Living With The Tiger Explorer, 2 Years and 11k miles later
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- Опубліковано 19 вер 2017
- Well, I've had my big Tiger Explorer for 2 years now, and together we've covered 11,000 miles. So how does Richard Parker shape up now that we've shared some real time together?
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Thank you so much for this review! I don't know if you would've expected it to be useful for people 5 years later, but here we are. Tons of respectable information from a long time owner, and I also really like the down to earth point of view of the bike in general, and about the "lack" of some stuff that's on newer bikes. I've been riding bikes for 21 years now, but owned only sport bikes. I still have my Daytona 675 and I love it to death, I will keep it, but I started playing with the thought of getting into touring as well, and maybe ditching 4 wheels for the warm season and getting around on 2 wheels more. With the practicality and potential luggage space this bike offers for this price, I am more and more likely to buy a first generation Tiger 1200 next spring. The shaft drive is a must have for me, when I think of touring bikes, so that's a big plus as well. Having talked to a few owners recently, I am confident I will really like it.
Thank you again!
Thanks for your brilliant review I pick up my 1st triumph tiger 12 nxt week and after watching your vid you have convinced me I made the right choice over a multistage which the wife liked so happy biking chap thanks 😊
Enjoy your new bike. Mine is still going strong 👍
@VeeFour so looking forward to picking her up Fri even though the weather forecast is crappie
Any suggestions on where I can get some engine bars please
very good review of the big Tiger. I bought the 2015 end of stock type deal you have and used it for tours and my daily 80 mile round trip commute. When my job changed, I chopped the Tiger in for a Rocket 3, a bike i had previously owned. It was one of those pivitol moments when riding away from the dealers that although i do love the Rockets I knew i was going to miss the Tiger tremendously. I went back last week to my dealer and watched the mechanics take apart a 40,00 Tex for its big service. all the engine components were mint, fastners intact and non furred. Mech told me they have one comes in that has over 80k on it now, still going very strong. Just done a deal on the Rocket for the newly serviced Tex.
Good to see y back big falla, love the triumph
Thanks for the information a really open honest video a big thumbs up
Great review of the Gen 1. The 2018 onwards Gen 3 has a perfect seat with the new internal mesh design, superbly comfortable.
Yes, the extra toys on the latest generation are a great addition. I'd like them but not enough to take the massive hit in trading my 2015 in as it still ticks all the boxes for me 👍
A very good and Frank review thank you. I am just about to get one of these and can,t wait to get out on it.
Thanks Andrew. This was just a bit of a long term progress report, my proper full review was done 2 years ago after I I rode it down to the Algarve from Manchester. It's a bit more in depth and you can watch it here if you want
ua-cam.com/video/9wT0YnooOE8/v-deo.html
Brilliant, informed review. Thanks for that.
Thank you, and you're very welcome 👍
Simply put, a great review. Tell it like it is! Very engaging style, not too technical, I liked the candor in your user experience, and learned a lot. The Tiger is up there with the Stelvio and GS for my next bike. Based on this, I think I'd opt for the Tiger. Probably for the same reason I don't own a Mac phone or computer. Would like to have heard your impressions about the weight, especially the centre of gravity vs. the other bikes in this league. Nice job, thanks!
You're very welcome, I'm glad that I could be of help in your choices. I was looking at the new Explorer at Motorcycle Live the other day, and I like the new touches like LED lights and the TFT dash, and the styling is better to in my opinion
VeeFour, you're so right about the weight shift. Been doing it on my Tiger 1050 now doing it on my new Tex XRt. btw, the electronic suspension is amazing! You should upgrade if you can.
