F850GS vs Africa Twin vs Tiger 800 | OFF-ROAD Review - 2018 MY Comparison - Part II

It’s off-road time! The rivals: BMW F850GS, Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports and Triumph Tiger 800 XCa - all of them are 2018 my bikes and all of them are new for this year. In the first episode we took them out for a street test, to figure out which one is the best for touring and curvy roads, but these are not touring machines.
These are adventure bikes and an adventure motorcycle should work both on and off-road. So we left the asphalt and went to some scenic unpaved routes in the Apuseni Mountains in Romania to see who’s the best and to pick a winners.
So, which is the best middleweight adventure motorcycle for 2018? The BMW F850GS, the Honda Africa Twin or the Triumph Tiger 800 XCa? Vote for it here: drvm.co/youtue9acf
Part I: • F850GS vs. Africa Twin...
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[@markjacobs6294]

Holy Sh%$!!!!! The Tiger? The FIRST time ever in a real comparo that it wins. You guys must not be on the BMW payroll like most testers. I love my 2016 XCa so much I'm turning it into a 2019 XCa.

[@tomhenderson2575]

I came to the same conclusion last fall, bought the Tiger 800. I don't ride trails or rough terrain, but lots of gravel roads and 2 lane pavement. The GS was my other consideration...the AT is just to tall for me. I have no regrets.

[@Guy-ns1hk]

I took the Tiger onto a gravel road with huge chunky gravel, and it was like a magic carpet ride. I love it!

[@paproplop]

Great review guys! Looks like you are having a blast while reviewing the bikes. (And what amazing roads you have there!)

[@farazbaber7239]

Thank you for such a thorough review in parts 1&2 - first class review and now a new subscriber to your channel. 10/10!

[@FoolishMuleProds]

You guys put these bikes to the TEST. Now THAT'S a complete review. Well done.

[@mauricioposso1]

The best useful review I've seen and waited for. As you said, it's about how are you going to use the bike. Very surprising ending.... the key point I needed to make my decision for the british one. Great job guys. It would be a great help an instruction video on how to properly setup suspensions when you come on-road or off-road. Great job guys!! and Cheers from Panamá

[@jage6126]

You guys are amazing! Very good review from real world riders, amazing camera work, real proffesionals. I have just found my favourite channel! And... i have now put Romania as a "must visit place" for this summer with the bike. I am mot a tent guy, so i hope there is signs saying "rooms" along the roads. ;)

[@martyman25008]

Great review! Thanks so much! I love your style of review - no nonsense and all about 'how it rides', NOT what the spec's say! Congrats!

[@pavo555]

Yeah me too! Don't like crap talk about sepecks, hp, size of the disks wheels and other shit...what for?i can googled it! All i want is how the bike is like, that's all

[@brianwaggoner3138]

Love your videos...you guys are fun to watch and offer a lot of helpful information. Keep it up!!

[@wadejensen3301]

Great video guys... And really enjoyed seeing some of Romania's scenery... beautiful!

[@PJ3721]

LOVED the review I’m going to eventually get a Triumph Tiger 800 xcx when I graduate with my engineering degree. I just love the looks of the bike, economy, cost of ownership, and this review showed it to be the best overall riding experience. Going to get those side cases though

[@MaramuresDualSport]

Hohooo, da, traseul dinspre Salciua spre Rimet, Bradesti sau Ponor...Huda lui Papara si Vanatarile Ponorului. Dementiala zona! Fain clip! Keep'em coming ;)

[@TheDavidGoldmanphoto]

I did not see that coming. Thanks for that guys!!

[@kfiratias7026]

Great review - Thanks guys! Eventually, it is very depends on the feeling of the rider with the motorcycle... I choose the F850GS and enjoy every moment with it. Keep up the good work and make life a ride ;-)

[@manologocho]

excellent review and the enviroment of the road amazing views, great bikes also, congrats for the video, and cheers from Merida, Venezuela, keep posting always wachting, love the sound of the africa twin ¡¡¡

[@topgun8683]

Great camera footage, riding, review and scenery, what more could you ask more ! Your accents are pretty cool to !

[@christiantegethoff1337]

Realy great test with best comments and pictures!

[@Kendoji1]

Oh man, you guys make the best ADV videos by far. This was awesome to watch. I loved the surprise plot twist at the end (I ride a Tiger) and the funny very last bit. :-D

[@mcfarm806]

Great reviews with some surprises, thanks.

