Though still relatively young in India, the global resurgence of Triumph has been an interesting story to track. With its portfolio looking solid, including the one in India, here is its next big thing - the upgraded Tiger 800 series bikes. The outgoing models, the Tiger 800 XC and the Tiger Explorer XC, will be replaced by updated variants. Triumph's bestseller - the Tiger 800 range - was recently launched at the EICMA show in Milan, and we got a chance to ride two out of the four new exciting additions i.e. the fully-loaded Tiger 800 XRx and the XCx.
The tourer, XRx, looks fairly dynamic though the styling changes are minimal except the new finishes to the engine and the frame. The instrument panel doesn't look too cluttered despite the fact that bike comes packed with features, including an advanced trip computer, 3 configurable rider modes, auto-cancel turn signals, cruise control, hand guards, an adjustable windscreen, and two 12-volt power sockets.
The trip computers on the X variants display additional information like journey time, average speed, mileage, range to empty and instantaneous fuel consumption. The quality of the switches is impressive but the buttons are not exactly within reach when riding. Also the new gadgetery on-board can be quite intimidating at first, and takes some time to get used to. The subtle changes to the design also add functionality; for example, the fuel tank styling ducts to draw hot air from the engine away from the legs. The radiator area is a bit more wider to streamline more air to cool the engine.
The Tiger 800 XRx is more focused on riding with quite a bit of adventure biking character thrown in, but one of the major improvements is the engine refinement and efficiency. It is quieter, quicker and very responsive, which is coupled with very precise gear shifts. Triumph has also managed to boost efficiency on the Tiger by 17 per cent, so you get over 430Kms to ride, once you fill up the 19-litre tank. That said, the Triumph Tiger is a big and tall bike, and shorter riders may struggle a bit. However, you can adjust the seat to the riding position you prefer by about 20 mm. Once on the saddle, it's nice and easy riding stance and perfect for long rides.
Also what's really new and exciting is the availability of traction control and switchable ABS on all four models
The four throttle maps include Rain, Road, Sport, and Off-Road. The Rain map reduces the throttle response to suit wet and slippery situations, the Road setting is extremely linear and smooth for regular riding, and Sport mapping offers a sharper and quicker response with less of an actual throttle twist required. The Off-Road setting provides the optimal throttle response to face dirt tracks and unpaved terrains. These modes can be changed even when riding by pressing a button on the instrument panel followed by the release of the throttle and pull of the clutch lever.