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2013
Triumph Tiger 800XC
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Triumph Cape Town
79
Roeland Street,
Cape Town
(021) 461 5167
Mark Livings (sales)
072 561 0978
S33 55.804 E18 25.370
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"The Triumph Tiger
800 (2010) and 800XC
(2011) have made huge impact into the mid range adventure bike
class across Europe, United Kingdom and the USA, giving its 800cc
German competition sleepless nights.
Now in Africa since 2010 the Tiger
800XC has become a popular choice in the Dualsport industry
and for very good reason. Despite some issues with the standard paper air filters being far inadequate for the dusty South African riding conditions.
Craig Marshall - Rider |
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Test Location:
DMTA
(Dualpurpose Motorcycle Training Academy)
at Kilarney raceway in, Cape Town.
Its one thing
to take an adventure motorcycle on a long ride.
But all to often one does not get a chance to give the
bike a rigid structured testing. This is why I chose the
new location for DMTA,
Cape Town's
new permanent off road motorcycling academy at Kilarney
raceway.
We had sand, rocks, deep water, steep loose banks, gravel
roads and of course the Kilarney Racetrack - which unfortunately
fell through on the day, so we headed out into the hills
of Contermanskloof for the road test. |
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The
Triumph
Tiger 800XC is fitted with a High
Capacity Generator
Class leading 645w generator allows the Tiger
800 XC to be fully loaded with journey-enhancing electrical
accessories.
GPS, Iphone, Heated Garments etc.
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Triumph Tiger 800XC - Overview
The Tiger 800XC is a slightly beefed up version
of the straight Tiger 800, with spoked 21 inch front wheel,
more travel in the suspension and better suited to Dualsport
riding with a heavier emphasis on gravel and off road
trails.
Making is debut in 2011, sales of the Tiger800XC
have grown worldwide and I can see why - its probably
the best midrange adventure motorcycle available today.
With more power and bigger engine capacity than the 600cc-660cc
and 750cc class bikes, even pillion riders are not an
issue when it comes to having a heavy load the Triumph
800XC deliver smooth power in road and off road situations.
Again with Triumph's
inline 3-cylinder engine, the Tiger
800XC delivers silky smooth and vibration free touring,
with the suspension to handle almost anything you can
throw at it. At 215kg wet weight, its relatively easy
to handle in the soft sandy terrain and has the long legs
for those 150km - 250km tarmac stretches on your travels.
Out of the five different riders we had at the testing
day at Kilarney, all were of the same opinion.
"An outstanding motorcycle". |
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Make
Model
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Triumph
Tiger 800XC |
| Year
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2013 |
| Engine |
Liquid-cooled,
12 valve, DOHC, in-line three-cylinder. |
| Capacity |
799cc |
| Bore
x Stroke |
74.0
x 61.9mm |
| Fuel
Induction |
Multipoint
sequential electronic fuel injection |
| Ignition |
Electric
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| Clutch |
Wet,
multi-plate |
| Gearbox |
6-speed |
| Max
Power |
95PS
/ 94bhp / 70 kW @ 9300rpm |
| Max
Torque |
79Nm
/ 58 ft.lbs @ 7850rpm |
| Final
Drive |
O
ring chain |
| Frame
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Tubular
steel trellis frame |
| Swingarm |
Twin-sided,
cast aluminum alloy |
| Front
Suspension |
Showa
45mm upside down forks, 220mm travel |
| Rear
Suspension |
Showa
monoshock with remote oil reservoir, hydraulically
adjustable preload, rebound damping adjustment,
215mm rear wheel travel |
| Front
Brakes |
win
308mm floating discs, Nissin 2-piston floating
calipers, (ABS model available) |
| Rear
Brakes |
Single
255mm disc, Nissin single piston floating
caliper, (ABS model available) |
| ABS |
Independently
activated by front level and rear foot brake. |
Instrument
Panel
Information |
LCD
multi-functional instrument pack with digital
speedometer, trip computer, analogue tachometer,
gear position indicator, fuel gauge, service
indicator, TPMS ready, switchable ABS and
clock |
| Tyres,
front/rear |
Front
90/90 ZR 21 Rear 1150/70 ZR 17 Tubes |
| Seat
Height |
Adjustable
845mm (33.2in) - 865mm (34.0in) |
| Ground
clearance |
16.5cm |
| Wheel
Base |
1545mm
(60.8in) |
| Dry-Weight
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215kg
ready to ride |
| Fuel
Capacity |
19 Litres |
Price |
ZAR109
500 (ABS) - Mike Hopkins Motorcycles,
Finance Available |
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Click here to book a demo ride |
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Weight:
215kg
is well within the "Handle able"
range if you come across some wet mud or
soft sand along the way.
