New Tiger or GS1200

[BBB61]

I rode a 1050 Speed Triple yesterday while my Sprint ST was being serviced. The engine was a peach with lots of grunt everywhere but the gearbox, though improved on earlier Triumph offerings, was still notchy on downchanges (and it wasn't as good as the 'box on the R1200R I rode earlier in the week, that really was a smooth and sweet gearbox). However it was the build quality that lets it down. The model I rode was a demo bike with 1400 miles on the clock and only 2.5 months old but already there was furring up on the oil cooler fittings, front brake caliper banjo bolts, rear wheel stub axle and nut, rear brake pedal linkage, oil cooler supply pipes and a variety of other nuts and fastenings.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Test ridden a 1050 tiger today, I am either now going to buy one of these or a 1200gs. I have to say the tiger was awesome, it was comfortable, easy to ride, handled superbly and had a great engine, the only downside was wind noise, I am 6'4'' and with the touring screen it was very loud, I would need earplugs. I have only done a few miles on the 1200gs so need to book a long test ride. The advantage of the tiger is you seem to be able to get an ex demo for £6500 with whereas that will only just scrape a 3 year old well used 1200 gs. Insurance is about £100 more on the tiger though. Anyone bought a tiger on here?

I would think that at 6'4" you would suffer from wind noise on most machines! I cannot imagine why the insurance on a Tiger would be £100 (25% ?) more. Presumably it considered more dangerous because it has a little more power ? Surely the spares required after an accident could not cost more than BMW's?
There must be a message here if a three year old GS is still worth as much as a 'new' demo Triumph?
It is very difficult to be subjective when comparing two bikes so similar, particularly so if you never intend to venture "off road." I would like to own a British bike as I live in France. However when I left the UK in 1993 I had owned BMW's for about 15 years and had had nothing to complain about, particularly regarding reliability, servicing, depreciation etc; almost 15 years later the situation is much the same. There is no doubt here that Triumph owners are, or soon become a 'different breed' from BMW owners. The same goes for Harleys, Ducatis, Gold Wings etc; One of my older 'motard' friends even has the latest Fireblade; Forget about logic and buy what 'grabs you' even if it's only because you like all black and spoked wheels - which is how ALL bikes were when I started! (Exceot a few in khaki!)