Triumphrat

02-13-2005, 06:34 PM

Hello .... Please bear with me as I vent a bit. My local Triumph dealer had their annual open house today where you could save abit on the bike of your choice and get 25% off accessories for the day. I've been looking to change rides for a couple years now and the Tiger has always held my interest. The dealer has the orange cat on the floor and I've more or less bonded with it. Even bought a nice Triumph windbreaker, so I guess I'm stuck with the Triumph brand. And then I looked at that tiny windshield on the bike and all the agonizing over it on this forum and over on Tiger.com came flooding over me and I left the dealership without pulling the trigger. Why would I buy a bike that 's going to buffet my head about and cause me to ride in a wind roar?
The dealer could only offer "buy a bigger windshield" and from reading all your posts, I know that won't help. You would think Triumph could come up with a better solution for a bike that's been around as long as the Tiger has been. Do they have engineers/ designers at Triumph? Do they know what a wind tunnel is? Does anyone from Triumph read this forum? Have any of you ever discussed this weakness in the Tiger with Triumph? I guess I'm asking if any of you can help me out of this mind set with a solution which will help put me on a Tiger. Thanks for listening.

Don

whoa · 02-13-2005, 07:18 PM

You know, I'm convincing myself Triumph did this on purpose. They could have installed a fairing and screen designed from the touring line but chose to go with this style. Maybe it fits more with a rugged rider style that comes to mind with dual sport use.

I came from a stripped cruiser so this has never been an issue to me. If I changed anything about the fairing it would be to lower the profile so as not to try and redirect so much air.

Since the tiger can be used like a touring bike, you should be able to configure it as such to suit your liking and riding style. I just found out about the sport cover which about does away with the windscreen and will probably go that way.

I'd say climb aboard one and give it a go. See if you think it's a problem. So far I have no issues with it from a comfort standpoint. You might agree if you get some saddle time in. Hopefully your dealer will help get you that time, providing your still interested.

Good luck.
David

tango · 02-13-2005, 07:42 PM

Don,

There are issues with the screen, but not everyone is affected by it.
Would it be possible to get a test ride and see for yourself what it is actually like, you never know it might just suit you.

rodburner · 02-13-2005, 07:49 PM

Shutterbug, I`m visiting from classic Bonnie and read your rant. I`m sorry, but if you won`t buy a bike you were smitten with because of a piece of plastic or fiberglass,without giving it an extended try out,how will you know it didn`t "fit" you perfectly? There are hundreds of people on this site,who probably have the same windshield and love it,but never read the topic where the shield is being bashed by someone because they are pleased with theirs. Please don`t let a few guy`s opinions make your decision for you. My bike is "naked" and some days even a garbage can lid would be a welcome windshield.Now go back and get it!!

Steve

02-13-2005, 08:20 PM

Davie....Here in Canada, Tigers are few and far between. I'm lucky to see one on the dealers floor.....and no tests rides till you buy it, so my chances of riding one anytime soon are pretty well nil.

Steve.... I hear you....I fully understand how the net can magnify a bike's supposed problem.

My rant was my way of partly clearing my head and I new that I could count you fellow Triumph riders to tell me the way it is. I haven't given up on getting a Tiger.

Thanks...Don

02-13-2005, 09:29 PM

Hey Shutterbug; Yesterday I road my `05 Tiger 160 miles with the taller windscreen (I bolted it on the night before). I'm 6'-2" and at freeway speeds the wind catches me right in the faceshield of my helmet. All my bikes have fairings of sorts and they all have differnt sounds. On back roads I didn't notice the noise, probably has something to do with the grin on my face. Try those little foam ear plugs, they work really well. A few years back I road my old 650 Seca (Shoie FM-5 fairing) 780 miles in a loong day. The earplugs were the proverbeal god-send.
I'm going to try fixing a small air foil to the top of the taller shield (a lot of prototype work can be accomplished with duct tape and cereal box cardboard). as far as cutting the plastic, I tape the area to be cut, and use a bandsaw. The blade only cuts on the downstroke and doesn't tend the crack the plastic.
Back to yesterdays ride; the Tiger (with its new program installed..thanks to Jason and Josh at Motomechanica, Santa Rosa, Calif) bike is incredable on narrow back roads. Feels lighter than she is, has great torque and can lean waay over. Anyone out there recall the old Tiger Paw tire commercials from the `60s?..but I digress. But after 160 miles, my butt was killing me. I'm thinking about pulling the cover and removing some foam where the seat slopes down. Way back when, the rider bought a new machine and then began to set it up to really fit him or her. All said, get the bike!!!

pigpen955 · 02-13-2005, 09:54 PM

Shutterbug-

The Tiger is a great bike as agreed to by everyone on this forum. Windshields are a very personal thing (also agreed to by everyone) and get a lot of attention because there is so little else to complain about.

There are an endless variety of windshields out there for the Tiger if the stock screen does not suit you after you buy the bike and I am sure you will find one that will work. I went with a shorter one and am very happy (I should say that I never missed a chance to ride the bike while I was figuring out what would improve the bike for me and I was always smiling when I got off the cat).

However, if you don't buy the bike you will never know and to paraphrase..."you will regret it, maybe not today maybe not tomorrow but soon and for the rest of your life."

You won't be sorry,

Fred

PAKA · 02-13-2005, 10:35 PM

Shutterbug,

You must have been at Inglis. How was the open house. I heard they had a Orange tiger on the floor.

I bought mine there, live in Port Elgin, Ontario. Love my "Orange" 2003 Tiger. Every bike has its issues. I do feel the buffeting and noise on mine, however they are not unbearable. I am lucky living in the rural areas with 80 km/h speed limits. Therefore the buffeting really isn't an issue.

Find out when the demo rides are and sign up.

If I am in London, you will usually find me at Eastown Pizza. mmmmmm........

Paka.

paulie · 02-13-2005, 11:56 PM

Shutterbug:

Did you ever get a big zit on your chin? It's the only thing you can think about. Hurts like hell. Looks like crap. But after a while, you don't even notice it any more. That's what the windshield issue is like. It will go away. In the big picture, considering how good the bike is, (how hot you look) you'll wonder why you spent all that time obsessing about it.

My solution is the CB #2 tall. Others find different things that work. Of all the tweaks you can do to the bike, this one is among the cheapest. You could try three or four or five different screens for less than the price of an aftermarket muffler and a gel seat (both of which are bigger necessities than a screen, IMHO).

I guess what I'm saying is, there are a lot of reasons you might not want to buy a Tiger (like, maybe, you are 4'11" tall?). The screen shouldn't be one of them. Non-issue. Fun problem to work on. Let it go. Go for it.

:wink:

paulie · 02-14-2005, 12:20 AM

..."you will regret it, maybe not today maybe not tomorrow but soon and for the rest of your life."

All right, who said it? It's like the zit, driving me crazy . . . also very true in relation to this discussion.

:???: