SRC MOTO’s Easy Afternoon Tiger 800 Upgrades

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

New bikes these days are fairly well featured, but we all know there are things needing extra protection, functionality, or personal flair. I was looking to add to my 2019 Tiger 800 XCA when SRC MOTO offered their headlight guard, rear brake fluid reservoir guard, side stand foot, and rear cargo rack for testing.

All parts are cut from either stainless steel or aluminum and most are offered in either black or silver finishes. I was impressed with the finish and quality; SRC’s satin black powder coating is almost a dead ringer for the factory Triumph engine guards and their attention to detail meant these components were free of sharp edges and defects of any kind.

Installation took about an hour with little effort. There are no step-by-step instructions, just diagrams with three of the four parts. The rear brake fluid reservoir guard was easy enough as it only has one bolt.

The next easiest was the rear rack; simply remove the rear bolts for the tail cover, drop in the spacers and secure with new bolts in the factory holes.

Continuing to the side stand foot, remove the single rear bolt and loosen the two bolts on the front facing side, slide the foot over the end of the stand and finger tighten all three to check alignment. I finished up by removing the bolts one at a time to add a dab of thread locker before tightening them down.

Lastly came the headlight guard; it’s not difficult by any means but requires a little care. Four bolts with a pin on the end replace the screws on the front of the headlight assembly and it took a moment of searching my tool kit for a 16mm wrench or deep socket until I realized a 5/8″ spark plug socket fit perfectly. Just turn the socket carefully by hand for these; a ratchet will crack the headlight housing or strip threads. The guard has four grommets to press over the pins and it’s a tight enough fit to be held securely in place. A dab of grease over each of the pins helps the grommets slip on; otherwise the dry rubber has too much friction.

SRC MOTO is providing a really great value with these parts; each is solidly made and well finished. Installation hints or tips would be a nice addition even though most of the items are simple enough and only require bolting on. I hope to not need the protection parts; however, I’ll be glad to have them if I do and the side stand foot and rear cargo rack will be invaluable in day-to-day use.

SRCmoto.com

MSRP:

• Rear Brake Fluid Reservoir Guard—$28 (black or silver powder-coated aluminum)
• Headlight Guard—$138 (black powder-coated or natural finish stainless steel)
• Side Stand Foot—$46 (stainless steel)
• Rear Rack—$136 (black or silver powder-coated aluminum)

PROS:

• Affordable upgrades and protection
• Great fit and finish
• Easy to install

CONS:

• No directions or installation tips

*This review is also published in print in ADVMoto issue #118.

View the full article