Triumph TIGER 800 reviews

Having spent 25 years on liter bikes sport touring I developed an interest in ghost towns in the western US. This required a different type bike as gravel roads and sport bikes don’t mix. I test rode several of the popular big bore dual sport bikes, BMW, VStom etc. while they all had their advantages, to me they felt top heavy and awkward in slow going. I took a test ride on a Tiger 800 and loved it! It felt light nimble and for an 800 had some real punch!. Having since put nearly 40,000 miles on my 2014 tiger800 both gravel roads and canyon carving I can honestly say this bike has been a delight. The stock suspension was a little soft for me and I had custom seats made as my wife felt the rear seat was too hard and set too low. For long distance riding cruise control would’ve been nice but certainly not a deal killer. Don’t listen to the twin cylinder guys who tell you the Tiger 800 does not have enough mid range torque for single trailing, just keep it in its torque curve and you can keep up with the best of them. This bike is very happy between 5000 and 8000 RPM. To date it has been Stone reliable. I have no complaints and would recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a great smaller displacement bike with plenty of power. Show less

I purchased the Tiger 800XR after test driving several different makes and models. I'm 6' tall and 200 pound slim built man. I tried a cruiser but at the recommendation of the salesperson, I tried the Tiger and I'm glad I did. I like how it fits me. The power is smooth and I can keep up with larger bikes. My hits against the model is the suspension. Triumph only put adjustable front suspension on the XC models. The shocks are aggressive on bumpy roads. What I did find is that after I bought and installed the side cases and add some weight, the ride smoothed out a lot. I have only driven it a little over 3000 miles but have taken it on a few weekend trips and I don't feel fatigued after 3 hours on the road (I do stop every hour to let my legs straighten out). I wish I had spent a little more money and bought the XRx model that includes cruise control and self canceling turn signals. Not big deal breakers but still I wish I had. I like the detail of the Tiger. I would buy one again. Show less

I purchased a Tiger 800 XC SE and am quite impressed. I decided to step down from a BMW R 1150 GS because it was just too cumbersome for me. I put 58K on it but at parking lot speeds and maneuvering around the garage, I didn't feel secure. I tried the BMW 800 GS and they're nice bikes, but the engine seemed to vibrate a lot and didn't have much punch on top. Then I tried the Tiger 800 XC. Wow. What a difference! Power galore. Good low end torque and a nice top end rush. It handles like a much lighter bike and I feel much more in control. I had an issue with the left side case leaking oil. I took it to the dealer and he fixed it while I waited - faulty gasket. Show less

I've had my 2002 V-Strom 1000 since they first came out. It's still a good bike and I thought it was pretty nifty until I spent an backroad afternoon on an XC800. How can an 800 be better than a 1000? Let me tell you the ways. My V-Strom is gutless until 4000 rpm., then it runs strong. The Triumph pulls smoothly at any speed right from idle. The Triumph also has a responsive eagerness that even a well-broken-in, well-tuned stock 1000 Strom lacks. The 1000 is decently smooth for a 1000 twin. The Triumph is dead smooth period. The 1000 Strom handles decently. It's in its element on backroad sweepers and a real pleasure but it is not quite as happy in the tight stuff. It's still good; we're not talking about some pig cruiser here, but the Triumph has an agility, direct steering and a wonderful fluid tip in to the corners that the V-Strom lacks. The Triumph feels like what it is; a whole generation newer and better. An uncorked dyno-tuned 1000 doesn't run as well as a stock Triumph XC800 - not even close. It's good vs. fanbloodytastic. Show less