Calling 885 i owners

[Blue Tiger]

Hi, I am looking at getting an 885i Tiger as I miss my 955i I had before. Funds wont allow another 955i yet but is the 885i that much worse? I am sure it is not but all comment would be much appreciated. Thanks

[tigerhund]

My wife and I own both, and I have ridden my wife's 1999 a good bit.  There is a very noticeable difference in both acceleration and in the ease with which the bikes cruise in the 80-90 mph range.



Stepping back and looking at the big picture, if the choice is 885 Tiger or no Tiger at all, jump on the 885.  Our two bikes are virtually identical except for the extra +/- 20 hp and a few foot-pounds of torque.



I recently paid $4800 US for my wife's 1999 Tiger with 16000 miles on it and the machine is in beautiful condition thanks to a great previous owner who loved the machine.  IMHO this was a reasonable price for the bike in great condition with hard bags added.



My advice is to buy the 900 if it is what fits your budget.  You should be aware of the reported danger of dropping the bike on its left side and having oil make its way to the air box and cylinders via the breather tube, which some have said has resulted in engine damage/destruction (liquids do not compress very well), and there have been some reports of the 885 engine having lubrication problems resulting in catastrophic failure of the engine.  All things considered, I love my wife's 1999 and ride it quite often, even though I could be on my 955.



Tigers are great bikes--the extra HP and torque on the 955 are great, but there are many other wonderful things about the bike that the 1999 and 2000 also provide.



Good luck,

Mike

[Chris Canning]

I had one of the first 900i's in 99,it lasted 6 weeks before it blew a head gasket(a lot more common than people think),they offered to repair it(shop+Triumph) after some hassle i paid e'm some money and bought a new one!!!!(another story).



I had the second one 2 years,it was just like the first,some times you would start it up and it would run crap,switch the ignition of and try again,and it would be fine,it's all to do with the crank moveing before the ignition sensor pick up did,i've spoken to several people who all had the same problem,Triumph also new about it.



As soon as the warranty was up i sold it and bought a 955,if your lucky and get a good one then you MIGHT be ok,but the engine is only part of it,you sit in a 900i while you sit on a 955,personally with e-bay and at this time of year i hunt around for a 955 at the right price.



Chris

[MARKC]

My first and only Tiger is a 5 year old 885i that I bought in June with 9500 on the clock.



Obviously I cant make any comparison with the 955. But compared to other makes I have owned (BMW 850,Suzuki Bandit 1200 & Kawasaki 750).It does everything I want.It has more than enough useable power.Its comfort compares to the BMW over long distances.Its taken me to Milan and back in 4 days without the need for pain killers or traction at the end of it :D . Belgium to Manchester was only achieved by taping two car washing sponges together and strapping them to the seat on the Bandit.



Apart from minor niggles its been very reliable and is fun to ride.I bought mine with a full service history and touring Scott oiler.



The only changes I plan would be to alter the gearing slightly to lower revs as long range vibes at motorway speeds resulted in a dead left hand and Mr Bean type results when trying to hold a knife and fork.I think gel grips might also be useful.



Approaching the 12000 mile service now so I might not be so admiring once I have been mugged by Triumph.

[jp4evr]

What's not to love?  I ride and 885i and have added about 10k to it since I bought with 30k miles.  Sacramento to Arizona and back with no problem.



The 955 engine is one of the biggest benefits along with some of the minor tweaks they adopted from 885 problems.



The tip over issue on the 885 is easily rectified.  



The 955 got rid of the spoke wheels mostly which i think is cosmetically and off-road strength-wise a mistake.  



955 also got rid of the eccentric chain adjuster which is of value to those who do a lot of work and like to play with the suspension, ride height, etc.  



my $.02

[NortonCharlie]

They didn't get rid of the spoked wheels and ecentric adjusters on the 955 Tigers till 05.  I love my Green 01 955 Tiger and I can't imagine that big of a price differential between an early 955 and the injected 885.  The other thing they updated on the 955 was the front suspension.  BTW my 01 955 Tiger is the perfect motorcycle (somewhat biased opinion)

[Blue Tiger]

Thanks for the feedback. Still sitting on the fence a bit though! Yes a 955i would be nice but the only ones around (at a dealer where I can p/x my current RS) are all big money or big on miles and not that clean. The 885 I have my eye on is mint, comes with panniers, stand, hot grips and has covered less than 9000 miles and was serviced less than a month ago. Decisions, decisions! :lol:

[apache]

Mint?? If you dont mind me being nosey how much$$. I picked up a 97 with 16K in very good cond,not mint, for $2400 US bucks. I love it, and for what it cost what can I loose really. Specially when a new bike is ten to fifteen grand. Used tigers have to be one of the best bang for the buck rides there is due to their low resale value, at least around here. Im still kinda PO`ed I didnt but the 03? with 5600 miles in mint cond ,gal owned,black absoloutly perfect bike could have been had for $4500.

[jp4evr]

They didn't get rid of the spoked wheels and ecentric adjusters on the 955 Tigers till 05.  I love my Green 01 955 Tiger and I can't imagine that big of a price differential between an early 955 and the injected 885.  The other thing they updated on the 955 was the front suspension.  BTW my 01 955 Tiger is the perfect motorcycle (somewhat biased opinion)

my bad... you're right about the wheels.   :?  I'm still learning.

[SIBBO]

Have you seen this one ?



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Triumph-TIGER-199 ... dZViewItem



Nothing to do with me and i have no interest in it but just thought it looked like a nice bike.

[Blue Tiger]

Yes I did see that one on e-bay..........about 4 hours after doing the deal on the one I was looking at in a local dealers. Still this way I managed to move my RS on easily. Got a 99 T reg, 8800 miles, panniers, centre stand, hot grips and new tyres in mint condition for less than £3500. I am happy :lol: