'll toss in my $.02.

You've correctly identified the pitfall of owning 2 similar bikes.
Eventually 1 will gather dust. That being said I'd still go for
the Tiger. I haven't rode one yet but it looks to be a capable 2-up, dirt road mount. Weather protection looks adequate
and once you try hard bags you'll never settle for less.

You're XS can be built like a Scrambler, tracker, etc. Very
versatile bikes that are cheap and easy to work on. I had
so much fun bobbing mine last year my XL was doing the
dust gathering so I traded it on the S3. Different horses
for different courses. Hope this helps.

[crashmasterd]

Warning: unverifiable opinions expressed here.

While the scrambler is a neat bike, there's really no question that the Tiger is a far more capable and practical ride. It sounds as if you are trying to talk yourself into the scrambler because of feelings of nostalgia and it's styling, while you realize that for the kind of riding you plan for this thing you know that the Tiger is better suited.

At least that's how it seems to me.

The Tiger is an all-time great bike. Comfortable and powerful and complete with full bags for touring/commuting. It's got an actual wind screen (SHOCKER!) and already has many of the weather protecting features you would want to add to the scrambler. On top of it all, the Tiger is a lot more easy to care for and keep clean after riding in bad weather. Did I mention more powerful?

If you really want a retro-classic and realize it's limitations then there's nothing wrong with the Scrambler. Just remember what it is: a fashion accessory. Your Speed Triple is more fun to ride, the Tiger would be more practical, and the Scrambler would give you those feelings of an old fashioned motorcycle. You just need to decide what's most important to you.

After owning an original Triumph TT Special I was pretty disappointed with the new Triumph twins. They're beautiful, reliable, and handle well. However, they also are heavy and just don't have the "snap" that the vintage bike had. Once again, the Speed Triple is just so much more fun I'd never ride the Scrambler.

[TonUp]

Get the Tiger! The new one should be here soon!




Ton Up!

[Rubbus]

I traded my 99 Tiger for my 06 S3. The Tiger was a great bike, but was too tall for me.

That being said- it was a GREAT bike for two up. The ladies I had on the back all said it was more comfortable than the other bikes they've ridden 2 up on. The hard bags are great and very convienient, and I could ride all day in the rain without much trouble. (With a rain suit of course)

If the next gen Tiger was really good I'd consider it for myself as a second bike, but I'd lower it for sure this time around...

The Scrambler does look cool though- I've considered that as a second bike also. But for what you describe the Tiger seems a better choice. Hope you are tall though.

-Rob

[cheapbastard]

I'm just still looking for donations so I can buy myself a 2nd Triumph!!! :-D I would go with the Tiger out of those two, but my eyes are set on that Rocket! Or a 675.... well, maybe a Thruxton.... I don't know, how about a Speedmaster? Dang it, where's those freak'n donations?!?

:brk:

[ This message was edited by: cheapbastard on 2006-05-06 22:16 ]

[worthy1]

I agree with Rubbus! I also swapped my 955 Tiger for my s3. The Tiger is a superb bike. Very good at most things especially distance work. The Scrambler is a lovely looking piece of kit but that is all it is. Probably fine for nipping down to the shops or commuting but can't see it being very comfortable over a distance!
From what i have seen and read in the press the new Tiger will be very different from the current model. Probably with similar power to the s3. This could of course mean there will be some bargain buys on the old model, if you could wait that long!!