Andy this was one of your videos I watched over the last few weeks since the wife and I have been looking around for different bikes. Ended up with a really nice used 2017. Thanks for your reviews they definitely helped
Yes I agree they are brilliant bikes, in terms of size and feel it felt very similar to my GS to ride (albeit with a very different engine of course)....you'll love the bike, have fun....TMF
Another great review i must say.I own 3 triumphs and you have reviewed them all and im most impressed with all your videos.I have just ordered a Yamaha MT 10 for next year,and i was wondering if you could manage to do a review on it.Fingers crossed.Keep the videos coming.Top Man!!!!.
Thank you Jamie - I would love to ride an MT-10, I just need to pluck up courage to see if my local Yamaha dealer will let me! ...it's very much on my "to do" list! Thanks for the kind words of encouragement - all the best - TMF
Nice review! I had 3 triumph. In order a tiger 800 xc, then the street triple and last the tiger 800. From 2011 to 2015. I was in love with the engines. Smooth as silk. 9 months ago I decided to change passing to a gs 1200. It's a different world now, but also a different price. For that kind of horse power, price and dimensions the tiger 800 is the best choice I think.
Completely agree Massimo, the Tiger 800 isn't quite in the same league as the big BMW but as you say, there is a HUGE price difference between the two (my GS was nearly twice the cost of the Tiger 800!)....you can't argue with the Triumph's value. Thanks for watching and for stopping by, all the best - TMF
Hi there. Just watched this from a RU-vid search as I'm going to be test riding a few bikes over the next few months to see whats best, e.g. F800 GS, F800 GT, Tiger 800 (what ever model Kilmarnock and Glasgow have) and see what else I can lay my eyes on as I search around. Thanks so much for sharing this, I appreciate it very much. I look forward to exploring your other videos as I've subscribed to your channel. Cheers Stu
Entertaining & informative review as always TMF. Your reaction to the brakes was the same as mine when I tested a Tiger 800. I'm sure they're fine, it's just that bitey GS Brembos + Telelever composure set the bar pretty high for when you need to pin 300+ Kg of bike & rider sharpish. I also found that the screen howled like a banshee, and the engine made me almost weep with lust compared to my 2007 Bavarian tractor. (The new LC boxer engine is an absolute peach though)
Thanks for your kind words as ever Jack...and yes, a terrific little bike, well worth a look if you're in the market for this type of machine...all the best - TMF
I have the same bike, colour and model. What a great bike, got it since April and put 5500 km on it! I bought a taller screen today, hopefully this will prevent the buffetting,
+David S This would be perfect for blatting around Georgia! I have friends in Kennesaw and have flown a Cessna out of Cobb co McCullom / you anywhere near there??
Picked up an XCx end of November 2016, coming from BMW Sertao. I'm in Australia, primary use is commuting (where filtering has only recently been legalized) and I favor mult-day long rides for holidays. As a daily ride, the Tiger is fantastic. Very easy to manage through traffic. very comfy. I'm 5'9 and have no problem flat footing the bike, XCx having a taller seat height than the bike here. Just came back off a 4 day 2,500km ride. Absolutely brilliant. Seat and riding position just right for me, cruise control brilliant for the boring bits and oh man is the engine fun in 2nd and 3rd going around the twisty roads over Kosciusko. Can't fault it. Haven't taken her off-road yet, the stock Battlewiings are not the tires for that and i'd have to lift the bars; they're a bit too low for extended periods standing on the pegs. Those are the only criticisms I have and those are a matter of taste. Nothing against the 1200 GS , it's double the money here in Australia which I really can't justify and frankly the Tiger appeals to me emotionally far more than the 1200 GS does. A fairer comparison would be the 800 GSA, though. In my opinion between those two bikes there's on contest. The fact that the Tiger 800 routinely gets talked about in the same context as the 1200 GS for me speaks volumes.
Puig touring screen (adjustable) will sort out most riders screen needs from 5' 5'' to 6' 7'' tall. It does the job well and improves the ride. The Tiger in low seat mode can be ridden by shorter riders. Larger riders also find it a decent size for their 6' foot plus frames.
