Performance Bikes — March 2018

106 PERFORMANCEBIKES.CO.UK|MARCH2018

CHEAP

THRILLS

Celebrating motorcycling’s

best used bargains TRIUMPH TIGER

1050

FYOUGETyour kicks out of long
cross-countrysorties,keepingalid
on max speed but also keeping
your average velocity up, the Tiger
is a cracking choice. Ostensibly an
adventure bike, it’s really a Speed
Triple on stilts with extra comfort,
visibilityandridequality,ifyou
ignore the long-legged silhouette.
RadialNissinsfromanearly675,17in
cast wheels, and a dynamic package
honedonBritishroadsmakesit
perfect for knocking out a couple of
tanksoffuel(awayfrommotorways),
and dealing with anything you find.
Arguably,it’sthe1050triple’sfinest
hour:theSpeedTriplemakesdecent
useofit,buttheleggy,midrange-
oriented delivery feels more at home
intheTiger.Thesizeandadded
weightdon’tdullthefun–PB
theorises that Triumph’s development
team while away the dull testing
mileswithwheelies.TheTiger(like
many Trumpets) hoists and balances

some of the most easiest monos you

can imagine.

It’s no Hypermotard, but it’s

surprisingly agile. There’s reasonable

feel,groundclearanceandgrip,and

plenty of braking power. It cushions

youfromtheworstoftheHighways

Agency’sfailings,andyetlapsupthe

few roads they do manage to keep in

good shape.

It’s not perfect – the suspension’s

best performance is usually short-

lived, so you’ll need to do something

aboutthatnow.Thegearboxisabit

clunky, the dash is old-hat and the

fuel range countdown switches to a

fuellightat50miles.Butowners

seem to overlook the minor issues and

appreciate the bigger picture.

It’lldo200milestoatank,in

comfort, and put a smile on your face.

Andit’sproofthatgrowingupdoesn’t

need to mean behaving yourself. And

from £3000 for an early bike, they’re

bettervalueformoneythanever.

MINT:£10,000 ROUGH:£2600

K-Tech fork kit (heavier springs, new rebound/comp

valves)fittedtoPB’s2007long-termermadesteering

morepreciseandgotshotofthebike’stendancyto

boing about at the front end.

Rear shockSomegaveoutbeforefive-figuremileage.

They are rebuildable, but there’s a good choice of

aftermarket shocks to choose from for adjustment and

sophistication. The forks are a bit more reliable. Just.

GearboxStiff, slow-witted and doesn’t appreciate a

quickshifter: you can’t rush through the ratios. But the

gearboxlasts,softeningalittlewithage.Themotoris

flexible enough you don’t need to bother it often, either.

Charging systemThestatorbathesinengineoil:get

stuck in traffic and the top winding absorbs engine heat

but isn’t cooled by the liquid, and burns out. You can

easetheproblemwithaMOSFETreg/rec,which

reduces heat and load on the stator from within.

Comfytripletourersmashesbackroads,andwheeliesforQueenandcountry

WHAT TO PAY

BEST MODIFICATION

STUFF TO KNOW

2007-current|115bhp|140mph

It might look like

your dad’s bike,

but it has the

potential to

embarrass

1050 motor’s

midrange found its

spiritual home in

this lanky bugger

New fork internals

can turn it into a

precision back

roads weapon