Torqueing-up the Tiger
Matt’s been working through niggles as he gets to know RIDE’S long-term Tiger
MY SECOND MONTH of Tiger custodianship has proved enlightening, with more than a few issues addressed over the last four weeks and 632 miles. The first was the service light, which after the previous editor Simon disconnected the battery to fit a sat nav, wouldn’t go out. Even a dealer couldn’t fix it and new clocks were mooted. But the answer was easy and supplied by RIDE reader Dave Cusdin.
When Simon reset the time after he reconnected the power, it seems he forgot to set the date, which went back to the default of April 2000. Of course, this didn’t tally with the bike’s diagnostics and triggered the service light as one part of the bike was convinced that the other was 18 years late for a service... Easy fix #1.
Next was the exhaust, which erm, fell off. It had been working itself loose for a while without me noticing but held until the day the collector and link pipe parted company. There is no inherent design error here, simply at some point before I took the keys the silencer had been taken off and put back on without tightening up the clamp enough, allowing it to work loose. I assume it was when the panniers were fitted or the rear tyre was changed, but it was sorted before any damage was done. Easy fix #2.
Next was the topbox, which had a worryingly amount of play in it. There should be some – it’s mounted on rubber — but this had far too much; I could hear it clattering and banging over bumps. An extra quarter of a turn on the mounting bolts remedied that. The box is good though: big enough for a lid and the foam liner means I’m happy to fill it full of laptops and testing gear. Easy fix #3.
The only real downside is that it uses a different key to the fuel tank, which is frustrating and sums up the whole key situation of the Triumph well. The fact that there is a keyless ignition system is great but you still need a key for the fuel tank and underseat area is insane and needing an extra key just adds to the silliness. This
should all be much better.
It was time to change the Avon Trailriders. They had provided tenacious grip and good feel but had squared off in 3000 miles. In the end, I plumped for dual-purpose Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRS – we had a pair in the RIDE lock-up and I was intrigued to see how their knobbly design would cope with a bike that weighs 280kg fully-fuelled. The answer has been mostly positive — with a much rounder profile than the worn Avons they behave themselves better over camber changes and steer well. Thanks to the high silica content, their wet grip is very good too.
However, there isn’t quite as much feel mid-corner as there would be on a more road-biased tyre and during really quick riding and fast direction changes, you can feel the tread blocks flex. There is also less stability during hard acceleration, too – and all this means the bike feels a little less fun on the road than it did on the Avons and makes you less likely to explore the bike’s dynamics. But the benefits of an adventure bike that’s actually capable of adventure might outweigh the disadvantages. I’ll find out soon, when I take the Tiger (gentle) green-laning, which on these tyres, even this heavyweight should handle.