Tigers equal to GS?

[Nick Calne]

Fitting a centre stand by any chance...?  

[John Stenhouse]

Dropped the 955 in Alaska twice, neither time could I pick it up, on the Dempster two of us did it, later on it took thre of us! Some kind soul stopped to lend a hand  :oops:

[oldrider]

Well this guy didn't read the hype and it appears he went where many of the others have been bragging about and "he" had no problems, "or back up" like the Beemer's had!

Have a look here then:    http://www.triumphrat.net/news-room/128 ... china.html

It's not so much the bike but the rider, in my humble opinion.    :roll:

[tazshido]

If you want a true on/off roader you have to do it yourself. A friend of mine enlisted my help turning his Husqvarna (I think it was a 540) dirt bike into a roadworthy trailie. It must have had a 36" or higher seat. That thing would carry 100 pounds or more in the bags he fitted and would go places no other bike I've met would go. It was a monster! And it was no slouch on the road. There wasn't a 650 enduro on the street that could hold a candle to that old Husky. If I wanted to do SERIOUS off roading that's exactly what I would do. As a matter of fact, I just might start looking for one.

[cwdrifter]

Yeah, Like I said my 1985 Suzuki SP600 is a perfect bike for really going back roading.  I would not say it is an 'off road' bike as it is 'heavy' compared to a true dirt bike (metal tank)...but if I got the drill out and made some holes....Like old flat track racers say, nothing lighter than a hole.  I just need to get some 'panniers' on the Suzy and she would be a class 1 adventure bike.  LOVE MY TRUMPET though...she handles great..
stayed with a MV Agusta f1 throught the twisties in the Sierras...scrapped a peg too...THAT gets your attention.

[pizzaman383]

I've been back riding for five years and have owned my tiger three years.  I rode dirt bikes growing up and took 25 years off of riding.  I bought my Girly because I liked the price, the look, the engine, the riding position, and the unique look.  I could not have afforded a 1200GS like my brother and brother-in-law both have.  

Here's my evidence that the Tiger is at least as good as the GS.
1) my brother and brother-in-law both have swapped bikes with me and they're both convinced that they are quite similar in capability
2) I've taken my Tiger up a rutted, switch-back dirt road with ruts, washouts, deep gravel, and you name it.  This was a four-wheel drive-only road.  Not a single-track but a decent challenge for any dual-sport bike.  I rode it like a dirt-bike.  If I set my speed correctly, it bucked and moved under me just like a dirt-bike is supposed to.  I felt the weight and had to take care but it did it.  The softness of the springs/shocks made this possible and from what I saw of some of the GS shocks they would not have been able to carry the same speed I did.
3) I spent a day riding with a 1200GS adventure, two 1200GS, and one F650GS Dakar.  These guys had been riding dirt and gravel roads quite frequently and I decided to tag along once.  They kept a very fast pace and I kept up.  It took me a little time to figure out how to throw the bars sideways into a turn to get the Tiger to do what I wanted it.  The weight of the bike made it damn tiring but it did it with an ease that surprised me.  I was freaking tired and spent by the end of the day but the bike was not the limiting factor.  Keep in mind this was the first long day of dirt I had ridden in 25 years.  I'm not a great dirt rider but I was able to make the Tiger do what needed to be done.
4) If you are really focused on dirt, you can put a smaller front sprocket on the Tiger to get way better low-speed maneuverability than the GS with its non-adjustable shaft drive.

In my mind, the 11-1200GS legend is way overblown beyond what the bike should do.  I'm convinced that the rider makes the most difference.  To be sure, the height and weight of the Tiger make it a real handful but it can be used at least as well as the 1200GS.

[pizzaman383]

I love my Tiger.  It brings a smile to my face each and every time I ride it.

However, there are a few realities that I must face:
1) it's top-heavy and you need to be aware of that at all times.
2) there is not a big used farkles market (as there is for the BMWs and KTMs) so farkling costs twice as much.  Maybe we Tiger owners are just cheap bastids ;-).
3) the suspension needs to be reworked to fit a 225 pounder plus some gear and that costs too damn much.

But I still ride it with a grin!

[Nick Calne]

This month's 'Bike Magazine' has a three-way shoot out between the KTM 990, BMW R1200GS and our own Triumph Tiger.

Guess what was rated 'first'?  :lol:

[Nick Calne]

Mind you this looks good....

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/New-bikes/2010/February/feb2510-2010-yamaha-super-tenere-technical-details/

Had a yam ten a while back and loved it....

[John Stenhouse]

£13,500 for the special edition with the boxes  :shock:

[Advwannabe]

261 kegs wet  :shock:

In some ways its not so bad as Triumph was probably using wonky scales when it claimed Girlies as 215 dry, but I was hoping Yamaha, with the benefit of sitting back and watching everyone elses effort, might have come up with something a bit more competitive

[Colonel Nikolai]

I want a tiger that uses the 675 power plant and weighs 180 kilos, but I'm dreamin' and this is a whole 'nuther thread.  :lol:

[Bixxer Bob]

This month's 'Bike Magazine' has a three-way shoot out between the KTM 990, BMW R1200GS and our own Triumph Tiger.

Guess what was rated 'first'?  :lol:

Just read this quote from the same feature, "I've already nabbed the Triumph [for the ride home] - it's the only one that's capable of powering my heated jacket, gloves and trousers; the BMW can't hack it and switches it's power socket off and the KTYM just blows fuses".



Triumph must've done something right since the Girly days..... :lol:

[Chris Canning]

If you've just started up a 1050 and reved it up(never mind ridden one),you'll know they've done a bit more than being able to use a heated jacket,the motor is a league better than the 955,most of it down to Jap fuel injection,what knackered the 1050 was the daft dual seat,very unscientific i know,but i see hoards of 1050's on my travels in the UK,and hardly ever see a 955.

[Bixxer Bob]

I meant electrics-wise, refering to the number of folks on here that have had charging issues, and the comment was meant to be tongue-in-cheek hence the:    .  

The 1050's clearly a quantum leap forward on the 955, the clue's in it being rated best all-round road bike in the UK motorcycle Press over and over again.