[man_of_steel]

@nasirkaka, in addition to what Veermeti has mentioned above, if you are keen on getting the Tiger then the XR will be a good choice for you. Have ridden my friend's XR in traffic and it was not so bothersome, maybe because I am already well used to the 390! Only bother would be the weight and width compared to your 390 in slow moving traffic.

[Hammer & Anvil]

This is the best news I have for Tiger lovers- a Pune rider, Ashish Raorane completed the recently concluded 17th Raid De Himalaya 2015- Astride a bike that he literally studied and prepped personally with the aid of the staff at the Pune Triumph showroom.
He managed to complete the Raid on his maiden attempt and topped his class.
FYI- He rides the older 800XC. Result sheet shows the provisional result sheet before scrutiny.

[grplr02]

@nasirkaka, to add to what others have said already, another factor that arises in day-to-day urban commuting is during parking - size, weight & height of my 800Xcx means I have to give a little more thought before squeezing into the first empty spot I come across. Trying to manoeuvre the bike backwards out of tight areas takes a little more effort than my Bullet, especially in my hilly area. Add to that the side-stand that threatens to collapse if not deployed in just the right, flat/stable environment, and the centre-stand that takes a bit of heaving before working - quite a contrast to some of my friends' BMW F800GS whose centre-stands can all be deployed with a quick one-hand pull.

LOL and yeah, dealing with idiots on two-wheels who want to show their antics and/or ride too close to you is something else. Recently, riding down the Chandigarh-Delhi highway, we had guys zoom wildly alongside us to shout "kitne me kharida?" "mileage kitne deti hai?" We were like "Kidding me???!! Look out for that truck ahead of you!" One guy nearly lost it downhill from Shimla when he decided to showcase his wheelie skills alongside our group of big adv bikes!

But all that aside, man, once some space opens up, the Tiger can run, smooth as heck, so flickable, throw it into the tightest corners with absolute abandon ... Loving it, considering a Bonnie for everyday riding as well

[nasirkaka]

@veerameti, man_of_steel & grplr02,

Thanks for the inputs. much appreciated.

This sunday, test rode the tiger XRx. Test ride was a short one (around 3 kms), sunday afternoon traffic. Came out with mixed feeling.

The seat was set to the lowest setting (710mm, i think). I am 5'9" and could touch the ground partially with both feet. knees felt a bit open, could be cos i am used to the narrow seat front and tank area of the 390. This was my first time on a 3cylinder bike and the exhaust note sounded like whistle (stock pipes). Not sure if i liked it or not. May be i expected a different exhaust note?? Ergonomics wise, i found the i had to very slightly bend forward to reach the bars. feel the 390 has a slightly more upright posture, torso upwards. foot pegs were very well placed. what a smooth engine the tiger is blessed with, swift acceleration and loads of torque. could easily hold very low speeds at high gears. Loved the suspension, can only imagine what it would be like on the Xcx. I tried going through the roughest possible patches on the road, the shocks absorbed them all so very well. The wind shield was vibrating and rattling a bit over the rough patches, on inquiry i was told that its meant to move. not sure!
Some months back i had taken a longish test ride on the bonnie. immediately felt at home on the bonnie, and rode it like i had always been riding it. Bonnie being heavier then the tiger, did not feel the weight, infact tiger felt more heavy in comparison. could be the lower CG here. Bonnie was with arrow pipes and i liked how it sounded- a bit loud though. In short, if i remember correctly, i had a slightly bigger grin on my face while test riding the bonnie then the tiger which i also liked.

I will wait a bit more for the versys 650's launch, which would hopefully be much closet to my budget. if its not launched before the year end, will beg & borrow and go for the tiger, in which case It will have to be the base version Xr. 50 kms daily commute to work will not be an issue at all, as the route is mostly open and wide. Will have to keep the 390 for the congested city rides, else i could sell it to add to the budget. :P

[veerameti]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

@veerameti, man_of_steel & grplr02,

Thanks for the inputs. much appreciated.

This sunday, test rode the tiger XRx. Test ride was a short one (around 3 kms), sunday afternoon traffic. Came out with mixed feeling. :P

Ahh ! The tiger has bitten, sunk its teeth and has left an impression .
Do not worry about keeping both feet planted on the tiger as I feel it is due to the seat shape and yes the legs don't go down straight down the sides, I am shorter than you and am comfortable keeping only 1 foot down completely (decide before hand which foot it is going to be), bike will lean slightly but no issues. The soft exhaust sound will be a blessing going forward in time, I did not even test ride the Bonnie, I was lusting for the Street Triple and was snagged by the Tiger. Remember always go with 'your' heart. All the best for your further tribulations/aches in selecting your next bike.
Regarding test ride with Keerthi, if you are keen on any bike request for a longish second test ride.

[grplr02]

The XR would make a fantastic choice, but if you were feeling the Bonneville, I'd definitely consider that as well. And I'm not a huge fan of the stock exhaust's whistling sound, will be changing to Arrows soon.

[Devrishi]

Great thread.. enjoyed reading every bit of it.

I am interested in Tiger 800 XCX model. It seems Triumph is introducing fresh models / modifications in the present bikes in early 2016. Are we expecting any changes in Tiger 800 XRX or XCX models. When are they likely to come?

