Educate me please. I just sold my BMW R100Gs. I am thinking about a Vstrom or I have found a 98 Tiger for a reasonable price $2200. 18k miles. The lower cost and the triple is appealing vs the VSTrom. The bike appears to have had a somewhat tough life. I have been a JAP bike mechanic for over 25 years so mechanical experience is not an issue. What could I expect from this Triumph? Thank you in advance.
Bill
Hi there,
The Vstrom is a big beast, a bit lardy, not unlike the Varadero and the Caponord.
The Tiger is a nimble little beast, rides a bit like a sportsbike, silky smooth engine with a note to die for!
I reckon the Tiger is more economical than the twins mentioned above, over 50mpg, as fast at around 135mph mark. Servicing is a bit more involved, they're a pain to take apart and valves are shim and bucket. The EFI is a bit tetchy, low revs doesn't go down too well with them.
I chose the Tiger as I liked the look and the pedigree. I reckon it's the best build quality out of the lot of them, even Honda doesn't match the Triumph. I'm a great Honda fan, still own a Blade and CB750 but traded my Varadero for the Triumph. Took a while to get used to the Tiger but after touring from Scotland to Italy and back I'm now in love with the bike. It would take something special to replace it in my shed!
Quote from: "Jim S"I reckon the Tiger is more economical than the twins mentioned above, over 50mpg, as fast at around 135mph mark. Servicing is a bit more involved, they're a pain to take apart and valves are shim and bucket. The EFI is a bit tetchy, low revs doesn't go down too well with them.
Keep in mind that pre 99 Tigers are not EFI. The 98 are older designs then the 99-00 885ccs. Also, the 01+ are all basicaly similar designs, but with the 955cc engines.
Can't help you with the older Tigers, as the newer 955efi models are so different from them, and I have never owned one. I have owned most Japanese bike brands, however. As far as quality/dependability, I've found no real difference (in 11,000miles) between my new '06 Tiger and most Hondas I've had. For comparison, I've had less problems (so far) than with Gold Wings; about the same with CB/Shadow750's (although I do expect a little more maintainence).
With any used bike, you never know. I'd consider a used Triumph on par with most used Jap mounts, although repairs could be slightly more costly. Nothing like an Italian or German bike, though.
How can you go wrong with that price? I've a 95 Trident which currently has given me 65,000miles of faithful service. There are many here who prefer the "steamer" models over the newer ones. The T-3 has better torque off the very bottom if it's running correctly. Hey, if you don't like it you can always resell it.