Triumphrat

I want a bike that I can put over 100k miles trouble free. Ride across continents and be comfortable.

Is this a good bike.

I have heard of a few probs.. VERY BIG PROBS. 2ndspaces tiger exploded with just a few miles, and then this other dude bigdaves tiger exploded as well. I have heard of at least 1 more in the yahoogroups that this has happened. And also some older tigers had alternator problems.

Is this a POS?

I want a 2002-2004 tiger, but I dont want to spend more time in the shop than I do riding.

Can someone tell me the bad things about the bikes. I already know the good.

Maintenance? How easy is it? Any problamatic thingies?

Timtiger

If you look hard enough, any vehicle has problems. Triumph bikes are no different. I think the current Tiger is 90% brilliant and 10% hopeless - but nothing that can't be fixed.
I have set mine up how I like with Ohlins rear shock and upgraded front forks. I use it every day and it is my third Tiger after a series of BMW RGS bikes. I have had a few problems, namely a fried alternator (replaced in under 3 hours under warranty) and worn brake rotors after 25,000 KMS.
I ride the bike hard and take it on dirt roads a lot and off road occassionally.
All in all, I love the bike and it has never let me down. It is far more reliable than my BMW experience. I had a R100GS PD for 14 months and dis 45,000KM. It needed 3 alternators, 2 started motors and broke the rear universal joint and locked the rear wheel at speed. All this with only a 12 month year warranty.
My only gripe with Triumph is very poor parts supply (at least here in Australia).
The ultimate question is this: Is there another bike I would buy instead?
The answer is NO!
You can find heaps of issues and problems if you search this website, but you should also recognise that Tigers are ridden by people who care and take a detailed interest in the bike and in making it better.
This is a generalisation, but I think that Tiger riders also get out on their bikes and ride them to interesting places, not just the local coffee shop 1 day per month, weather permitting.
Like the brake wear issue. I ride the bike hard, use it in dirt and put soft racing pads in. I would have liked them to last longer, but it's mostly my fault. I have checked and replacement rotors are hard to get, because Triumph rotors last a long time - except for me!

By "older Tigers" I guess you mean the Carb model. I have not heard about many alternator problems. They had a starter clutch problem that was fixed by Triumph under warranty and even when the bike was out of warranty (something that a lot of manufacturers would not do). If you buy one, check that this has been done. The starter will not fail, only make progressively more noise.

I have heard of failed engines here locally and they appear to be usually due to mechanics (using the term loosely) overtightening the timing chain. My advice is to buy a Tiger and find a good mechanic. Never let just any 17 year old apprentice with a hammer and cold chisel service your bike.
I use a Triumph trained but independant mechanic who is excellent, cares about what he does and is an expert in fuel injection. He also rides a Daytona!
Enjoy.

Wow, thanks for the info.

I had a 98 tiger. Loved it, but hated its maintenance design :evil:

I wish there were good triumph shops around here, but there are only 2 dealers around here that carry triumph. And both bite.

im looking for a used 02-04 tiger. Are there any changed between 01-04??

Diego

>>> im looking for a used 02-04 tiger. Are there any changed between 01-04?? >>>

Just a few different color options from year to year. IMHO, those were the best years for the Tiger--they have the 955i engine, a little better suspension than before, and are somewhat more suited for offroad adventures than the newer ones--but naturally I'm prejudiced toward that year range.

Remember one thing about the Internet: it's way too easy to lose any sense of perspective! A dramatic problem stands out, and there will always be some of these on anything made by human hands. Tens of thousands of non-problems don't stand out; but that is, in fact, the norm.

Let me emphasize one of TimTiger's points...the need to have a dealer who knows and cares about Triumphs. If you have one of those, owning a Triumph is just about the greatest experience there is. A good dealer can make any problem that does crop up smaller and easier to bear. A poor dealer can turn even a tiny problem into a nightmare. Tigers have fangs, but they don't suck; dealers don't (usually) have fangs, but as you say, some of them bite. Just goes to show.

