Triumphrat

digitallysane

Hi everyone!

My name is Dragos Stefan, I'm writing from Cluj, Romania (that would be roughly in the middle of Transylvania).

I'm exploring some alternatives as I'm thinking about getting a bike next year. This would be my very first bike.
I'm interested in a bike which is very good on the road, but will also let me go on mountain / gravel / rocky roads, of which I can find plenty here.
I'm considering the Tiger and the KTM 950 Adv, but also the BMW650GS and the KTM 640Adv. To me the Tiger seems the best for this, as it seems to have the right balance of on/off road capabilities.
However, there are some things which are unclear to me:
1. Triumph does not have a dealer in Romania. That's the main problem, but there are rumors that something is moving. Hopefully in time.
2. I do not understand exactly Triumph's positioning for the Tiger, and their attitude vs. the Tiger's use off-road. I read many reviews which clearly stated that the manual says "do not take this motorcycle off-road!".
Also, the 05 Tiger has cast wheels and greatly reduced suspension travel, which again limit its off-road usage.
While it started as a BMW GS competitor, it seems to me that Tiger is becoming more of a Ducati Multistrada type of bike.
Also, there are no off-road accessories available from the factory (sump guard, crash bars), only third party, which again says something about how Triumph wants the Tiger to be used.
Sasquatch said in another topic:
yet Triumph seems to want exactly the opposite...
I like the Tiger very much, but I _need_ a bike with some good off-road abilities. And I suppose that the current model, with its cast wheels, would already have some big problems on rocky roads.
What do you think? And how do you see Tiger evolving in the future? (I suppose next year it will be updated, just like the Sprint just did).

Thank you

Dragos Stefan

Timtiger

Hi Dragos,
This is a difficult question to answer. It depends on how off road you want to go and to a great extent on your riding ability and also how big you are. I ride my Tiger on many dirt roads and I think it is better than the twin BMWs. I am also 184cm (6ft2), weigh 100kg and have been riding these types of bikes off road for more than 30years.
I know people who ride BMW650's very off road in enduro type terrain where I would not take a Tiger.

Re the cast wheelos, I would be a little uncomfortable with them but the reality is that they may be really good or very fragile. It depends on what alloy and how they are made. It's too early to tell if they have problems off road, but I would not use them untill I found out. I noted with interest that the local Melbourne Triumph dealer has sold 6 '05 Tigers this month. Someone likes the wheels.

Re the dealer. I would not like to own a Tiger without either a good dealer or even better, a good mechanic with the Triumph diagnostic and ECU programming gear.

Re accessories, forget that the factory does not support the Tiger that well. It is a low volume bike for them. Get what you want from Ohlins and Touratech. It is better quality and cheaper than official factory accessories anyway.

In summary:
If you want an "OFF ROAD" bike to do short distances in very rough terrain, get a KTM640, 950 or a BMW 650
If you want an "ALL ROADS" bike to do many miles on dirt roads or loose surfaces, get a Tiger (and not a BMW 1150/1200).

Mind you I know a man who road the 3,400 KM gunbarrell highway ( a very sandy rutted and dirt track) on a carbed Tiger and he was only about 5ft tall, 50kgs and couldn't touch the ground when seated, so anything's possible.

Timtiger

Hi Dragos,
This is a difficult question to answer. It depends on how off road you want to go and to a great extent on your riding ability and also how big you are. I ride my Tiger on many dirt roads and I think it is better than the twin BMWs. I am also 184cm (6ft2), weigh 100kg and have been riding these types of bikes off road for more than 30years.
I know people who ride BMW650's very off road in enduro type terrain where I would not take a Tiger.

Re the cast wheelos, I would be a little uncomfortable with them but the reality is that they may be really good or very fragile. It depends on what alloy and how they are made. It's too early to tell if they have problems off road, but I would not use them untill I found out. I noted with interest that the local Melbourne Triumph dealer has sold 6 '05 Tigers this month. Someone likes the wheels.

Re the dealer. I would not like to own a Tiger without either a good dealer or even better, a good mechanic with the Triumph diagnostic and ECU programming gear.

Re accessories, forget that the factory does not support the Tiger that well. It is a low volume bike for them. Get what you want from Ohlins and Touratech. It is better quality and cheaper than official factory accessories anyway.

In summary:
If you want an "OFF ROAD" bike to do short distances in very rough terrain, get a KTM640, 950 or a BMW 650
If you want an "ALL ROADS" bike to do many miles on dirt roads or loose surfaces, get a Tiger (and not a BMW 1150/1200).

Mind you I know a man who road the 3,400 KM gunbarrell highway ( a very sandy rutted and dirt track) on a carbed Tiger and he was only about 5ft tall, 50kgs and couldn't touch the ground when seated, so anything's possible.

djr

The tiger is capable of going offroad as many on this board prove frequently. As you state, this is not what Triumph market the bike for but with some mods/protection I believe it would be very capable offroad.

I would think lack of any dealership would be a problem though.

i would agree that if offroad is your main objective then the Tiger is probably not the best choice. If you want a road bike that can be used offroad then it might fit the bill.

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digitallysane

Yes, I find it a difficult question too. Imagine the situation: I think I know the perfect bike for me, but it's not available in my country and its manufacturer seems decided to strip out the features I like most.

