new guy here

[modre]

hi...or should I say "cheerio"?

been lusting after a Tiger since they first appeared a decade ago...bought a new 1150RT in 02 instead...to replace an 81 GS750EX...and that itch still ain't quite scratched...test rode an 04 Tiger this past summer, and spotted the BRG...now I'm in love...with Attila the Hun, otherwise answers to mz. modre...



the shop carried BMW & Triumph, and didn't offer me squat on a trade...having been raised by Depression era parents, and inherited some of their bad habits, i can't bring myself to take that much of a loss...so here I sit...drooling...lusting...and licking the screen with teary wanton eyes.



BMW guys generally strike me as pompous, and from reading a few threads on this site, have come to believe the Triumph guys...Tiger guys in particular not only suck the bugs thru their teeth, but relish the crunch, and the after taste as well 1/2 hour later with the burp.



I had a 70 Bonneville, and a 66 T100C years ago, and still have the 68 tooth rear sprocket on my wall...I don't polish it or anything, but it sits there as a fond reminder of days gone by.



just wanted to say "hello"...and maybe "duck" should the adrenline run wild, my sense of humor get a little wide...and my toothed deathgrip slip off my tongue...here in SW Pa. USA whilst winter settles in.



...oh...I could slip on the Gerbings and brave the elements in true independant colonial style...but that deer I hit in Sept 02 took with it part of my soul...a small part perhaps, but significant none-the-less.



tho I'm not a current Tiger guy, I feel it in my future...and hope you all will make allowances... before I have to post oversized BMW pictures and half heartedly rave unbecomingly.

[cbxtc6]

I'm in the same boat, modre.

I have a small stable of neat bikes; CBX, CB400F, GTS, and an '02 Daytona.

I have been riding for many a year, and have come to the realization I need something different.  I've tried the Buells, Ducatis, and even Moto Guzzi, but I'm selling my Daytona, and as soon as the check clears, I'm off to the Triumph dealer - again.  This time for a new Tiger.

I've ridden the rest, and just can't get past the 955i engine - it simply overwhelms the competition.  

I will use the Tiger for touring, mostly.  I already have plans for Canada and Mexico.  I've Ironbutted' before on sportbikes, and am looking forward to a somewhat more comfy long-distance steed.



Cheers!

[BP_LONDON]

Welcome Modre! I absolutely love riding my 02' 955i Tiger - it's the kind of tool that'll do anything you ask of it, anytime of the day, anywhere. I love it. it's an extension of my personality, rather than a motorcycle. It's beautiful, practical, fun and powerful. It's only a matter of time until that BRG is in your garage, you can't resist forever.  8)

[Brock]

Wow Modre...sounds like nothing but a Tiger will cure you.

You must get one. Welcome, anyway.

[Badger]

You will be assimilated. To resist is futile.



Bob

[modre]

let's see here...84 views, and 4 replies of hesitant welcome

...that's a shade under 5%

...I could have a field day provoking this group...



to the 5% ...thank you.

perhaps we should stoke the fire a bit...



here kitty kitty kitty....come to papa... :P

[Brock]

PROVOKING THIS GROUP???

Come on in.

Some of us are more easily provoked than others.

To provoke me, all you've got to do is say the 1150GS is a better bike than the Tiger.

[newmanr19]

PROVOKING THIS GROUP???

Come on in.

Some of us are more easily provoked than others.

To provoke me, all you've got to do is say the 1150GS is a better bike than the Tiger.

no, but the 1200 is  :shock:

[Brock]

Here we go again.

I haven't ridden the 12 yet.

So you aint going to get me on that one.

[newmanr19]

Here we go again.

I haven't ridden the 12 yet.

So you aint going to get me on that one.

I havn't either; but you asked  - so I was just complying  ;^)



I am definatley a Tiger fan and have no intentions of letting mine go



Truth is I have no doubt the 1200 is a level or two more advanced then the Tiger in terms of technology and engineering etc. but I'm happy with my Tiger and the money I saved allowed me to buy a real dirt bike (KTM 250 EXC) to satisfy my off road riding desires.



and the Tiger has way more style and visual appeal then any of the BMW trailies and no one can argue that  8)

[52blackshadow]

Here we go again:



I've ridden the 1150GS and the 1200GS.  When I bought my Tiger it was because it was better (for my needs) than the 1150GS.  When they brought out the 1200GS I took a test ride for a comparison, and had that been available when I was buying I would have had one instead of the Tiger.



I know the price differential is great, but I run a bike instead of a car, and the 1200GS is still way below the price of the car that I'd probably have if I wasn't into bikes, so is within my sensible price range.  At the end of the day, a bike that suits my needs 5% better than the opposition is worth 50% more on price to me.



It's a personal thing, they don't allow you to buy financial services without looking at your attitudes to factors such as risk, growth, security etc. why should we buy bikes without factoring in our own personal circumstances and attitudes.



The Tiger is a great bike, but the new cast wheels look awful cheap and nasty (IMHO).



Cheers,



Shadow.

