Tiger 885

[Clemski]

Hi Guys,





A mate of mine is going for a late 885i Tiger, I think he said it was a 2001 or a little earlier.  He wants me to go along with him to have a look at the bike, is there anything you should be looking or listening for on the 885i Tiger,







Thanks  :P

[tigerhund]

This may not be very useful, but I will share my opinions based on my experience with my wife's 1999 885 Tiger:



A.  885i engine was used in 1999 and 2000 model Tigers.  I understand that it is a de-tuned version of the 885 engine found in the T595, the predecessor to the current 955i Daytona, so this was a proven engine prior to its use in the Tiger.



B.  My wife's 1999 is very smooth--almost turbine smooth.  



C.  There is no hiccup or hesitation in the Sagem fuel injection system anywhere in the rev range up to 6,000 RPM--I have never pushed it much past 6K.  



D.  My wife's 99 with 18,000 miles starts almost immediately, idles up above 1,000 RPM for a short while, then settles down to just above 1K to idle.



E.  Above all else, I think this engine should be silky smooth and very consistent in its behavior at all times.



F.  My wife's bike developed a head gasket leak, a very slight weep at the back side of the head, which was due to the gasket having delaminated and wicking coolant out between the separated layers.  The bike sat unridden for about one year before I bought it.   Charlie at Palm Beach Triumph in Boynton Beach, FL, replaced the head gasket and said that, when he pulled the cylinder liners to re-seal them, the visible inside of the engine looked like new.  The head did not have to be machined.



G.  I have a 955 Tiger, and I appreciate its extra torque and HP, but my wife's 885 Tiger is a real pleasure to ride.  There are people on this forum who will disagree with me, but IMHO the only difference between a 1999 and 2004 Tiger that I can see is that the 2004 is faster, but it is also rougher running and has shorter range by at least ten miles per tank of gas.  



There is nothing wrong with the 885 Tigers, and I hope your friend finds a good one.  I love my wife's bike.



My two cents:  sometimes we get hung up on the latest and most powerful being the best, but I think this is overdone in the case of the FI Tigers, especially if one can find an 885i bike that is in good shape for a bargain price.

[Chris Canning]

I to could put a longish posting,but i'll keep it short,bought my first 900i(885) in 99 it lasted 6 weeks it blew a head gasket(it's common) and i refused to have it repaired,after some handbagging!! bought another(new one) usual hassle discs needed changeing etc.



Took it in for a 12,000 service,while i was the there a 955 had just been launched,test rode!!! end of story,ordered one straight away,and left it at the shop!!!i've had it over 5 years now and  still no prospect of changeing it.



The 955 is just a better bike.

[Clemski]

Cheers guys, it looks like checking around the head area seems the most important, I think he's going for the 885i, due to restriction of funds, but thanks for the advice,



Clemski :P