To put in in your words, I want an "ALL ROADS" bike. So I can use it in the city daily, then in the weekend I go 300 km on low-quality roads, dirt roads, loose surfaces.
That's why I lean towards the Tiger, as I can't think of the KTM 950 (or 640) as a daily bike. They are very nice bikes, but too narrow in scope in my opinion.
I'm 184 cm in height and pretty thin (75-78 kilos?). Experience is zero, so this would be a learning bike (another reason to favor the smooth Tiger, as the KTMs seem to be pretty nervous).

Of course, if no Triumph dealer is established in the next year, the problem is half solved as I won't consider a bike without local support. Guess I'd go with a KTM or a 650GS...

I'm sure that many like the cast-wheeled Tiger. I'm just not sure about the bike's capabilities now, and about its direction of evolution. Speaking again about Triumph's view on Tiger's purpose: why don't they provide a spoked wheels option, like BMW on the 1200GS? I'm surely not interested in a Multistrada type of bike, as it would not be useful to me. As a subjective opinion, I think it would be also sad to see the Tiger become such a bike. I'm afraid of a 06 Tiger with a 1050 motor, sporty, incredible on road but helpless in the dirt. Is Triumph going to let that market to KTM 950 and the 1200 GS? Sad.

So maybe I should re-state my questions:
1. Is anyone using a cast-wheel Tiger in the dirt on a regular basis?
2. How do you guys see the evolution of the Tiger in the future?

Thanks,

Dragos

Timtiger

I think the alloy wheels are too new for people to comment yet. I would want at least 6 months of experience to go on. In Oz, we have raised cattle grids in the outback that are placed on dirt roads that are travelled at 100KPH or higher. They can be like hitting a brick and can severely dent a steel wheel, but be fatal for cast wheels.

I have had a few KTM enduro bikes but haven't ridden a KTM950 yet - but would like to. From what I have read they would make a good city bike or "adventure tourer" but would definitely be far less comfortable than a Tiger due to the vibration and the seat.

My other advice is to forget what the Triumph marketing department say about the Tiger. Look objectively at what it is capable of doing.

In terms of the Tiger evolution, I think Triumph could do anything but if you look at the market there is mor choice. The '05 Tiger may have cast wheels and seem to be more of a Supermotard street bike, but it also has a new folding gear lever that will make it better in the dirt?
Ther are lots of serious enduro bike like Husqvarna, KTM, VOR and Husabergs being fitted with road wheels and sticky tyres. BMW have made the new R1200GS that is more road oriented and will continue to offer the R150GS Adventure that is more "all road oriented". I think Triumph see themselves as more of a manufacturer of road bikes but the brand has a long history of offering teir bikes on off roadable versions. I think they will continue.

Buy a Tiger, ride it and enjoy!

digitallysane

Thanks for the reply!

Yes, I suppose I would "wait and see".
I just hope Triumph will be in Romania next year, or I'll be stuck with the F650GS/KTM950.

I have great respect for the 950 Adv, but, as I said, I'm a bit uneasy on its "agressivenes". I suppose this would not be a good bike for a beginner. The comfort for long distances is another issue (although they seem to fix the seat for 2005: (KTM 950 2005).
While I find the 950 beautiful and very original in its looks, so is the Tiger, but it's also more classy.
I do hope that Triumph continues to leave the Tiger with a good chunck of off road capabilities. It's true that in the recent years all the bikes in this class (the 1150/1200GS, the Tiger, the V-strom, Varadero etc) became more and more road oriented, but there is also the 950 Adventure which put a new perspective on this kind of bikes. I hope Triumph won't be insensitive to that.

Thanks again,

Dragos

Dixie2

Dragos

Have a butcher's at this for an illustration of off road stuff on the Tiger.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...3&page=1&pp=15

Cheers, Rich (Dix)



[ This message was edited by: Dixie2 on 2004-09-10 18:27 ]

digitallysane

Dixie2,

I've already seen that the day it went online. It's impressive, and it fits quite nicely with what I intend to do. I've also seen other people's reports, again very impressive off-road stuff.

However, is there at least _one_ 05, cast-wheeled Tiger in any of thos off-road rides? Because I don't doubt the off-road capabilities of the Tiger, until the 05 model, with its cast-wheels and shorter suspension travel.

And, seeing this transformation, I'm wondering what would be the evolution of the Tiger?
In my wishlist, the 2006 Tiger would at least have an option for spoked, tubeless wheels.

Thanks,

Dragos

bigD

Dragos

Hi.

I have just returned from a business trip to your country late last week & having travelled around Bucharest & out to Buzau I admire your ambition & courage to want to use a bike in the towns, that is unless things are a little more sane where you are.

I must say I was surprised at how little two wheel transport was being used.

Unfortunately I did not get a chance to get away from the flat lands around where I visited but I could see the mountains tantalizingly close to the north. I also saw some of your amazing mountain terrain on the way in & out on the aircraft & I am willing to bet you have some brilliant mountain tracks.

Having travelled 400 K or so on your roads I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DON'T WANT ALLOY WHEELS :wink: :wink: Sorry to hear you don't have a Triumph dealer in the country because I bet the Tiger would fit the bill perfectly for your needs. Whatever you choose, best of luck.

As for the direction Triumph will take the Tiger I hope that they realise many (if not most) of us have bought ours because of what it is, that is, not a sports bike & keep its character.

D

[ This message was edited by: bigD on 2004-09-13 07:28 ]

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Big D

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