[modre]

>To provoke me, all you've got to do is say the 1150GS is a better bike than the Tiger.<



better?

what does "better" mean?

 a "better" is one who places a "bet" and holds hope for an improved position as a result...could be an elevation in status...which is a social illusion...could be a less complicated future...until fate rears it's ugly head to level the playing field....or perhaps it could be as worthless as a personial testimonial based on predjudice that re-enforces someone's boast of superiority of expertise in some specific field.



is a BMW "better" than a Triumph?

that answer would probably depend on whether you ask a Kraut or a Brit.



coming from the Kraut side, I can tell you I've been hearing rumo(u)rs of final drive bearing failures at an alarming rate...and I have first hand knowledge and experiance with a most annoying "surge" due to a haphazard fuel control system...as you will come to appreciate, I'm a straight shooter...and am not seduced by any zealous brand/religious affiliation. if it walks like a duck...yada yada yada...that said, it's still a lotta bike...at an inflated price.



the beemer boxer is an interesting scooter with a long history and respected reputation...they tried to evolve the brand with the K bikes and discontinue the R 1923 philosophy, but the reputation and following insisted they continue to fill that demand...much like the VW Bug, until McPherson struts and FI just made it a cartoon of itself by 1980.



Like-wise, Triumph's new generation of bikes is still shackled with the Bonneville line (which I admit also interests me from a nostalgic/styling point of view)...but having been run out of the business by Jappers 20 years ago, at least the folks who bought the Triumph name sat out the dance and picked up the jappers lessons, then  (in my estimation) re-entered the market with an interesting serious offering.



across the board, HD is stuck to the Hogs (1936)/Sportsters(1957), BMW is stuck to the Boxer(1923), and Triumph is stuck to the Unit Twins (1950's). if you want to compare apples to apples (in diverse target markets) on state of the art bikes, you have to compare the V-Rod, the new Triumphs, and the BMW K bikes...to compare a GS with a Tiger really isn't fair on one level. compare a GS to a Bonneville...see what I mean...you can't.



I'll always have a problem with philosophies that come from a preconceived conclusion.



crossing the US...give me the BMW RT or LT, or Goldwing...cause I've been there and I'm a total woosie sissy...in dirt, give me something close to a dirt bike. you can't saddle any pig and say "fly" and expect much.



The Tiger seems to be closer to my conception of a fun bike

the GS seems to be closer to an unfaired continent crosser.



where do I ride mostly? around the block...up the street, over the hill...then sneak off into the dirt for a marley.  Do you need a specific bike for that?...naw...just some nerve.



better? GS or Tiger? you pays yo money and you takes yo chances either way. which "dual sport" would I personally buy with my hard won rupples? The Krauts or Japs got me on the road side, but they lost the Big One due to 10 # of head in a 5# hat after all, didn't they? why would I want to wedge 3' of scooter thru 2' trees?...now if they come out with a K dirt bike...we'll see. HD?...I can't stand the posers...bandana boys in full regalia at a kickstand rally...polishing and looking down that extra-long nose...not for me.



I think you Brits have my heart on way-too-heavy-over-powered-pricey-pretend dirt bikes for everyday close to home road use...but I don't think "better" is in the equation...more towards the "passion" side...and emotion has no place in the world of logic.

[Patrick the Scot]

Modre;



Nice rant.  



All I've got to say about the Tiger vs. GS is as follows:  REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILURE at SPEED, and $5000 more.  As for which is better in the dirt? Neither.  That is what KTM EXCs, Husaberg, Husquvarna, Honda 450FX, Suzuki 400 DRZe, Yamaha WR450 are made for.    I love my Tiger as a touring bike that will handle dirt roads, dirt highways, etc., at speed.



I've had two BMW products in my life: 735i and a 325IX.  After I unloaded the IX I swore I'd never own another BMW, tow or four wheels.  Too expensive going in, way to expensive along the way.  Hey,  am not some friggin rich guy that needs a Roundel to feel good about myself, so I stay within my limits money wise and stay out of the overpriced service shop.

[Chris Canning]

Hi Gents



I don't normally get involved in the Tiger-GS thing for me it's horse's for courses,if i only owned one bike and rode it all year i'd buy a GS, cost wouldn't come into it, because i can afford one,their practical,piss easy to clean,and have a much better finish than the Tiger BUT,i don't ride a bike all year(i did for 8 years) and whats more important is the fun factor and my Tiger is way better it's as simple as that.



For you newer guys who wonder about my BM credentials!!! I've owned an 1100s for nearly five years,Ohilins,Dymags,C/F panels,AP sixpots brakes and disc's,just about every go faster gizmo you can put on and hardley a nut and bolt thats not titainium at a cost of over 12 grand thats Sterling not Dollars and it's no more fun to ride than my Tiger.



One last thing i see there was a posting about Traveling distance,i guess i've had 40 maybe 50 bikes not one of e'm could hold  a candle to my 955 for covering ground and thats two up,I (we) still smile about our 1050 miles in 16 hours last year with a ferry journey included,and still felt good enough for a cuppa and watched a program on the TV when we got home.



Chris

[Brock]

Well, modre...there was I, thinking I was already well educated. But apparently not. Thanks for letting us know what "better" means. Unfortunately the Dictionary has a different definition though;

"...of a more excellent or desirable kind..."

Seems to fit the Tiger in my opinion.

I'm all for provocative comments (...tending or intended to arouse anger...") but please lets keep the posts nice and easy to understand. Stuff like this makes my head hurt.