I don't want to purchase XCX and in following 2 or 3 months we get upgraded models... I can wait for some time. Please suggest.

Thanks :-)

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by Devrishi

I am interested in Tiger 800 XCX model. It seems Triumph is introducing fresh models / modifications in the present bikes in early 2016. Are we expecting any changes in Tiger 800 XRX or XCX models.

The XCX is a 2015 model, so other than minor changes and color refresh, there's not going to be much updated Tiger 800 for a few years. The 2016 updated models are Tiger XCA (actually it's a 2015 model, version of XC/XCX with some more features, but coming to India only in 2016), Speed Triple 2016 update with significant changes, Bonneville and Thruxton with big updates.

So as far as the Tiger 800 range is concerned, expect no major updates for 2-3 years.

[mkovuri]

Congratulations, ride safe. Very nice review. It sure looks like it's lot of fun on this bike.

Mallik Kovuri

[grplr02]

Yeah Devrishi, like Ricci said already, I highly doubt you need to worry about updates on the current Tiger line-up for the next several years These 2015 models are significantly upgraded from the earlier year models, which had remained more or less the same for the last 4 years or so. Now if you're talking about the Bonneville family, there's a whole lotta new bikes on the horizon come 2016, and boy, am I excited to see them in the flesh!

[Devrishi]

Thanks Ricci & Grplr02 for your replies. I am going to test ride in couple of days.
The nearest dealer (New Delhi) is 450 kms from my place - does Triumph need to visit service center now & then or is it niggle free (i hope so). It won't be practical for me to commute 900 kms to & fro for niggles.
What are the service intervals? It has come to my knowledge that Triumph is coming up in Lucknow which is just 80 kms from Kanpur in Jan / feb 2016 so life will be easier for me :-)
Thanks :-)

[gopzdoc]

I had an almost back to back test drives of the Versys 1000 and the Tiger xrx. My 2 bits

The riding position of the Versys is absolutely spot on. The handle bar just falls into your hands at the right level and your upper body is totally relaxed. Agreed its a tall and heavy bike but once it starts moving, its pure bliss. I am 5' 11'' and I could barely touch my toes on the ground. Once it starts moving, however the weight and size is almost completely disguised and the bike is really, I mean really flickable. The brakes are superb and the wind screen really protects you from the wind blast. The clutch action is very light and it made changing gears in horrendous traffic conditions Childs play. The acceleration is very mature, but don't get me wrong the bike is extremely fast. With due respect to all out here, IMHO there is absolutely no substitute for cylinders. There is no strain at all on the engine to speak of. My only grouse with the bike is its exhaust note- it could have been a bit more bassier.

The Tiger after the Versys seems petite by comparison. It is lighter, lower and more handy than the big Kawasaki. You can place your feet flat on the floor and it gives you immense confidence especially in the city. Though its low on power than the Versys (118 vs 90), the lower weight of the Tiger really made itself felt during fast acceleration. I may be wrong, but the Tiger felt as if it was the fastest amongst the two. The real disappointment for me was the heavy clutch of the Tiger. I am not a He-man type, and I found the clutch a real pain to use in heavy traffic. I was not impressed at all with the whistling exhaust and according to me Arrow upgrade is a must. The build quality of the Versys is far above that of the Tiger. Both the above test drives were taken for more than 30+kms in a mix of highways and city with heavy traffic.

I am looking at an upgrade from my Ninja 650 and it would be a slam dunk situation for me to choose the Versys over Tiger- if I had the money!

Coming to the economics of the situation, Versys costs 13.24, Tiger xrx 12.20- all prices ex-showroom Cochin. If the situation ended there, I would definitely have bit the bullet and swallowed the 1 lac difference and bought the Versys- but the Triumph has another ace up its seal, the Tiger xr.

The xrx has the following features over the xr

1) Rider modes
2) Adjustable wind screen
3) Auxiliary power point
4) Cruise control and
5) Centre stand

Other than the Rider modes (ABS and Traction control are standard on both) and Cruise control all other features are purchasable as accessories. Cruise control is IMHO a totally useless feature in Indian driving conditions. The Rider modes are useful to some extend, but other than the novelty value for the first few thousand kms, it really do not contribute much to the ownership experience.

Coming to the best part, the price of the Tiger xr is 10.8 which is a whopping 2.5 lacs less than the Versys 1000. Agreed IMO Versys is the better bike but is it worth the 2.5 Lac premium over the Tiger xr- I don't think so!

So its decided then, me will go for the Tiger xr when the time comes for me to upgrade!

[Red Liner]

Over on the other threads we have people comparing the versys 650 to the higher specced tiger and going weak in the knees for the big cat... I just had to chuckle reading your predicament which is inverse, albeit with the versys 1000 in the mix.

Have you looked into the 650? Or is that too anemic for you? Do you already ride a half litre class right now?

[gopzdoc]

Right you are Redliner! From a 650 to another 650? No matter how different in style it may be? Might as well as save the money!

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by gopzdoc

Right you are Redliner! From a 650 to another 650? No matter how different in style it may be? Might as well as save the money!

If I were you I would get the tiger and be done with it. But I would also look into the Ducati multi strada, if the versys 1000 was in the reckoning.