Triumphrat

mi2az

Went to the dealership, saw the tiger and the bike has hand-guard protectors like you would see on dirt-bikes or dual purpose bikes. Is the Tiger capable of doing back dirt roads without harming the bike.

Seriously, is this bike capable of doing the Desert back roads here in Arizona ?

Bruce.B

I'm certainly not an authority, but a quick comparison to an accepted bike for dual sport is a pleasant surprise. Compared to the R1200GS (not the Adventure), the Tiger suspension has the same travel and is more sophisticated, the Tiger ground clearance is a little less, and the Tiger has a little more power. On the down side the front wheel is 2" smaller than the GS' 19", the front fender-to-tire clearance is very limited, the alternator has 60% as much capacity, and (if it's installed) you can't shut off the ABS. I suspect that, as is usually the case, it's more about the rider than the bike.

Imo, and perhaps contrary to the inferred abilities presented by a manufacturers marketing department, it takes more than hand guards and metal panniers to make a dual sport bike. Just one riders opinion... ymmv.

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Bruce
Santa Fe, NM
2010 Triumph Tiger 1050 SE

Tiger-G

In Short - NO, the 1050 is not an adventure bike.

Is the 955 a true adventure bike ?? - not really, but at least it looks like one and that's the appeal for me.

The sooner Triumph turn the Tiger back into a Dual Sports bike the better. The guise it is in now is a joke (IMHO)

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Safe riding.
Regards,
Graeme.

Bike: Tiger 955 (2006)

braindead0

Really depends on how you define 'adventure bike'. Ask that question at advrider.com you'll probably get a much better answer.

I would consider it fine for 'adventure' riding where you may ride on some crummy roads, fire roads and the like. I wouldn't take one where I'd take my KLR, but I wouldn't take my KLR where I'd take say a DRZ-400.. Many 'levels' of adventure methinks.

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'08 KLR650, '09 Bonny SE, '09 Sprint ST
Akron/Canton Ohio area riders

RedBird

The Tiger 1050 is probably considered a sport/tourer, and the hand guards are very nice on long trips and in cooler weather. I use my handguards during the winter months; but, on my last 2100 mile trip during the summer, I wish I had left the handguards on the bike.

I ride my Tiger 1050 on gravel roads but since I am vertically challenged, I would not ride it on many mountain back roads by choice. The wheel size and the tires (rated for 150+ mph) are not what one would want for serious off-roading, IMHO.

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Larry
2003 T-100 (790cc), NARK, NH Togas, 8100 rpm rev limiter, 158 main jets, 42 pilot jets (less than 1 turn out on pilot screws), stock needles--no shims. 13 A/F ratio from 1100 rpm to 4000 rpm; 12 A/F ratio from 4000 rpm to 6000 rpm; 13 A/F from 6000 rpm to 8100 rpm.:D
2007 Tiger 1050--White:D--SW-Motech crashbars, Skidmarx rear hugger/chain guard, Calsci +7 windscreen.

TallRob

i did about 40 miles of rutted desert dirt roads. Handled it very well

2010 Tiger SE

mattw63

NICE!