Nice video and I value your opinion as you have a Triumph and a GS, I'm going to look at one of these this weekend. I've been looking at used GS to replace my stolen bike but I'm really disappointed with what's out there at the moment so maybe this could be the one, who knows. Cheers JJ
I would be saying the same so far, ideal road bike m, I've done 1000 miles in a week, the screen is not great at time but also not to bad, it has some grunt, can throw it round corners with the knowledge your staying on it, good video so far
yes good review again, "as always", I agree I think they are the total package, handling, performance, comfort, I have the explorer and love it , especially that three cylinder engine! with all that torque, the only downside is the finish, odd bolt heads and brake line fittings have gone rusty. fitted the "grip puppies" today and did 100 motorway miles, certainly noticed the difference. bfn.
Nice one on the grip puppies Peter! ...and surprised to hear the finish hasn't stood up well on the Tiger, my experience with Triumphs has only been good....
Thank you for this! I am hot for a new 2018 Tiger 800 XRT or XRX and my only concern it what appears to be a heavy clutch. The bike is not advertised as having a torque assist clutch like pretty much every Triumph bike has and my prematurely arthritic hands (49 year old) do feel the strain. A demo model seemed to have a much lighter clutch but I cannot see how break in time would soften a clutch. You mentioned a fairly light clutch so maybe I am just in premature-old-man-condition or maybe I am overthinking it and the bike will work fine. Do you have issues with bikes that have a stiffer than average clutch pull? Thanks. Toured around Europe last year for six weeks. I had a blast with so much culture so easily accesible. Those Italian drivers are confident ones I should think.
appreciate your review. I own the 1200 explorer and sometime wish I had bought the 800 Tiger instead, because of the weight. Otherwise the Triumph Explorer works great for me. If I ever buy a 2nd bike, it'll be the Tiger
When I bought my current bike in 2012 it was between the Tiger 800 and a 1200GS. I test rode both back to back and preferred the low down torque of the GS, I wasn't so keen on having to rev the Tiger to make good progress. Given I keep my bikes for quite a while and do my own servicing the GS is easier to work on than the Tiger. Given the GS cylinder heads stick out either side, it's a 30 minute job to check/adjust the valve clearances. Servicing the Tiger is much more time consuming. Like you mentioned I love the whine from Triumph Triples. Nice review TMF.
I spent far too much time researching which model of GS to go for! 2007 was best for me as it was the first model not to have the troublesome servo assisted brakes and it also had the locking nut valve adjustment so no need to mess around with shims. The 2007 MY valves should be checked/adjusted every 6,000 miles or one a year.
DervMan Thanks. I know it's a pain spending ages researching on bikes. I'm looking to upgrade my 125cc for a 650-800cc engine that is just as easy to maintain. I was thinking of a Twin or Parallel but I had not considered Boxers.
You should take a look at the Boxer GS. Loads have been sold so spares are readily available. The support available via web forums is fantastic. Get a GS-911 and you can do all the servicing really easily. I find it an amazing engine. You may have to pay a little more but you'll save that in servicing costs and the bike will be worth more when it comes to re-sale values. Try and avoid anything before 2007 as they have servo assisted brakes which can cause problems. Here are the issues that you need to be aware of: ABS motor failure - Usually just the bushes, easy to fix. Final Drive bearing failure - It seems you need specific tools to fix but I had mine rebuilt at an independant specialist for under £200. Fuel gauge not working - Seems a very common issue, the only fix is to replace the 'fuel strip' and you'll need a GS-911 to re-code it.
Hey mate, nice review, I have always fancied triumph too, the triple does sound good. I wonder if you could do a review on the new aHonda Africa Twin particularly the DCT model, yes there are lots out there, but you could compare it to the gs and now the triumph. Which are the three I am particularly keen on (well the gsa more than the gs).
I'd love to ride an AT - unfortunately I don't have any Honda dealers particularly local to me to let me try one! Maybe one day I'll get to try one.....
Screen the only downer. An hour after buying 2nd hand with less than 5000 klms on the clock, I was enjoying the tightest/best (arguably) road in Australia, Oxley Hwy, with 2 DUCATIs. I was not embarrassed at all by the XRT 800. 1st scrape caught me by surprise & I had to remind myself I was on touring tyres not my 999S’ Pirelli Rossos. A brilliant bike. You have to stop to change rider modes... but why change, this handled 27 klms of gravel, incl 8 klms of narrow winding poor hard surface forest on ROAD with ABS on. Covered 800 klms after pickup riding the long way home in 2 days
Given the fact that you have tried both the 2016 and new generation of the Tiger 800, is it worth/justifiable trying to find a cheaper 2016 XRT or would you say it's certainly worth going for the latest generation XRT? I'm in a bit of a dilemma, advice would be hugely appreciated. I've riden both the latest 800 XCX and 1200 XRT and think they're both great machines. Just not sure how the older ones compare. Thanks.
