new to triumph...hopefully

[mattysuehurricne]

hello,

Whats up i'm new to the forum, and hopefully triumphs im in the process of buying a 05 tiger 955i.  Right now i ride a 95 sportster 1200, its pretty fun to ride (buell heads, screamin eagle intake, baffleless drag pipes w/torque cones,tuned carb  :twisted:) but i have a low pro seat and the wife is not comfortable for even low mileage riding around town so I hope to do a lot more touring hopefully with her and this bike seems to fit the all around style/versatility im looking for.  I really wanted a buell ulysses, I like the style and the torquey motor but they didn't seem to get it right till now and they are too expensive.  I was also looking into klr 650's but that'll be down the road for more serious solo adventures.

Anyway, the main question... how does everybody like their tiger?

[abruzzi]

The overall tenor of a board can tell you a lot.  I've been on boards where people gripe more often or not.  Here most of us love our bikes.  A few have gotten unlucky with lemons, but most have had pretty fun reliable bikes.  I had a 955 until a F150 decided to hit me head-on, and I loved that bike.  I have since "upgraded" to a steamer (1995) and love that too, though I'd like to overhaul the entire suspension.

Most here will tell you that these are great long-haul bikes, and very reliable.

Geof

[Dr. Mordo]

Yeah, while the Steamers have some issues, it seems like everybody loves their Girly, so I bet you'll be happy you made the switch.

[Stretch]

Howdy, and welcome!

Like any other bike out there, 955 Tigers have their issues.  But there are none severe enough so as to be considered a 'deal-killer'.

I spent about a year looking for the ADV bike that suited me best, and finally discovered that the 2005-06 Tiger had the features and reliability that I wanted.  I've had my '05 for a couple years now, and absolutely love it.

I've had a couple minor issues with it, but I've never had a vehicle that didn't.

Check out this thread, "Girly Wisdom..."   http://tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/topic,5025

[aeronca]

the triumph is a pretty reliable bike, as good as any other. like abruzzi, i have a 95'. it had some easy fix issues, and now runs great, the newer one's are fuel injected and have even less issues. for long hauls they really shine, and handle off road adventures equally as well - hate to say it, but, there way better than the buell on and off road. dont get me wrong, i like the uly alot, but the tiger is the way to go. welcome aboard brother. :D

[Stretch]

I really, really wanted to like the Ulysses.  I test-rode an '06 when I was still shopping around, and I have to give the Uly props for handling way, way better on the street than my Girly.  In the handling department, the steep head angle, short wheelbase, and proper suspension make the Uly light-years ahead of any Tiger.

But I ultimately passed on the Uly because of the 17-inch front wheel (impossible to find a proper front knobby) and the ridiculously large turning radius.  The deal-killers were the screaming-loud fan and the single-pin v-twin engine trying to vibrate itself out of the frame.

But it was probably the best-handling bike I've ever ridden, to include a couple of Ducatis.  

Bear in mind that I'm 6'7", so there are lots of bikes that I like, but only a few that I can actually be comfortable on.  I raised my seat and lowered the pegs to give me a couple more inches of legroom, and the Tiger is comfy enough for thousand-mile days.

[mattysuehurricne]

The one im looking at is all stock,2005 it's got 15k miles on it for $6,500 what do you think, good price, bad price? I read through the link that was posted, how often does anyone really have issues with their bike, my h-d has left me stranded only once (although its limped home many a time) in three years and its got 37,000mi on it. also the bike is in NH and im in NY so i am unable to test ride or visually inspect in person, but it certified used through the wholesaler and has been gone through by their mechanic

[pletdj]

Hi there,
I picked up my 2005 lucifer orange girly with 3 color matched hard bags and 5000 miles for $5800 jus before christmas in Boston.
$6500 might be a bit high??

[HappyMan]

Abruzzi is right about looking at the overall attitude of this board.  I've been part of other sites for other bikes and you hear mostly whining about things.  Here there is very constructive love for the bike.  Nothing that is blind love, just love for an awesome bike.

[Stretch]

$6500 leaves the dealer some haggling room.  If he wants to move it, he'll come down.

[adrian jones]

Had an hd sportster '97 model. Know what you mean about the "limping home" :-)

 Tiger is great. have had my '05 for a couple years and unlike all the other bikes I've owned, I don't plan on selling this one anytime soon, if ever. I figure if I get to old to balance on two wheels I have seen some great looking side rigs on Tigers on this site, get one and just keep on ridin!

Reliablity.....if you can deal with h.d. reliability, you will be very very happy here.

Ad the Padded Top Box for the lady and she will be happy to go all day long.

Paid $6200.00 with bags, throttlemeister cruise control and a few other farkles and 5,700 miles on the clock back in '07 in Orlando.

Agree with Stretch they have wiggle room, its near the end of the month, walk in with cash walk out with a good deal on a great bike.

[Mustang]

The one im looking at is all stock,2005 it's got 15k miles on it for $6,500 what do you think, good price, bad price?. also the bike is in NH and im in NY so i am unable to test ride or visually inspect in person, but it certified used through the wholesaler and has been gone through by their mechanic

If it's at Max's BMW you won't get a break on price at all

[HockleyBoy]

Had my 05 Tiger nearly four years and love it  :D , it's probably the best all round bike I have ridden. I would recommend one to anyone and certainly have no intention of changing it for anything else in the near future.

[Tom Herold]

Welcome to the herd.

I own an 02 Heritage Springer. After a few comfort mods, it's a truly wonderful machine and has been the ultimate in reliability for me.

In reference to the Tiger, I own an 05 and paid $5000 for it with 18K on the clock, engine guards, fresh tires, auxiliary lights, the factory gel seat, and the full set of luggage. This deal was done through a private seller, so there was more room to wiggle on the price.

After having been on my HD and a Triumph Sprint ST for years, and restoring a Triumph Thunderbird. My personal opinion of the Tiger is very favorable. I can spend longer hours in the saddle, and cover more distance on the Tiger than any other bike I've owned. Why? I'm 5'11" and a fairly skinny 175lbs. The seating position is comfortable, the power band is usable from just off idle all the way through redline and my wife's found the pillion position just as good, she's even taken a few naps while riding back there. She's 5'6" and 130lbs.

There are very few things I can pick on about the Tiger, but the first is the wind management and the wind screen.  It's totally subjective and there are pages of information to pour through, but it's more trial and error than a sure fire solution to find what will work for you.

Other than that, get a Tiger and ride the wheels off it. Repair it and ride it some more, no doubt you'll enjoy it as much as we do.

[Mustang]

Before I dropped 6500 on a 2005  ...........look at this smokin deal with abs too and less than 4k miles
http://nh.craigslist.org/mcy/1009508345.html