A clockwork orange

MooN

Tour Pro
G'day folks, :gday: been a while and i've got some catching up to do. Last year was a washout for me riding wise due to op on me back, but that was a year ago and though I've been back in the saddle a while I haven't been far, as the summer seaon at work kinda screws up having much time off. I have though, been bike hunting...

having asked around on here and other places I eventually decided that a) yes i definately need to replace my faithful old transalp and that b) i needed to try the triumph tiger 800. I took an 800 xr for a test ride and though I liked the engine I wasn't sold on the riding position, the whole thing felt, well frankly... too small. So, some tiger hunting... try an XC, higher, more like the tralp, more upright position, wider bars... I went all the way to Strasbourg to try one. :looney:

I was so impressed I bought it.:doh:



its a 2011 800 XC. it's got engine bars, taller adjustable screen, heated grips, comfort saddle, luggage and the ally bash plate. it's also orange ( cos that's the fastest colour) :wink:

two weeks have passed since I went up there to tes ride it and i went to pick it up yesterday.:woot:


Having bought the bike from the dealer in Strasbourg, I needed to get there to pick it up. The French TGV did it's usual quietly efficient job of wafting me across 400 km of french countryside in a little over 2 1/2 hours and the dealer picked me up from the station. Formalities over, helped down with a large coffee, a quick run through of the principal controls ( i'd already swotted up the manual on the train on the way up) and i found myself alone with my new purchase.

I sorted my self into the luggage boxes ( triumph original topbox and side cases) and installed the givi 'phone holder I bought the other day with no problem. plenty of space on the bars and doesn't obscure the instrument cluster. i think though, that I will have to rig something to move the holder, and thus the gps, up behind the screen and above the instrument cluster. i discovered that the 12v din to usb adaptor that i had won't fit correctly into the xc's socket due to the socket's cap and proximity of the ignition barrel. bit cheesed off cos I had counted on bein able to use the "coyote" app on the phone during the trip home. I'd charged the phone fully on the train on the way up and I guessed we'd see how long it would last. I only needed the gps for the 150 odd km i was planning south through germany, once back in France i wouldn't need the gps. ( I could easily have done without it on the german leg too, but getting through / around Strasbourg onto the autobahn would have been a struggle). As it happened the phone got me all the way home, shutting down with only 2% battery remaining about 5 k from arrival. 5 hours autonomy with the coyote running, worth noting for futur reference.

the jaunt down the Autobahn from offenburg to fribourg was a waste of time, the traffic was horrendous and the A5 seems to be undergoing some major resurfacing so road works are prevalent. I did manage a sustained 170km/h for about 20k following a Tesla S of all things ( and by gum can they accelerate! :wow:) and was pleased with the stability of the bike and the comfort at that speed.

The rest of the trip was just a slog down the autoroute. I wasn't sure of range with the bags on and all so erred on the side of caution. had I pushed the first two refills further I wouldn't have needed the third and might just have made it home any way but preferred to not trust the trip computor which was telling me that i'd get home with 25km to spare...

I did the 400 odd km in 5 hours 15 minutes ( that last fuel stop 50k from home cost me the extra 15 minutes i reckon) including a couple of fuel/ coffee stops. the xc is superbly capable on the autoroute, cruising effortlessly and comfortably at 136 kph ( 130kph gps) with oodles of oomph ( thats a technical term that is...) left over to just blow past anything about to pull out or whatever. Fuel range looked to be around the 260 km mark at that sort of speed with me and the luggage, but not loaded. did around 6.2 litres to 100km I think, or just over ( 45.5 mpg?)

the stock lights are good too, I had the setting sun right in my face for much of the way, Mulhouse to besancon, but chaged out of sunglasses at the besancon coffee / fuel stop and it was proper dark by the time I got home at 21:15, including some nasty pockets of fog once off the autoroute.

Compared to the tralp? as far as autoroute is concerned, world apart the tigger is far superior, higher ( or gives that impression) faster, smoother... I have yet to take it off road and do any more than 50 odd km on roads other than motorway but that must be remedied soon as the rear tyre has worn a bit square so I need to remedy that...

Me Likey!:thumbs:

sorry no pics cos photobucket, I think is insisting that I upgrade my account ( i e pay) to allow 3rd party hosting and I can't be arsed to try and sort it now.
 

nev

Super Térrarist
Congrats on the new ride. There's nothing quite like the pleasant satisfaction you get from buying a motorcycle.
 

MooN

Tour Pro
some pics?

if you insist...

this was on the test ride
6sNs85L.jpg


and this was half way home 10 days later
ou73Kjx.jpg
 
Last edited:
Not sure why the Roadie felt small. The Roadies and the XC are exactly the same as far as the frame/seat/tank are concerned. The XC comes standard with risers and 1" wider bars.
Maybe the Roadie had the seat set to the low position. I notice that yours is on the high setting.
 

MooN

Tour Pro
Hey Moon,

That's a decent size esky on the back, how many stubbies would it fit?



Must've been a slow, or long ride.

Thanks for sharing. :clap:

the top box is bloody huge, but weighs a ton on its own so not brilliant, but yeah a days supply of stubbies would fit...

Ride home from strasbourg was 400k but almost exclusively autoroute
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Congrats, mate...looks neat in that colour.:cool:
But, but, but......wot's gonna happen to the old Tranny now?
Somehow that all doesn't fit into the "Moon" frame....
Always thought you'd croak it before that one would :bt
 

MooN

Tour Pro
Congrats, mate...looks neat in that colour.:cool:
But, but, but......wot's gonna happen to the old Tranny now?
Somehow that all doesn't fit into the "Moon" frame....
Always thought you'd croak it before that one would :bt

I'll put it to one side for ya mate, you can use it next time tornanti hits france...:thumbs:



seriously though, you're not far wrong, it's so much a part of "me" that the trumpet still feels very "wrong", a bit like raiding the chocolat cupboard at midnight... wrong but bloody good...

I will have to sell it but I don't expect i'll get more than a couple of beers out of it:sick:
 
Top Bottom