I had my BMW F650GS for just under a year and generally enjoyed riding it. Originally, the problem I had with it was its used condition with many of the fasteners and parts of the frame showing quite a bit of corrosion. Although I semi-restored it, its condition was never quite at the level I was happy with and I was also never completely convinced by the engine which made some odd noises. The other issue I had with the F650GS was that it was too close in performance and characteristics to my Armstrong MT560 and so the riding experiences were not that different.
I therefore decided to change to a larger capacity and more modern adventure motorcycle with the clear choice being between a Triumph Tiger 800 XCA and a BMW F800GS. I was completely taken with the look of the Tiger especially with its matt Khaki Green petrol tank, overall purposeful design, and the built-in pannier racks. The one thing that I was not convinced about was its super smooth 3-cylinder engine and whether this was entirely compatible with an adventure bike. I was also drawn to the F800GS by its looks and the fact that the twin cylinder engine produced good low down torque which is what I ideally saw as needed for a larger capacity adventure bike.
I went to my local motorcycle dealership to have a close look at both bikes and to try them for size. Unfortunately, the F800GS fell at the first hurdle because the seat height was so tall that, even for me at 5′ 10″, I had difficulty getting on and reaching the ground with both feet. In contrast, the Tiger fitted like a glove and, at its lowest seat height, allowed me to get both feet flat on the ground at the same time. Despite some reservations over the suitability of the 3-cylinder engine, I decided the Tiger XCA was going to be my next bike.
History of Triumph Tiger 800
The Tiger 800 was first introduced in 2010 with its engine based on the 675 cc unit fitted to the Daytona and Street Triple models. The engine is an inline triple with liquid cooling and a wet sump. The Tiger 800 originally came in two separate versions: the basic Tiger 800 with cast alloy wheels and a 19″ front wheel for road use, and the Tiger 800XC with spoked wheels and a 21″ front wheel and revised longer travel suspension intended for dual sport use; that is both on-road and off-road use. Both versions used a 17″ rear wheel.
In 2015, the second generation of the Tiger 800 was launched (from VIN 674842) with models revised with ride-by-wire throttle, switchable ABS and traction control, and revised bodywork and handlebar switches. The basic road model became the XR with the XRX version being slightly higher specs with various advanced riding modes, hand guards and adjustable windscreen. The XC received similar changes in 2015 as the road models but also came with WP 43 mm front forks and a WP rear shock absorber. The XCX was the slightly higher spec version of the XC with similar mods to the XRX.
In 2016, the XRT model was introduced improving on the XRX with the addition of heated grips and seats, fog lights and pannier rails. The corresponding improved version of the XCX was the XCA which also acquired an aluminium radiator guard .
In 2018, the third generation of Tiger 800 was launched (from VIN 855832) that included internal engine changes and a switch from Nissin to Brembo brake calipers. The XRT acquired LED headlights, LED indictors and back lit handlebar switches. Both the XRX and XRT models acquired a TFT dashboard. Similar changes were made to the XCX and XCA.
My Triumph Tiger 800 XCA
I bought my 800 XCA from a dealer in Harrogate. Although I would normally never buy a bike without trying it first, I decided to buy this one remotely and to get them to deliver it. The bike looked superb as advertised and I was completely happy with its condition when I got it – the previous owner had looked after it extremely well and it was delivered in more or less new looking condition.
The bike was just over three years old with 11 k miles on it. The dealer I bought it from had given it a full service and even replaced the rear sprocket. When I checked the rear chain for wear, there was almost none and it looks as though it would be good for another 20 k miles.
Before taking it out for its first ride, I adjusted the seat to it lowest setting and I also played around with the gear change mechanism to position the pedal just right for me. The bike took some time to come to terms with having been used to a low revving single cylinder motorcycle for the last few years. In contrast, the Tiger will rev up to 10,000 rpm and the total of six gears took some managing especially as you could leave the bike in the higher gears for most of the time and it was only when coming to a stop that you were faced with shifting down through a lot of gears. However, after a few ride outs, I am now completely happy with the bike and it is a joy to ride.
