Triumph Tiger 800: One Year of Ownership Review

On the anniversary of commuting daily on my Triumph Tiger 800, I offer my opinions on the pros and cons of owning this motorcycle.
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[@nathanwhitley3358]

Great value in these old tigers, they actually shred a lot harder than you would think and the all day comfort and smooth engine are hard to beat at the price. Very reliable as well, just the few common issues but many of these bikes make it to high miles 75k is easy to see.

[@HalfClickUp]

No doubt! By the way, the Rick’s starter is the way to go!

[@The_Bewg]

I have a 2019 tiger 800 XCA. I love the bike. I think the fixed the starter issue as I've never had it happen. I commute daily on mine, cold mornings with heated seat and grips is a dream. It's fast, comfortable and fun.

[@HalfClickUp]

Yes it really is a fantastic commuter. The ultimate fix for the starter was to replace the factory one with a Rick’s Electrics starter. Fires off immediately now.

[@rogma77]

Good video...have a tiger 800 xc 2012 my self... bought it summer 2023 and havent had time to ride it much...hope to enjoy it this year😊

[@HalfClickUp]

Man it really has been a good bike. All I’ve had to replace so far outside of regular maintenance items is the starter. Mine suffered from the infamous heat soak issue. Went with a Rick’s Starter and haven’t had issue since.

[@halo3master11100]

my son has speed triple 675, wit exact same heat drain or whatever issue. changed battery, solenoid, starter and battery leads. no effect, still wont start when hot, he has to carry battery booster like yourself... I'm thinking of buying tiger 800 as 2nd bike for work etc. put me off abit now. if anyone knows a solution I would love to hear it. my speedmaster 1200 is fine

[@HalfClickUp]

The ultimate fix was installing a Rick’s Starter. Bit of a bear of a job but totally worth the time and effort. Haven’t had an issue since installation.

[@brianhaygood183]

That ending! Have I been me? Have you been you? I've been wondering all week!!!

[@HalfClickUp]

The downside to shooting 4K in 100+ heat; reduced battery life!

[@rolandstaines3249]

Hi no matter what the quirks of your bike you know why you bought it . You know that your going to work though the bike that's the joys of of ownership . Glad you feel proud of the heritage of the bike & fly the flag . You are your going to pay though the nose parts with a British branded bike . Just like Italian braned bikes . But at the end of the day lifes always better rolling on two wheels obviously you have miles of smiles on every adventure . :) . Rolley uk :) take care out there .

[@HalfClickUp]

Hey friend thank you so much for the kind words! Yes, indeed she has a few unfortunate flaws, but she’s one of the best looking ADV bikes you’ll ever see and really does run like a top. This Tiger has tens of thousands of miles left to enjoy. Thanks for watching!

[@stantheman3625]

is there still a problem with the breaking tale of the motor if u using cargo BOX or ssecond passenger

[@HalfClickUp]

I have not encountered that issue at all.

[@pinkyn0se]

My friend put me right off adv bikes when he classed them as 'Dad bikes'. That's all he had to say to make them too embarrassing for me to get 😢

[@HalfClickUp]

Each genre of bike has its specific build purpose. Regardless of labels, if your riding goals consist of traveling, moto camping and/or any amount of off road transit, then ADV bikes are what you’re looking for. This is also why I own two bikes. I have my Tiger, as well as my Yamaha FZ6R: two different riding genres.

[@nathanwhitley3358]

Proud dad biker here with a 2012 tiger 800. Once you feel comfort and embrace the lameness you never go back.

[@HalfClickUp]

@@nathanwhitley3358 facts!!

[@krishnateja5281]

Planning to pick up a 2014 Tiger 800 (not XC) with 15000 miles for $7000(OTD). Any advice ? Maintenance costs? Valve clearance checks?

