Triumph Tiger Explorer- Box Fresh

Picked up the Graphite Explorer yesterday... posted some pictures on another thread.... It's been suggested I share my experience of the beast with you

I did pretty well in that I only test rode the Stratstone Leicester Demo bike a week yesterday... and on the strength of that made my mind up I wanted one last wednesday

Lucky for me that a guy who had paid a deposit on an Explorer last October has disappeared off the face of the earth, and the manager decided he'd sell it to me instead

Picked her up at 4pm yesterday, and only managed a paltry 35 miles onboard in the sunshine before I headed home.....





Initial feeling that the decision to part with a good wedge of cash was the right one..... As the original test bike was run in I was able to explore the 'performance envelope' to a greater degree than my new bike.. and having read plenty on the best way to run in a bike I just decided to keep it down to 3500-4000 rpm and go up and down the box for the first few miles.

Strangely the manual supplied just states

"During the first 500 miles

Don't use full throttle
Avoid high engine speeds at all times
Avoid riding at one constant engine speed, whether fast or slow, for a long period of time
Avoid aggresive starts, stops, and rapid acceleration, except in an emergency
Do not ride at speeds greater than 3/4 of maximum engine speed..."

Ambiguous I'd say

3/4 engine speed will be 7500 rpm :eek1

On the tank is a sticker

0-100 miles up to 3500rpm
100-300 miles 5000rpm
300-600 miles 6000rpm
600-800 miles 7000rpm
800-1000 miles 8000rpm

So nothing like the book then

Anyway....Having waited in most of the morning for a guy to turn up for a set of panniers I sold him ( and I fitted them for him)

Went out this afternoon and got the mileage up to 100... the bike seems eager and wants to be revved - but having to show an awful lot of restraint... 4000 rpm is just over 70mph in top ( 6th)

Computer is showing 47mpg but I don't think its any indication... will see how far I go on the odometer before a fill up.. that may give a clue of tank range if you ride like a saint ....Could have done with the heated grips that are on back order as got a bit chilly... and the rad guard is an essential looking at the size of the radiator... one good rock thrown up from the car in front and that'll be the end of your ride ...

Called in at a Honda dealer and viewed the Crosstourer... the SE version is over 13.5K :eek1 While there had a look at a set of Givi trekker 35 liter panniers... now they looked nice, side openers with a hinged bit at the top for top loading... the guy behind the counter estimates £650 for a set including frames ( when the frames are sorted )
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...3sH5CQ&usg=AFQjCNFD-_Cr9jXGa-gBfexziJcjr-MIVg

Could be a viable alternative to the Triumph ones... which look far too big to me

Got back and washed the bike as I got caught in a storm- those wheels are SO easy to clean compared to the GS spokes

More mileage tomorrow I think

Sounds good Bryn. Thanks for the update. We'll be looking forward to more updates & pics as you begin to rack up the miles. According to a Triumph Regional man that I spoke with yesterday there are several Explorers stateside now. Should be more showing up in the days ahead.

Congrats, Im glad you decided to start a new thread and we can finally start hearing from riders like yourself who actually have the bike,not just test riders and their numbers.

Sunshine this morning, so out came the Explorer ....

Left the house with 92 miles showing on the odometer... according to the sticker 100 miles = 5000rpm... so at 100 miles exactly gave it a bit more...and the bike seemed to come alive just think ... there's another 5000rpm to look forward to ....

Put 110 miles on her today, and despite gathering rain clouds managed to stay dry .

If you look closely you can see her lurking in the undergrowth



Found a gated road ( do they have them stateside ??) basically a dirt track from A-B but with gates every so often to keep the livestock contained...



In the next picture the gate is down by the farm in the distance... but seeing the state of the track near there decided to keep the bike clean and turn around



Dropped by a Ducati dealership and had a look at what would cost me twice the amount I paid for the explorer... a work of art that needs putting in a glass case





The exhaust does a complete 180degree loop and is covered with a cowl



It reeked of quality, but at £24000 it should do!



It would still give me back ache so I'll stick with the Explorer.... Thinking Givi Trekker luggage is the way forward, once they make a frame for the bike.

Anyway... fuel light came on at 155 miles and said 35 miles to empty.... filled her up at 179 miles with 8 miles showing to empty...

Put in just under 16 litres - that equates to 50mpg ( uk gallons )

Booked in on 26th for its 500 first service, and hopefully the bits on order will be in by then

Nice to see you today Bryn. Your bike looks great.

And you Rob

Thanks

There were a couple of the roads today around Devil's Bridge, and quite a few 800 Tiggers.

Was that you Bryn?

Not me... I stayed in Leicestershire


Did see another Graphite Explorer on the B6047 though ....

Here's another pic

Can you discuss how the bike feels, center of gravity, handling, sound, wind protections.

Thanks

I can compare the bike to a BMW 1200 GS as I've had a couple of those, the last one being an '09 SE....

Although the Explorer is allegedly 20kg or more heavier it doesn't show... the bike is easy to shove around when off of it... and once moving the weight just disappears.
It just feels like the riding position when on the move is 'right' for me (5'9 and 175lb)

Handling is neutral, and its a case of just pointing it where you want to go and you're there... took it along a local road with fast sweeping bends, 60-80mph and it held its line very well, despite the undulating road and often uneven surface.

Sounds great... the triple has a rasp to it when the revs go up... again no need for a fruitier can on the bike IMHO

Wind protection is as good as my 1200 Gs with a GSA screen fitted, and no buffeting ( which led me to change the screen on the GS) It's 0635 here and just about to ride it to work

I'm not bashing your bike Bryn but 190 miles to empty would probably be a deal breaker for me. I'd like a bit more range. Its truly a beautiful machine though. Best of luck with your new motorcycle.

I don't think folk should compare the Explorer with the GS Adventure... more the GS... which for me used to be about the same between fill ups....

Personally by around 150 miles I'm usually ready for a break

I don't know anywhere in Western Europe where I'll need more range than that anyway

Thanks for starting a new thread Bryn!

Quick question for you. Using cycle-ergo.com, I was surprised to find that for my dimensions (6'0" w/ 33" inside leg), there is about 8 deg of forward lean. Are you tilted forward at all on yours? I've read that the bars can be adjusted back a bit, but they would need to come up and back 2" to get me to perfectly upright, and I don't think there's enough slack in the cabling to allow that. Any weight on my hands/wrists is a deal killer for me due to years of MX and offroad abuse, so any input here is most welcome.

-SM

Keep in mind that Cycle Ergos ain't all that accurate with some bikes.

Living in Oz, I've got to say the fuel light on at around 250 k's and about 300 kilometres to empty would put me right off. Then again, I guess range will improve with some more k's on the clock. Very interested in your thoughts on the big Trumpy Bryn.

I've looked at the risers under the handlebars.. and it looks to me like the factory setting is actually on 'back' and the adjustment would be forwards 20mm rather than back.

I'll explore this a bit more later ... I'd say I'm leaning forward very slightly... and as I get a bit of pain in the Coccyx I doubt I'd want to be much more upright anyway

I'm liking its power delivery, its looks, and its handling at the moment... its pulling like a train and I've got a 5000rpm ceiling for another 30 miles

Looks like the standard position is 'back' and rotating the risers 180 degrees puts the handlebars forwards 20mm

Is there enough cable to add 2 inch Rox Risers in your estimate?

This is mega important to me. I'd have to raise those bars, they are uncomfortable for my body dimensions, just like the 800XC I took out for a week and after the 2nd day of riding my wrists were really sore. That's due to the XC's setup is not my ideal setup preference. I prefer the bars with less bend (flatter), and higher up.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!