I agree with the weight shifting I do it on my bike all the time on tight corners and it works fantastically, you also feel much more in control and you don’t have to drop the speed in the corner so much
Thanks for an informative video. My Explorer has just had it's second birthday also, so it's nice to hear the views on a fellow Tiger owner. Mine has just had it's second service at Youles and unfortunately the front discs have warped slightly, so I'm hoping Triumph will replace them under warranty and I also have a slight problem with second gear occasionally hitting neutral instead of second. Test ride by mechanic didn't show up the fault typically. Still love the big 'old girl though. Hoping to get out for a trip down south to the Ace Cafe sometime soon. 👍
I've never had a single issue with mine yet (touch wood)
Get my explorer in 3 weeks and I enjoyed this video, well done mate….I’m itching to get out
It is good to see videos like this with bikes that are over 2 years old rather than new bikes, I recently sold my excellent 1200 explorer after 2 years of ownership then looked at and test rode the competition, otions were the KTM1290s, awsome bike but let down by no shaft drive too much plastic plus limited choice of colours, then there was the Multistrada 1200 and 950 again top bikes but I just couldn't live with the ugly looks of those machines, also no shaft and too much plastic, theAfrica twin another great looking bike but again too much plastic and very cheap looking, which then left the BMW GS1200A yes it has shaft drive, not to ugly, fantastic machine to ride, not too much plastic, but after owning two 2-year-old GS's in the past I needed something reliable with good electrics, good build quality, good after sales and less image issue plus try and exchange a BMW to a non-BMW dealer, so in the end I bought another Explorer this time the 2nd generation model and I love it. Please note this is just my opinion.
I have a ‘15 as well. I have 22K miles on her. I agree with all your comments. It rides well and when I take my wife on a long trip the bike gets great gas mileage and NOT once have I ever felt like it was wanting anything. Smooth ride and very comfortable. I agree with you regarding the seat. I have often wondered why doesn’t Triumph just include the gel comfort seat? For that matter why don’t all manufacturers include a comfort seat. (This one is a sore spot :-). Thanks for the great review.
Jim W. Thanks for the watch fellow Tiger buddy 👍
About the comment on weight shifting making the handling better: I can 100% confirm this. It's honestly like night and day, and like you said, we're not talking about knee-down, just move your cheeks 2-3 inches
Great review bro.
I had the 2015 XC model and loved it went touring Europe on it , now own the 2017 model and it is even better than the last , however test road the BMW r 1200 gs and that will be my next bike , that being said it will be a while before that happens ,I also ride like I stole sometimes and totally agree with your assessment
David Weddell I do like the new current version, it's the best looking Tiger yet imo, and the new dash is great. However there's to much life left in my 2015 to warrant trading it in yet
Thanks for the review, just ordered a 2015 model with 16000 miles and all the extras. A real bargain under £7000.
Enjoy 👍
Morning veefour.....just had a quote this morning from the hogfather , southport, 20k all in service £414......it’s a lot cheaper than triumph...just need to check a few reviews 👍🏍
I own a late December 2014 tiger 1200, nothing is a problem leaning this bike near to the rims... Period!
my friends look at the tires and say... seriously that low!
YES, IAM THAT CONFIDENT. And this bike with confidence will deliver.
This bike rewards confidence (and good tyres)
sorry if you had mentioned this in the video and i missed it... but how much mileage a tank are you getting ?
Nice balanced review. I agree with most of what you say and it's good to hear other perspectives. However, we ain't all built the same e.g. some of us have more 'natural' padding around our arses and comfort is a very personal thing. So whilst a 'comfort seat' might be better for you it ain't necessarily so for all of us, which means it's good to have options. And, 11k in two years, you need to get out and ride more LOL Keep 'em comin' dude :)
Well I have been splitting my time between this and a R1, it's a terrible situation to be in :)
You're right that comfort is a personal thing, which is why it's important to find a dealer who will give you a couple of hours on a bike, because you can't make an informed decision based on a ride around the block
Absolutely right and I struggled to find a dealer who would let me have more than a run around the block on a used m/c. Eventually I found one; had the bike for a whole afternoon, but was pretty much sold after the first 10 mins. I ridden GS's, RT's and the like but the Tiger came out top in my book! So I now split my riding time between the Tiger and a Kawasaki Z1000SX, 18k miles total in the last year; my best for a few years.
