Six new Tiger 800s!

Triumph is preparing to hit the EICMA motorcycle show all guns blazing, with six variants of the new Tiger 800 adventure family set to be unveiled.

It’s a massive offensive, and should put some wind into the sails of the British company, whose current Tiger 800 and Tiger 800 XC offerings are off the sales pace in Australia, outsold by fare from traditional adventure powerhouse BMW Motorrad, as well as budget fare such as the Honda CB500X and Kawasaki KLR650. The Suzuki DL650 V-Strom is also a strong performer.

With six new models in the pipeline, you’d expect that Triumph will cater for the full gamut of adventure riders, from those with a serious penchant for rugged long-distance travel (bikes in the 20K range) to those who might like a slice of the market without breaking the bank (in the 12-15K range). But will Triumph Australia bring them all in? In such a small market as Australia it’s a big call, but to be a segment leader you’ve got to be in it to win it.

Leaked documents reveal model suffixes such as XR, XC, XCA, XCX, XRTR and XRX, with the XC brigade more off-road focussed and the XRs keener on the blacktop. The XR and XC will be the base models, and then ‘specialisation’ will kick in with bikes like the XRTR which will have a touring focus.

At the base level, the main differences between the XC and XR will most likely be in suspension and wheels, while all the bikes are certain to have electronic aids such as traction control, anti-lock braking and ride-by-wire to facilitate different riding modes and cruise control. However, for example, the XR probably won’t require a sophisticated off-road anti-lock braking setting, so expect varying levels of spec across all those aids.

Elsewhere, we'll be seeing plenty of power sockets, aluminium guards, heated seats and machined footpegs across the board.

As well as Triumph, the adventure space is set to become more crowded in 2015, with KTM hitting the market with a 1050, Ducati is updating its Multistrada (complete with variable valve timing), while BMW Motorrad has the S1000XR – basically an S 1000 R with long-travel suspension.