Ride Impressions of Triumph Tiger 800 XCx

Till yesterday, I used to wonder, how an all-terrain bike can be fun to ride! But that was all about yesterday, as my notions for all-terrain bikes were crumpled and dusted away the moment I hopped off the saddle of this beast. The bike didn’t just take me to places comfortably, but packed the equipment to live up to the adventure tag! It was none other than the Triumph Tiger 800 XCx.

Triumph is known for manufacturing one of the best bikes in its segments, be it the Daytona 675R, the Street Triple RS or even the Rocket 3R.

However, there has always been a major gripe with the ATVs. If they’re great off road then they’re not as sure footed on tarmac and if better on tarmac, they just can’t live up to the expectations when the roads end. This is where the Tiger hits the nail bang on its head. It is arguably one of the most potent bike in its segment that has proved to set the best balance between on and off road riding manners.

What makes the Tiger so special? The answer to that is the technical wizardry under the saddle. First of all the heart of the matter, the engine. The Tiger 800 gets the 798cc liquid cooled, 12 valve DOHC in-line 3 motor which has been taken off the Street Triple(with some minor tweaks of course). The engine develops about 95bhp and 79nm. The numbers aren’t exciting right, wrong! Just a little fly of your wrist on the throttle and the Tiger gallops ahead with eagerness. The best bit about this engine is availability of torque throughout the rev range. I clocked a 30-130kmph run in 4th gear and the bike didn’t hesitate a bit. There is no lag and jitter when the rpms drop. Supporting the engine is the butter smooth 6-speed transmission. The gear slots in precisely and the ratios are also tall so that you have enough grunt lower down as well. Great for city as well as highway cruising and at the same time enhancing the off-road capabilities as there is ample grunt lower down to help you out of the tricky terrains without the need to shift gears more often.

Now after the engine and transmission, the next most important mechanicals are the suspension. I believe that Triumph has done a stupendous job in fine tuning the WP 43mm inverted forks in the front along with the mono shock at the rear. The front fork is adjustable for rebound and compression damping whereas the rear preload can be adjusted with the help of a hydraulic preload adjuster. All this translates into great high speed stability along with good composure around the corners. To be honest, it’s not as composed as a Multistrada or a BMW 800 GS for instance, however you’ll never get nervous around the twisties on the Tiger. Also, the XCx comes with the adjustable front forks with a fork travel of 220mm and 215mm at the rear which means you have a bike that is poised in almost every situation. Now my perception of considering the 800 as a toned down version of the 1200 got diluted the moment I took it off road. Surely the inspiration is derived from its bigger sibling and is evident too, however the 800 has a character of its own. It is playful enough to plant a wide grin on your face and make you feel like a little boy on a dirt bicycle while being immensely forgiving, as it’s not as intimidating to ride as it might look. Having almost negligible experience with ATVs, I was able to pull off some power slides with the ABS switched off.

But what might get intimidating for some is the seat height. At 860mm, it’s not suited for anyone shorter than 5.5. I’m almost 5.9 and could only plant one foot firmly on the ground even though the seat gets height adjustment (20mm). Talking about niggles, yes there are a few. For starters, every time you switch off the bike, the rider settings get back to the standard most setting. It can get quit annoying sometimes, followed with the ride which can’t be called plush, when compared to the Versys or even the V-Storm. There’s always an underlying stiffness when you go off the tarmac. Coming down to the brakes, now don’t get me wrong as the twin 305mm Brembo floating discs are great and have good bite, however they lack the progression and feel from the lever especially off tarmac, is not that great either. Lastly the Achilles heel of almost all the ATVs, the weight and in the case of Tiger 800, it’s quite evident. There’s no getting away from its 205kgs (dry) kerb weight. Due to the high centre of gravity, the weight is even more evident when you lean the bike in the corners or even at the switchbacks. However, the steel trellis frame along with the twin-sided cast aluminium swing arm do a great job in keeping the bike in its stride.

Now, with all the above mentioned facts, it’s very hard to draw a conclusion about the Tiger 800 XCx. But if I would have to put it in simple words, I had rather say that there are many bikes which can put a smile on your face and excite you in different ways, but there are only a few amongst them which can evoke the explorer in you and help uncover hidden gems in places you’ve visited a thousand times before. The Triumph Tiger 800 XCx is one such bike.

Soumil Dey - Author