Triumph Tiger... on the road!!!

[AimlessMoto]

So, she's done!! Runs like a damn top! I took her on vacation this past week after I got her running. Spent a nice 5 days out at Plum Island...

Things I notice this thing needs...

TIRES... 8 years of sitting on like-new Metzlers have turned them into big, round plastic wheels. I've tried running them and scrubbing them in but they're too hard for anything above a sprinkle. Trying to accelerate on even damp pavement ends up in spinning the rear..

So, I think I'm gonna get some Avon's or Dunlops... maybe Michelin Anakee's... they're the closest tread-pattern to the Metzs without spending 200 bucks per tire.

Over-all... I am IMPRESSED with this bike! Smooth as silk... you can definitely tell it only had 1200 miles on it... cuz she purrs like a new kitten.

The only other odd-ball thing is that the front end seems crooked. I popped off the forks and changed out the oil and they're straight... but mounted up the bars are a bit cocked from travel... it may be the trees... but that'll take a bit more work to fine tune.

Other than that... she's mint! And the hard-bags... Oh man... I don't think I'll own another bike without them... soooo convenient.

Not only that... but I'll never... EVER own another bike under 750-800cc's... or say, with under 90hp... This thing is like a street bike on stilts... Kinda high up, but you can scrape the pegs in a corner and out accelerate anything. There's nothing like being on the highway at 65mph in 6th, hovering around 4500rpm and just slightly open the throttle and you're humming up to 100 in mere seconds.

Stupid, stupid, stupid fun.

Ba-zing...









I am sooo happy .

[sandman]

continental trail attacks would be a great choice for it.

if all i did was pavement i might even run michelin pilot road 2's instead of the trail attacks.

[caddydaddy]

There's nothing like being on the highway at 65mph in 6th, hovering around 4500rpm and just slightly open the throttle and you're humming up to 100 in mere seconds.

Stupid, stupid, stupid fun.

My Sprint 1050 is the same way!

Nice Tiger!

[hondarider102]

nice! when we riding?

[DaSarge]

I've ridden a Tiger a few times and just recently this past June from the lower cape up to see stoneman in NH and I really enjoyed the comfort and so did my wife on the back. I rode up with my uncle (Zombie) who was also on a tiger and we were able to hit some nice back roads and I was very impressed with the way the bike handled in all conditions(road and weather). Congrats on the ride!

[markbvt]

So jealous.

As for tires -- I highly, strongly recommend Shinko 705s. I know, don't laugh... yes, Shinkos. The 705 is a new tire that just hit the market a couple of months ago, and they're the only 75/25 DS tire available in Beast sizes (ie, big-ass DS bikes). Previously our choices were either the 90/10 tires such as Tourances, Anakees, Battlewings, etc, or the 40/60 Conti TKC80, with nothing in between.

For this reason alone, a bunch of folks on ADVrider decided to try out the Shinkos when they came out, and the reviews were uniformly good so I put a set on my V-Strom, and I now have a new favorite tire. These things feel incredibly composed on pavement -- very nearly as good as Battlewings, easily achieving peg-scraping lean angles in the twisties -- and they work pretty damn well off pavement too. MUCH better than the 90/10 DS tires. They work great in the wet too.

They're wearing well -- people seem to be getting 5-6k miles out of the rear tire even when flogging it in varied terrain; probably better when touring or commuting. I've got 1000 miles on mine with no discernible wear. And amazingly, they're only around $100 a set, although we're all expecting the price to go up once the word gets out about these tires.

Here's what they look like on a Tiger (pics stolen from the Shinko 705 thread on ADVrider):



--mark

[schleppy]

Those are some mean looking tires!

[scubasteveRR]

NICE DUDE, when we going riding?

[KillBill]

Nice dude.....now ya gotta change your sig!

[AimlessMoto]

continental trail attacks would be a great choice for it.

if all i did was pavement i might even run michelin pilot road 2's instead of the trail attacks.

I've seen the conti attacks on an old 855 tiger and they look ridiculous. The tread pattern is too street-oriented to have such a deep groove in it... I'd imagine they're a super tire, but the tread pattern just really detracts from the "bad-assness" that is a dual-sport.

So jealous.