Hi VF, I got the xc in green in September 2016 (a 2014 model with 8k miles ) I’ve had a lot of bikes over the years from a gold star to a gold wing and many in between and I’ve got to tell you , this bike beats em all hands down when taken as an all round package , I found myself nodding in agreement at virtually everything that you said , especially the bit about having to pay extra for the comfort seat , perhaps there are more masochists out there than we realise and that Triumph are pandering to the majority audience and we are the odd ones out LOL,
But then again , call me sceptical and yes , they’re just making money out of us because they can ....
I also put the xc pegs on and found them to be a huge improvement, which beggars the question, why didn’t they fit them in the first place , Answer , cos they can , yet another way of making more money out of us !The other aftermarket item I fitted was the Rox Risers , the bars are raised slightly and are canted backwards slightly and have proved to be hugely beneficial to my on bike posture and in reducing neck and upper arm ache , well worth the £90 (ouch ) price tag . ( no need for brake / clutch line replacement, there is just enough slack to accommodate them ) . Fully recommended whatever height rider you are .
Really enjoyed the vid and am now a subscriber as of when I send this reply but feel the need to disagree on one subject you brought up , given the mileage you’d done on the original tyres , and they must’ve been completely shot , what possessed you to set off on a tour of Scotland with them still fitted ? Don’t think I would’ve gone further than the bike shop to get a new set fitted before heading out....... You didn’t mention what you thought of the Michelins? They’re the ones I have on mine and must say that I’m well impressed. re.The brakes , couldn’t agree more , lack initial bite and feel and slow to haul you to a stop , think they call it “adrenaline assisted “braking LOL . I chucked the original pads away and replaced them with EBC HH sintered , double the price of the crappy Nissin ones but after initial warm up they give far and away better performance , well worth the money..
Cheers for now C.
Charlie Farlie Thanks Charlie for a great comment. I've been sucking my teeth for some time now over bar risers, and i think that you've convinced me to look into the ones you mentioned. As for the tires? Well, The trip up to Scotland was a real spur of the moment thing and to be honest, I forgot about the tires but even shot to ribbons the original Tourance provided plenty of grip, they were just a bit dicey on initial turn in due to thd rear being squared off. When I did this vid the Pirrelis had done less than 20 miles, so I was reserving comment until I'd tried them for longer, but now that I have they might just be my go to road tire from now on, as I love the feedback I get from them.
VeeFour eyup , detecting a huge amount of comedy here but best be safe than sorry, it’s a fine line between a reasonable amount of grip and bringing your bike home in a skip LOL . Please don’t do it again... BTW ,Michelin pilot road trail 4s are made by Michelin not Pirelli , the clue is in the word Michelin LOL . Definitely go for the bar risers , it almost becomes another bike , I’m 6’ 1” and they are well worth the money ( I know Rox aren’t the cheapest but they’re American quality at its best ) . Good thing is , you’ll get at least half your money back when you sell em on eBay when you finally decide its time for the big cat to go so it’s a win win really. C
Great bike 👍🏍 just bought a 2016 , done NC500 last week (1400miles all in with camping gear etc) never missed a beat. Awesome!!! Just one question, mines due a 20000 mile service, can you recommend? Expensive quotes from youles and staff triumph ....
The one big problem with Triumphs...the servicing costs are a bit steep. I've only ever used Youles, and I need to find an alternative for 20k because I'm not giving it to them. So if you find a good one, let me know
Veefour u know i have a few bikes but to get rid of the tiger never and u love the 2015 , the 2017 is amazing and i hear a new model is around the corner. Ive done 10,000 k’s and the engine feels better than new..... sometimes i take it on the twisties and im right up the ass of the sports bikes no problem just loose out on Sportsbike acceleration out of corners thats all.
Love ur vid by the way
Thanks Pete. Yeah fun in the twisties is what it's all about for me these days, and you don't need a lot of power for that. Hence why I'm planning to put my R1 on track permanently and replace it on the road with something like a Street Triple. Winner winner
I have a 2013, 1200cc Tiger Explorer I use daily and I think after watching this your review is spot on!
Mine has the occasional clunky gear shift but otherwise everything you said it true, in my opinion really easy to ride once moving.