[@egary1974]

Your videos are getting better. This was particularly well done. You have a good videographer with you! He/she did well

[@g02n2]

Great review, it's great to hear riders talking about things that matter and recognising each bike has its strengths. I have a 2011 Tiger, and everything you say is true (especially about having little low down torque). It's not the best at one thing, but a great allrounder. I'd definitely buy the new version. If only I could keep up with my GS friends off-road - then it would be perfect. Thanks guys

[@cristian.cilander1052]

Muy bueno el informe... Y muy buena edición... La verdad es que las tres motos son excelentes, y sin dudas la elección es muy personal... Gracias por las imágenes!!!

[@AndrewRockliff]

Awesome video and storyline... thank you so much.

[@gdritchie]

Not my kind of bike but brilliant review gents, doesnt get much more thorough than that and the scenery looked amazing !

[@lorgagssertao4036]

Ai ui! Careful with those muddy tracks mate!! Just like Bob Marley said: "Get up! Stand up! Stand up on those foot pegs!!" Great video! Keep them coming!!

[@jasonshortphd]

Great video and review. Loved it. I think all three of these are great bikes.

[@hikeandphoto2521]

Great video and a really beautiful landscape!! So the number 2 on both areas is the best overral!!

[@dutydruid9375]

Another great review guys, thanks. i guess another reason to buy these bikes would be the amount of accessories available from each manufacturer. For me, i have the Tiger but whats great about motorcycling is we all make our own choices and that variety is cool.

[@madke666]

Best KZbin channel! Congratulations

[@blooskyy7]

Fantastic review and channel

[@americanflyer4126]

Great video, guys. I'd love to own one of these bikes one day. The 1000-1200cc ADV bikes are too big and the 650s are too small. These are perfect. Beautiful footage and excellent editing too. I didn't know Romania was so beautiful either. And a surprise ending. I love Triumph's triples and you guys didn't talk about it too much so I was happy to see it on top in the end. One suggestion: put some info on the screen: weight, price, seat height, horsepower. Compare the bikes like that. Thanks!

[@freiheut]

I like your videos. Well done! 👍🏍

[@rudolfchvatal4556]

guys, you are doing great job ! Romania is beautiful country and looking forward to be there on my GS in September. Greetings from Czech

[@TimoSchmidRobinson]

great vid guys and really helped in my research for an adventure bike. also, romania looks absolutely stunning so it goes onto the bucket list.

[@DriveMagRiders]

Great to hear!

[@kostasra]

The grand tour for the cars and DriveMag for the bikes!!! Keep walking guys!!!

[@aikssen1]

It was a big surprise your final decision!, I was expecting something completely different. But I'm agree with that. Perhaps the most beautiful one.. Africa twin, the best engine sound.. Tiger and it also has a lot of package options to pick up from the retailer.

[@dionisispro257]

Love the conclusion....not expecting it

[@2Timone7]

A huge surprise when y'all said you'd buy the Tiger. I think I'd take your advice if my riding were 50/50 highway and off road. But, my riding is more 90/10 highway/off road (and the off road is just gravel roads, fire/logging roads), so mine would be the Africa Twin.Keep making the great videos, guys!

[@applecorp]

Well in your case the Tiger 800 XRT would be the best choice, it's mainly for road use.

[@trekkydelirium-vroom5821]

The buy the new Tiger 900 GT.

[@hoagiesherlin7732]

Wow I never knew Romania was so beautiful awesome video guys Africa twins my favorite

[@michaelkeating7380]

Hoagie Sherlin That has been my choice too. Second hand 2016 DCT last week. Bringing it to Transylvania for 2 weeks in August. Might run into the guys there 😁

[@MrJacqueslouwvermeul]

All 3x these bikes are great. None of them are bad. The Triumph to me is best. Even better than the 1200 GS LC I have ridden this past few days. The Triumph is very smooth in every respect and the noise and character of the triple does it for me.

[@paulbookbinder4899]

Hoagie Sherlin

[@jaroslavklima4591]

Heh Romania is one of the most beautiful countries on this planet to ride adventure bike...

[@poseilord]

Michael Keating I will be there at the end of August. See you

[@paulobalixa7096]

Good stuf! Thanks, great work . 👏👍

[@louiebodenstaff2352]

Awesome review, keep up the good work! … oh yes, and I agree with the Triumph!

[@orionbud]

IMHO, the only thing that prevents the Tiger from being the perfect middle weight is lack of tubeless tires. Beyond that, it has the best suspension, the smoothest engine with the widest rev range, and the best electronics. The only reason i'd even consider the AT with its shortcomings is because it's significantly less expensive, and the leftover $$ would allow me to dial it in exactly how I want it.

