Triumph Tiger Tourer

i bourt mine second hand from a collection,i've already had a sprint and trophy, that i thought would be hard to beat, but the tiger does just that. she had 4000 miles under the hem when i got her, now there are 9000. this includes a 2000mile trip around spain & portugal, with not a numb-bum in sight.

low rev's or high, fast or slow i can't fault this bike. the trophy seemed heavy on right handers, this one just glides through. i run her on mitchelins and don't even notice the wet. the dials are clear, though the kmh could be clearer, the breaking is very good and the suspension(if you set it right) is fine, and the all importent fuil ecconommy was good for my pocket.

i have a 29" inside leg and once the hight had been adjusted there were no problems there. as usual i over packed, but to be fair to me its easily done when the luggage can take the kitchen sink.

all-in-all, what a great british bike i wish got her sooner.

My second Tiger, the first being a '99 900i. this one has full luggage, heated grips etc. It handles really well, has lots of useable torque and I'm gonna keep this one for a long time. I've been riding for 26 years now and this is my fourth Triumph.

I have no issues with this bike, having ridden through most of the winter and it's been totally reliable. It only achieves about 40mpg, but that may be down to the fact that I do like to get a move on.

It's very comfortable, my misses loves it after my last bike (Street Triple) and I use it more than any bike for many a year.

It will show a clean pair of heels to sportsbikes ridden by weekend warriors without much effort, so my message is this:

buy one, you won't regret it!

Have covered 26000 miles on the Tiger. Travelled europe on several occasions without any problems. Fuel consumption is very good returning about 260 miles on a full tank. Good touring comfort and luggage room is ample for a two week stint.

The bad points. Front brake pistons tend to sieze, replace the seals and there ok. Headlights not 5 star. Paintwork on the engine casing tends to peel off (although its been a long winter with plenty salt on the road.

The good points outweigh the bad. Very comfortable on long distance. Servicing is easy including changing tappet shims. (but buy the shim tool). Tyres run out at about 15000 miles. Reliable all year round including riding in snow(slowly).

Would I buy another ? Not yet this ones has plenty life left in it yet.

2006 triumph tiger 955i

Have done 10000 miles in 2 years and love this bike. Very comfortable for 500 mile days, tank range around 270 miles and the engine has lots of torque exactly where you want it, low down. Front brake needs looking after or the pistons seize and headlights need good bulbs but otherwise one of my favourite bikes--been riding 26 years, cbr 600's, vfr's,k100rs, fj1200, zzr1100, daytona 955. This bike is so easy to ride but very tall and top heavy atwalking pace. I'm 6' 0" and 16 stone but felt happier dropping the clamps down the forks 18mm, fee flat on the ground now and bike is still rock solid.Highly recommended.

Great bike , comfortable , economical , fun , fast when needed and yes its a bit tall but even a shorty like me can deal with it . Highly recommended ,do yourself a favour and buy one while you can.

Came from a GL1500 and did loads of touring this the Triumph Tiger Tourer is as comfy and can do the miles but a lot more fun I can now go up the very narrow grass covered tracks that I couldn't do before.

Being very tall the Triumph Tiger was a great bike. It was used daily for a 50 mile round trip to work and back and not really washed daily. It was a sound bike and ideal for touring. It will cruise up the motorway and get you where you want to go. It has lovely handling and I cannot fault the bike really.

As I have said. The stator went and after that I was ready for other things to go wrong, but after 36000 miles over three years and it passed its MOT first go. I now own a Kawasaki z750. Much more value for money. The Tigers are way over priced and if I wanted a tourer again I would go for the Bandit. Value for money every time.

the engine is so strong, as low as 25mph in 6th and just roll on with heaps of accelleration no hesitation or vibration... supurb .. Thankfully doesnt have the looks of a BMW gs! The tiger can tour, commute, and loves the twisties, in real road terms can mix it with any dedicated sport bike. Best Multi purpose bike on the planet.

This bike performs well in all conditions and with the added bonus of hard panniers there`s plenty of storage, and it is a fact you can fit a full face helmet in the left hand side pannier. I certainly am very impressed.

The Hinckley Tiger from Triumph unlike its road biased 60 ' s name sake, falls into the category commonly known as Enduro Sports or more recently dubbed by the press as 'Tall Rounders 'or 'Soft Roaders ' . Whilst always popular in mainland Europe, this class of bike has only become mainstream during recent years in the UK, partly due to the knock on effect of the televised 'Long Way Round 'the world adventures of two British actors on BMW ' s 1150 GS Adventure, in 2004.

Since its release in 1993, the Hinckley Triumph Tiger has been in direct competition with Yamaha ' s TDM 850\900, BMW 1100\1150\1200GS and latterly the Honda Varadero, Aprilia Caponord (no longer in production) and the Suzuki V-strom DL1000. During the Tiger ' s life, there have been four distinct engine models differentiated by the engine.