It does everything what more could you ask. Pulls me my wife and luggage and it's still a pleasure pulls away no problems. Also doesn't really get affected by the wind,
Any and all tips greatly appreciated and do u still have the bike ?
Thanks, and yes I still have mine for the moment. I spend more time on my MT09 these days, so I’m considering selling it, but I know that I’ll regret it if I do
I dont know if you still have the R1 but would you be willing to give it up for the big cat?
Its a question Im asking myself about my CBR1000
I sold my 2013 to my friend and begged him to sell it back to me after 6 months. Very complementary to my HD Ultra Limited. Good news, he is selling it back to me next week. :).
I hope you have a happy reunion. There's a few bikes in my past I'd buy back tomorrow if I could
Great review, definitely enjoyed it. One question I have tough, how is the wind protection on the helmet? I'm 6,5, would the stock screen do the job or should I expect wind noises on my helmet? Thanks and greatings from Germany!
I’m 6’2 and need a little Puig clip on extender to push the wind blast over the top of my helmet, so I would think you would need something similar
@@VeeFour thanks for the quick response! That is with the stock screen from triumph I suspect? Well that's great to hear. Thanks a lot!
Do you ride with panniers? I'm potentially looking at an older GS or one of these as a second bike for european touring. I'm currently on an F800GS but want something a bit more substantial but without picking up big fuel bills. What is its sweet spot for speed/mpg with full panniers on when you've got some serious distance to cover and what sort of mileage do you get on a full tank?
Andrew Webb Yes I use Givi Outback panniers and top case, which I take off and leave at home (or at a hotel) when I've nothing to carry.
I find that holding 70mph in top gear with the cruise control, lets the bike move along nicely at a leisurely 4k RPM which returns 51 to 52 miles per gallon, and if you're not in a rush snd dont mind riding at 60 mph (100 kph) then it's posible to get almost 60 mpg.
tank range is around 200 motorway miles between fuel ups
“Grab it by its neck”. Gotta be worth a like. Great review.
The big cat needs a firm hand on it's collar 😁
I just picked up a 2013 triumph tiger explorer with low miles, but then discovered on those forums of horrific tales of engine recalls and reliability issues. Prior to purchase, I carefully went over bike. During engine sound check, did have a tick sound in engine and was told that is the nature of the beast. Did get 2 yr extended warranty. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I wouldn't worry, if it's still running now, then it will have had the recall done and it'll be fine, and a two year extended warranty on a 2013 bike is excellent and shows how much faith the dealer has in the bike.
Wow, man i'm so happy I'm not the only one. Just bought the 2012 model with 30000 km (20k miles) on it. Was quite happy but then off course I found the horrific stories about burnt valves and seized engines. Almost spend 10k and I could cry. But like VeeFour said, it would've had a recal by now and I have 6 month warranty.
Just a question it has a stock can on it if I put a arrow system on it what kind of extra grunt would you expect to gain and would it be worth it😁😁???
To be honest, you won't notice any appreciable increase in power or torque without putting it on a dyno before and after. The Arrow can is more of a cosmetic and exhaust note upgrade as it looks and sounds better than the original, but it is a much lighter unit than stock.
Mine was a free upgrade and I'm not certain that I would have paid for it otherwise
Excellent review of 2015 Tiger. I recently bought a unit with 67,000 km. I have not driven it yet, but hope to do so soon. I'm waiting for them to send it to me and the wait is already getting too long. Anyone who is a biker needs to ride every day and I can't see the day they bring it. I would like to ask you about an aspect that I have not seen in the video or I have not realized, and that is consumption. How is he behaving? Do you drink a lot? How many kilometers do you usually do with a deposit en route? and in the city ?.
I think the three-cylinder is a good engine and it doesn't give many problems, but I would like you to confirm it, as well as the maintenance of the bike.
In summary I think I have made a good purchase and as you say, the 2016 model with the semi-active suspension, it is surely a plus, but I have never had a motorcycle with electronically adjustable suspension and I do not think it is essential. I value more resting the throttle arm thanks to the cruise control. I await your comments. Thank you very much and very good video.
