Slow start, smart finish
The Tiger is still shinning bright despite a rudimentary cleaning regime
With the current lockdown at an end, I’ve begun hatching plans to get out and at least do some riding before saying good riddance to 2020.
The bike having sat idle in the garage for the last month of restrictions, I took the time to give the handsome looking Tiger 900 a once-over.
The voltmeter showed a healthy 12.69v but for the sake of a couple of minutes I hooked up my Optimate charger just to ensure the battery was in good health, especially given how electrically loaded the Triumph is. With heated grips and heated rider and pillion seats to power plus some heated riding kit, the last thing you want to do is run down the battery and hit trouble starting the engine.
With 3000 miles showing on the odometer, it still feels like I’ve only scratched the surface of what the Triumph is capable of. My adventures so far have included camping and a couple of days off road where the machine has found itself axledeep in mud and filthy water. I have to confess I’m not a lover of cleaning bikes and while I’ll always do what is necessary to keep them functioning correctly, I’m definitely not one to sit in the garage polishing. I’m a rider not a cloth botherer! With that in mind I was impressed to see how the Tiger has fared after six months of on and off use in all weathers. Although the looks have grown on me, I wasn’t sure about the bright white frame. My concern was that although it looked a million dollars when I first saw the bike at the end of last year parked up under the lights at Motorcycle Live, I wasn’t sure it was the way to go on an adventure bike. I was worried my hard plastic encased enduro boots would soon eat into and scratch that flashy white finish. But my scepticism was misplaced and there are zero signs of wear or scuffs. On close inspection I have to say I’m impressed with the finish; there’s no rust spots creeping in and even the exhaust headers, although discoloured, look in tidy condition despite the exposure they get.
The next couple of months will prove a further test of the impressive finish of the Tiger. With temperatures plummeting and overnight gritting now becoming common place, we’ll have to see how good that white frame looks come Spring.
‘I have to confess I’m not a lover of cleaning bikes’