Flying Tigers

[TEWKS]

The new 2024 Tigers are up in power and torque to 106 HP, 66 lbs.   Read all about it, if you’d like.  

 

 

[TEWKS]

Nice Tiger wheelie!  Supposedly the Press Launch has happened in Spain but not a single talking journalist’s review, least I can’t find one. 

 

 

[Skywagon]

At 483 pounds that is pretty interesting. Local BMW dealer carries the brand. Never owned the brand. How good are they and can owner do most of the maintenance?

 

My old 1150rt only had 95 ponies so I think 106 on 483 lbs is pretty good. 
 

Birthdays are indicating lighter is better. 

[TEWKS]

I’ve got two buddies that have the 800 Tigers and they love them. I demoed one years ago at the dealership but decided on the GS. I loved the Tiger but never regretted my decision going with the GS. More recently I rode one of their 800s (repeating myself here) but was shocked when getting back on my “farm tractor” GS. It took my brain a few miles to adjust back to the big twin after the buttery smooth triple.

 

So, fast forward twelve years, a new GS is coming out and this new Tiger has been extensively refreshed. So, kinda at the same crossroads.  

 

I heard the refreshed motor requires less maintenance, 18 thousand mile valve checks, which ya, probably much more difficult than a boxer motor but that be a few years for me. Who knows, gonna look at both ASAP and see what happens.

 

EDIT

Found one review but it’s translated in English. 

[MikeB60]

My son has a 2019 Tiger 800.  Overall it's a great motorcycle. His is the XCA and has all the functions we've grown to love in modern motorcycles with the exception of ESA which is available on the newer bikes. It's easy to do the basic maintenance haven't done a valve check yet and it's overdue and noisy. Really dosent look too bad from what I've seen on YouTube. It has a 21 inch front wheel which I really don't care for but is better off road I guess. 

 

Plenty of power and certainly a bike you can load down and take a trip. The WP suspension is good but it's really hard to beat the GS in this area.  His has tubes, I'd forgotten how much of a PITA those are, but the new tigers are tubeless. His has the Triumph aluminum cases, top opening and definitely on the level of Jesse's. The 800 are made in Thailand and the fit and finish is not at level of what you find in a BMW if that matters. I wouldn't buy a new one, hell I wouldn't buy any motorcycle new, but the resale value sucks.  Mike paid 9000 for his with 10000 miles new it was around 17500. 

 

I would definitely consider a Tiger if I was in the market for a midrange adventure bike. 

[9Mary7]

I've had three Triumphs over the years; 95 Speed Triple, 05 Tiger 955 and an 18 T120. All were good bikes with excellent fit /finish and pretty straightforward to work on.  The Speed Triple was heavy and long, the T120 was gorgeous but not good for multi day trips. The one I miss is the 955 Tiger...smooth as silk, very comfortable and deceptively fast, I'd love to have that bike back.

[Skywagon]

Thanks folks. Definitely going to get a look come spring. I’m starting to get a little tired of buzzing bars. 
 

Mike..what’s your view on the 21 inch wheel. 

[EdM]

I've just returned from a trip down to Ushuaia which started in Osorno Chile riding a rented 2023 900 rally Pro Tiger. After 20 days and 5800 kms riding it I can say that overall, the bike was enjoyable to ride. Plenty of power on the pavement and decent ergonomics and chassis for both on and off pavement riding. 

 

If I could recommend to Triumph on what to have changed for the 24 model, more power would not be top of the list. The engine has lots of go, but seriously lacks in any kind of engine braking effect which is problematic off road. When you'd roll off the throttle, the bike just kept rolling along, you'd have to dump a bunch of gears to get the engine revs way up to get any kind of effect on slowing the bike. I suppose you could lower the drive ratio, but to get it to a range where there was some effect the top end would have the engine screaming at speed. 

