Test ride on the 07 Tiger

[William Reber]

This weekend Batesburg had demo days at Ridge Motorsports , our local Triumph dealer. Among the test bikes was a 07 Tiger, I and many of my friends test rode it and here is my reaction to the NEW bike.

1, IT is not a Tiger as I know one to be ,it's a NEW BIKE

2, wind protection in stock form is better on 07

3, at 5 foot 10" I can flat foot it

4, the 1050 to me and others who rode both my 06 and the 07 think my 06 is faster , but this was not a fair compairison as my bike is not stock.

5, suspension on the 07 is not as forgiving as that of the 06

6, the 07 is quicker in the turns that the 06

7, Instumentation is better on the 07

8, need to puchase bags on the 07 , stock on 06

9, 07 no lugage rack



My overall impression  I like the 06 better than the 07 But it is all about what  you wish for in a bike I am a distance rider who will take dirt roads , the new Tiger will better suit those who will only ride paved roads.

And the 07 will out run the 06 in the twisties depending on like skills.



JMHO  :lol:

[geoff]

I have not tested the 07 Tiger, but have read a number of test articles. I also own an 06 Tiger. I am not surprised at your comments and in particular the one about your 06 feeling like it had more power than the 07. Examination of the specs for the 07 Tiger reveals 114bhp at 9400rpm and max torque of 100nm at 6400rpm. The 06 model was 105bhp at 8900rpm and 98nm at 5700rpm.

The 06 Tiger is tuned for more mid and bottom end torque compared to the 07. Since most riding is in the mid to low revs I would expect the 06 Tiger to generally feel more responsive than the 07. But I would expect the 07 Tiger to be slightly quicker on a track (also a lighter bike) where you could consistently use revs above 6000rpm.

[gatling]

Saw the '07; looks good.  But, I love da '06 Tiger!  Going to Mexico on mine in less than 48 hours!

[Ken_T_frm_CA]

you wrote:"5, suspension on the 07 is not as forgiving as that of the 06 "



For me this is a big deal.  The Tiger is the best riding bike I've owned.  I really appreciate the floating over bumps part as it imparts so much less drama to the while riding experience.  The 07 should have been named the Trident as in spirit, that is what it now is.

[ME-Rider]

I just rode the 06 and 07 back to back this week and I will take delivery of the 06 middle of next week.



 I couldn't justify spending the money on the 07 which is only marginally better handling than the 06.  The 17in front wheel does feel quicker on turn in but power felt too similar to make a decent case for the 1050 motor.



The lack of standard equiptment on the 07 was also a downer.  No bags?  Handguards?  Tail rack?  I'll give that 06 Silver Tiger a great home.

[Stretch]

I was mulling over an '07 last year, but then realized that I already had a road bike, and ADV riding is what I really wanted.  So I found a very nice '05 instead.

[norwegian-tiger]

I tested one yesterday and I agree with Reber. It•s not a Tiger.

It•s a nice powerful and easy to manoeuvre bike for paved roads. But the biggest fault Triumph has done with it is to call it Tiger. ThereÌs nothing ÏTigerÓ / of road-ish left. This is not a Tiger, unless ÏTigerÓ is just a nother word for Ïa bike made by TriumphÓ

[Advwannabe]

My wife, who is quite tall, hates the pillion seat on the 07 so even if I wanted one.....



I love the way the new motor spins up, the quick steering and the longish travel suspension. It was great fun, just not for me, not enough off bitumen has been retained in this bike.



I am also dissappointed they haven't improved the screen as much as they could have, and the extra ask for a center stand leaves an unpleasent taste.  



But I will defend it as a Tiger. There is a large percentage of the Tiger market that just want a comfortable long travel suspended road bike. This new bike fits the bill for them, but sadly not for me. I love my Tiggers off bitumen capability, but I wonder what proportion of owners think as I do? Early indications in Oz are that they are selling as many Tiggers as they can get into the country.  