[@davidskaggs9914]

I went with the 2019 Tiger 800 can't wait to take it off road. I already love it on pavement. Great reviews...you guys have the best job😁

[@ecirlos4601]

Does it feel hot from the engine too close to your body?

[@Artsparkle]

Nice review! :)

[@Deltachange]

Good fair and comprehensive review guys!

[@DriveMagRiders]

Much appreciated!

[@pinkiewerewolf]

hahaha, great ending, after the final decision. I'm still in the market for the ATAS Manual Transmission (though it will be a while as I just bought a H-D Ultra Classic) because I have to take into consideration that for many long trips I will have Ms Wolf with me. Two-up in all riding aspects changes everything. The larger fuel range in remote Canada and Alaska will be as important as some of the other factors. So, the ATAS still has me hooked for that future purchase.

[@vicsusinetti3482]

Well done lads. Excellent production. You do know you have set the bar pretty high now?

[@MrFreakwent]

Thumbs up to your camera man! Great review made better with superior video.

[@aditya4397]

Awesome video guys... Could you also compare luggage system for all 3 manufacturers...

[@robpinter5431]

Just bought a Tiger too, great off road and goes like a sports bike on road.

[@MADDOG100ful]

I LOVE MY TIGER WOULD BUY ANOTHER IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO IT !!!!

[@jaywhoisit4863]

My brother in law lives in Romania. This video has convinced me to go visit.

[@DriveMagRiders]

These are the Apuseni Mountains. Worth a visit!

[@Lawman-196]

Great review and honest opinions....funny how outcomes aren't so clear cut.

[@Tomos13]

Romania should be on everyones bucket list. So amazing!

[@citternboy]

Carpathian Mountains are beautiful

[@pavo555]

It is on mine...:)

[@actstuntcam]

That was a great review and really helpful. That is the first review that says the AT is good on-road riding fast - I was soooooo surprised. If it is better than a Tiger, it must be very good. I've ridden the original 800 Tiger, and it was sensational on road. Everyone is raving about the AT as an off-road option (apart from the soft suspension) so I was surprised it came last there. I'm wondering if your opinions would have been different on the standard AT, as that is lower, with a lower seat height and is lighter than the DCT. This would have made it less intimidating off-road. Cheers, Campbell

[@motorzycle]

You are correct sir. The Triumph Tiger 800 is the best all around bike. That’s why I bought the same bike you tested.

[@davej3736]

Why did I choose the Tiger? I LOVE triples. It behaves like a well-tuned hooligan sport bike on asphalt, loves the twisties all the day long. That torqey triple pulls like a mule in any gear. No flat spots. Just hauls ass. Off road? enough to get you in or out of trouble. Stay off the throttle, and you will stay out of trouble...remember, these are not dirt bikes with big engines. psst...ditch the stock exhaust and treat it to an Arrow :-)

[@TR5T]

Good review,

[@tmwetter7158]

Honda should really consider bringing a 650-850ccm "Mini" Africa Twin. The big one is great and really capable Offroad, but i think its just too much for normal People.

[@danielpork8416]

Great channel

[@ArrowXDesign]

Cool videos beautiful country. I just rode my 2015 Tiger Xcx800 2100 miles (3400km) through Glacier park, Beartooth pass, Bighorns and every kind of road in between. It does do pretty well all around. Thanks for one of the best real world comparisons I've seen on bikes.

[@percussion44]

Glacier National park Montana or BC?

[@ArrowXDesign]

Montana..... Super crowded there at that time and believe it or not, barely room to park a motorcycle!

[@rilimeu]

I just bougth an African Twin and its just amazing

[@mapogostrength5773]

Juan Ricardo Moreno Ortega can u pls tell about the mileage...?

[@leemski]

Nice review. You actually can't go wrong with either of those brands. Just choose what's please you the most. One thing is to let someone influencing you (which is the worst case) and the other, ride and test on your own (which is the best way to choose a bike). Personally, if I had to choose on paper and with my wallet, my hart goes to Honda: most reliable of those three, much cheaper to maintain, fun to ride (DCT is so freaking step ahead over manual clutching), looks amazing, what a sound! If I was doing only off-road I would go with something lighter... like the secret yet to come Africa Twin model 2021 oscillating somewhere between 700cc & 850cc, that is apparently coming to us at the end of 2020... This going to be a hot cake! Cheers!

[@patmr9712]

Great Bike comparison in a beautiful area! Could you also tell something about Romania (recommendations for Tours)?

[@anujaustin]

well done, I take your comment on my decision for next bike

[@brucekendall52]

Watched again,thks guys.

