Sunday, December 10, 2023

Triumph Tiger 850 Sport

I just bought a Triumph Tiger 850 Sport. I've been comparing bikes and thinking about what kind of bike I would like.  Here's what went into my decision to go for the Triumph Tiger 850 Sport.


I do still travel far and while I travel light, the bike had to be able to carry the stuff I need, change of clothes, sleeping bag, maybe my tent, etc.. The bike needed range and all-day cruising speed. I do want to explore unpaved roads, for which my hard tailed Sportster was unsuited.
I considered the large adventure bikes, they were all too tall, too heavy, too wide for that matter. I just couldn't see myself riding any of them.
 Then came the midsized adventure bikes, still too tall and most were more off road oriented. I want to explore some off road but don't want to bash around a 450ish lb. adventure bike. If I wanted a dirt bike, I'd get a Yamaha YZ250.     

Is that a KTM in the background?
l also considered value. Most of the midsize adventure bikes are around $5k more than the 850 Tiger. Seems that that extra cash goes into a lot more electronic rider aids and off road worthiness at the expense of long-distance comfort.


 I really like the grey with orange trim colors. The 2021and 2022 had red or blue trim, I think the only year for the orange trim will be 2023. Triumph has dropped color for the 2024 models, which will be all black and grey. I'm going to have to say, maybe black and grey with a little orange is pretty attractive.