Thanks Ade - just come back from watching Tottenham, and it was filtering all the way home. The bike behaved impeccably. Yes, I have some padded shorts somewhere, and I also got up on the pegs once or twice yesterday. Today, it seemed a bit more comfortable so maybe my arse just needs some punishment to toughen it up (no sniggering in the back).
I'll check them out if it comes to that - I'm still hopeful that the standard seat will be okay (I'm only about 160lbs, so I should have a fighting chance).
I could almost flat foot the AT, which is more I could on the 500X, and the AT is lighter than the NC750X, which is why the sales chap wanted me to try it for size. It's still too much bike for me physically but an interesting comparison. Has anyone heard about the rumoured 660 Tiger? That might be something I'd consider.
Well, I managed to grab a few shots on my phone today... Some other things I've noticed over the 450 miles I've put on the clock: It's quite top heavy compared to the other bikes I've owned. This can cause precarious moments, such as when you don't quite notice that there's a slight negative camber where you're trying to put your foot down. The 19" front wheel becomes noticeable at slow speed on tight bends or turns. The bike needs more input. Although it may sound strange, the Tiger seems very, very happy to be leaning. It's almost like leaning is it's preferred MO, and it's very reassuring. Things that made my heart beat faster when on my TTR are just business as usual for this bike. Nothing seems to faze it. Triumph's triple engines are bloody fantastic. I knew that from my Street Triple, but it's lovely to be on another one. Oh, and the standard seat is now on the bike. Given that the new seat is all but unusable (there's just a void where the padding has been removed), I'm going to see if I can get some kind of refund on it.
If you find the Tiger top heavy steer clear of the Scrambler 1200, full of fuel its a nightmare especially for those of us with restricted inseam, I have to think about every stop. I’ve test ridden the Tiger and love its seeming lightness and ease of manhandling. Glad your enjoy it
Thanks, and yes, I can imagine that the Scrambler 1200 is a bit of a handful. I know what you mean about assessing every stop, even with the Tiger (and especially now, when I have the standard seat back on the bike).
I've dumped my Tiger at least once because I didn't pay attention to the road camber at a sudden stop, and the ground wasn't there when I put my left foot down without thinking :-/
Nice photos and a very interesting write up. On the topic of top heavy feel, I was at woburn triumph not so long ago and they had a red tiger 900 with damage to the rhs. On speaking with them it happened when the first customer took it out and turned right. He dropped it and damaged the tank and broke the handguards. So by the time I'd decided to try and sit on it I was already a bit apprehensive.... It was on the side stand so I went to swing my leg over... ha not a hope, hit the pillion seat and I just couldn't manage it. Had to step on the footpeg to get some extra height. I ride a 1200/4 trophy and can manage to swing the leg over when it's on the side stand so I was surprised by the tiger. The trophy is a top heavy beast though, it sways around at a stop if the 25l tank is full. Hope you enjoy the tiger and I look forward to more write ups.
@Aaron Brown Wow, Aaron, what an amazing adventure! And with lots of additional "adventures" you didn't even count on. Glad that wasp experience wasn't any worse that it was. Thanks for sharing your stories and some truly gorgeous photos with us. And I LMAO at the Roswell pic. Seems there's lots of kitsch in New Mexico--or maybe that's just true of America in general. If you ever go through Hatch, NM you've gotta have a green chili cheeseburger at Sparky's. I was a forum noob a couple of years ago myself. Just a suggestion--a great ride report like yours deserves to be its own thread! When I do a ride report I typically open the "Rideouts, Trackdays, Touring, and Spotted" Forum then start a new thread using a title that lets members know what the report will be about. I just happened upon another post by you with some of your photos and thought to ask you about your trip which led you to provide me the link to the report you'd already posted. Otherwise I'd have completely missed your ride report and that would most definitely have been my loss. Do you have photos from the second round of your trip--Twisted Sisters and TX AirBnB?
Thanks very much on all counts. As an aside, I'm already using the pegs to mount and dismount. I can swing my leg over without them, but it feels a bit like I'm doing a kind of poor man's capoeira and I'd rather not. What I've noticed, though, is that if I turn the bars away from me to make it easier when mounting, the bike starts to tip that way as I swing my leg over. It's easily catchable but was a bit unnerving at first. I did wonder if fuel sloshing around in the tank could cause unsteadiness. I guess it can, then.
Yikes. Downhill stopping and turning can be nasty at the best of times - but on a 1200 with the rear loaded doesn't bear contemplating. Anyway, I think I'll just avoid doing it. Ever.
Nasty. It reminds me of a time I rode up to Chesham on my Street Triple to have some ACF-50 applied by John, the regional AYB rep. As I approached a roundabout I came to a stop without realising that the lace from my boot (which I stupidly failed to tie in a double bow) had wrapped itself around the footpeg. The rest, as they say, is history.
Well, I've now put 650 miles on the clock (I've had the bike a week) and would value some advice. I've pretty much ditched the low seat, as it's a piece of garbage - how anyone is meant to sit on it with a large void where the padding would have been is beyond me, and it's certainly not possible to do so for more than about half an hour without severe discomfort. I'll be speaking to Triumph North London today about returning it to them as it's really not fit for purpose. My bigger problem is that - now I have the standard seat on the bike - it feels a bit too precarious for my liking. For clarity, when I stand over the seat I can get both feet flat on the ground. However, when I pull up to a stop and put one foot down I feel like I'm struggling a bit to find the ground (even with my toes), and it's making me nervous to the extent that I end up putting both feet down initially. I'm also finding the bike quite top-heavy compared to what I'm used to, which doesn't help. Is it a question of getting more used to the bike, and building up my confidence on it a bit? I'm just worried that if a bike feels a bit big at first, then it really is a bit big, and time/mileage isn't going to help.
My wife is riding a TIGER 900GT Low Edition. This model has a standard seat height of 760-780 mm. In addition, she has also purchased the original Triumph "low seat". Due to its degree of hardness, she has installed a gel pad. Now even 700 km tours are no longer a problem.
Well, it's too late for me to consider the low ride height, but the gel pad might be an option. Did it raise the height of the seat by much though, as there's only a 20mm difference and - if I'm going to lose that anyway - I may as well stick with the standard seat?
We bought a 20 mm Gel Pad via Amazon. But the additional height is maximum <1 cm due to the seat cover which is pressing the gel pad. The seat comfort with it is high. You only need a pair of scissors and a air pressure stapler with 6mm staples and more than 2 hands to keep the seat cover in a good shape! With the low seat and the gel pad in it your are lower than the standard seat!
You could look at boots too, Daytona M-Star. Not cheap but should last you a long time. They'll buy you about 20mm I think
Yes, I've been looking at those, actually. Not really my style but if they solve the problem they're worth thinking about. Bloody expensive, though.
It will become second nature. My only advice is use the back brake more. In the traffic, stopped at the lights or fleeing into a tight bend lol. Lovely. Will help with the balance. Most of these ADV bikes have a big disc and caliper at the rear for a reason.
@learningtofly I think I was following you to Triumph West London ( I feel your pain I'm only a 29 inseam)
