Triumph Tiger Review
Bike Tested: Triumph Tiger 800 XRx; Road Test No. 850; Test Location: Rajmachi, Mumbai
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 13,79,800/-
The sound of an inline-3 is the sweetest small engine sound you can ever hear
The Triumph Tiger range has been expanding and how! The British brand has noted the demand for adventure motorcycles and given a slew of variants to the Tiger with four of them available in India. The XRx which is the road focused variant of the Tiger, is a mile muncher and we decided to test it extensively, taking it for an off-road excursion too with the Ducati Multistrada for company. The test bike has done close to 30,000 kms and yet it feels like new, so is it worth spending more than a million rupees on an adventure motorcycle?
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/35894050325/[/flickr]
The overall design, the grooves, the edges, it’s completely different
Styling – The design language of the complete Triumph Tiger series portrays adventure. But the Tiger XRx says a little different story, more like a tourer. Although the semi-fairing with a windshield, dual headlamp setup, USD forks at the front with a monoshock at the rear and the semi-open trellis frame speak for the Tiger’s aesthetics. The alloy wheels with road spec tyres and an overall shorter bodywork design don’t do so. The rear has no mass except for the LED tail-lamp and the high raised exhaust while the tank design keeps the bulk visible at the front. But as an overall view, the Tiger XRx looks smaller and similar to the current gen middle-weight bikes.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/35894054385/[/flickr]
The instrument cluster is simple and yet is looks rad!
Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – The analog-digital instrument cluster is one of a kind and to be honest I seriously like how the needle goes all the way to 10,000 RPM on a hard throttle. The tell-tale lights stay along the tachometer while the digital LCD unit is small but shows decent amount of information. The LCD unit contains the speedometer, gear position indicator, fuel and temperature gauge, traction setting and a clock. While it also displays two trip meters, distance to empty and fuel consumption being toggled within a switch. The quality of switchgear is nice while the switches are shared equally on both the sides, including the ones for cruise control.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/35894052145/[/flickr]
Even if we go complete low angle, the Tiger XRx doesn’t look huge
Ergonomics – The Triumph Tiger XRx is more like a middle-weight than being an adventure bike. The ergonomics are spot on like the lower seat height, manageable weight, comfortable seating and center-set footpegs. The only thing that might bother a few is the distance from the handlebar to the rider. The tank is pretty long and wide while the handlebar sits far from the rider, making the arm angle more straight. The visor too is non-adjustable and with the design of the visor, it was more clearer and easier to look above it instead of looking through it. However, it does not show much weight but the front feels a little heavy while it has a comfortable rear. The pillion would rather be more comfortable on a longer ride.