Another great review. Actually took one of these out for a spin yesterday. Friend of mine bought his up from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai (3 hour ride) and he said he felt as fresh as a daisy with no fatigue. I took it out and fell in love; just a brilliant bike for touring and up here with all the mountains of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos it's just perfect :)
Certainly a strong contender, although as I don't tend to go off-road other than on my little Honda CRF, I would be more likely to replace the GS with a big tourer....but if you're in the market for a "big trailee" then you could do a lot worse than one of these, great bike I reckon...
+TheMissendenFlyer I ordered the XRT this morning. I've got a Street Triple R which I absolutely love, but as I'm sure you know very well, it's not that practical for touring or carrying stuff so I bought a Piaggio 350 Sport Touring scooter which is lovely too, and I use that for commuting so I can carry my day's bits. So I decided to get rid of both and get one bike for everything. Enter the XRT. I can't wait!
Ill start by saying I own a Tiger 800. I also own a Yamaha WRR. My favorite is the Tiger. Theres just something about it that makes me smile....and thats the motor. Triumph nailed the motor, smooth and powerful, like very few others on the market. That said the rest of the moto varies from fair to pretty good depending on component. Is it the ideal bike? Nope, but taken as a whole its pretty good! Id certainly buy another w/o hesitation. Mine has been completely trouble free and easy to work on. Certainly for the $ it beats the BMW 800 hands down. Ive had a loaner BMW and was distinctly unimpressed...its that motor thing I mentioned above. Twisting the throttle on the BMW isnt nearly so fun as the Tiger. :) Thanks for the review on the Tiger...I wondered how long it would take you. ;)
Any plans to try out the Tiger 1200? I used to ride a GS Adventure on and off road and LOVED it but I downsized to an 800 GS and never got on with that. 800 since sold and was thing of getting the big Tiger.
shame it was raining or you could have explored the handling. I've got an XCX and completely agree that it could possibly be the best all rounder about. I keep test riding others but get back on the Tiger and wonder why I want to change. mines got spokes so you would be cleaning them every five minutes. the seating position is better as well. loads of us get a Madstad screen which can really make it into a great tourer. Best accessory I have every bought. nice review by the way.
Thanks Nathan, appreciate the kind words and loved the bike! ...I think a new screen is a great idea on one of these, and then I think maybe it's the perfect all-rounder....great value too.
I'd be interested to know how you compare the Tiger 1050 (08 plate & my current bike) and the 800. I'm new to the 1050 (coming from a Fazer1000) and find it very top heavy and a tad unstable at slow speeds. I'm looking at selling mine to get the 800. Again, awesome vid :)
Great review! Thank you! As far as stability and braking goes, is the 1200 GS much better? Or not really worth the extra $$$? And how about weight 'feel'? I rode the GS quite a bit, and I don't think it feels that heavy! What about the Tiger 800? Thanks!
You're welcome Eduardo - and the GS is better but not by a huge amount, I loved the little Tiger - I guess you have to ride them both yourself and draw your own conclusions...
Thanks! I've moved to NZ now, left my 650 GS in Brisbane, and I think the Triumph 800 is a natural upgrade. The 1200 GS may be a bit of a stretch, specially with the weather here. If I used it often (commute and weekends) I would spend anything to get what I want. But I walk to work (3 blocks), and probably only half of the weekends are motorbike friendly by my wife standards! So I might go with a less capital intensive option - seriously considering a V-strom 650 - not vibey as the 650 GS (or as the 800 GS for that matter) and people just love this bike. But I'm hiring a Triumph 800 next weekend, weather permitting. Will come back with my thoughts! Cheers!
The pre 2015 models are quite thirsty, Triumph have made 2015 on models more frugal . My 2013 model gets 200 per tank the newer ones a fair bit more! Great bikes and reliable. The Arrow end can is an accessory which allows the engine to be heard, with baffle quite muted without far too loud (as an oldie!)
Well that gives me cause to rejoice, I live in busy coastal Sussex, all stop start and I often get 200 to 220 miles per tank. The newer bikes have been given the magic wand treatment by the tech boys at Hinckley so it SHOULD give you more miles per gallon. It is a supreme all rounder and it does pretty much everything. I would argue it doesn't do real URBAN riding well; the engine is a peach and for town/urban it is effectively wasted. Get a Honda Cub 90cc or similar. It is turbine like in it's progress and apart from no shaft drive reminds me, strangely enough, of the old K series BMWs and the 750cc in particular (known as 'The Flying Brick' by it's supporters and friends). Good review sir, keep them coming !
