Trail – Test Triumph Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018: smart vision – Test Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018 – Page 1: Static

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2018 Triumph Tiger 800 XCA and XRT test: smart vision

Trail - Test Triumph Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018: smart vision - Test Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018 - Page 1: Static

Does the imposing Triumph Tiger 1200 intimidate you? Opt for the Tiger 800 2018: more accessible and hardly less well equipped, the "little tiger" of Hinckley successfully cultivates a vision of the trail that is comfortably versatile. Testing of the high-end versions XRT and XCA on the roads and tracks of Morocco.

Test Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018 – Page 1: Static

What is annoying about climate change is that it is spreading everywhere, including in Morocco where MNC is discovering the third generation of (launched in 2011, then improved in 2015). We thought we would leave the snow and the cold in Paris: lost! The heights of the Atlas are bleached by powder snow, while downpours of icy water fall on Marrakech and its surroundings…

  • MNC special file :
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"Such cold conditions are very rare at this time of the year", assure us the Moroccans while the new color TFT matrix dashboard indicates – legibly – a small 7 ° C. Fortunately, the Tiger 800 XRT and Tiger 800 XCA at our disposal culminate at the top of the range: grips and heated saddles are part of their standard equipment and they are very efficient. Phew !

Trail - Test Triumph Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018: smart vision - Test Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018 - Page 1: Static

As on the previous Tiger 800 and on the, the "XR" are more road oriented than the "XC", mainly thanks to their stick rims and their Showa suspensions with lower travel (180 and 170 mm against 200 and 215 mm on the XC). The Tiger 800 XC proudly show off spoked wheels, a sturdy metal shoe and an adjustable inverted fork and mono-shock assembly from WP (see the).

All versions – including entry-level ones – benefit from an excellent finish, whether in terms of surface treatments, integration of the electrical network or choice of materials. The Tiger 800 exudes quality and functionality, as evidenced by the qualitative screws, the neat welds but also their angled valves, their levers adjustable in spacing and their two standard sockets on all models (USB under the saddle and 12V near the contactor).

Trail - Test Triumph Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018: smart vision - Test Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018 - Page 1: Static

To this rich endowment are added series – important precision! – an adjustable saddle and handlebars, a luggage rack, full LED lighting, cruise control, large and accessible passenger grips, handguards and several driving modes that influence the responsiveness of the injection, ABS and anti-slip (see our). 

This 2018 vintage also inherits a practical left-hand joystick, thanks to which it is easy to navigate among the many information on the dashboard (gear engaged, tachometer, speed, fuel gauge, two trips, instant fuel consumption and average, etc.). This same joystick – identical to that of the Tiger 1200 – also provides access while driving to the different modes offered: simple and practical (video demonstration below).

  • MNC smart-videos of February 9, 2018 : 

Finally, the last particularly valuable asset with regard to the weather: the Tiger 800 2018 features a windshield with manually adjustable height in five positions, to which are added effective deflectors on its lower part. What better way to digest the presence of the central stand only on the top of the range XRT and XCA! On the Tiger 800 XR, XRX and XCX, the control unit is optional: a questionable choice for a chain drive motorcycle.

Trail - Test Triumph Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018: smart vision - Test Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018 - Page 1: Static

Raising or lowering the new screen with one hand is quite easy, including when driving: a light pressure forwards is enough to unlock the lock, then the sliding takes place by applying a clear upward or downward movement. low. This well-designed device advantageously replaces the fixed windshield – too short – of the old Tiger 800.

The protection proves to be very convincing, placing the bust and almost all of the helmet of a 1.75 m pilot under cover. Only the top of the head is subject to some disturbance, just like the shoulders: more than enough to calmly face the vagaries of the weather, even stuck at 130 km / h on the last gear at 4800 rpm. It’s not nice and cold, and so ?! 

Trail - Test Triumph Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018: smart vision - Test Tiger 800 XCA and XRT 2018 - Page 1: Static

Even the slippery and rather smashed character of the Moroccan secondary network does not manage to thwart the feeling of serenity which the new Tiger 800 exudes. On the contrary, the same: the traps set by the wet asphalt and pierced with imposing potholes are so many opportunities to savor the successful damping and balance of this literally "all-purpose" motorcycle.

For Le Journal moto du Net, it is obvious: the "650/800 cc" trail category is best suited to changing or difficult driving conditions, all the more so if the route includes – like ours – trails. muddy off-road portions. In this context, clearly, the imposing does not put so much at ease !  

So, would the Tiger 800 be the right caliber, the smart and pragmatic choice? Answers in the !

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