Hi All Been a biker for over 46 years and had GS's for the past 14 years, apart from a short 3 months spell with a Harley. Personal circumstances meant I had to move to a 1999 Varadero 1000 last year, and I've enjoyed it but am hopeful that things are looking up and expect to join a load of my mates with Triumphs later this year. Our group used to be made up of about 75% GS's and a mix of others, now its about 50% Explorers, 25% 800's and a mix of others. Not yet sure whether to go for an almost new S/H 1200 Explorer or a new 800 XCx but am going to the new 800XR, XRx, XC and XCx launch at Bevans in Cardiff on Thursday 29th Jan and got a test ride booked on an XCx on the Friday morning to see if that will help me make up my mind. Cheers Bob
Hi Bob, welcome to the forum. Both the Tigers are very good bikes, the 1200's had one or two warranty recalls regarding the engine but both are great bikes. I personally test rode both last year and opted for the Tiger 800 XC SE. I liked the slightly more sporty handling and lighter weight of the 800, the big 21" front wheel is a slight compromise if you ride purely on the road as it limits the type of rubber available. Triumph luggage is the same size for both bikes and I toured Europe on mine last year. If like me you never ride two up then the 800 is fine, if you do loads of long tours two up then the Explorer could be better. I bet there will be some good deals on offer to shift the old Tiger 800 as the new model is launched next month and all the new model gets is an electronic package and slightly better fuel consumption.
Hi and welcome to the forum I prefer the 800 to the Explorer as from what I have heard there are still unresolved issues with the 1200 engine and the 800 are a bit more chuckable. Cheers Steve
Hello Bob and may I wish you a very warm welcome to the forum. You've got a good choice of motorcycles to look at.
Thanks for the welcome everyone. I've been an off-road rider all my life and help run enduros with the Welsh Trail Riders Association (WTRA) so am comfortable with a 21” front wheel. My wife does come with me as a pillion occasionally – we’re off to Belgium for a week in June, but mostly I’ll be on my own and I want to be able to ride some “easy off-road” when the mood takes me. I’ve ridden many miles off-road on my GS’s in the past but “getting old” comes with a few drawbacks and I’m much more aware of the weight of any bike the size of a GS/Explorer nowadays whereas it never bothered me in the past. I’m hoping that the new 800XC is the bike that fills the gap for a proper “adventure bike” that is capable of going further off-road than a “Chelsea Tractor”. Hopefully it will help offset my age and lack of fitness and allow me to ride some of the trails I was able to ride 10 years ago on an 1150GS. That it may also be a great road/touring bike would be a huge bonus.
Hi Bob, fellow south wales lad...Im newport born and bred and commuting every morning to cardiff to work so if you see a street triple give me a wave.. Welcome!!!! :upyeah:
Welcome to another ex-gser :wink: I had an 1150 for 10 years. A brilliant bike but always too big for me! I've had an 800XC as a loaner a couple of times. A lovely bike but, once again, a little too big for me. I've heard some rave reports about the new XC so I don't think you'll be disappointed :biggrin:
