All Duels – Duel Tiger 800 XCx Vs V-Strom 650 XT: adventurers or bullshit? – Take the key to the fields through the road

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Duel Tiger 800 XCx Vs V-Strom 650 XT: adventurers or talkers ?

All Duels - Duel Tiger 800 XCx Vs V-Strom 650 XT: adventurers or bullshit? - Take the key to the fields through the road

Thanks to their spoked rims and their equipment for adventurous motorcycles, the new Triumph Tiger 800 XCx and Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT intend to go off the beaten track of the mid-size trail category.. A relevant bet? Duel.

Take the key to the fields through the road

Another penalizing aspect linked to the engine architecture of the Triumph: its higher center of gravity, noticeable from the first maneuvers with the engine off. The Suzuki drives home the point thanks to its slightly lower weight (215 kg against 221), partly explained thanks to its aluminum frame (steel on the Tiger).

More obvious to grip, the V-Strom 650 XT is clearly more agile than the Tiger 800 XCx, penalized on this point by the superior gyroscopic effect of its "big" 21-inch front wheel. Its smaller rim width (90 against 110 mm) does not change anything: the Suzuki turns more quickly from one angle to another without showing this inertia felt on the handlebars of its rival..

Unsurprisingly, this relative heaviness increases with the speed, the effort required to register the Triumph on the angle increasing with the pace. Its large suspension clearances also generate more marked mass transfers, especially during strong braking where its fork sinks sharply on the first few centimeters before being effectively braked hydraulically..

More reluctant to rally the rope while maintaining pressure on the right lever, the Tiger 800 XC is quite simply more physical than the V-Strom 650 XT in “road-arsouille” use. However, the Triumph is far from being dropped on the asphalt! Well balanced, it offers in particular superior general comfort thanks to its more pleasant saddle and its high travel.

When the coating creases, its Dutch WP suspensions filter out irregularities, especially big compressions absorbed with mastery. Yet excellently suspended, the Suzuki can not fight in this area and concedes in smoothness on the bumpy what it offers in extra rigor and precision on billiards.

Surprisingly, however, the V-Strom 650 XT suffers less than expected from the comparison at the mechanical level. With an additional 155 cc, the modern 3-legged is indeed much more efficient than the excellent but not so young twin (95 hp and 79 Nm against 69 hp and 60 Nm). However, if the Triumph unsurprisingly takes the ascendancy at low and high speeds, the difference is moderate at mid-speed.

More responsive in the first part of the tachometer, the Tiger 800 takes advantage of its higher torque and its ultra-precise electronic throttle control to take the lead. During the revivals between 4000 and 5000 rev / min on the other hand, the English one has much more difficulty to get rid of the valiant Japanese, whose "trunk" is simply bluffing for its displacement !

The Suzuki then scores valuable points, since this corresponds to very useful speeds: at 4000 rev / min in sixth, the two rivals are traveling at 90 km / h and dart shoulder to shoulder when overtaking.

A little less transparent in terms of injection, the V-Strom 650 XT is a time illusion – to the chagrin of the Triumph! -, then capitulates after a few tens of meters while the reports are linked smoothly and precisely on each motorcycle.

After 6000 rev / min, the three-cylinder of the Triumph changes sound and temperament: the discreet purring becomes more hoarse and the acceleration so far very – too – linear gains significantly in intensity until the switch at 10,000 revs / min. The Tiger pulls out its claws and leaps forward !

Conversely, the power of the V-Strom stagnates at the approach of the breaker, also placed at 10,000 rpm. The Suzuki irreparably loses contact in the last third of the tachometer, while crackling appear under the buttocks (no vibration on the Triumph). Naturally, this difference in "punch" will be even more noticeable in a well-loaded duo.

Triumph on the right path

If the dynamics Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT manages to give the Tiger 800 XCx a hard time on the road, the situation is no longer the same when leaving the asphalt … Taken by MNC on forest trails made muddy by the recent winter rains, the two rivals have reported different predispositions.

