2008 TRIUMPH reviews

This is the second rocket I’ve owned I had a 2006 roadster that I loved I bought this 2008 rocket touring been an excellent bike I love the power and it has great handling for a heavy bike and the growl from this bike sounds like no other bike out there Show less

We met at the dealership in Dayton, Ohio and it was love at first sight. The curves of her large gas tank, that huge 240 tire on the rear and oh those dual headlights! Her name is Bertha and she is fantastic! She does anything I ask her to do. The response of this bike is amazing and it is fast, real fast. It cruises down the road effortlessly and handles like a dream. She is an engineering marvel and I'm glad she is mine! Show less

I recently picked up an '08 Tiger ABS (Black) from a young fellow down in Sacramento, CA. It had only 3,800 miles on the clock and very clean. It's a great scooter. High gear roll-ons bring big grins. It came with factory hard bags and a centerstand. The stock windshield is worthless. I bought a Cee Bailey from a gent in Philly and he shipped it out to me. I still get some wind noise, but no more blast of air to the chest and the price was right. This bike a hoot to ride. The torque is just awesome. I played with the suspension a little. No complaints with the handling. Brakes are spot on. I sold my 650 V-Strom and still have my '07 ST 1300 for the long hauls. I'm retired and life is good. Show less

It's a great bike for the performance-minded rider who can only afford one motorcycle! It has super torque, handles well, and it's comfortable to ride on long trips! I had a few problems - transmission, coils two times and throttle position sensors two times. I have been treated very well by my dealer in Windber! They are good people! Show less

This is my second Rocket. I replaced my 2007 Classic because I wanted the foot positioning of the Roadster. The bike is much more nimble with feet on the pegs rather than forward on the boards. With the fabulous tourque, the bike is extremely easy to ride in traffic, leaving a traffic light or a stop is effortless. On the open road the bike handles very well in spite of that huge rear tire. We do a a great deal of two-up riding and the Rocket is great there as well. I like the fact that this model has gone from three "silencers" to two. It is just a better look, in my opinion, and there is more power as if one needed any more than the earlier Rocket III. It handles even better than my Valkyrie Interstate and I feel that is a great machine. Show less

The 2008 Bonneville Black is the final year of the carbs before the EFI began on the 2009 models. I purchased mine in Florida with 1,300 miles and about 15 months from the original owner. It needed some wires and other rubber parts replaced that had been chewed thru by storage facility rats, but otherwise a regular service was performed and I headed off to Daytona Bike Week for some riding. It was great in heavy Florida rains that didn't keep me from holding steady at 65 for over two hours, fully loaded with a Chase Harper Tank Bag and Tourmaster III XL bags, all full. The tank plus reserve takes you only about 125-135 miles, so true touring is not as easy, and you probably wouldn't want to take the country roads too far. I then took it from Florida to New York City over three days, approximately 450 per, nine hours each day. No worries on US 95 as the truck flew by at 90, the Bonneville held firm. I added a shield to make the run easier and it was a big improvement. That brings us to the customability of the Bonneville. There are thousands of accessories and performace upgrades available from Triumph, Triumph-partner OEMs like Arrow, and aftermarket vendors/manufacturers like newbonneville.com and others. I have added the Arrow 2:2 exhaust system and Jet Kit, the luggage mentioned above, Triumph OEM gaiters, and more. There is so much availalble, you will probably never see another just like yours. Performance off the line is sharp and smooth. Hit 5th gear around 60 mph and settle into cruising around 70, nice and quiet all day. For under $9,000 for a new model, this is a ton of big bike performance and fun for the buck. Show less

This bike feels like a bike is supposed to. Triumph has to be the best value in motorcycles right now. You start this bike and you know it was built by people who care and take pride in what they do. The guy at work bought a Harley-Davidson 883. I parked my bike next to his and put him to shame. I love that Triumph. It stayed true to itself. You see that motor and you know what it is. Anybody who knows motorcycles shows their respect for Triumph. I love my bike. Show less

Now done nearly 8000 klm's. A few mods have made huge improvements. Being quite short, I found both the stretch to the footpegs and the bars a bit far so have fitted footboards and handlebar risers (Rivco). I've also fitted some Harley Fatboy bars and a ProTac rider back rest. These mods have for me made the perfect bike and definitely the most comfortable. It's also got staintune pipes (restrictors left in)which give it a lovely deep burble noise. It has been ultra reliable, starts first go every time and the finish is excellent. Very happy indeed and certainly not tempted with the new Thunderbird (Triumphs aren't supposed to be watercooled). Show less

My 9th bike in 40 years; first Triumph. My last 4 bikes have been BMW (R12RT, R12GS, K12RS & K75S) and the Tiger is a fine blend of the strengths of these beemers. The only major improvement needed in the Tiger is a rebuild of the front suspension (50% under-sprung by static sag measurement at my weight of 170 lb I installed proper weighted fork springs and gold valve haudraulics; front suspension is now the equal of any sport bike. Stock rear susp is properly sprung for my solo riding, but shock damping adjustments should be reworked. I use my Tiger as a demo bike in teaching Total Control classes, so suspension is pushed a little. More casual riders might not notice suspension issues. The engine is very flexible and a hoot to rev. A bit jerky rolling on at low rpm. Shifting is considerably better than BMW, but not saddle. Gets lots of compliments esp amongst riders, many who have not seen a Tiger in person. No regrets buying this bike. Show less

Have read the other reviews and I think when a bike first comes out the new owners are excited and have a built in bias. After puting some miles on a bike an owner can be more objective. This bike is an all around bike and therefore not a perfect tourer or a sport bike and is no longer marketed as a dual purpose off road bike. What it is, is a bike that can do most everything, except off road, much better than any thing else. I have owned more than 35 bikes over the years. The cons of this bike are the stock lighting, pillion comfort, height, and for some, suspension. All of these issues can easily be addressed for not that much money. Less than $600 if one is so inclined. The stock suspension, once adjusted, will be more than acceptable for the average rider. Lowering plates about $100, Hid lights $80.00, Seat $3-400. Unlike earlier Tigers, luggage is an option and to each his own. Many options available. There is a goodly amount of after market farkels to be had now, but not much by Harley standards. Enough to make it any kind of bike you want. The pros are a strong, well proven engine that gives the average rider all the grunt one needs. It handles on a par of some sports bikes and a decent rider can go through the twisties with best of them. It does have 115hp. but can be kicked up fairly easily if one desires it. The ergos are very good for long range touring and the stock seat is one of the best I have ridden. The wind protection works for some but others find it noisy. Finding the right screen for any bike is a constant trial and error as it is for any bike but there are options available on the aftermarket. The market for Tigers is strange since many are not sold in the U.S. but overseas it has gotten great reviews even 4 years after its introduction. I can say that I know 5 Triumph mechanics and 4 of them own Tigers. A used one is very good deal. Show less