Well that gives me cause to rejoice, I live in busy coastal Sussex, all stop start and I often get 200 to 220 miles per tank. The newer bikes have been given the magic wand treatment by the tech boys at Hinckley so it SHOULD give you more miles per gallon. It is a supreme all rounder and it does pretty much everything. I would argue it doesn't do real URBAN riding well; the engine is a peach and for town/urban it is effectively wasted. Get a Honda Cub 90cc or similar. It is turbine like in it's progress and apart from no shaft drive reminds me, strangely enough, of the old K series BMWs and the 750cc in particular (known as 'The Flying Brick' by it's supporters and friends). Good review sir, keep them coming !
I bought the Tiger XRx the moment it came out 2,5 years ago (traded in my 1,5 year old Tiger 800 for it) and while I do love riding it (50k km and counting) it does come with disadvantages. The long wheelbase (larger than a 1200GS or Explorer) and long trail give it a quite large turning circle and a sort of lazy riding characteristic. If you're going into the twisties it does require some work to throw it from one side to the other. Combined with a very limited lean angle, maybe 30° before you're scraping pegs, means you'll most likely hit the bikes limits before your own. However the largest negative by far about this bike are the brakes, in my opinion they are woefully inadequate. They offer nice and fine control at slow speeds, but tend to feel a bit soft and don't have a lot of bite. Triumph say this is intentional because of the off-road nature of this bike, to prevent yourself from getting into trouble when you're riding on a loose surface. I see 2 problems with this explanation though; First, the Explorer does come with a decent set of brakes, so that sort throws the "loose surface-argument" out of the window for me; Second, the XR(x,t) is the road going version, so why not give it a decent set of brakes for road conditions and have the XC-version equipped with more off-road centric brakes? It's not all bad though, it is exceptionally comfortable for long distances and travelling, the slight forward lean you mentioned can be easily cured by a set of bar risers and the wind protection can be improved dramatically by just adjusting the windscreen to a more upright position (comes standard on the XRx and XRt). In that position I feel I can ride quite comfortably with my visor up at speeds up to 70-80kph. Equipped with a top box and panniers (I personally recommend the Givi Trekker ones, which are compatible with the pannier racks on the XRt) it is quite practical and offers loads of luggage space even making it possible to just use it for grocery shopping, giving you the perfect excuse to leave the car in the driveway. ;-) The whole bike feels like a quality product, with the switchgear in particular looking and feeling quite nice (it's actually the switchgear from the previous gen Explorer) unlike most of its competitors like for instance the F700/800GS. In all I feel that within it's class and price range you'll be hard pressed to find a bike that can compete with it on an even level, and the 3-cilinder whistle is just the cherry on top. ;-)
Great feedback - thanks for that. I'm hoping to borrow one of these later in the year to get to know it better, will be interesting to see if I find the same! Cheers - TMF
I'm currently looking for siblings for my street triple. The rough idea is to get something better for touring (likely an adventure bike) and something a bit more sporty for trackdays (a super sport) and street riding. Test rode a thruxton r (a really nice bike but neither something I'd tour with nor more sporty), a 1200 GS (which really impressed me, surprisingly light even when coming straight from a street triple) and a S1000RR (surprisingly managable but not all that fun on (swiss) roads). Before I ramble on for too long, would you still buy the GS & 899 for their respective jobs or would you consider something else these days?
+veers0r Great idea buying additional bikes to keep you street triple company :0) ....and yes an undoubted yes, I have ridden lots of different bikes over the last few years and to me the 899 (or 959 if you can live with the exhaust) and the GS are still best at what they do - I have no plans to change either of them....ever! Have fun getting your new machines.....
Nice review as always MF. I test rode the road going version a few years ago back to back with the 1200 Explorer. I loved the engine on the 1200 but found the handling on the 800 to be really good. I've just watched your review on the 1200 Explorer aswell, I think Triumph have missed some sales not offering a version with a bigger tank. When I bought my GSA new in June I would have definetly considered the Explorer if it had a big tank. I guess they couldn't afford to add even more weight to what is alreay a heavy bike?
Yeah you may be right there Wayne, the Explorer does have that lovely (if odd sounding) smooth engine, but other than that I think the GS is a better bike....(IMO of course!)