Let’s quickly move on to the tire issue: Bridgestone pavements mainly for road use (Battlewing on the Triumph, Trailwing on the Suzuki), our two adventurers quickly reached their grip limits for lack of "real" studs. Two good accelerations on soft ground and their narrow notches fill with mud … which is roughly the same as riding slicks !

At first, in off-road, we appreciate the Suzuki’s superior handling and its higher handlebars, placed further from the bust. This arrangement makes it easier to grip in a standing position, allowing in particular to benefit from its better turning diameter (5.10 m against 5.21 m measured MNC) to squeeze between two obstacles..

But as soon as the course becomes more difficult, the V-Strom 650 XT loses its resources and things get complicated … Its lower ground clearance penalizes it first of all when crossing, especially with each big touch. on a stone we pray not to have damaged its engine, left exposed by its "false shoe" !

Its lower suspension travel is also felt, a big compression approached at high speed causing the arrival of its fork to the limit. Unlike the Triumph which is able to absorb a step with almost the same flexibility as an enduro motorcycle, or even to "jump" it with a little experience. !

On the other hand, the superior engine braking of the Suzuki requires to be taken into account during downshifts on slopes, where the flexible 3-cylinder does not require any particular instructions. Well helped by its superior torque and availability, the British engine allows you to go anywhere without having to worry about the gear engaged.

Finally, the non-disconnectable ABS of the V-Strom 650 XT is a real "brake" to an off-road ride, since it is impossible to stop dead in the mud without panicking the central or triggering a skid with the right pedal. . Too bad, because its rear brake is just as powerful and dosable as that of the Triumph…

Up front, the power and bite of the Suzuki’s dual-piston calipers lags behind the Triumph’s two-piston calipers, which isn’t really a problem off-road. On the road, on the other hand, the Englishwoman literally does the Japanese-style brakes despite her lever to the touch a little hard !

Notwithstanding its higher volumes and higher weight, the Tiger 800 XCx is the big winner of our – nice – examination in the forest. On the one hand because its 21-inch front wheel and its suspensions "read" better the (all-) terrain, on the other because its advanced electronics make it accessible on land, even to a perfect neophyte.

In this version "Premium" XCx, the Tiger 800 indeed offers a driving mode called "Off-road", which once engaged softens the engine temperament, places the traction control to the minimum, deactivates the ABS at the rear. and minimizes its action at the front. In other words, the bike enjoys a light assistance, sufficient to reassure the beginner but not frustrating for a more experienced rider..

Thanks to the very fine management and the responsiveness of its anti-slip, the Triumph thus starts to gradually drift under acceleration, before being gently channeled by the electronics..

Same bluffing behavior concerning the ABS, whose action of "standby" is felt at the front via micro-locks when strongly pressing the right lever in the mud. For the more skilful, the "Rider" mode allows you to configure the bike in your hand and completely deactivate the ABS and the TC.

Verdict: escape at all costs or at friendly prices

Even if its "intelligent" electronics and its off-road equipment are not enough to make it a motorcycle capable of facing the Dakar, it is clear that the limits of the Triumph are located quite far off-road … A condition however to have the physique and the technique to master a two-wheeler as heavy and powerful in the dirt, as well as a good pair of TT tires !

In this, the Tiger 800 is a truly versatile motorcycle, perfectly in line with its adventurous look. The strength of Triumph lies in having succeeded in making it as efficient on all terrains, in particular by equipping it with sophisticated electronic aids and high-end suspensions with a compromise "road-path" close to perfection..

All without neglecting the comfort or the practical aspects that are so important in everyday use. This success gives him the victory against the Suzuki but there remains the question of the price, all in all high on this version "Premium" XCx…

Much more accessible (almost 4,000 euros difference!), The V-Strom 650 XT is an excellent companion whose qualities are assessed on the other hand only on asphalt. Once again, it is a pity that Suzuki did not go further in its "trailization" approach by installing specific suspensions, adapted protections and deactivatable ABS on its "XT".

Unlike Triumph who seriously gamberge to offer a brand new motorcycle, the emblem of Hamamatsu was ultimately content to accessorize an existing machine without bringing changes in line with its adventurous philosophy. An image-oriented approach, also at the origin of the big price difference between the two motorcycles…

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