Triumph Tiger 1050 ABS SE reviews

2018 didn't have much competition in the 800 ish cc class of off road oriented Adventure bikes. It was the first year of Triumph's 3rd generation Tiger 800, and XCA was the most well equipped off road oriented version of the middleweight Tiger. It's only other direct competition was the BMW F 850 GS Adventure. The next closest competitor was the KTM 1090 Adventure which was lighter and more powerful. There was also the Honda Africa Twin in 1000 cc, Compared to these other bikes, I think the only one that really bested it was the KTM 1090 Adventure. I think the Tiger was geared slightly too high, so I recommend dropping two teeth on the rear sprocket for lower speed technical prowess, and upgrading the rear shock. The display was great. after 15k miles I never had a problem. I recommend installing upper crash bars so you don't have to worry about damage when you crash. Engine is fun and exhilarating. Handled all trails. The KTM 1090 Adventure was the one to beat in performance, but I loved the overall package of the Triumph Tiger 800. Show less

I own and have owned several bikes over the years. The Tiger 800Xcs is impressive in that it does it all. On the street or highway commute, coastal highway, or off road camping it has been a blast. Triumphs legendary triple cylinder engine performs no matter what you do with it. Even two up it’s got plenty of goose to get you going. It does well touring the highways and dives into the corners with ease, responsive throttle and breaking promotes confidence and thrill. Fully equipped - fog lights, heated grips, cruise control, off road engine guard,/package, fender extender, two power ports, 3 aluminum (Triumph) bags/trunk and more will cost a little more but you have all the trimmings for a great all around motorcycle. Off road the bike has multiple settings to release traction control, abs and set it up old school if you like. It’s the only thing I have issue with is that when you shut off the motor it defaults back to full traction control and abs. Otherwise - love the choices. Hard steering and peg riding comes intuitive for experienced riders. That being said, the traction control is a nice feature that helps avoid rear end spin out when off the line or in wet corners. Ask me how I know!!! Guarantee - you will return from a test ride thoroughly pleased. Selling one in Washington check it out on Cycle Trader. Show less

The 2020 Triumph Tiger 900 is perfectly balanced for the re-entry rider as well as the experienced rider. The triumph tiger is geared just right to be responsive on the highway and the right amount of low end torque for the off road situations. The ergonomics are designed for a comfortable long distance and designed to keep you protected from the wind. The Tiger 900 sturdy enough for the highway and nimble enough for the dirt. To me the tiger 900GT is the perfect bike for the rider that doesn't want to be limited by top heavy hard to balance adventure bikes. I always looked forward to riding it. Show less

First comment is that this review site, along with CycleTrader itself, has motorcycle categories that have not kept up with market trends and definitions. Adventure style or type motorcycles are not selectable as a category which leaves them misplaced wherever else one puts them for sale or reviewing. That is a very large number of motorcycles, so shame on cycletrader for this oversight. As for the Triumph Tiger 800 xc, reviews are readily found on the internet at other sites, so people really should go there. As for my personal experience with the bike, I have owned approximately forty motorcycles over the years in the groups of dirt bikes, scooters, standards, sport bikes, sport touring, on and off road, classics, Japanese and European. Even as a younger rider, comfort was important to me and all the bikes I have owned over the past 20 years have gravitated even more in that direction. The Triumph Tiger is one of the motorcycles that exemplifies quality in every possible area as a street bike. Enough power for solid acceleration from any speed due to a strong low and mid-range; gearing that makes interstate travel pleasant, i.e. not revving beyond it's comfort zone for vibration. This bike's suspension soaks up large and small bumps compliantly without excessive front end diving or bottoming or rebound stiffness. It turns quickly but is not twitchy due to it's tire sizes and geometry. It is slightly top heavy at low speeds, but heavy enough to be stable at all speeds in windy conditions. Seat and handlebar vibration are minimal. I have not experienced the stock windscreen as I nearly always change that for added wind protection. Tire choices are adequate for the stock rim sizes for either a street bias or off road work. The xc model has spoke rims that can take tubeless tires---nice, if harder to keep clean. The Tiger has a larger than average fuel tank capacity and gets excellent fuel mileage on regular gas----that feature won't be found on most other bikes in this class, the smaller vstrom notwithstanding. Versatility won't matter to some riders, particularly those who think fun only comes at speeds 20 over the limit on public roads. For those of us who want to keep our licenses and our bodies intact, while still getting the excitement that two wheel speed can create, the Triumph Tiger is a standout motorcycle. Reliability is top notch, servicing costs are average, home maintenance ease or difficulty is better than average. Should readers want any additional feedback, I will try to be helpful. Enjoy safe and fun riding one and all. Show less