If I didn't have confidence in a dealer within a reasonable distance, I would not buy a Triumph. Fortunately, I'm where I only have to stretch the definition of 'reasonable distance' slightly, and would not ever want to be without a Triumph again...especially not the Tiger.

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John

No, there are more changes than that.

The fuel supply system has been changed, which in a few cases has caused problems with "over fueling" (running rich) at idle/low revs. Mine would not idle when hot and kept stalling when comming to a stop at junctions etc.

New managemnt unit has fixed most of the problem, though it has started to nearly stop when closing the throttle and pulling the clutch after engine breaking (if you know what I mean).

Peter

djr

As has already been said, it does not matter which bike you are interested in you will always hear of the problems, big or small if you look for them. You very seldom hear of the good things with bikes.

The Tiger has a lot of good things and generally speaking is very reliable. It can eat miles with ease can scare a few sports bikes with a decent rider (i.e. - not me!! :wink: ) and can commute. So is it a good all-rounder - YES. Is it the only or best? SUBJECTIVE!!

I am on my second Tiger and my third Triumph. My first Tiger had major problems ( do a search here and elsewhere for the story) but Triumph were superb and put this right 110%. Tiger number two is a great bike.

so with three triumphs I have had one major problem put right and a few minor ones. all have been handled well by triumph and my dealer (who happens to be one of the better ones).

would I buy another Tiger - yes. Will I, probably not as the new bike does not allow lowering the height so would be uncomfortable for me on anything but a perfectly flat garage floor. Would I buy another triumph? In all probability :-D

Test ride the Tiger before jumping in if you can but I doubt you will find a bike that is as adaptable.

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David
My Photo Album
My Tiger pages

bigD

Well said djr

I think that if you go onto any forum dedicated to any machine be-it bike, car, computer or whatever, you will find it full of tails of woe & could get the impression that the subject of the forum was troublesome to the point of disaster.

What you must remember is that these discussion forums are exactly that, places to discuss the machines. What gives rise to the most discussion? Problems & their solutions thats what. I feel that if you had to compile a list of the separate problems discussed here about the Tiger it would be a relatively short list with few real major gripes which cannot be overcome (thanks to the excellent quality of advice from the contributers here :-D )

So don't be put off by seeing problems listed, just use it as a chance to learn what to look out for & if all else fails put your problem on here, I'm sure somebody will come back with a solution for you. :wink: :wink:

D

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Big D

If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

triumph900

Scorch - what dealers have you looked at son far?

Diego

>>> No, there are more changes than that.

There are routine product improvements, of course, but there was no change to the basic specs between the 2001 and 2004 model years. The FI was tweaked with new maps, and with the fuel connector recall and wiring harness service bulletin changes, my '01 is now virtually identical to an '03 or even '04, all at Triumph's expense.

The '05, of course, saw several significant differences from the previous four model years.

(By the way, scorch, so far as crossing the continent...sure, I'd do it on the Tiger. Heck, I've done it on a Bonneville. Double heck, I even did it on a Suzuki thumper--twice, in my younger, more adventurous days. And the Tiger is more rugged than either of those. The same engine as in scores of thousands of other Triumph 955i triples, but in a little milder state of tune than most of them, should last well nigh forever if routinely maintained.)


[ This message was edited by: Diego on 2004-09-16 14:36 ]

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John

Timtiger

Just to clarify and emphasise a point.
You need access to a dealer for any warranty related issues. You do not need a dealer to service the bike itself - at least not in Australia. A few years back the government here made it illegal for dealers to insist that only they can perform services during the warranty period on the grounds that it is anticompetitive and they overcharged - a lot.

You really need a mechanic who knows bikes in general and is good with fuel injection and you trust - and they need the Triumph tuning computer (hand held unit that looks like a big multimeter). If I was in a remote area and far from a dealer, I would attempt to find a good local mechanic and work out a deal with them to get the tuning computer by sharing the purchase cost and even buy it myself if needs be (I think they cost about AUD$800).