Yup. Planning to go around the world on a bike - and have spent the last three months researching what bike to buy. The Triumph Tiger 800 XCa is the top candidate right now - for a bunch of reasons. It looks great. Has enough power. Has ALL the features I am seeking, throttle by wire, chain drive, 21" front wheel, riding modes, weight is excellent, and this bike gets great reviews......but I have never owned a Triumph - and I cannot make a mistake when I'm basically planning to live on this machine for a bunch of years. At $25,000 its not cheap, but in-line with everything else, so not a deal breaker. Since it will take at least a year and half to prepare, I am hoping that I can get a 2018 model in 2020 with little mileage used for a good price. What I have no experience with and is a big concern is 2 fold. 1. durability 2. accessing parts world wide. I deeply understand that bike maintenance is a huge part of long-term durability - so the question now becomes, How easy/difficult is it to self-maintain this bike? Accessing parts world wide is an issue with EVERY single bike in the world - but the ubiquity of the Japanese bikes is undeniable and attractive. The other bike I have been looking at closely is the Yamaha Tenere 700 - not released in Canada yet and not proven. The Tenere is also not in the same class as the Tiger - with way less features...but still in the running. I am staying away from BMW due to the cost of maintenance and purchase price. Decided to join a forum and get some feedback or comments. I grew up with the Triumph name, have ridden a bike since I was 13 - have both touring and off road experience, but have yet to own a ADV bike. Can hardly wait. When I looked deeply at the Tiger 800 - became excited by its features and reputation. Thanks for reading, and if you have any suggestions, comments or advice - all most welcome.
Hi n welcome what a fantastic thing to be doing first of and secondly have you thought of contacting Triumph directly and involving them.
Yes, I have every intention of being in contact with Triumph but not until this venture has more meat on it. There are a number of things that need to be in place in order to have a company know this is real and not a pipe dream...press kit, IT infrastructure, finances, routes etc.. I've been in touch with a representative from our government in a department called Global Affairs finding out how to become a "Good Will" ambassador for my country and get the feds to back this. There are a lot of people doing world motorcycle tours. This will be different. I am a professional musician, and videographer. Planning on building a tiny but powerful recording studio on the bike, plus the regular Gopro cams, a drone, and I also own a 360 camera. The idea is to record grassroots indigenous artists from all over the world. Plus record all original soundtracks to the videos that get created. I have experience with all of this tech, have 10 albums in my name, and know video editing - part of my work. Thanks for responding.
Hi Mike and welcome to the forum what an adventure. I wish you luck on achieving your preparations and setting off. We will expect to follow your endeavours. Put me down for NZ leg.
Hi and welcome. It depends on the exact nature of your route or how adventurous you really are? How remote you going? How much off road or is it just on tarmac? What I would do in your shoes is compile a very versatile toolkit and actually use it on the bike prior to set off. Can you get a tyre off or repair a puncture (no cheating with paddock stands etc) outside your house without going in the garage or making a trip to the shops? This kit should be capable of Standard maintenance tasks I.e. air filter removal, it might sound obvious but a slip in a river crossing could soon fill the engine. Plugs out, filter out and wang it over could soon sort your day or not as the case maybe.
I am planning the first part of this journey across Canada, then up into Alaska to the arctic ocean....This is the shootout part of the trip. Learn the bike, get used to things, and deal with issues while things are relatively easy. Lots of off-road...in fact as much as possible. But tarmac when time is of the essence. I am also planning on hiring a bike mechanic to show me exactly how to take care of, troubleshoot and maintain the bike. I am going to remove the tires, take sprockets off, remove the chain, change all filters etc....before I leave. I will film some of the stuff so I can review it when needed. Last night I was leaning about the ECU on the Tiger and how you can get a device to reset and manage this element. There is so much - I am studying Spanish, leaning After Effects, working on a liquid cooled shock mounted tiny computer for the bike.....I am even looking into a HUDD for use on the bike for GPS, speed etc....and I feel more alive than I have for years.
Hello Mike and welcome to the Triumph Asylum - Nursie will be around soon with your 'Meds'. Before you go too much further I would offer you the following thoughts : 1. Almost all bike that are marketed as Adventure bikes are too complicated and too heavy; 2. Are you riding one up or two ? This makes a big difference to bike selection; 3. I would suggest that you join https://advrider.com/ as that is a site dedicated to people who do what you are planning to do. Loads of great information, far more than on here; 4. Look at youtube adventure video and follow the trials and tribulations of people like Itchyboots. Re the bike selection, if you are riding solo(either in company or alone) i would suggest you buy something much smaller, cheaper and less complicated. Something like a Royal Enfield Himalayan would be much more suitable in my opinion. If you want to really "see the world" you need to be ready to get off road road, into the high mountains, very good for the soul. Meet with the people whose country you are travelling through - that's a life experience I promise you. If you've only travelled on roads, through Western Cultures you have a real treat in store, just don't expect it to be all like Ottawa, Canada. Dave
Here's a link that might interest you : https://www.itchyboots.com/bikers-guide/royal-enfield-himalayan-around-the-world?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=5d931ff4ccdaeb70620817eb&ss_email_id=5d93218496714700fc552cb6&ss_campaign_name=Let+new+adventures+begin!!&ss_campaign_sent_date=2019-10-01T09:51:19Z
Hi Mate & Welcome to the Forum I am no expert but I would say that simple is best, if you have a bike packed with gadgets and features then on a trip round the world they can & will go wrong, I would go Japanese all day long, the older Tenere's were pretty bulletproof, sorry if I offend any Triumph owners