As for tires -- I highly, strongly recommend Shinko 705s. I know, don't laugh... yes, Shinkos. The 705 is a new tire that just hit the market a couple of months ago, and they're the only 75/25 DS tire available in Beast sizes (ie, big-ass DS bikes). Previously our choices were either the 90/10 tires such as Tourances, Anakees, Battlewings, etc, or the 40/60 Conti TKC80, with nothing in between.

For this reason alone, a bunch of folks on ADVrider decided to try out the Shinkos when they came out, and the reviews were uniformly good so I put a set on my V-Strom, and I now have a new favorite tire. These things feel incredibly composed on pavement -- very nearly as good as Battlewings, easily achieving peg-scraping lean angles in the twisties -- and they work pretty damn well off pavement too. MUCH better than the 90/10 DS tires. They work great in the wet too.

They're wearing well -- people seem to be getting 5-6k miles out of the rear tire even when flogging it in varied terrain; probably better when touring or commuting. I've got 1000 miles on mine with no discernible wear. And amazingly, they're only around $100 a set, although we're all expecting the price to go up once the word gets out about these tires.
--mark

Now THAT is what I'm talking about! Great info mark! Thanks so much!

I think I may be shooting for these if the price is still super cheap... Either that or some Avon Distenzas. I'd like a good 80/20 to 95/5 tire... 70/30 is too aggressive for the amount of commuting this bike is going to see.

My dad just bought some Avon Gripsters for his KLR650... tread pattern is kinda cool for an 80/20. I don't know if they'd look right for the bike, but he's all for something more street than dirt. We'll see how they work.

As a side note: I just got back from a 75 mile ride... just bombing around back roads and such... fully lugged out so I didn't do too much crazy driving; but, I noticed that on dirt roads the hard tires are... puckerishly terrible. The front feels like it wants to slap on every rock in the road rather than simply cush and compress into the tire. Looks like this will be a sooner purchase than I thought .

[sandman]

I've seen the conti attacks on an old 855 tiger and they look ridiculous. The tread pattern is too street-oriented to have such a deep groove in it... I'd imagine they're a super tire, but the tread pattern just really detracts from the "bad-assness" that is a dual-sport.



Now THAT is what I'm talking about! Great info mark! Thanks so much!

I think I may be shooting for these if the price is still super cheap... Either that or some Avon Distenzas. I'd like a good 80/20 to 95/5 tire... 70/30 is too aggressive for the amount of commuting this bike is going to see.

My dad just bought some Avon Gripsters for his KLR650... tread pattern is kinda cool for an 80/20. I don't know if they'd look right for the bike, but he's all for something more street than dirt. We'll see how they work.

As a side note: I just got back from a 75 mile ride... just bombing around back roads and such... fully lugged out so I didn't do too much crazy driving; but, I noticed that on dirt roads the hard tires are... puckerishly terrible. The front feels like it wants to slap on every rock in the road rather than simply cush and compress into the tire. Looks like this will be a sooner purchase than I thought .

were they road or trail attacks?

iv'e been really impressed with the way the trails attacks stick and wear on pavement on the tiger and gsa..

i didn't care for the anakee's at all on pavement.

i slid the front way to many times on warm roads.

i have yet to slide the front or rear in the dry on cold and warm pavement.

i was very happy how everything turned out on the gsa when i lost the front and rear in a hail/thunder storm.

the shinkos doo look good

[markbvt]

I think I may be shooting for these if the price is still super cheap... Either that or some Avon Distenzas. I'd like a good 80/20 to 95/5 tire... 70/30 is too aggressive for the amount of commuting this bike is going to see.

My dad just bought some Avon Gripsters for his KLR650... tread pattern is kinda cool for an 80/20. I don't know if they'd look right for the bike, but he's all for something more street than dirt. We'll see how they work.

Unfortunately Gripsters don't come in Beast sizes (ie, 110/80-19 and 150/70-17).

As for the Shinkos, because they're new and lots of people are buying them to try them out, they keep selling out everywhere, especially in the 150/70-17 size. Chaparral Racing has the best prices I've found for them, but a lot of people know that so the 150 is constantly on backorder. Tires Unlimited has good prices too and may have them in stock, I don't know. Motorcycle Superstore has kind of high prices but definitely has the rear in stock at the moment. Just check around.

--mark

[kb1]

Nice bike, I keep thinking about getting onto some sort of dual sport/motard.