Tiger Tales - Dialling in the 800XC for the dirt

My money is on a Tiger...........

Yes, please see what you find out. It looks similar to a Shinko 700, or an IRC GP-1 but it is not. Great photos on your site, and I checked the Adventure site as well, really nice.

Jesus Christ. :huh I don't carry that much stuff for a 4000-mile two-week trip. I take it that bag on the pillion seat contains the kitchen sink?

--mark

That's what I thought, too. Here's me on a weekend trip with camping equipment for two, plus two Kermit chairs, and our sleeping pads are the old style huge ThermARests ...






The tent fits completely with footprint and poles in the exhaust side pannier with lots of space left, like for the cook set or clothes, the left side lid has jacket liner / rain gear. The right side pannier has two sleeping bags, food, tools, and other assorted stuff, the Ortlieb bag has two Kermit chairs and the sleeping pads.

Big tent:



And the lovely riding companion:

Based on hi-lited text...you're selling a 990 for a 800XC???

IMO the KTM is much stronger off pavement. Better suspension, better gearing, lower torque. It's a giant dirtbike. For more dirt I would be lookng for a 950 Super Enduro.

The Tiger is definitely not a 'dirtbike'. You soon find this out when disassembling for maintenance. For example, airbox is definitely streetbike. Motor is definitely streetbike. Ergos are definitely streetbike. Suspension can be tweaked, but also street oriented as built.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Tiger, but I didn't buy it for 'dirt oriented' riding. There are better choices. Consider checking out the KTM 500EXC for a dirt oriented motorbike.

Haha, it is nice to know that the Tiger is up to the task when armageddon hits.

I think you got your posters mixed up there, browneye. I don't think BR needs much advice from us on the capabilities of the XC.

Uh Chris, I think you may have it bass ackwards.

Hey guys!

Saw a used Givi KAPPA Garda 46L for $260... how have you guys liked the givi or what has been heard about them for a top case??

Also what were the prices you guys got the tigers out the door for?? Got a used tiger but it's drive's away and has 10k miles on it, still got 15months of warranty...

Thanks!

Well duh, that makes a lot more sense then.

I'm looking for suggestions for rear pannier racks, but I want them mainly for tip over protection as opposed to mounting hard cases on them. (I will go with Wolfman soft bags for panniers if necessary.) Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I've also pretty much decided on the SW Motech Crash Bars for the fronts.

Not sure you need to protect the back end like that. I have sw motec crash bars and have tipped lots- Laid down - dropped off ledge ect. And only time I had damage to the back end was going past vertical (wheelie+++)which pannier rack wouldn't help - plus it was only the signal light. And I do not have rear racks. Big trips - giant loop though.

HT racks actually do protect the rear frame, extremely beefy too

Well... they may actually not protect it. If they are too rigid they will transfer the impact directly to the frame (which is not a rear frame or subframe). Soft bags are more likely to offer protection.

Soft bags will do nothing to protect the obnoxiously protruding rear pegs. The major design flaw leaves the subframe dangerously exposed. You're screwed either way in a crash.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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If you look at the HT design closely, the racks almost act like a skid for a forward motion drop and would take the beating in a hard drop. <o></o>

not true. ive personally seen hard bags pop off during a crash on the tiger. my soft bags have stayed put every time.

Re-read the quote. We were discussing the subframe being damaged.

When I dirt ride I take my panniers off and use the HT as a rear crashbar

You talking about the Triumph bags?

I agree that design seems to have shortcomings, what with the examples of "totaled" bikes on various threads due to the left buddy peg folding up after auguring into dirt. It should have been designed with a breakaway point using a low-grade bolt.

The Hepco & Becker pannier mounts I installed on the XC impressed me with the way they tie in. There is an included plate with a hole and a guide pin. The guide fits snugly into the end of one of the tubes that are welded together at the buddy peg, and the peg's pin is replaced with a nut and bolt through the peg, mount, and the plate.

​

This design focuses the potential energy at the strongest point of that triangle, rather than simply clamping midway onto one of the tubes the way many others do.

It seems a well conceived design and I hope it proves itself in the long run.

Yea, unfortunately one of those totaled bikes was mine

How do you like the HB kit, got any pics? I ordered their engine guards, can't wait to see them in person!

i see.
depending on where your sleeping that night you may not be able to drop the bags...
no, jesse luggage and caribou (with their rack and system) break away too. they don't break, just designed to break away...