Pretty similar I thought (well compared to my GS with the lowered seat) - pretty much flat footed, felt very natural and comfortable for me to ride at my 5'8"....
i have a 2012 venom yellow 800 rodie which i really like. i have been considering upgrading to a new GS, but have not ridden one yet. Is the GS any less fun to ride in the handling / flickability department? I really want the cruise control, tpms, GPS integration for long distance touring. I purchased the 800 used for a great price. Buying a new gs would be 3-4 times my initial investment in my 800. Can you think of anything i am giving up in my 800 by moving up to a GS? Btw - thanks for all the great videos. Really look forward to seeing new ones.
Hi Jason, fear not my friend, the GS may seem like a bigger bike but it doesn't feel any larger (to me) than the Tiger 800 - it transpires the Tiger and the GS are a very similar physical size (so the GS will feel familiar to you) and thanks to the low Centre of Gravity on the GS it feels at least as, if not more, flickable than the Tiger 800. The only thing I can think of that you will give up on the GS is the heated seat....but you'll gain semi active suspension, the best integrated SatNav in the business, a super-torquey engine, great weather protection, etc, etc....I could go on (as you can tell, I liked the Tiger, but I love the GS)...
great review. i am planning on getting a bike of this caliber. whats the est. gas mileage? also a suggestion. you said it the sitting position it was a little more at an angle. could you on future reviews in you clips have u sitting (side shot) on the bike so we can see what you are saying about the angle of the way you are sitting on the bike.
Thanks Allen, good to hear from you again and interesting idea! In this case I mean I'm just not sat upright like you do on many adventure bikes, on the Tiger 800 you are definitely leant forward a little, I quite like it. All the best - TMF
I get 54mpg(uk) on mine. The torque on this bike makes it a relaxed ride if you want. you can ride through town in 6th gear. With a pillion and luggage you hardly notice any difference I guess it's tuned for that unlike the street triple.
I think it was in Sport IIRC, certainly no slouch, but my STR is certainly quicker - which streetie did you have? Mines an older one (2012) with the shorter gearing and is slightly more hooligan than the current/newer models....could explain the difference...
Hello again. Didn't consider Triumph as my first big bike. Wish I had although I do love my Tracer. Still running it in. 450m so far. Can you please tell me what editing software you use as I have about 20hrs of videos saved but don't want to upload the boring bits. Ta.
I think it's difficult with the allrounders to pull things out of the hat as stand-out features isn't it. I do like the engine sounds of the Triumph. I've been riding BMW boxer bikes now for a few years and become accustomed to their characteristics but it was nice to try some of the alternatives recently. Triumph must be ready for a bit of a revolutionary(ish) look and feel design revamp anytime soon...
....well I think Triumph are in the midst of a revamp aren't they? What with the new Bonnies and the improved build quality on the current ranges I think they're well placed - but of course we all like new bikes don't we :0) How about a Daytona 1000???
I should have been clearer... I meant, though didn't explain, the enduro-esque type bike, Tiger. Just think it has a quite dated look compared with a number of new competitors. I'm referring explicitly to visceral design here, not behavioural or reflective.
Got ya - yes understood.....but I think the "traditional" look is part of what Triumph do best...they're not known as radical leaders in the design stakes but seem to take a well known formula and try and make it better (not always succeeding but not making a bad fist of it so far)....
Funnily enough I am to be borrowing a Tiger 800 for long term (I think) in November - not sure if it'll be an XRT but looking forward very much to getting to know the bike as I really enjoyed this first ride....
think you missed that the XRt is the top road version and the XCa is the top off road bias version. XCa has long travel WP suspension, with the spoked wheels and a 21 inch front wheel. the XRt has showa suspension with forged wheels.
I test rode a XRx last year (and an Explorer) but bought a GS though it's not really a fair comparison against the 800 as the GS is around £15k, but the Tiger should be on anyone's short list looking for an ADV bike in the sub 1000cc catagory IMO. One thing about heated seats MF-if you're wearing gortex or similar trousers and it rains with the heated seat on you'll get a wet bum as these breathable membranes work by allowing moisture to pass through them from hot to cold.
Great channel, Big CC adventure bikes are hanging on by their teeth, Dakar bikes are showing us that. 450cc! even cars are going that way, Focus ST line 1.0L, 3 cyl, the BMW 310 GS is the writing on the wall, your thoughts......
...well maybe the Duke 790 and Kawasaki z900RS are....not sure about the baby GS being to everyone's taste (I liked it, but it does lack a bit of oomph if you're used to more)...