[@HalfClickUp]

Just follow the maintenance schedule (outlined nicely in the Haynes manual) and you’ll be good. They love Motul 10W40. I checked my clearances at 12k miles and they were okay. I’m at a little over 24k miles now and should probably check them again soon. As for maintenance costs, it’s pricey. The best prices are on eBay but the parts are all located in the UK. You can pay regular retail price for parts in the states through Hermy’s out of Pennsylvania. Chains and sprockets are super expensive, no way around it. I buy chains and sprockets separately to get the best value for my money. Tires are expensive as well, as they’re two different sizes. Same shopping methodology applies. Sometimes I order the front and rear from two different sources to save upwards of $50. Other than the pricey parts, it’s a great bike. If you develop starter heat soak issues, and you will, save yourself the headache and buy a Rick’s starter straight away. The $250+ is well worth it.

[@nathanwhitley3358]

I think you can find a used one private sale for like $5k all kitted out. They are great bikes but low demand and a lot of owners have moved on to newer machines so the market is in your favor.

[@903lew]

I find Triumphs pricing to be interesting. Now that everything is made in Thailand one would think the quality would go up (“English Quality” being an oxymoron and all that) but will the price of spares go down? Somehow I can’t see it happening.

[@HalfClickUp]

You make a fair point. The motorcycle market is a strange phenomenon, for sure. Not quite as out of control as the used auto market, but not far removed, either.

[@903lew]

@@HalfClickUp There’s basically three Moto markets, aren’t there? You’ve got the rich man’s toys market (Your Ducatis and Aprilias and Litre Bikes and whatnot), your enthusiasts market and your cheap mobility market. I was brought up on the cheap mobility side and if I wasn’t so big and fat (and a bit of a snob) I recon I’d be well happy with a 125 super cub. But since I am fat and big and a bit of a snob I’m sort of in between the cheap side and the enthusiast side which means I want the nice things but I’m an absolute tight-arse. I must be a lovely customer to deal with ^^.

[@HalfClickUp]

@@903lew hahahaha hey now, there’s nothing wrong with striving to get the best deal possible when it comes to spending our hard earned money, right? You’re not a tight-arse so much as you’re simply a smart shopper. I consider myself to be the same!

[@john-wq8kf]

Well I’ve had bmw gsa’s and I like my tiger 800 mucho better some say it’s top heavy well after bmw tractors it’s not for me. It’s been totally reliable and yes some bits ( like air filter) are fiddly to service but I’ve not had any probs. Great all round bike after clunky bm gearboxes my tiger is silky smooth fuel cons around 55 mpg

[@HalfClickUp]

That’s awesome John. While I don’t have any BMW experience like you, I understand where you’re coming from on those points. This Tiger’s gearbox is the smoothest I’ve ever experienced… my buddy’s ScramblerXc feels just as smooth, too.

[@ericlagarde3807]

First and foremost, let me thank you for your reviews and videos on the Tiger ( just got my beak today so, I'll use your tuto to install it ;) ) now, that being said, as the saying goes: " If it gets tits or tires, it's gonna cost you money." So, don't be surprised for the cost of parts and, second, after dating a psycho brit girl for 5 years I swore myself I'll never get a british bike (let alone that french don't like brits to start with....) and I find my tiger to be my "favorite one" after my 2002 ZRX1200R and my 2019 FTR1200S.... To be fair, I never encounter issue when starting the bike in hot weather but I live in the NY, not TX... Otherwise, That's a bike I really enjoy and I'm glad you do too. As I say: "It doesn't do anything great but, it does everything good...." Cheers!

[@HalfClickUp]

Hey Eric thanks for all the kind words buddy! I appreciate you watching my stuff. Excellent points with the comparison to women, and very true on all accounts 🤣👍

[@ericlagarde3807]

@@HalfClickUp you got it! Thank you, man! (Fyi, true story about the Brit girl 😜🤣). Cheers!

[@peterjordan7324]

I THINK the best thing you can do is sell it the oil leaking out of the gasket i could not see only crud of the road buy a bmw ducati harley i would love to see your reveiw on them.

[@HalfClickUp]

Cheaper to keep her 😉

[@Charlie-fc1mh]

Not much class to me when you're riding down the road and seeping oil. Sounds like if you own a triumph, you better learn how to work on it yourself

[@HalfClickUp]

I’ve been known to turn a wrench or two. Thanks for watching!