All Duels – Duel BMW F 700 GS vs Triumph Tiger 800: easy trails! – The new queens of the cities?

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Duel BMW F 700 GS vs Triumph Tiger 800: easy trails !

All Duels - Duel BMW F 700 GS vs Triumph Tiger 800: easy trails! - The new queens of the cities?

Appeared two years ago, the Triumph Tiger 800 quickly established itself as the benchmark for mid-capacity road trails. But that was without counting BMW’s response with its new F 700 GS. Duel at the top… ease !

The new queens of cities ?

Even if the trails are not initially designed for the city, many urban bikers use their services because they are excellent there. Their great agility and their ability to improvise, combined with the pilot’s position at height, which promotes anticipation, make them formidably effective tools on a daily basis in obstructed city centers..

Our two competitors of the day are no exception to the rule with a special mention for the German: she shows an obvious grip which gives her a disconcerting ease.

Part of the ease of the F 700 GS comes from its small size for an 800. Certainly, on paper, the German weighs the same as the English (around 210 kg all full) and even accuses a height 10mm upper saddle (820 vs. 810mm). But in the saddle, well wedged against the small backrest offered by the passenger seat, the impression of being on the handlebars of a 600 cc is confusing !

In comparison, the Tiger is much more opulent, more generous … and more "enveloping". Either way, pilots 5 feet tall and over will immediately feel at ease.

Difficult to decide

The BMW twin is incredibly flexible and allows you to descend very low through the revs without knocking or requiring a drop in gear. Its muffled and velvety way of distilling its power is perfect for city use.

In town, its handicap of 19 hp compared to its competitor (75 hp against 94 hp) is completely forgotten, especially since it has a torque value close to that delivered by the Triumph: 77 Nm at 5300 rev / min against 79 Nm at 7850 rpm. Only its gearbox, admittedly fast and precise, is a little dry.

Of course, the Tiger is no slouch when it comes to availability with its three-cylinder! But if it turns out damn effective in town, the "English Tiger" is a little more borrowed and less agile than the "German Gazelle". In addition, the Triumph suffers from a significantly greater turning radius.

The great ease of our two city trails bodes well for a real ability to have fun on small roads. And indeed, we are not disappointed! Without going so far as to compare them to supermotards, the efficiency of these not too heavy and rather well suspended trails is really pleasant.

In the arsouille, two schools clash for results hardly distant: the F 700 GS relies on its chassis as obvious as it is rigorous, while the Tiger relies on its much more convincing mechanics and its imperturbable stability.

What if the BMW marketing department had finally been right in minimizing the displacement of this 800 cc? Because on the handlebars, we really have the feeling of driving a small motorcycle, lively and light. Even on the most rutted surfaces, the chassis seems to be able to forgive everything without flinching. And if the situation turns frankly to scorch, the GS brakes hard and well.

Even if it does not take the brilliant suspensions dear to the Bavarian brand like the Telelever or the Duolever, the 41 mm fork does not dive very much despite a travel of 170 mm.

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