2008 Triumph Tiger ABS

Tigerland

WHAT IS IT?
Triumph's 1050cc enduro road bike, in its third major generation, now fitted with ABS.

WHAT'S IT LIKE?
Quick, well sorted and a lot of bike for the money. ABS appears to be seamless. Though the more expensive BMW still tends to headline the class, this is a very hot competitor when you consider value for money.

PRICE: $16,590 STD $17,590 ABS + ORC

THE BIKE
Triumph's Tiger has long struggled to gain proper recognition in the rally bike class, probably unjustly. It's true that BMW's GS series more or less invented the segment (yes, I know that's up for debate if you look at the longer view) and has, with good reason tended to dominate it. KTM has taken the fight to Bimm, and the pricing of both has left a vacuum neatly filled by Triumph.

The triple actually has a respectable spec list, such as the fuel injected 1050 engine which, in this state of tune, claims 114 horses at 9400rpm and 103Nm at 6250rpm - very respectable figures, leading this class. That's punting a package weighing just over a claimed 200kg dry - the ABS adds about 3 kilos over standard.

There's the usual wet multi-plate clutch on board, tied to a six-speed gearbox which typically improves its action once it has several thousand kilometers under the wheels, and chain drive.

The chassis is based around an alloy beam frame, with a 43mm upside-down front fork and a monoshock rear. Tyre widths are a very road-oriented 120 up front and 180 rear.

Fuel capacity is a claimed 20 litres and consumption is generally around the 15-17 per litre mark, until you go nuts on some sports tar. So range can be pretty good.

The Tiger has fulfilled the role of default tourer in the range, since the loss of the 1200 Trophy several years ago. Some of that now falls to the emerging heavy tourers from the Rocket III line-up.

In that role, we've seen it offered with accessory hard luggage, heated grips and the like all of which help to make it a very handy traveler.

The addition of ABS fills out the offerings and adds a nice level of reassurance on unpredictable surfaces. It is however on full-time, and not switchable like the BMW accessory offering. A few people might be put off by that, but I suspect they will be among a very small minority. The good news is it comes at just a $1000 premium over non-ABS, which is good value.

ON BOARD
There's no question the Tiger has become a little more road oriented by stages over its history, which is no bad thing, given that's where they typically spend most of their time. They are nevertheless surprisingly capable on dirt roads, even when things get a little dodgy. It's no dirt bike, but good enough on the loose stuff to qualify as an all-road tourer.

Where it really shines is on bitumen, where the longish travel suspension (medium travel, actually) works in its favour on less than perfect tar. It has good grip - there are several options out there when it comes to rally tyres - and the steering has plenty of feedback. It's about medium on the turn-in with the wide bars requiring little effort to influence proceedings. Cornering clearance really isn't an issue on the road.

Suspension rates are good, set more for comfort than speed but still able to keep the mid-corner antics well under control.

Performance is truly sparkling for this kind of bike, with strong low end seamlessly into a wide midrange and good top end. In reality, the whole process feels very linear.

The only gripe is the strong bottom end and reasonably sensitive clutch combine to make low speed manouvering a little tricky until you get used to its habits. No great drama, but something that might initially spook a new user. A little experience soon cures it.

Braking performance is strong with decent feel -- no complaints. The ABS is a nice safety net when you're on the picks over suspect ground and cuts in without fuss.

I keep getting off bikes like the Tiger wondering why the hell I'm paying rego on assorted tools in the shed, like a commuter, a tourer and sports bikes, when this one machine would fulfill all those roles admirably. Having ABS just adds icing to the proverbial cake. To me, it comes across as offering a lot for the money.

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