‘I OWN A TIGER 850 SPORT…
…and it does everything I need it to’
Age 64 Height 5ft 8in Current bike 2012 Suzuki Bandit 1250 and Triumph Tiger 850 Sport Been riding 47 years First bike Suzuki Stinger 125
Dream bike A garage with every bike I’ve ever owned in it!
“I put a hold deposit down on a Tiger 900GT after a quick test ride but the dealer offered me a poor exchange on my Bandit 1250 and then Covid-19 hit, so I decided to hold on to my money and see what the world was like after the pandemic. During this time I bought a used 2018 Tiger 800XRT, which was in mint condition, fullyloaded and cheap.
“I’m a road rider but as I live in Australia you end up on gravel paths a fair amount of the time so an adventure bike makes sense and I found myself using the Tiger for touring and day rides, not commuting, and solo-only riding. “While getting the 800 serviced I saw the new 850 Sport in the dealership and I was sold as it was a huge visual improvement on the 800. I liked the 800’s TFT dash and the heated grips but I never used the heated seats, cruise control or the quickshifter, so the pared-back Sport was ideal for me – once I’d added heated grips. The Sport is less top-heavy than the 800 and feels lighter while the new motor has more low-down grunt and I like the slight vibes through the bars and pegs, it adds character. My only grumble is the TFT dash, the rev counter is naff and hard to read and I wish it had the ability to show a navigation map as I am forced to use a Quadlock and Google Maps instead on my phone.”