Triumph Tiger reviews

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

This is the third Triumph I have owned and is the best, by far. It has great acceleration and highway manners. The SE comes with hard bags, center stand and gel seat, so the items I would have added were already there. I'm sure the ABS brake system works, I just haven't noticed it in action. I guess that is a good thing. The only concern I had was the poor wind screen. I installed a MadStad Robo screen system, and all wind problems have disappeared. If you want a long haul, upright seating, powerful motorcycle, the Tiger 1050 can't be beat. Show less

It is superb, I never any mechanical problems. It still brings a huge grin after three years. But what a superb machine! It is the most comfortable and capable of my bikes. Show less

Bought a new 2007 Tiger in February 2008. I traded my older model GS on this 'kitten'. Turns out, this kitten is quite the cat. It's quick, nimble, fun to ride. I put on a Russel Daylong, big Givi's, tallest calsi windshield, crash bars, etc. I took 21 days and rode it to Prudhoe Bay (Dead Horse, Alaska). I currently have around 32,000 miles on it. I have only had two problems ever. (1) i didn't keep my forks clean going through Alaska and thus lost both fork seals. (2) I have to once a year tighten all the motor bolts underneath. It gets good gas mileage and also gets good mileage out of the chain and tires even though I put a trailer hitch on it at times. It's a home made job that works rather well. I use that when I go camping with my youngest son. Very Versatile! Take the bags off and its almost like having a race bike. It can handle a load all day long. I really enjoy this bike and I have had a few over the years. It's a great deal for the money. Show less

I have put just about 15,000 trouble-free km. on my Tiger. I've been through British Columbia a couple times and Alaska once. It hasn't let me down once. It's very quick, very fast. It's not the best seat for just sitting there. It hurts after a couple days in the saddle. I must ride spiritedly, moving around a bit, to not get sore on week-long rides. It has lots of passing power and nice nimble handling. It does dip on breaking though. It does not seem to adversely affect the handling too much, but it does make coming into a corner too hot that much more exciting. Show less

I bought my Tiger this summer with 15,500 miles on it. Finally at 18,000 miles in November, I took the bike to my Triumph dealer for service. Not having a history on it, I scheduled a 12K service to be done (valve clearances and a few fuel fitting/line upgrades) along with new oil, coolant and filters. They also discovered a new chain and sprockets were due. It was salty but now I know where I am with it. The bike runs great, has decent power and is definitely not a cookie cutter model. I did drop it in the drive by not paying attention to what I was doing, but no major damage. It shook my confidence some, but it is top heavy. Not much for dirt roads yet, but it'll do it I'm sure. I can't wait until next summer for a trip to Vermont on this beast. Show less

I bought this bike as a supplement to my BMW R12RT touring bike. The Tiger has only one weak spot -- a seriously under-sprung front suspension. Even at my weight of 170 lbs, the springs were about 50% too light. I installed RaceTech springs and a Gold Valve fork rebuild kit, and it transformed the handling of the bike. The stock rear suspension is good for my weight. The engine and transmission are as good as you can get for this type of bike. The front brakes are a little grabby though, so be cautious if you don't have ABS - I will replace with Carbone Lorraine pads at my next brake fluid change. The saddle is a little better than average, but could be improved. I use this bike in warm weather and when teaching various MC classes. This bike is easily the equal of the BMW R12GS I had a few years ago -- and at a much better price. 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

As the title says, this my favorite bike out of all I've owned (too many to count). The rider position is extremely comfortable. The height promotes excellent visibility. The performance is second to none in its class. The average rider will never push this bike to its capabilities. I could go on, but suffice it to say this is the best bike is a true do all machine and it does it all VERY well. Show less