[@DriveMagRiders]

Thanks Bruce. New review coming up today :)

[@alexdhutanu]

Buna treaba baieti! I would choose the BMW for the safety: cornering ABS. Also tubeless tires, luggage options, low seat, cruise control. V-am pupat, din Australia

[@jetlibunao9776]

Beautiful! Getting better n better! Q: Why run through the rut when you have hard packed dirt in the middle?😂

[@UHTMK3579]

Tiger is the Range Rover of adventure bikes I have ridden Africa twin, r1200gs, ducati multistrada enduro and triumph tiger but tiger was the most relaxing and comfortable motorcycle I loved it

[@tomgriffin5149]

awesome channel

[@robpinter5431]

True about loosing air if you dent the rim so carrying a tube is a good idea but for general punctures from nails and screws the tyre will retain air as opposed to going down fast with a tube. Also tyre changes at home is much easier with tubeless.

[@jbdesch6318]

Dear Friends... you made a great job.

[@hanswurst4633]

Still missing the (Off-) Road Maps of your beautiful trips in Romania...

[@nikkastellorizios6585]

Awesome review Christian RIP

[@user-pu1iu7sc3y]

This video makes me want to go to Romania with adventure bike.

[@scldma114]

Guys, very nice video as usual but on some things i have some doubts: a) if your knee were hitting the edge of the tank going downhill (whatever bike) you were riding it wrong. Downhill you shift the weight on the back of the bike with you butt well behind the line of the pegs, toes of your feet up and arms consequently a bit stretched and you clinch the bike between your legs. If you stay like that no way you can hit the edge of the tank (unless you were hitting hit badly also on flat). It would have been a bit different had you the problem going uphill. B) from what i saw on the video you were riding these quite conservatively basically on gravel road. Those condition you can tackle even with a street bike. You want to find what these bike can do what, you'd need something more technical and push these a bit harder, then you find out which one is cut for the off-road and which just have the look. C) why the AT adventure sport, while in terms of dimensions compared with the other 2 the AT standard would have been likely a more coherent choice? That said great video and thanks for sharing it with us.

[@GerhardCombrink]

Really glad the BMW redeemed itself off road. Does it have a steering damper? What if the adventure to be launched has progressive springs and a wider electronic adjustment range for the suspension also in front to provide the same off road handling but for added luggage weight and better on road handling?

[@RobertoLAguero]

Great video! Would love to see a comparison with the ktm 1090 adv r too!

[@jblevins400]

RobertoLAguero they had to leave it out because it would make the others look bad..

[@gavinfraser7784]

Great video was great to hear the tiger is what you would all buy but you also was clear that it is down to choice simply as there isn’t much between the bikes of today and as for me it’s Tiger every time 🏍🏍🏍

[@phattdaddy2974]

Thanks for the review guys, I know it must have been very hard work. Would the R1250GS HD have been too big of a bike on that adventure or is it not an issue as far as weight and size?? I'm really leaning toward the 1250GS HD b/c I am interested in the shift cam, the 850 doesn't have that. Your thoughts are appreciated fellas. Thanks.

[@brucekendall52]

Thks guys.Looked forward to your comments.

[@fredludwig4774]

Thanks for your great comparison! Could you please tell me how tall you are

[@johannescarlsson4559]

Would be nice if you could make a similar review for tires. What is best if you do both twisties and off road. If you could only have one set of tires for this review, what would you choose?

[@TheDacane]

I noticed that starting in 2018 the Africa Twin stopped getting constant praise for feeling light, nimble, manageable etc. The competition did get better, but they also started using the taller, heavier ATAS model for all reviews. I cant help but wonder if pushing the ATAS on everything is hurting the Africa Twin?

[@miehoh]

Good job, gentlemen. Certainly all three are good bikes and at the end it might be a matter of taste. My favorites would be the GS and the Tiger, however not to forget about that the Tiger despite its marvelous triple engine has quite little torque at low rpm which disqualifies a bit for offroad.

[@kymstock1852]

The real question is can the Tiger 800 perform well on dirt roads and even when it gets a bit gnarly. Answer= yes it is easily capable. I have ridden my 2015 model across Australia twice in all conditions. The '18 model now has a lower first gear and better handle bar position for standing on dirt sections. The motor is very tractable from lower revs, it just pulls smoothly away. Very forgiving in real life riding conditions.

[@Supernova12034]

great review and channel, thank you for doing the reviews in english, so many european channels just do their reviews in italian or spanish or french and lose large parts of the audience

[@stevebolton8471]

Ha ha, brilliant conclusion at the end. Great reviews!

[@Markcantfindausernam]

Interesting conclusion but well considered I thought.