In standard condition, the bike comes with all mod cons including heated grips and seats, hand protectors, engine crash bars, auxiliary front lights and pannier racks. However, what was missing was a SatNav. After looking at a range of models, I eventually settled on a secondhand Garmin Zumo 400. This is the more basic version and does not come with Blue Tooth connectivity and voice control which I do not really need. I initially fitted the SatNav on the handlebar mount provided with the bike but quickly found this was awkward to look down and see. I therefore bought a SW Motech mount for the 800 XCA which allows the SatNav to be mounted above the instrument dash via an adjustable bracket and RAM mounting arrangement.
Although it is still early days, I have filled up the petrol tank just once having completed 172 miles requiring 12.3 L which gave a fuel consumption of 63.4 mpg. This means that the range on a full tank of fuel will be over 250 miles which is impressive and similar to the range for my old BMW F650GS although this only had a 17 L fuel tank. However, some 6 months later, and having filled up a number of times since, the average fuel consumption has settled down to about 62 mpg which still equates to a little over 250 miles on a tank of fuel!.
The 12k Service
I bought my Tiger 800 XCA with just over 11k miles on the clock and the dealer gave it a service and new MOT before delivery. However, some 6 months after I bought it, it reached 12k miles and I decided to give it the full service specified at this mileage. It was only at that point that I realised how much work was involved every 12k miles and, potentially, how expensive that was for the average owner.
I was in no hurry to complete the service which eventually took me about 2 weeks to carry out. Had I been in a bit more of a hurry, I think it would still have taken about 2 man-days of effort. The most significant amount of work involved servicing the engine and re-greasing the front-end and back-end bearings. The latter involved completely dismantling the front-end and rear-ends of the bike to get at the rear suspension, swinging arm and steering head bearings. None of the work was difficult but it did involve many man-hours of effort.
Servicing the engine took the most effort. There are a large number of bits of trim to be removed together with the petrol tank and air filter box before you can get at the top of the engine. The two main checks with the cam box cover off are the valve timing and the valve clearances. The valve timing was checked first which requires a special tool to be used. Fortunately, the timing was in spec otherwise a fairly lengthy procedure needs to be used to reset it. All the inlet valve clearances were within spec but all the exhaust valve clearances were out of spec requiring the camshafts to be removed and then the valve shims to be adjusted to bring the clearances back in spec; in my case, all the shims had to be changed from 2.55 mm to 2.45 mm.
In addition to the above work, the coolant and brake fluids needed to be replaced adding further significant effort for the service. I had previously bought a new rear chain and sprockets thinking the old chain was badly worn, which turned out not to be the case. However, during the 12k service, I decided to replace the old chain and sprockets since new ones were available. In total, the 12k service cost me about £500 but this would probably have cost nearer £1000 if I had paid a dealer to carry out the work. In my case, it’s unlikely I will ever reach 24k miles on this bike and therefore will never need to subject it to another major service. However, for riders who do high mileages, the cost of servicing a modern bike like the Triumph is pretty significant.
Triumph Tiger 800 XCA Specifications
- Engine: Inline three cylinder, DOHC, 4-valve, 4-stroke
- Starting: Electric start only
- Capacity: 799 cc
- Bore/Stroke: 740 x 61.9 mm
- Compression Ratio: 11.3:1
- Max Power: 95 bhp @ 9300 rpm
- Max Torque: 79 Nm @ 7850 rpm
- Carburation: Multi-point sequential fuel injection
- Cooling: Water cooled
- Lubrication: Wet sump
- Ignition: Electronic
- Transmission: 6 speed
- Final Drive: Chain
- Front Suspension: Showa 43 mm upside down telescopic fork with 220 mm travel
- Rear Suspension: Showa monoshock absorber with 215 mm travel
- Front Brake: 308 mm Nissin hydraulic double disc with ABS
- Rear Brake: 255 mm Nissin single disc with ABS
- Frame: Tubular steel trellis with twin-sided, cast aluminium alloy SA
- Wheel Base: 1.545 m
- Seat Height: 840 mm (lowest height)
- Front Tyre: 90/90-21
- Rear Tyre: 150/70-17
- Ground Clearance: 220 mm
- Dry Weight: 203 kg
- Fuel Tank: 19 L
- Oil Tank: 3.7 L
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