2005 Triumph Tiger Review

Manufactured in England, the Triumph Tiger is a 54.7-inch tall, 88.6-inch long, and 33.8-inch wide dual sport bike. This bike features a steel frame, and upper faring, front and rear fenders, fuel tank, and side covers all composed of plastic. The front comes with a 19-inch cast aluminum wheel with a matching 17-inch wheel on the rear. It grabs an impressive 104 horsepower out of the 955 cc fuel injected, horizontal, three-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine, which is all you could ask for from a dual sport. It has a whopping 6.3-gallon fuel tank, but keep in mind, it requires premium fuel to keep up with the high-compression engine. Reaching up to 43 mpg, you can be in the saddle for a while between fill ups.

The dash has a combination of digital and analog instrumentation which includes speedometer, tachometer, temperature warning gauge, fuel gauge, and trip odometer. It also has a variety of warning lights at the top of the dash. It""s an electric-start only, so pay close attention to your battery upkeep. The dash is enclosed in the upper faring and everything is within an easy reach, although the reach on the clutch is a bit far and requires a rather firm hand that can get tiring towards the end of the day.

It arrives standard with hard side touring bags and also has under-seat storage and a handy rear rack. The right bag is molded around the exhaust system, so even though they look roomy, plan on losing a lot of the right storage area. Triumph does offer lots of storage accessories however. The two-up adjustable vinyl seat has a grab rail for the passenger and sits at 33.1 inches tall. Interestingly, the adjustable seat only goes up higher to 33.8 inches, not lower. If you""re short, you might want to check out another bike – this seems to be the only downside anyone can find with the Tiger. If you""re tall – no problems, only fun touring.