One last thought: I have a young mate who test rode the 07 after me. He had a major prang on his sportsbkie last year which has left him with limited movement in his right wrist. He can no longer comfortably ride a crotch rocket and the new Tigger is top of his shopping list.



CHeers

[norwegian-tiger]

A representative from the Triumph main importer here in Scandinavia, in Sweden, agreed with me when I said that the new Tiger aimed for a different segment. What is then left of the Tiger, when even the Triumph people think itÌs a different bike? DonÌt misunderstand me. I think itÌs a nice bike. So are the Daytona, Bonneville and Speed Triple too. But we are forced to consider this bike as a Tiger, just because Triumph decided to use the same name on the bike as the one they have stopped making.

The honest thing to say would be ÏThis is a new bike and we call it Cheetah, and we have stopped making Tigers. Sorry guys.Ó Instead of saying ÏWe have made a better TigerÓ, while thinking ÏHere we have a new bike. LetÌs call it Tiger. Then we can get some of the old Tiger owners to think about it as a Tiger, and get the buyers that want an English Multistrada with a tripleÓ

I feel something up where the sun does not shine, and the thing has a name; Triumph.

I doubt very much that BMW would pull a stunt like that with the GS, even if people suddenly stopped buying them. Markets changes and so can names.

LetÌs face it; Elvis has left the building!



My dealer sells KTMs too.

[iansoady]

That pic really shows the difference in looks and stance - many thanks. Over the last two years I've grown to love the way the Tiger looks, even though to start with I thought it was pig-ugly.

[ME-Rider]

I have no grand plans for off road adventures.  I was looking for a replacement for my stiffly sprung Buell M2 and the whole adventure/touring genre appeals to me.  Upright riding position, lots of suspension travel (had back surgery in Nov 05), hard luggage and I'm 6'3" with long arms and legs



The Uly was my first choice (first bike ever was the M2), but not enough wind protection.  Ducati's Multi was just too weird looking for me.  I rode the V-Strom 1000 and there's just nothing special there.  The 07 tiger looked like the clear winner until that back to back test ride.

[JRO]

Glad to see the side-by-side photos of an '07 next to the previous, beloved model.  Shows how dinky the new one really is.  And with the rider on it!  I remember those spy-photos of Triumph test-riding the '07 - the rider looked so huge, folks were speculating on how fat he was.  He wasn't obese.  He was just riding a dinky bike.  I've seen and sat on the '07, and that's what struck me :  It's too small.



Nice post.  I can't see myself doing any serious mileage with a passenger, on the new version.  If I were considering an '07 Tiger, I think I'd rather spend about the same amount of money, and get two FZ6's, instead.

[norwegian-tiger]

Here are the 07 in three different angles.

Sorry I didnÌt get a photo with someone on the pillion seat.

[kev187]

I finally saw the 07 in person the other day when I had to goto the dealer for oil & filter, its not bad, but its not a tiger.  I have an 05 & love it.  I did not get it so much for the off road avdenture part as I did the touring.  The 05 luggage has plenty of room, the passenger seat is big & comfy.  The 07 just seems more sportbike than touring bike.  I am also not a fan of the new Triumph luggage, my friend has an 05 sprint & I think the new luggage is junk, small & even smaller after the recall to re-enforce the structure, plust it looks terrible on the new tiger.



I plan to keep mine for another 3 years, I am let down that my next bike won't be a triumph, the new Tiger seems like a step backwards in the touring department from my 05.

[William Reber]

:roll: Talking about the luggage did you see the mounting for them ? They are PLASTIC and much harder to remove the bags then the 06. At the time I test rode the 07 they were not available , then two weeks ago I saw a new "Tiger" with a set of them , talked to the owner he was very upset over them....can you say "JUNK" for sure. Those that want the 07, I would look to the after market for bags ....for sure !  :?:  :?:  :?: