Testing the tiger

-ralph- and I plan to visit the friendly neighbourhood triumph man tomorrow and take the Tiger and ST out for a spin roundabout the Edinburgh area. Depending on time and weather we'll probably head east (Berwick) etc.
Triumph announced last week £800 of clothing / luggage with all new bikes.
Antybody want to tag along or offer us a coffee feel free.

get early dib's on the st their suwwweeeeettt bike's and £800 offer when did they start that didnt know triumph were struggling to shift bike's.

I'm just about to get on the back of KG's bike. Wish me luck.....

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Wish me luck.

Good luck.

Well that was fun, Bit icy when I left home but by the time i got to Ralphs it was thawing. Quick blast along the motorway and bypass 2 up no real issues except felt Ralph was a bit enthuastic about cuddling in

We took out the Tiger and Sprint st, both 1050's but entirely different bikes. Despite having the same engine they were surprisingly different.

Tiger, Throaty with plenty of grunt and low end acceleration, very comfortable upright riding position, bordering on being too high for me as could only get toes down at both sides, this could prove problematic 2 up with luggage. Handled well, easy to flick around although it did feel a bit like i was falling into the corners but was assured i would get used to it. SLight wind blast at motorway speeds, accompanied with very slight vibration of the front bikini and screen. To be fair this was around the 130(kph) mark at which Ralph sailed past about 150 Great suspension and lots of fun. Great instrument layout. Absoutely love the look of it.

ST, smoother, didnt feel quite as responsive as the tiger but very planted on the road, much lower seat. Higher top end and higher pitch from the engine, A bit whiney for me. Beautiful exhaust config but a slight snow shovel going on. Wans't as impressed with the instrument panel. Ralph had an issue with his knee pressing into the front fasiring and I found difficulty gripping the tank due to its width, aslo felt my weight was slightly too far forward but due to the seat design there was very little room for manauvre.

On the whole 2 great bikes, head says the ST, Heart the Tiger. St is cheaper, comes with luggage and is probably the slighty better tourer. Tiger is fun, comfierand somehow alluring. Looks wise the ST looks like so many other bikes but the Tiger is just that bit different.

One downside for me was the lack of engine braking, the Tiger had a little and the ST had none, not a problem if you are used to il4's but I like the SV and the fact that i rarely use my brakes, Im sure i'd get used to it but definately a bit strange.

I'm sure Ralph will be along a bit later to give a far more informed and technical review but i'm still a newbie with limited experience and can only tell how it feels to me.

Ralph, sorry if some of my filtering was slighty adventurous on the way home, forgot you were on the back a couple of times.

Originally Posted by Kilted Ginger

no real issues except felt Ralph was a bit enthuastic about cuddling in

Ralph, sorry if some of my filtering was slighty adventurous on the way home, forgot you were on the back a couple of times.

No apology needed about your filtering, but telling the world I was a keen cuddler.... I have street cred to maintain you know! Actually folks I spend all journey playing the trapeze artist 'cos KG left the grab rail at home!

And telling folk I was doing 130 or 150kph? How socially responsible do you think I am? The speed limit is 112kph and I was doing no more than that when I past you! You must have been looking at the digital clock, it was about 1:30pm, easy mistake to make I suppose....

KG's appraisal of the bikes pretty much says it all. The ST was definately a more solid, smooth bike and capable of cruising comfortably at "112kph" without so much as a breeze being felt by the rider.

The tiger was more fun, but not as accomplished. The dealer reckons it hasn't got anymore torque, but the low speed pull is definately much
stronger, lower gearing I think. It's not as planted as the ST or as plush in the suspension, but easier to turn as you might expect with wider bars, and more entertaining filtering in town or over twisty roads. I'd choose the tiger's seating position for distance, but the ST's manners and effortless capability have it beaten.

I'd have an ST tomorrow if it wasn't for the knee banging on the fairing, but I sat on a few other ST's and they weren't as bad as the one we'd ridden.

Do I see more Brit Iron on the horizon??????
Don't kick me off the park for suggesting this but try and get rides on the 955i version of both bikes,older I know but both with subtle differences that could answer your criticism without any noticeable performance drop
Riding the new Tiger two up and luggage is going to bring the suspension down a little as is any bike but a point to take into consideration,likewise how much of your riding is going to be with a pillion

Yes I am bias but the points you have mentioned are some of the reasons I still have the older955i

[pegasus]

as a matter of interest whats the tank range on both bikes, and could you comfortably ride that amount of miles without stopping for a stretch?

on a personal note, i do think the new tiger is a bit of a stunner..i saw it in black at the local dealers and thought "WOW" but the ST does nothing for me....just my pants opinion.

KG go for the Tiger, you know you want to, there are lowering plates available for them for about £35, that combined with dropping the front forks a tad + a propper suspension set up will make the bike more planted & sharpens the handling it will also make the ground a lot more accessable for the short of leg, if you have a choice of freebies with it i'd avoid the Triumph luggage, it leeks.

Pegasus, i rode a Tiger for five hours solid & gave it back (reluctantly) with no fatigue or pains, the tank range for the Tiger averages in the 200 - 220 mark when ridden by Mr average.

The only real downsides to the Tiger are that most but not all who ride them complain of wind turbulance from the screen, it still has software glitches regarding the fuel level indicator display, the gearbox can be quite notchy & problematic regarding finding neutral, the standard battery is crap, there have been reports of bikes left out in the cold overnight & the battery being too flat to start the bike the next day, I'd still have one though if i had the cash.

[STRAMASHER]

Why not get a test on a GS for a couple of hours?

(If you can deal with the stigma of being a potential BMW owner)