1993 " 1998 Original 900 - 885cc carb fed engine, square design front fairing with twin round inset headlamps, spine frame, spoke wheels, twin high level exhausts.

1999 - 2001 - Fuel Injected 900 - revised fuel injected 885cc motor, new rounded bodywork with twin bug eye headlamps, single high level can, new twin beam frame, spoke wheels, revised front fork spring rates, revised instruments.

2001 " 2005 - 955i - same bodywork as previously but mechanicals updated to include detuned Daytona 955i engine, revised suspension, improved equipment and handling (cast wheels and panniers and heated grips standard after 2004)

2006 " (current model) - 1050 " Totally new model with improved road bias, new frame, euro influenced bodywork, 1050cc fuel injected engine, 17 'cast wheels, single high level can, new instruments taken from Speed Triple 1050.

The early 885cc engine Tiger quickly won admirers especially in the all important European market. Specific attentions were paid to reliability and build quality on the early Hinckley bikes, and this over engineering shows with many older bikes still looking very tidy, with only the vulnerable exhaust down pipes showing signs of use. Many owners still swear by the early 900 carb models as a great bike.

If viewing 2nd hand, due to their age the early bikes may have had a few owners and possibly some bodywork repairs due to the top heavy nature of them, but the Tiger across all versions attract mature owners, so at least a degree of service history should be expected. It is also rare to find a Tiger that has been highly modified from standard, so if you are viewing a bike that has a lot of aftermarket parts be suspicious.

The Tiger is the type of bike that attracts loyal and careful owners that keep their machines well serviced, so if the bike you are viewing doesn't appear to have been walk away, as original parts for the older models are becoming harder to find, so to restore a rough one may be a false economy.

All pre 1994 Hinckley triples are known to have a weak point in the engine in the shape of the starter sprag clutch. Triumph issued a recall to have this part modified so if buying a really early one ask if this has been done. This part is usually damaged by trying to start the bike with a weak battery which causes the starter to kick back. If it does go, it is an engine out job so budget for £500.

Fuel injection was introduced in 1999 when Triumph fitted the 885cc T509 speed triple motor into a new twin beam frame. The bodywork was also redesigned with a more rounded look (some have described the top fairing as resembling an alien being strangled) and the clocks improved. The twin pipes were replaced by a single pipe system which ran up the right hand side of the bike.

This design remained essentially unchanged for 7 years until the introduction of an all new 1050cc tiger in 2006. The only revisions made where the introduction of a 955cc injected motor (detuned from the Daytona) in 2001, and improved standard equipment in the shape of panniers, heated grips and cast wheels in 2004.

Toward to the end of the life of the MK2 Tiger, despite its qualities of solid build and enjoyable 'real road 'performance, was beginning to look dated, and the engine and chassis were no longer delivering the performance that the class of bike required.

The all new Tiger 1050 arrived in 2006 to great acclaim and was an all new design. The chassis was new, the body work was a European influenced design and for the first time Triumph gave the bike sports bike 17 ' wheels front and rear, finally removing any pretensions of false off road ability the previous models had. The clocks and engine (detuned) where borrowed from the Speed Triple 1050.

So far reports have been mostly positive although some owners have complained of high oil consumption (funny no-one complains if it is a BMW) and rear shocks giving up the ghost very quickly, but it would seem Triumph are rectifying these problems under warranty.

At the time of writing the oldest of these should only just be out of warranty so the bike should be close to new condition, so if the example you are viewing is not like this walk away, as there are plenty for sale due to the model being very popular from new.

Normally picking which version of a bike is best is a case of setting the budget and see what age of bike this well get you. However the Tiger seems to ignore these rules. It would seem that once a Tiger reaches an age of about 4-5 years, the price you pay seems to be highly dependent upon condition, mileage and options fitted rather than the model year. Don ' t be afraid of a touch over average miles if the bike has been fully serviced with receipts and a stamped book to back this up. The Triumph despite the faux off roader appearance is essentially a tourer so they are designed to do the miles, and the engines are under stressed.

Dealer prices are as always a touch optimistic, sometimes ridiculously, so my advice is look privately. As I mentioned earlier the Tiger attracts mature minded careful owners, so I would have no reservation in buying from the owner and haggling over a cup of tea, instead of dealing with over priced examples from stubborn dealers.

In terms of styling the earlier 885cc carb models and latest 1050 versions seem to be easiest on the eye with the 1998-2005 version dividing opinion, but all versions of the bike are likely to be faithful servants that will retain a decent amount of their value when you come to sell, and will go the distance, where ever you want to go.