Hello and thanks for your comment.
I find the fuel consumption to be excellent for such a big bike. If I ride normally I get around 18km per litre (52 mpg), even better when urban riding. Servicing at a Triumph dealer is very expensive, so I'd advise you to find a trusted motorbike mechanic to do do all your work, which shouldn't be much, as mine has never given me any problems so far.
I hope you have a good experience with your new bike when it arrives, and ride safe 👍
Hi again!. Thanls for your answerr. Always all my bikes are visit my mechanic for 17 years. And this one don't be a exception. Thanks again and I hope they send me my bkie soon.
@@VeeFour Thanks so much!!. Today the dealer called me to say me the bike is already!! I hope riding it next week. Anyway respect to servicing, I have a trusted mechanic for many years (Honda official dealer). They had make my bikes servicing for over 17 years. Excuse my english but I'm only a low level alumn. When you come next time to Spain, go to Valencia (East coast) and call me for a walkaround. I'm glad to see your adventure videos and your comments about the triumph help me to know more for the bike. I hope one day make a great trip to England and Scotland and notify you before for a riders encounter.
Any comments on the shaft drive? I had a 90s Suzuki VX 800 with a final shaft and that bike felt like it exhibited a lot of shaft lash. I'm looking at a new leftover 2015 TEX ABS. Also, I'm 6'4" and hope it's a good ergonomic fit. Cheers!
Rick W I've owned several shafties over the years, some better than others but this one is butter smooth, no issues at all. At 6'4" the Tex will fit you really well, and a left over 2015 will should be a bargain
Thanks for the response. The bike is $12k out the door - but unfortunately I miss out on the 0% financing, vouchers and luggage deal which would be worth about $5k?
Hi there I agree with everything you are saying I have done 15 k on mine and I did think about changing it for the newer model but they want 8k more I don't think it's worth it,I agree with the little Nigel's also the brakes the seat after about 100 miles mines standard I have put Pirelli GT on mine that has trans formed the handling and dropped the forks through the triple trees this has speed up the steering the only thing left is to sort out the wind buffering which is really bad after 100 miles where did you get the little extension on you screen and how much was it ? Great video by the way why didn't you video Scotland?
Anthony Bahrawy There just isnt enough on the new Explorer to warrant trading it in is there and I dont feel as if I'm missing out on anything that the current model has over this one. The Puig screen extender was an EBay purchase if memery serves, and I can't remember how much I paid, but it was more than I expected to pay and there didn't seem to be any others out there at the time.
I'm intrigued by you lowering your front forks, how much did you drop them by?
I didn't record my recent Scotland trip due to camera battery issues. I took my GoPro with me but fir some reason it wouldn't hold a charge even though it has a new battery. It's a new camera for next year I think
VeeFour hi there I dropped them a few mm at a time but settled on 9 mm but that of course depends on how sharp the a profile your front tyre is it made a big difference as to how much effort you have to put in to steer into the corners I’m lazy and I like it steering quickly 😎
Interesting.....veeeeery iiiinteresting
i started on 500cc and have done 5000 miles plus. do you think tiger 1200 would be good for a 2nd bike?
I would say you'll be fine. It'll feel big and tall at first but the power is very very manageable, and after a 100 miles you'll have totally gotten to grips with it 👍
Great video! Can you tell me something about engine endurance? Im thinking about buing Tiger from 2013, and i have good option to buy one, howewer with 83.000 km on odometer, its still worth to buy? Cheers!
Thanks.
I can only speak about my own bike and experiences, but I still own my Tiger and it is as good as the day I bought it. However, mine has only a little over 20k on the odometer after nearly 8 years, so isn’t a good comparison. The engine in my bike still feels like it has all the power that it left the factory with, and apart from a slight clutch release bearing rattle when idling in neutral (which is normal), it sounds tight and good.
Overall the engine feels strong and has no external signs of wear and tear, but if you’re looking at one with 83k on the clock, then I’d expand your research to include a deep dive into the various online owner forums. Good luck and safe riding
Where do you buy the up windscreen?
