new bike cometh :-)
 

test rode the tiger 800 today and it's all the bike they say it is.

peachy and punchy enough for me i feel and never have i felt so instantly comfortable and confident enough to take the tyres edge to edge within mins of mounting the bike.

it was blowing a gale and the roads on newcastle side of hartside are rough and broken and damp in places, but i managed to edge to edge the bike without feeling in any danger or fluster whatsoever.

managed to get a reasonable deal on the bandit trade in so tomorrow i will be signing on the dotted line for a white pussy cat 800 abs road version.

pics from the demonstrator i had out for nearly 3 hours and over 140 miles on good A roads, bad A roads, good B roads and Bad B roads , with a little dual carriageway thrown in. all handled impeccably by the tiger.

after the testride i took the bandit on the same route and it bucked and weaved :-( at some of it.

i will miss the colossal low down torque of the bandit, however the tigers is 3/4 the bandits, although a little higher in the rev range. power on the tiger is the same as the bandit but 2 k higher for peak, an added bonus is the tiger growls at peak revs (kinda addictive)

so it's time for change .

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_0...407_130812.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_0...407_130820.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_0...407_130843.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_0...407_130832.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_0...407_131000.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_0...407_130908.jpg

Re: new bike cometh :-)
 

Thats worrying - I'm taking one out in the morning, and I was worried about losing the lazy S3 torque as well

Re: new bike cometh :-)
 

i will await your report

did i mention i was grinning and still am (from ear to ear )

Re: new bike cometh :-)
 

So? Wadda ya think ?

Re: new bike cometh :-)
 

See you've already claimed your parking spot & Hartside for the new bike. I STILL wont be able to keep up! ;)
Enjoy. :D

Re: new bike cometh :-)
 

Yeah me neither! So you've joined the Trumpet club Mark, will have to arrange a rideout soon.....

Re: new bike cometh :-)
 

In two words, no thanks... the engine is great, but the screen and wind noise would have put me right off if the brakes hadn't already done so. The riding position also felt odd to me - neither sporty or relaxed cruise.

Re: new bike cometh :-)
 

What's the matter?

1050cc's of Tiger power too much for ya? :smt112

We'll have to meet up and play over the summer.

Pete ;)

Re: new bike cometh :-)
 

More like too pricey for me Pete, I really did enjoy the 800 more so than any other bike i have test ridden lately.

orose !!! what was wrong with the brakes on yours ? the one i had you could put the bike on its nose with 2 fingers (if you so wanted) i do however have to say there wasn't a great deal of finness , you had to be gentle to get progressive braking. (possibly glazed pads although time will tell)

seating position for me (6 ft 1 inch) was fine with the seat up , but i will be looking for the taller screen .

just getting VERY impatient now and still got 2 or 3 weeks to go :smt069

Re: new bike cometh :-)
 

I suspect I've been spoilt... they felt like wood to me, but the speed triple has brembo radial mounts. I got the feeling that I wasn't slowing until I was squeezing a lot harder than I normally do.