[@andyscheurweg5315]

Like your videos, I'm curious when you review the KTM 790 adventure R.

[@DriveMagRiders]

Hello. It's already on our channel. Check among the latest videos.

[@democratic_chocolate2067]

Love your accent dude!!

[@yellowbearworks2535]

You guys rocks, unbiased review, pro shooting angles and beautiful scenery here in Romania. In which mountain have you been to? Nice comparison, however, torque wise the AT has a bit of unfair advantage, as being 1000cc. I just pulled the trigger for a slightly used Tiger 800 XCa now, for me the triple-engine and the WP-suspension were the key selling points. I ride less terrain, so a no brainer for me...Keep up the nice work!

[@vivekjkumar5797]

The Africa twin despite having a bigger engine doesn't make 120 - 140bhp like it should. This way the engine is more relaxed and makes less vibration. 1250gs and tiger 1200 makes a lot of vibration.

[@phillipsaw]

I've always been put off the Tiger's by the pillion foot peg bracket that is welded to the frame and can't be removed. One moderate fall that bends the frame and the whole bike is written off by insurance. Waiting for the F850GSA.

[@SylvieJeansonneJS]

Adorée 😍😍😍😍

[@MattSpooner69]

Glad to see FPS Russia is still making KZbin videos

[@geirstella10]

Romania is beautiful! What tires were you using and do you recommend them?

[@papachis9535]

Wow. What a final choice.!

[@rrmerlin4961]

Great review once again and I was surprised by your final verdict. I thought you’d all go for the GS. I guess the decision for us is, what type of riding do we mainly do (for me, thats 99% on road touring and I have a nice new ATAS). If you spend a lot of time Offroad, get the GS and if you live somewhere with lots of great Offroad trails, buy the triumph. Must say though, you should have adjusted the front suspension on the Honda like you did on the triumph, I have on mine and it feels much better than stock. I think the main issue with the Honda is its height and fuel tank width, it’s not much heavier than the Gs. Do you think the dct was a negative for Offroad and would you have been more confidence in the mud if you’d had a manual gearbox ATAS? Have to say though, any of these bikes are not really ideal for off-roading (even though the manufacturers want us to think they are) they’re just too heavy, drop one and try and picking it up on your own in mud and your’ll soon realise this.

[@DriveMagRiders]

You're right. The way you're gonna use the motorcycle is the most important thing. You have to be honest to yourself and keep that in mind when buying it. The thing we didn't like at the Africa Twin is the higher centre of gravity compared to the others. It struggled a bit on rough terrain. I don't think the DCT was a negative.

[@rrmerlin4961]

Yes, absolutely, you have to be honest about what you will really use the bike for. Many of us aspire to venture offroad, but in reality we will realise that we’re maybe too old and decrepit 😂 to do the things we see you young guys doing on these heavy adventure bikes and readjust our goals of trekking around the world, or to far flung places and just except that a gentle dirt track and roads are more realistic (I do have to go to work on Monday 😞😄). I love the look of the adventure bikes (having grown up with the original Tenere and Africa Twin of the 80’s and 90’s) and the high commanding view and comfortable riding position. The ATAS does everything I want to do, my only criticism is the tubed tyres, it should get tubeless (the minority of owners that want tubes can fit them) and cruise control, otherwise it’s a superb bike. My other choice was the GS, but I would’ve had to wait for the 850 Adventure to come out next year. I’ve never been interested in any triumphs, so that wasn’t on my shopping list. Your reviews are very good and are very useful to us, so thanks for your excellent work 👍🏻. Oh by the way, who fell off going up the steep hill at the end of the video and what bike were they on 😉😄

[@benlegTiger]

Just bought the 2019 XCA

[@clayderouin857]

ya great video in many ways, but you need to be fair in your comparison. A manual transmission ATAS should have been used and perhaps even similar bike protection, even if it had to be added. Also, was the ATAS tank always full off-road when you were comparing it to a bike that hold 8 litres less of fuel? I realize there’s lots of variables, but before you go telling everyone which bike is better ‘offroad’ please try to keep your testing somewhat fair. anyway, great work anyhow and i would certainly love to watch a fair re-do. thanx, Clay D

[@GrzegorzGlider]

Halo, Can you provide the truck you have performed the tests of those bikes? Thanks in advance.

[@porvenirlopez]

Nice video bro. Can you make a review like this but for the f750 gs ? Thanks

[@DriveMagRiders]

The F750... I wouldn't go to far in off-road. 19 inches front, cast wheels, shorter suspension travel

[@murraydupley9330]

what bike going to break down 1st? the bmw then the tiger