The Triumph
Tiger 800XC has enough power on tap
to feel like a much lighter bike, although
the centre of gravity is a little high it
was still very manageable in this deep (45cm)
water crossing.
Gladly Triumph kept the fuel tank small
which helps keep the top heavy feeling to
a minimum. It really handles like a much
lighter motorcycle, I'll give it that.
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Off
Road Handling:
At
speeds the bike is a pleasure to muscle
around on the dirt. The Tiger 800 has loads
of power so drifting around corners is a
piece of cake, and it remains well behaved
in most situations. With the very sensitive
throttle, it was a little tricky on the
rock crossings - but a little slip of the
clutch sorted out the rush of power.
Remember this bike was not design to be
ridden in 'Enduro" style trails and
singletrack - but technical or open gravel
roads the Tiger
800 is a formidable machine.
The 800XC is the perfect compromise between
comfort, power and light weight handling
on the rough. perhaps a total novice would
not feel so confident with the over sensitive
throttle. |
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Wind
Protection:
The standard
screen fitted to the Tiger 800XC is a little on the small
side. It feels like your riding a "Naked Bike"
and crash helmets with peaks can be an issue if you're not
used to tipping your head forward. The low rider accessory
seat may compensate for the short screen, but standard its
a bit small and offers little wind protection.
Bespoke screen adjuster mechanism which allows an adjustment
range of 47mm. price R2100.00 |
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Seat Height and Comfort:
The Adjustable
845mm (33.2in) - 865mm (34.0in) seat
is a grate positive aspect and will make most riders happy
to have at least the balls of their boots flat on the ground.
Additional accessory "Low Rider" seats are available
for the Tiger 800.
Comfort level is fantastic and I could easily do
600+ kilometers without batting an eyelid.
Handlebars and rider seat are both adjustable for optimal
rider comfort.
ABS
System off road:
The testing structure was identical to the
trials we did with the Explorer 1200. And because of the
difference in weight, the Tiger
800XC stopping distances were also shorter with
the ABS active.
The ABS is activated individually, by either the front lever
or rear foot brake. This makes for safe usage on loose gravel,
but again riders must take care to not over use the ABS,
the front end can become unstable if not held in check by
strong arms.
A disappointing feature is that you have to scroll through
many menu steps do disengage the ABS.
**Dust Issues** off road:
Since the launch of the Triumph Tiger 800Xc in Southern Africa - many riders have experienced issues with the standard paper air-filters clogging up, and the bike will not idle.
The solution is to do a replacement to the DNA oil type filter, and a foam pre-filter in the opening of the air-box, as well as a foam cover over the long snorkel under the seat, which is attached to the intake. Caution should still be taken for riders riding in formation off road.
DO NOT FOLLOW CLOSELY IN SOMEONE'S DUST STREAM. The pre-filter is not a guarantee that the bike wont clog up if exposed to excessive dust. Contact your local Triumph dealer for the conversion if you intend to do lots of gravel. |
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"The Triumph Tiger 800XC"
Beginner, intermediate
or even discerning expert riders will definitely get a kick
out of riding the Tiger
800XC. The bike is absolutely vibration free and has
plenty of power on hand. The throttle can be a bit too sensitive
in technical and slow riding situations.
On the Road - the Triumph 800XC is incredible
smooth like one would expect from a 3 cylinder. Triumph
are well know for their smoothness and the Tiger 800XC is
both smooth and powerful without being a huge intimidating
bike.
Overall General Opinion:
I think its safe to say that we will soon be seeing a strong
force of Triumph Tiger
800XC's on the gravel roads around Southern Africa.
Its a definite winner in its class and will far out perform
its competition. I personally am convinced it will be a
leader in the market place, Triumph Cape Town and SA just
need to get more demo's out there and let the riders experience
this Marvel of Middle class for what it is and can be. A
true champion.
....Test ride a Triumph
Tiger 800XC today - Call Mike Hopkins Motorcycles
- (021)
461 5167 |
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Download
Triumph Adventure and Touring E-Brochure (Tiger
1050, Tiger 800 *800XC, Tiger Explorer 1200) |
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Triumph
Motorcycles Roadside assistance plan, underwritten by
the AA.
Triumph Motorcycles South Africa offers a 2
year AA roadside assistance with the purchase
of any new Triumph motorcycle from an
official Triumph Dealer.
This assistance plan is linked to the motorcycle and can
therefore be transferred from owner to owner should you
sell your motorcycle. It expires after two years and can
be renewed for a further 2 years for approximately R500.
This plan is equivalent to the AA Advantage Standard Membership
Plan, except Triumph owners are covered for towing costs
of up to a 80km round trip, which is double that of the
standard assistance. Have a look on the AA website for
the benefits of this plan.
Should you want to buy the 2 year Triumph Motorcycle Roadside
Assistance plan kindly contact one of our dealers.
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