Test Ride

[silverstripes]

My dealer tempted me today with a test ride on the new Tiger 800 XRX.

I must say it was very good. Plenty of torque, handles very well, in fact planted, TFT screen brilliant it goes from black on white. to white on black automatically when its dark (tunnel), good mpg (58.6) and cruise control good. Big bonus the weight, its so easy to move around and I am feeling the weight of the Trophy at times. The big thing I noticed was the gearbox, no clunk in 1st and sweet as a nut going up and down the box

Down side is the protection. Screen is ok but not a patch on the Trophy, seat is ok but not as comfy as yes you guessed it 

Bottom line is they want just over £6k to change and my trophy has only 20k and is a 14 plate.

Need some further thinking time 

[Stelyn]

  I did  the same thing Tuesday, had an hour out on the  XRX 800 model, having been talked into trying it out whilst at the Dealers for MOT ( Bike Road Test ) .   It just made my mind  up that I'm keeping my Trophy     I found the XRX  -uncomfortable - basic - and poor suspension   ( felt every bump ) +  and a cheap crap  screen,  the TFT screen reflects in sunlight, so could'nt always read it .    Good points, were good clutch  & gearbox  nice and lightweight   
 

[Verdun95]

For what it's worth: I would keep the TRophy. The Tiger does not play in the same league, for my needs the Trophy is just perfect, but others may have different needs...

[leathers999]

I went on a test ride and bought one, purely for the lovely engine. Within a couple of months I regretted it. Didn't particularly like the look (bit Eiffel Tower with all the frame exposed) seat not brilliant and the screen is rubbish!! Spent a lot of money trying to find a good replacement screen but never could. Sold it after 6 months and lost a fair bit of money.
Overall not a patch on the Trophy.

(All subjective of course but this was my experience).

[cecilt]

It seems Triumph is trying hard to get us all onto Tigers! I fully agree with the weight of the Tiger 800 being an attraction, but the protection I get from the Trophy alone is worth the extra weight. I also don't want another chain driven bike, and the Tiger 1200 is not much easier to maneuver.

[Volfy]

Regardless of TTSE's demise, lots of ST riders have gravitated toward ADVs.  Many find the bolt upright posture comfortable.  Taller riders like the added leg room and wide bars.  There is definitely good reasons for ADV's popularity.

That said, IMO, between the Sprint and Trophy, Triumph has left a still substantial amount of cash on the table.  "Traditional" ST's will always be around, even if Triumph doesn't sell them.  There will still be enough riders that prefer this blend of sportiness and touring amenities.  The pie might have shrunk a bit, but segment size will still be non-trivial.  I see the current resurgence of naked bikes as a good omen.  The nakedness and lighter weight appear more user-friendly, particularly to newer riders.  However, after they have gotten a good bit of miles under their belt and lots of wind to their face, those newfound naked bike riders are gonna want a nice set of fairings.  This was how the Sport Touring bike was born in the first place; and the same trend will likely to happen again.

[Bludy L]

Be careful on test rides. That's how I wound up getting a TTSE, and a T120!