2008 Triumph Tiger Motorcycle reviews

I recently picked up an '08 Tiger ABS (Black) from a young fellow down in Sacramento, CA. It had only 3,800 miles on the clock and very clean. It's a great scooter. High gear roll-ons bring big grins. It came with factory hard bags and a centerstand. The stock windshield is worthless. I bought a Cee Bailey from a gent in Philly and he shipped it out to me. I still get some wind noise, but no more blast of air to the chest and the price was right. This bike a hoot to ride. The torque is just awesome. I played with the suspension a little. No complaints with the handling. Brakes are spot on. I sold my 650 V-Strom and still have my '07 ST 1300 for the long hauls. I'm retired and life is good. Show less

My 9th bike in 40 years; first Triumph. My last 4 bikes have been BMW (R12RT, R12GS, K12RS & K75S) and the Tiger is a fine blend of the strengths of these beemers. The only major improvement needed in the Tiger is a rebuild of the front suspension (50% under-sprung by static sag measurement at my weight of 170 lb I installed proper weighted fork springs and gold valve haudraulics; front suspension is now the equal of any sport bike. Stock rear susp is properly sprung for my solo riding, but shock damping adjustments should be reworked. I use my Tiger as a demo bike in teaching Total Control classes, so suspension is pushed a little. More casual riders might not notice suspension issues. The engine is very flexible and a hoot to rev. A bit jerky rolling on at low rpm. Shifting is considerably better than BMW, but not saddle. Gets lots of compliments esp amongst riders, many who have not seen a Tiger in person. No regrets buying this bike. Show less

Have read the other reviews and I think when a bike first comes out the new owners are excited and have a built in bias. After puting some miles on a bike an owner can be more objective. This bike is an all around bike and therefore not a perfect tourer or a sport bike and is no longer marketed as a dual purpose off road bike. What it is, is a bike that can do most everything, except off road, much better than any thing else. I have owned more than 35 bikes over the years. The cons of this bike are the stock lighting, pillion comfort, height, and for some, suspension. All of these issues can easily be addressed for not that much money. Less than $600 if one is so inclined. The stock suspension, once adjusted, will be more than acceptable for the average rider. Lowering plates about $100, Hid lights $80.00, Seat $3-400. Unlike earlier Tigers, luggage is an option and to each his own. Many options available. There is a goodly amount of after market farkels to be had now, but not much by Harley standards. Enough to make it any kind of bike you want. The pros are a strong, well proven engine that gives the average rider all the grunt one needs. It handles on a par of some sports bikes and a decent rider can go through the twisties with best of them. It does have 115hp. but can be kicked up fairly easily if one desires it. The ergos are very good for long range touring and the stock seat is one of the best I have ridden. The wind protection works for some but others find it noisy. Finding the right screen for any bike is a constant trial and error as it is for any bike but there are options available on the aftermarket. The market for Tigers is strange since many are not sold in the U.S. but overseas it has gotten great reviews even 4 years after its introduction. I can say that I know 5 Triumph mechanics and 4 of them own Tigers. A used one is very good deal. Show less

I have had the tiger for 10 months and have enjoyed the ride a bunch! The tiger is truly an all round ride with plenty of power, good ergos, and decent mileage. The riding position is comfortable on all day rides, and with aftermarket windshield, the air flow is clean and enough to feel like a motorcycle, but without beating you to a pulp with buffeting. I would recommend the tiger to anyone who is in the market for a commuter, road bike or to just putter around locally, it does it all and very well. I am consistently getting 50ish/gallon, depending on the right wrist, and better on longer rides. The only down thing is the H7 and H9 bulbs in the headlamps, and they can easily be replaced without a major undertaking. 4 screws for each bulb, and no disassembly of the fairing, a 5 minute fix. Show less

This is my first bike. I wanted to combat gas prices. I completed the basic motorcycle class two weeks before taking delivery. I am so glad I got this bike. It is the perfect commuter. I was working on some bridges this summer with really rough access roads and it was great. I was on one with 6 inches of sand and some of the big 4x4 trucks were getting stuck and I eased right out of there. I took it to Deals Gap and did lots of rain riding and it handled great. On the way home I did 965 miles from Deals Gap to Appleton, WI. And that's with a bad detour through south Chicago. I split traffic in Indianapolis safely. I got a whole lot of thumbs up from Hondas to Harley choppers and even some mopeds. don't let others ride it; the power is surprising if you hit that throttle. But it is surprisingly smooth for me being a first time rider. It averages 40-48 mpg for me. Show less

This is my fourth Triumph and they get better all the time. The 1050 power is great, gearing on this bike lets you creep to 2k rpm in 6th and take off without shifting. It rides really nice and easy although some heavyweights riding two up want more spring. Seat height is 33 inches so I had my winter boots resoled since they needed it anyways and the sole is a little thicker. My inseam is 30 inches. Handling is fine. I did replace the windscreen with an MRA Vario to reduce turbulence. It's fast, comfortable, and great looking. You can ride all day with no complaints or sore body. Show less