All Duels – Duel BMW F 800 GS Vs Triumph Tiger 800 XC: the English against its full sister – The F 800 GS as designated target …

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Duel BMW F 800 GS Vs Triumph Tiger 800 XC: the English against its full sister

All Duels - Duel BMW F 800 GS Vs Triumph Tiger 800 XC: the English against its full sister - The F 800 GS as designated target ...

In 2011, the new Triumph Tiger 800 XC comes to spice up the trail segment to try to overshadow the BMW F 800 GS, until now alone in its niche. And the English has a weighty argument: its 3-cylinder. Duel between roads and paths !

The F 800 GS as a designated target…

BMW F 800 GS or Triumph Tiger 800 XC? Both aesthetically and technically, the resemblance is striking between these two European trails. Clearly, Triumph cannot deny its primary intention: to challenge (and put down?) The BMW F 800 GS !

It must be said that since its release in early 2008, the German was quite alone in its market: positioned – in price as in displacement – between a "small" Yamaha XT660Z Tenere and the "big" road-GT trails like the Honda Varadero and other BMW R 1200 GS, the F 800 GS did not suffer from any real competition (read our).

The three-legged tiger

This comfortable monopoly is now called into question with this Tiger 800 XC with long teeth, which takes the three-cylinder of the 675 Street Triple mower (read our).

The initiative is relevant: in the sports market as in the roadster market, the 675 cc three-cylinder engine makes everyone agree in terms of character and driving pleasure. The plebiscite is such that trying to do the same thing on the trail niche by reboring and calming the "3-legged" seems as logical … as promising !

The purpose of the increase in displacement is in fact to promote torque at low speed rather than maximum power, moreover down by twelve horsepower compared to the roadster: a technical choice in line with the expected temperament of a trail adventurer..

Both cut to devour the virolous departmental roads rather than the dunes of Western Sahara, the Tiger and the GS nonetheless reconnect with a real trail spirit that has been gradually abandoned since the 90s. Fans and nostalgic fans will particularly appreciate the wire wheels and the moss suspensions high travel.

The less Behemian of the Behemians

And that’s good, because we quickly take pleasure in rediscovering the versatility of this type of motorbike capable of overcoming with the same ease "work-sleep" trips, a Sunday getaway in Ardèche and a trip with weapons and baggage across Europe !

The Tiger therefore comes to titillate the very successful F 800 GS, unveiled three years ago. With the F 800 R, it is undoubtedly one of the "less Behemians" of BMWs since it retains very few of the technical characteristics which make the specificity of the Bavarian brand..

Thus, no flat-twin, no high-tech front suspension (Telelever or Duolever), no cardan or belt transmission: the F 800 GS does in the traditional by opting for a parallel twin of 798 cc, an inverted fork. 45mm and a good old chain.

On the other hand, while a large part of the range has gone to classic controls, the German trail keeps the "historic" commodos still as unnatural – for the uninitiated of course – when it comes to honking in case emergency or turn off its flashing…

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