Triumph Tiger 800

The 2018 Triumph Tiger 800 has been designed to suit varied tarmac. The motorcycle gets typical adventure-tourer looks, with aggressive character lines, sharp engine shrouds, edgy headlamp cluster, naked engine design, pointed front fender style and a bigger front wheel. The 2018 edition of the Tiger 800 has been tweaked cosmetically too. It gets an adjustable windscreen, new aero diffusers for improved aerodynamics, full-LED headlamps and revised seat cushioning for better comfort. The riding position is quite upright, thanks to its revised handlebar which gets placed closer to the rider. There is a new 5-way joystick backlit switchgear to toggle through the menu which is, however, available only on the higher-spec models. The colour TFT instrument console is also a part of the top-spec models – for displaying information about the ride and the vehicle. In addition, it boasts features like traction control, cruise control, switchable ABS, adjustable seat height option, self-cancelling indicators and the 12V power socket. There are multiple colour shades to choose from - Jet Black and Crystal White on the Tiger XR, black, blue and white on the Tiger XRx and black, white, blue and silver on the Tiger XCx. 

The 2018 Triumph Tiger 800 draws power from an 800cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, inline 3-cylinder engine with electronic fuel injection that pumps out 95PS of max power at 9250rpm and 78Nm of peak torque at 7950rpm. The engine is coupled to a 6-speed transmission system. The bike features ride-by-wire throttle system. The engine itself has been tuned to make it more refined and smoother than before. The lighter alternator helps the motor to spin faster and the tacho indicator to rise rapidly. The exhaust is lighter and smaller than before which produces a throatier note that has muted the whine, earlier produced by three in-line cylinders. 

The tubular steel trellis frame of the 2018 Tiger 800 XR is suspended on Showa 43mm upside down front forks and Showa rear monoshock absorbers while the off-road oriented XC range comes with 43mm WP upside down front forks and WP monoshock at the rear. The bike seems to be unfocused especially at the front and the overall steering response also looks weak as compared to the rivals. The ride quality is similar to the previous model, however, the new Tiger 800 feels a lot confident while negotiating bends. On the braking front, the new Tiger 800 gets Brembo front brakes (except the base XR) - 308mm dual floating discs at the front - and a 255mm disc at the rear. There is plenty of braking force on offer enabling the rider to control the bike at will. The cast aluminium 19- and 17-inch spoked wheels are shod with 100/90 and 150/70 R17 section tyres at the front and rear respectively on the XR range. The XC version of the Tiger 800, on the other hand, is equipped with a 21-inch wheel at the front that is wrapped in 90/90 section tyre. Off-road performance is satisfactory too – tyres offer incredible grip, three riding modes on top-spec models come in quite handy and linear torque delivery of the motor manages rear wheel spin pretty nicely.

There are features like switchable ABS, Brembo brakes, traction control and cruise control that collectively contribute to the safety of the bike.