An Adrenaline Shot

In short, a big, resounding and gleeful YES! The new Tiger 800 XRx is not just an improved iteration of the 800 line up, it is a different beast in its own right. Aesthetically, this may look exactly the same as the out going off roader, if we ignore the new digital display that magnificently doubles up as the instrument cluster. However, first impressions often are not true, because the 800 XRx is nothing like the bike that spawned it. It seems that for Triumph, handling and control took centre stage for this bike. Thanks to a combination of Showa suspensions, a light, tubular steel trellis frame, and cast aluminium alloys, the bike feels incredibly solid and simply glides over bumps and potholes in a city, and boulders and rocks when off road.

The new 800 XRx comes with four riding modes, named Off-Road, Road, Rain, and Sport, which allows users to get inside the settings and tweak things here and there to get the best set up for a ride. The power set up that helps hurl this bike at breakneck speeds down any surface, on or off tarmac, is phenomenal. We get a liquid cooled in-line 3 cylinder 800 CC engine, at 74 mm bore, which translates to 94 fire spitting horses, being fed to a 6 speed gearbox. This allows the bike to hit 100 kmph in the blink of an eye and onto a top speed of 210 kmph.

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Acceleration is buttery smooth and free flowing, perhaps because of the new lightweight construction. Even in a city’s stop and go traffic, the bike is forgiving for novice riders, and is easy to control. However, like all Triumphs, the XRx really starts to shine and sing its tune when it gets a whiff of an open highway. Seriously, Triumph should consider marketing this bike as a Grand Tourer. The standard exhaust sounds sweet, but our test unit came with an aftermarket Arrow kit. What the aftermarket exhaust does, apart from adding marginally to the performance, is make the Tiger growl louder.

The sound track that the bike leaves behind compliments the high stance and the aggressive look of the bike. The colour TFT display commands all the attention once one takes position to give this bike a taste of the road. It delivers loads of information in a quick and crisp manner. The handles are wide apart and are positioned in a far better manner than the previous 800. Because they are nearer to the rider, it does not strain your back or palms, although we would prefer it to be even nearer. To ease things a little, the handles are heated. Continuing on the built and aesthetics, Triumph says that it has tweaked over 200 things.

Now, it may seem that the changes are only aesthetic and on the surface at first glance, but once you get acquainted with the bike, each of them stand out, and seem to change the fibre of the bike. The Triumph Tiger 800 XRx then, is one proper mile-munching monster that looks and sounds phenomenal. It is nothing like you will ever ride again. A motorcycle that is equally at ease off the road as it is on road, the new Tiger, simply put will leave your heart racing with excitement and glee. , liquid cooled in-line 3 cylinder engine PERFORMANCE 94 bhp @ 9500 RPM with 79 Nm of torque @ 8050 RPM TRANSMISSION Multiplate Wet Clutch, with 6 speed gearbox WEIGHT 199 kilogram (dry) BRAKES Front: Twin Floating 305mm Disc, 2 piston, with ABS Rear: Single 255mm Disc, single piston with ABS

Triumph Tiger 800 XRx in Numbers

• Engine: 800 CC, liquid-cooled in-line three-cylinder
• Performance: 94 bhp @ 9500 RPM with 79 Nm of torque @ 8050 RPM
• Transmission: Multi-plate wet clutch, with 6-speed gearbox
• Weight: 199 kilograms (dry)
• Brakes: Front twin floating 305mm discs, 2-piston, with ABS; rear single 255mm disc, single piston with ABS

From the January 2019 issue of FHM India.