Step 1: The ride
There's no way to do these types if trips without the right equipment. After months (MONTHS!) of searching, kicking tires, and endless hours on YouTube "researching" I finally landed on this sweet machine - a 2018 Triumph Tiger 800 XCA.
Being the nerd that I am, I did this completely online - bought the thing without ever laying eyes on it from a private party in South Carolina! The whole ordeal took about 3 months to fully materialize but before you know it a random transport company was at my driveway - only I wasn't there to offload it. NOPE! I was on vacation at the time, so a neighbor was nice enough to help me out and roll my new iron horse into my garage.
This model is pretty sick and comes with cornering ABS, variable traction control, 5 different riding modes, full TFT LCD dash, heated grips and seat, back-lit switch gear, full LED lighting with trail flood lights, aluminum skid plate, lower crash bars, 21" front tire, WP adjustable extended-travel suspension and one of the smoothest 3-cylinder power plants I've ever had the joy of driving. And that all stock equipment! There will be mods and additions but I'll get to those later.
Some might quickly ask why I didn't go for the tried and trusted BMW GS. Well, I could have, and did extensive test-riding on several machines including the R850GS, R1250GS and R1200GS, all of which are fantastic examples but the Tiger, in my opinion, just gives a little more, fits my not-so-main-stream style and is better value for the coin.
Being a 2-cylinder power plant the GS feels much more torquey with the larger displacements bringing on nothing less than brute force as soon as the crank begins to spin. While it's a wonderful sensation, I also find it requires more finesse in delicate situations off road and the engine vibrations at highway speeds give the feeling of wanting relief before too many miles stack up. In comparison, the I-3 mill of the British bike runs incredibly smooth at all speeds without compromising on low-end grunt. On long stretches of pavement it begs for more wrist and never complains.
Then there are the features. While the Germans do offer TFT displays, I've found that for this model year, there's just no comparison and the Brit's even throw in 6 different screens that can be configured to adjust based on the ride-mode. The GS screens did improve significantly the following year but still give that traditional German aura by giving you exactly what you need and nothing else. In addition, the Tiger offers back-lit controls, dual heated seats, a full aluminum skid plate (not a thin plastic one), full LED lighting (with trail lights on the XCA), USB outlet, and several other features at a price point that bests the Bimmer. Now, make no mistake: neither machine is cheap, but for the money I feel like you get more from the Tiger. Plus, if you time the purchase right (particularly in early Spring), Triumph will throw in a full set of Triumph-branded Givi luggage (panniers, tail and ignition-keyed locks) for FREE.
Finally, we get to the Achilles heel of the larger GS: The jugs. Yes, those wonderful and iconic jugs are great for balance and weight but, for perversely tall folks like me, they just don't work. Pull up to a stop and the gross length of my legs mean sticking my feet much farther out and away from the bike than feels natural. I'm not good at doing the splits but that's the sensation I get when seated atop the twin at a full stop. Attempting a "normal" stance (and by normal, I mean for anyone my height...) results in banging your shins against the cylinders which, while isn't necessarily unsafe, is certainly a nuisance. At this point I will admit that the 800 and 850 GS don't suffer the same issue but for the price, my money is still with the Tiger.
With the wheels finally acquired, it's time to get started on Step 2: outfitting my new ride with all the "essentials" for adventure riding! Check out the next phase here!
 |
| Triumph Tiger 800 XCA |
This model is pretty sick and comes with cornering ABS, variable traction control, 5 different riding modes, full TFT LCD dash, heated grips and seat, back-lit switch gear, full LED lighting with trail flood lights, aluminum skid plate, lower crash bars, 21" front tire, WP adjustable extended-travel suspension and one of the smoothest 3-cylinder power plants I've ever had the joy of driving. And that all stock equipment! There will be mods and additions but I'll get to those later.
Some might quickly ask why I didn't go for the tried and trusted BMW GS. Well, I could have, and did extensive test-riding on several machines including the R850GS, R1250GS and R1200GS, all of which are fantastic examples but the Tiger, in my opinion, just gives a little more, fits my not-so-main-stream style and is better value for the coin.
Being a 2-cylinder power plant the GS feels much more torquey with the larger displacements bringing on nothing less than brute force as soon as the crank begins to spin. While it's a wonderful sensation, I also find it requires more finesse in delicate situations off road and the engine vibrations at highway speeds give the feeling of wanting relief before too many miles stack up. In comparison, the I-3 mill of the British bike runs incredibly smooth at all speeds without compromising on low-end grunt. On long stretches of pavement it begs for more wrist and never complains.
Then there are the features. While the Germans do offer TFT displays, I've found that for this model year, there's just no comparison and the Brit's even throw in 6 different screens that can be configured to adjust based on the ride-mode. The GS screens did improve significantly the following year but still give that traditional German aura by giving you exactly what you need and nothing else. In addition, the Tiger offers back-lit controls, dual heated seats, a full aluminum skid plate (not a thin plastic one), full LED lighting (with trail lights on the XCA), USB outlet, and several other features at a price point that bests the Bimmer. Now, make no mistake: neither machine is cheap, but for the money I feel like you get more from the Tiger. Plus, if you time the purchase right (particularly in early Spring), Triumph will throw in a full set of Triumph-branded Givi luggage (panniers, tail and ignition-keyed locks) for FREE.Finally, we get to the Achilles heel of the larger GS: The jugs. Yes, those wonderful and iconic jugs are great for balance and weight but, for perversely tall folks like me, they just don't work. Pull up to a stop and the gross length of my legs mean sticking my feet much farther out and away from the bike than feels natural. I'm not good at doing the splits but that's the sensation I get when seated atop the twin at a full stop. Attempting a "normal" stance (and by normal, I mean for anyone my height...) results in banging your shins against the cylinders which, while isn't necessarily unsafe, is certainly a nuisance. At this point I will admit that the 800 and 850 GS don't suffer the same issue but for the price, my money is still with the Tiger.
With the wheels finally acquired, it's time to get started on Step 2: outfitting my new ride with all the "essentials" for adventure riding! Check out the next phase here!
 |
| Triumph Tiger 800 XCA |
Comments
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated. Only approved content will be shown.