Should I of shouldnt I?

[sagalout]

Just taken a Triumph Tiger 900 for a test ride

This one was truly mint - an often overused expression but this is - looks brand new (its a 2000 plate with 12k miles) and has all the color coded official luggage with it too. Got to say I really enjoyed it. Took if for about 30 miles around the dales. The first 5 miles I just thought "nah, this isnt for me" but then you start to adapt your style to the engine and softly sprung suspension and realise its a lot of fun - scraped the pegs at one point lol. The comfort is lovely, and the view of the road really does help plan smooth safe overtakes. Its not got the power of the ZX9 (obviously) but the 900cc triple is still a lovely engine, pulling from 2K to the redline very smoothly. Plenty of grunt for getting round cars, but runs out of steam over about 110 - definitely more chance of keeping my license with this!

So what brought it on? Well, partly the run to the lakes at the weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the bike behaved impeccably, but I noticed that James following on the TDM850 looked so much more comfortable and was keeping up easy enough. I think I'm beginning to realise that outright power isnt anywhere as important of torque and drive out of corners, and the Tiger certainly has bags of that. Also, whilst the ZX9 is very fast, it only really likes being ridden that way - the suspension seems to start working above 80mph and much below that you feel every impefection in the road. This means you dont really go out for a ride so much as a blast, and after getting back from one of the most beautiful places in the UK I realised I hadnt actually noticed that much of it lol. I also want to start touring more, and whilst the ZX9 is comfy by sportsbike standards, its still not what you'd call proper touring material.

My only reservation about the Tiger is that its, shall we say, not the prettiest of bikes. The 1050 is certainly much better in the looks department, but I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the 900 felt. I've ridden a 1050 round a track, and the leap from the 900 to 1050 is nowhere near as huge as the magazine reviewers make out. Sure, its a bit stiffer and has a bit more topend, but there is otherwise a very very similar feel to them.

So I have to decide now whether to chop in the ZX9, a bike I've loved for the last 6 months, but needs money spending on it - new chain and sprockets, slightly worrying intermittent gearbox issue, and blowing downpipes that need replacing or welding

[veeeffarr]

Go halfway and try the 955i

[sagalout]

955 looks identical to the 900 though. Its only the 1050 that looks really nice. Plus this one is as minty as minty can be:

https://images.nxgn-ltd.com/getimg.asp?PIC_ID=12554321&WIDTH=800&HEIGHT=600&BGCOLOR=FFFFFF

[Bendy]

Do it, but make sure you go to some far away places to justify all that hard luggage.

[Wave2k]

Id much rather a BMW RG1150 GS
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[sagalout]

Bought it

I decided to take the ZX9 on the same route I'd just taken the tiger, for a direct comparison whilst the Tiger was fresh in my mind. By halfway round I knew the Tiger was the bike for me (for now!). A lot of the roads I go on are B roads and not the best quality, and where the Triumph was just soaking them up, the 9 was banging and crashing through them. I just wanted to be back on the Tiger, in armchair comfort, feeling that lovely triple pulling me through the bends.

So rode straight to the shop, got my debit card out and rode out on the Tiger

Few pics - not the best as taken in the garage as its just about to rain. Think I'll take the opportunity whilst its so clean to give it a good dose of ACF50 in the morning. I cant belive how good the finish is - there isnt a single rust bolt/fastener or furred bit of aluminium on the bike anywhere.


Not exactly pretty:

https://farm2.static.flickr.com/1095/975383671_c48fd79f28.jpg

But what an engine

https://farm2.static.flickr.com/1020/976244668_40cf2eb6af.jpg

Nice clear dash:

https://farm2.static.flickr.com/1244/976246380_a187a5e3e2.jpg

Not looking forward to cleaning the spokes!

https://farm2.static.flickr.com/1274/976248122_c3571727e2.jpg

So clean:

https://farm2.static.flickr.com/1313/976249572_72ea5262c8.jpg

Big arse lol:

https://farm2.static.flickr.com/1242/976251702_63addd1e03.jpg

[St0rmer66]

Poor ZX9R. What happened to having 2 bikes then? Hope you're going to be fast enough to lead us on rideouts still! . You'll have to bring it round and show me some time in the week.

Were you just taking the ZX9R to the shop (Stianos?) when I saw you earlier on? I was just going out for a blast myself .
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:: Honda XR 125 L ('53) => Kawasaki GPZ 500S ('02) => Suzuki SV650S ('00) => Aprilia RSV-R ('51) ::

[sagalout]

Yeah, I was just finishing a last quick blast on my way to the shop.

Actually bought it from Acklams. I'll miss the ZX9 for sure, but I definitely want to do more touring/exploration, plus this just seems like such a nice roadbike that isnt going to cost me much to maintain.

Dont worry about the speed - its still a 900cc - the same engine as was in the Speed triple and the Daytona, its just got the power lower down. i think in real world situations it will make progress just as quickly as the ZX9

[St0rmer66]

[McJamweasel]

The Tigers are a very good bike and definitely under-rated, it looks like you've got a really good example there too. How much was that if you don't mind me asking.

[sagalout]

£3500 - top price for the 900, but the condition really is pretty unique and the luggage is worth a bit. Looking around autotrader I couldnt find anything better for similar money.

Stormer - I'm realising now that top end isnt where the enjoyment is, at least on the road. This bike will do about 120, and gets to it quite quickly - and its 89bhp so will still be a fair bit more powerful than yours Thats fast enough for the road, but its the constant torque and relaxed nature of the engine thats addictive. I've done some silly speeds on the 9, and it will only end in tears or losing my license. Think back to Sunday and the speeds we were doing on the the Ingleton > Hawes road. Do you really need/want to go any faster than that? It was pretty exhilerating at speeds well within the tigers capability.

....and you complain about aches from the GPZ so dont be giving me that youth/supple/sportbike thing haha

Think is, theres so many different types of bikes to try these days, it seems a shame that so many people only stick to sportsbikes without trying some of the others, whereas our friends on the continent seem to forgoe the pose value and buy better road bikes.

Having said all that, once we've got our house deposit saved up I might buy a cheap track bike and trailer next year.

The 9 did feel quite comfy - until I'd done 30 miles on the Tiger and then got back on it! Then it felt hard and uncompromising, especially on those roads around Summerbridge/Darley/Sunn inn.

[St0rmer66]

[sagalout]

[St0rmer66]

[st3v3]

Hope it doesn't cause any nasty accidents. Nice clean ride there sagalout
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Roger wrote: Women don't get damp for clingy puppies. Get some better happy pills, hit the gym & buy a medallion the size of a dinner plate. Job done

[hmmmnz]

but look at the torque specs
wicked bike mate, i'd raher have a tiger than my zxr any day
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