Having spent 25 years on liter bikes sport touring I developed an interest in ghost towns in the western US. This required a different type bike as gravel roads and sport bikes don’t mix. I test rode several of the popular big bore dual sport bikes, BMW, VStom etc. while they all had their advantages, to me they felt top heavy and awkward in slow going. I took a test ride on a Tiger 800 and loved it! It felt light nimble and for an 800 had some real punch!. Having since put nearly 40,000 miles on my 2014 tiger800 both gravel roads and canyon carving I can honestly say this bike has been a delight. The stock suspension was a little soft for me and I had custom seats made as my wife felt the rear seat was too hard and set too low. For long distance riding cruise control would’ve been nice but certainly not a deal killer. Don’t listen to the twin cylinder guys who tell you the Tiger 800 does not have enough mid range torque for single trailing, just keep it in its torque curve and you can keep up with the best of them. This bike is very happy between 5000 and 8000 RPM. To date it has been Stone reliable. I have no complaints and would recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a great smaller displacement bike with plenty of power. Show less

One of the best Sport tourer in the market . Very agile very positive feed back from chassy without the bags and amazing gas mileage with lots of option and comfort you can ride this bike for ours without getting tired . The negative side for me is the weight of the side bags they are very heavy and extremely hard to move them around specially if you have your stuff in it overall for the guy who had Kawasaki Concours and fjr ill take Trophy all day long not as fast as kawasaki but better handling without the bags for sure and much smoother than fjr if you are in the market for tourer dont miss Triumph Trophy give it a try Show less

Have about a thousand miles riding it so far but I love it. Hard decision to trade my Triumph Thunderbird LT but no regrets. Bike rides and handles like a dream. Have ridden interstates, rural highways, and twisty mountain routes and it felt at home on all of them. Total thumbs up on this bike. Show less

Bought the Trophy 8 months ago and have about 2,300 miles on it now. Also have a Honda ST1300A plus two cruisers. The handling on the Triumph is outstanding. Much quicker than other sport tourers I've ridden. The foot pegs could be a little lower but I have long legs. The engine is really smooth and has a broad range of power. With heated bars and seat, along with the great fairing protection, it's comfortable riding in the 20s. Haven't had the first problem with it although I still haven't mastered Triumph's programing system for the bike. Show less

I purchased the Tiger 800XR after test driving several different makes and models. I'm 6' tall and 200 pound slim built man. I tried a cruiser but at the recommendation of the salesperson, I tried the Tiger and I'm glad I did. I like how it fits me. The power is smooth and I can keep up with larger bikes. My hits against the model is the suspension. Triumph only put adjustable front suspension on the XC models. The shocks are aggressive on bumpy roads. What I did find is that after I bought and installed the side cases and add some weight, the ride smoothed out a lot. I have only driven it a little over 3000 miles but have taken it on a few weekend trips and I don't feel fatigued after 3 hours on the road (I do stop every hour to let my legs straighten out). I wish I had spent a little more money and bought the XRx model that includes cruise control and self canceling turn signals. Not big deal breakers but still I wish I had. I like the detail of the Tiger. I would buy one again. Show less

I had ridden and compared nearly every sport touring bike in this category. It came down to three bikes - the Yamaha FJR 1300, the BMW R1200 RT and the new Triumph Trophy SE. The Yamaha leaned further to the sport side and lacked a lot of the extras that come standard on the Triumph and BMW. The BMW came the closest but after optioning it out with everything that came standard on the Trophy SE the Triumph ultimately won out in the end. The Trophy SE has more power and torque spread over a wider rpm range and the big triple has a nice throaty exhaust note like ripping canvas. I also love the infotainment system however the learning curve was a bit steep in the beginning but it's all second nature to me now. I can ride this big Triumph for hours without fatigue. Despite its size and weight it loves to be flogged in the twisties thanks to its great steering geometry and low center of gravity. One season down with the Triumph Trophy SE and am looking forward to many more! Show less