HOT on the heels of the Triumph Tiger 800XC is the more road oriented Tiger 800. In short, the base Tiger 800 is better on the road than its adventurous XC sibling, but not by much, and it's not quite as good on the dirt, but again not by much.

In last month's issue we tested the XC and came away very impressed with its real world capabilities. In some ways we're even more impressed with the Tiger 800 because it's certainly better than we expected in the rough stuff.

The difference
You could easily get confused by talk of the two Tiger 800s. To clarify, the main difference between the two is the XC gets longer travel suspension, wire wheels instead of cast alloy (the front is also two inches bigger in diameter) and some small styling touches. The seat height is also different but this is because of the higher suspension on the XC, rather than any changes to frames or the like. Two positions are available on the seat height, 810mm-830mm.

Mechanicals revisited
You can find the complete story on the bike's mechanical package in last month's issue, or by going to www.cycletorque.com.au, so we'll just give you an overview this time around.

Rather than use a bigger capacity version of the firm's sporty Daytona 675, Triumph decided to build a 75 per cent new engine, loosely based on the 675 triple. It gets the larger capacity by stroking the engine, giving a power output of 95 horsepower (down on the Daytona) but with substantially more torque than the 675.

It's got a six-speed gearbox with ratios far more suited to touring and adventure riding, plus a 645-watt alternator so you can run lots of extra electrical goodies without running the battery dry. There's also a handy sight glass rather than a dipstick to check the engine oil. Triumph's engineers figured this would be easier for riders to check oil in the boon docks, rather than risk dropping dirt into the engine when you unwind a dipstick. Spot on we reckon.

The chassis is steel rather than alloy. There's two benefits to this. One is it can be repaired by an electric arc or MIG welder which is readily found in the back of beyond, and it's most likely cheaper for Triumph to build it too. Same goes for the brake and gear levers; steel so they can be easily bent back into shape.
While the forks on the XC are 45mm and have 220mm of travel, the standard T800 makes do with 43mm forks with 180mm travel. A similar arrangement exists on the rear, the Showa shock having the same adjustment with preload and rebound damping, but has 170mm travel instead of 215mm.
Brakes are the same on both, with radial-mounted four-piston calipers up front.

Touring time
Our launch route for the Tiger 800 was more dirt oriented than the 800 XC. It wasn't meant to be this way, just how it worked out. We left Canberra and did some freeway miles which was dead easy on the T800 because its comfortable riding position and rider protection made it so. The fact it's got probably the best standard seat we've ever sampled might have something to do with it. Into some bumpy windy back roads had the bike in its element on the way to Crookwell in the Southern Highlands of NSW. Then through to Tuena on dirt and gorgeous tar, with equally inspiring scenery. Through Bathurst and to the tiny time warp town of Hill End.

By the end of the day we can tell you every journo was taken with the bike. Its silky smooth engine is a joy to use, and the suspension soaked up most of what was thrown at it, only being slightly phased by corrugations, something we also found on the XC.

Day two had the travelling troupe heading along the Binalong Way through to Denman and Newcastle.
Probably the biggest surprise to come out of it for us was how well the shorter travel suspension and smaller front wheel handled the dirt. Having a 19 inch front wheel is so much better than a 17 inch, which if fitted instantly turns a bike like this into an adventure styled machine rather than something you can truly explore our country on.

The last word
While the Tiger 800 isn't quite as adventurous as the Tiger 800 XC it's so close it isn't funny. In fact, it could make the decision hard for some people. It's a fantastic machine for fast touring on our crap roads, and dirt will not phase it one bit.
At $14,390 + ORC it's a steal. For the ABS version you'll need to part with a grand more.