It was an online purchase, it could have been an eBay find but I can’t remember sorry
Have you tried counter steering and weight the inside peg when cornering
Saves hanging off the bike
Geoff you should do both. Counter steering and weight shift are not mutually exclusive. Weight shift preserves your lean angle. Which is important on an ADV.
I've done 16k in 1year on my MotoGuzzi, you need to catch up buddy :D
BlackDevil that's impressive mileage indeed. The last time i was doing that sort of annual mileage was when I was a courier in my early 20s, but that was on a Honda CX500. Ahhh back when motorbike riders were a real counter culture, you'd set off never knowing if your bike would survive the journey 😉😎
VeeFour I had a Cagiva SXT 1983’s two stroke when I was 16 I know what you are talking about
Oh yes the old two stroke gamble. on one of mine (a suzuki TS 125 I think) I used to carry a full tool roll and spare top end gaskets, because I'd taken the rat tailed file to it so much in the pursuit of extra power, that it was forever seizing up. I was able to pretty much rebuild the engine at the side of the road by the end 😂
Only thing that put me off buying this Brand of bike is the reliability of triumph… Are they reliable in the long term
It's rock solid. I've owned it for six years now and not a single issue 👍
Boy do I agree with you on the seat ,The italian bikes are ridiculous I had to add a half inch of padding on my rf .Why not just make them comfortable. You spend over 20,000 dollars on a bike and you have to spend money on the dam seat
Rocket k6man I mean, come on how much is a bit of memory foam and gel anyway?
I've compared them both and yes it's much better, but for the amount of money these bikes cost, they should just put the comfort seat on as standard equipment
Before taking the plunge and buying the comfort seat(got the heated on mine)I,m gonna try cycling shorts
With a pair of jeans on top,i might add😉
That's the best of both worlds!
The heated seat on the Explorer is in fact a comfort seat I believe.
No sorry Ian it's not. I had a very specific conversation with the dealer as to why this isn't the case, and they agreed with me that it is a bit silly that it's not. If you look at them side by side, the heated seat looks very much like the stock one, whereas the comfort seat looks different as it's a bit taller and narrower at the top
Ian Thompson Well its definitely comfortable at the mo Ian! 2 degrees on my commuter run here in Holland
Cost to operate?
Very reasonable for me aged 50, as my insurance is very cheap.
Even when riden spiritedly I find that I am getting in excess of 50 mpg (5.6 litres per 100km), which for such a big bike is excellent.
The biggest cost I have found, is having the bike serviced at a Triumph Dealer as they are very expensive. Now that my bike is 5 years old, I tend to do the servicing myself when it only needs an oil and filter change, and when it needs a more in depth service I will take it to a reputable non Triumph affiliated motorcycle mechanic and save money there.
I also own a Yamaha MT09 and per mile, the Triumph does not cost much more to run.
I hope this helps
Any truth about excessive heat coming from the motor ? Ive heard of this before.
Brett Hartin No not at all, not even in the middle of summer
More comfortable than bmw , triumph is a beast
The big GS is a very comfy bike too, but in my opinion it's over priced for what it is and the flaws that it has
£475 for a service, £120 if valves need adjusting, £50 for brake fluid .....nearly £650.......that’s before anything else, brakes etc.......Jesus.....
Ian Ginn FFS that's harsh! The mechanics from the now closed down Rocket Centre have set up a bike shop in Blackburn, I might give them a shout for my next one
Try muddy sump triumph trained and he comes to your pad
Cost me around a 1000.My gixxer 1000 didn't need anything. My point exactly why couldn't they do it if its so cheap
ThatswhatABSissupposedto do, stop a small slide turning into a big slide. I hear riders talking about turning off ABS and traction control because they think they have better reactions but this is pure BS I'm afraid. These systems make you safer, end of...
Oh absolutely on the front, the only person who can save a front wheel slide on tarmac is Marc Marquez. On the rear though, It's a different matter. I spent a couple of decades habitually using cadence breaking on the rear break when needed, but I find now that early rear abs intervention actually causes me to react more negatively than a full slide