Not saying the the Baby GS is the finished product, (small steps to continuous improvement) but it's a start. Bikes seem to be competing for CC engine size at the moment, but that doesn't seem to be the trend in the rest of the motor world, just a thought
i know someone who has both and i can understand that for rallies, touring , bad weather and of course off road tiger does it all . country roads ,town even track day street does it all
As you well know, I loved mine and thought it the perfect one bike! :-) Obviously my head has been turned by the Thruxton, but that's a decision I couldn't resist... But yes, ideal all rounder... :-) Especially through winter... It doesn't do so well on deep wet mud though! ;-) TBH!
....although of course I note you are still to sample the mighty GS (like a Tiger 800 only slightly better ;0)....you can ride mine whenever you like to find out...
@@TheMissendenFlyer Thanks 😁 i stand next to bikes like these at bike events and get rather intimidated by the size so i hope i get used to it quickly. Thanks for the videos. They are very inspiring 😁 i hope you can review the sinnis terrain 380 😁😁
ive got the XRX model, i have to agree about the front brakes, not very good at all, especially in the wet!! another annoying bit is even on the xrx the heated grips and fog lamps are still extra's! was put off the GS as the insurance was sooooooo much for me!
Patience Tom! (as it happens I'm booked to ride her tomorrow, so expect a vid on that one in a week or so....together with a direct comparison to the GS)
Hi MF, you did not mention the ride quality on the 800, mine is a 2015 XRX with all the extras, and my only criticism is the ride the suspension cannot be adjusted nor the front damping, so I find it does not handle rough roads very well, also straight line imperfections through it off line and for a new rider could be disconcerting or Bum trouble if we are being blunt. also when possible could you test ride the Bmw F800GT, I would like your opinion please. regards, Colin.
I still watch all your videos, the best on you tube by a country mile.Its so nice to hear the engine tone of the bike and the entertaining dialogue at the same time, nobody does it better. regards Colin.
TMF - just riding right now from Lisbon w wife and am now in the desert in Marzouga, Morocco . I’m on the XC and she is riding the XCA. So far I only have one real complain. That’s the side stand. If the bikes are not on level ground the are at risk of falling over. The rental agency warned me but I didn’t heed their warning and had one tip over. Wonderful bikes otherwise and plenty of power to cruise (140kph+) and grunt to pass trucks and cars I. The mountains. Why anyone would need to ride a 1200 GS is beyond me when this is a near perfect bike.
You gotta love pommy land aye? Pissing rain most days. Let's not forget about the fog .. No wonder we've got so many Brits living down under. Good review though.
I tried a new XRX and it just didnt feel right from the get go. Hated the feel, sounds, power delivery, ergonomics of it. My gut screamed no and i couldnt put a finger on it as it is by all means a good bike. I rode a Bmw F800GSA and i smiled as soon as i sat on it so i bought that instead. The Triumph felt like a fake Gsa if that makes sence but each to their own.
Not ridden the Tracer-9 so difficult to say, I did like the Tiger 800 and the Tracer 7 - So maybe try both.....I suspect the Tiger would win for me as I'm a Triumph fan....
It's your fault....... I was happy with my Tiger. I then took a brand new GS triple black out on Sunday all day and now just have to have one. There's nothing wrong with the Tiger but the GS....well, I've just now got to work out where to get the money from. Oh, and I've got to try and explain it to my Wife!!! Only motorcycling could do this. Isn't it great!
TheMissendenFlyer fast forward a month and I have a 2016 GS Triple Black standing beside the Tiger! I can see why they are so popular. Hoping to get some miles on when the weather improves and work is less demanding. Apart from the obvious differences, the very first thing I noticed was how easier it was to get on the centre stand than the Tiger. This is because the Tiger is more top heavy. The second thing I noticed was how clunkier the gearbox was, although this is improving with use and getting the technique right. Although I'm going to sell the Tiger I'm in no rush and still enjoy taking her out to keep things moving over the winter.
The screen is the worst thing on the bike, just about useless. Even the taller touring screen is crap. The only way to fix it is by adding a spoiler, like you have on your GS. Once you have done that the bike is an almost perfect all round bike.
Our bike tags in the States are a quarter the size and I still receive regular mailings of my infractions. I think technology has surpassed the nearsighted issue....
Fair enough Judas2610, it's definitely a matter of personal taste and I agree that these smaller triples sound pretty distinctive (and you either like that whistle or you don't).....