 

The next and biggest issue that all of us had with the Triumphs was the electronics, they are just not user friendly at all. The display screen has all sorts of ways you can customize the layout and colour schemes, but little in the way of being able to get useful information you want. Like the bikes odometer - the only time the odometer would show up was a quick couple of seconds after the key was powered on. Weird. The riding modes cannot be selected on the fly for the off road options or to go back from the off road options. You have to come to a full stop and after a bunch of button presses and tongue positioning, you can get into off road mode. And you do need to be in off road mode when in even the lightest of gravel as the traction control is excessive if left in road mode. But now that you are in off road mode, you get the constant flashing of warning light on the screen to tell you you have disabled the traction control and ABS. Thanks, I know. But then when you shut down the bike to stop at a nice scenic pullout, you get to go back through the process of setting it into off road mode again because it always goes back to road mode by default unless you tell it not to. My usual trick was then to just kill the engine and leave the key on. And then there is the weird delay when the start button is pressed until the starter actually engages. It was at least a second or two, which sometimes gave you the sense that either something was wrong with the starter or you hadn't pressed the button correctly. Can't say how many times I let off the button thinking something was wrong and then had to give it another go. 

 

All in all, a decent machine, but no way would I trade my F850GSA for one, the BMW is just way better sorted. 

[Dennis Andress]

On 11/2/2023 at 1:15 PM, TEWKS said:

 

I thought you meant the Flying Tigers Line. 

[TEWKS]

Actually my play on words was paying tribute to these guys. 

 

[BrianT]

15 hours ago, TEWKS said:

Nice Tiger wheelie!  Supposedly the Press Launch has happened in Spain but not a single talking journalist’s review, least I can’t find one. 

 

 

 

I think it's still going on.  Bret Tkacs is there posting snippets on his FB.  I'm sure he'll have a first look soon.  1st day was Q&A / press info, 2nd day was yesterday I think, which was a street day.  I'm still waiting for his dirt day follow up.  Here's what he said after the street day.

 

[TEWKS]

More better English. 

 

[TEWKS]

The first thirty seconds is worth your time!  

 

 

[beemerboy]

Yo, @TEWKS, I got all excited when I first clicked on your thread then found myself disappointed. For the record, this is a Flying Tiger:

 

All you did was post pics of airborne Limey bikes. Next time, get it right, Mkay? 

 

[TEWKS]

Randy, scroll up a few posts, I have the goods in the form of a Curtiss P -40 Warhawk.

[beemerboy]

^^^^^^^^^^Just keepin' ya on the straight and narrow, Tewky.

[TEWKS]

26 minutes ago, beemerboy said:

^^^^^^^^^^Just keepin' ya on the straight and narrow, Tewky.

It’s a tough job but somebody has to do it! Thanks Randy! 

[TEWKS]

An unedited or (no stupid music) version of the Tiger wheelie video I posted above. It’s got a pretty good exhaust note stock.

 

 

[BrianT]

It does sound sexy.

[TEWKS]

I called a dealership today to see when they’d have the new bike on the floor. He said bikes that have deposits on them should be here in February. Inventory bikes won’t be arriving till June!  Seems a bit late into the riding season IMO. 

[Skywagon]

Reminds me of when I ordered my 2014.  I was familiar with the WC GS in 2013, but didn't want to order an RT without seeing and riding.   I went in to the dealer in Oct 2013.  They said they might not have any stock RT's for all of 2014.  I ordered it with a proviso in the contract that said if on delivery and after a demo ride I didn't like it, I could cancel it.  They agreed to that since they were sure they would have a wait list.  Turns out they were correct.  I ordered in October and received it in February.

[TEWKS]

He said a refundable $250 deposit would secure one of the early bikes. I’m just casually interested at the moment so I’ll call back in early feb and see what’s in. Hopefully Max will have the new GS by then to compare the two bikes. 

[TEWKS]

Now I watched this entire video and I’m here to tell you, it’s very misleading.  
 

 

[terryofperry]

Talked to the Triumph dealer yesterday, he pulled his incoming, one in February, two in March for the 900 GT Pro. 

Terry

[TEWKS]

Yup, understand the dead pony is getting cold (stop kicking it)  but hey, the drone work and this rider’s skillful throttle drifting made it worthy! 
 

 

[TEWKS]

More Tiger riding. 
 

 

[TEWKS]

All the differences between the 2023 Tiger Rally Pro and the new 2024 Rally Pro.

 

This guy is very thorough, almost to the point of sleepy eyes but, if you’re interested in the bike maybe not so much. I know really, why would you come to a mainly BMW forum to look at a Triumph?    Because we’re bikers damn it! 

 

 

 

 

[terryofperry]

Thanks Pat, very informative. 

 

Terry

[TEWKS]

Welcome Terry, yeah he did a great job of comparing the old and the new.  And I’m liking the new, anybody want to buy an RT…