Author Topic: FJR1300 or Tiger 800???? (Read 8580 times)

flesh · « **on:** 02 July 2012, 07:22:31 pm »

Well my FZ1 has been sold after 3 years so time to look for a replacement. I have given myself 3 options:
1. FJR1300........big and comfy and why not?
2. Tiger 800...... for a change (although my local Triumph Dealer is sh*!e)
3. FZ1 Fazer + a rat bike.......it would be on my 5th one $:\$
Anyone any experience on any of the above (except the FZ1 cos I've done about 40k on them

) or comments on my choices would be appreciated (constructive or not

)

BBROWN1664 · « **Reply #1 on:** 02 July 2012, 08:04:17 pm »

Had a go on a Tiger last year. Big bikes. Like the FJR they are a bit big and heavy for me but go well and handle suprisingly well for their size..

CRH · « **Reply #2 on:** 02 July 2012, 08:10:55 pm »

i ran one for 5yrs flesh!......upside!...very fast(go like a train)..very comfortable...very reliable...very good on fuel (if you ride sensibly)...good carrying capacity...and realy good pillion comfort!...fantastic brakes!!!!.....now the downside,and the main reason i got rid of mine?....can be cumbersome in heavy traffic!..specialy 2up with full luggage etc...very heavy to push about!...eat tyres, front will go first, rear square off pretty quick if doing alot of motorway!!found michelin best alrounder!...if you 6ft and above you will defo need bar risers or will suffer from neck and shoulder probs!! ...if you dont use on regular basis then expect brakes to sieze, and battery to suffer from stupid alarm system they got?.most have meta357t,s...has a long distance tourer you simply cant go wrong!!...excels in every department,but as a commuter no good at all,just to big,and heavy!!

mcyoungy · « **Reply #3 on:** 02 July 2012, 08:11:13 pm »

wow 2 very diverse bikes there. That new 800 Tiger is supposed to be very good.......... never have liked anything the size of the FJR myself.

flesh · « **Reply #4 on:** 02 July 2012, 08:24:20 pm »

I commute 40 mile a day 1/2 motorway and 1/2 city centre traffic. Also a short-arse at 5'8". Lots of filtering on my commute though but I can squeeze almost anything through a gap........

Just looking for something different for a change to be honest. I have run FZS1000's and my last FZ1 for years and they have been great but getting a bit bored.
I took a Tiger 800 out for a test yesterday. Unfortunately it was brand new with 1 mile on the clock and new tyres so the ride was not great. Handled surprisingly well though and loads of grunt under 5k and up to about 70mph. Absolutely nothing after that though. Soaked up the bumps really well but the screen was truely awful.
Downside, in my opinion, is the high cost of servicing/work by Triumph dealers and owners comments of Triumph not honouring warrenty if you get the work done elsewhere. Plus my local Triumph Dealer is "pish" in the local dialect

Love my Yam's, hence why I was looking at the FJR as I cannot think of another Yam I would buy other than another FZ1.

CRH · « **Reply #5 on:** 02 July 2012, 08:31:05 pm »

go test one then flesh?...you will defo like it?....the performance is outstanding!!,..but like ive said?...not much good has a commuter!!...

ddtwelve · « **Reply #6 on:** 02 July 2012, 08:57:47 pm »

what about a sprint st??

mcyoungy · « **Reply #7 on:** 02 July 2012, 09:02:04 pm »

big old whale of a bike, gutless with crap suspension and a plank of a seat or so I'm led to believe

fazercol · « **Reply #8 on:** 02 July 2012, 09:04:47 pm »

I have a xjr1300 great bike, The FJR is a faired version of that now i am a bit bias but dont think you will get a better bike loads of grunt and with a little mod will go like stink.

mcyoungy · « **Reply #9 on:** 02 July 2012, 09:10:39 pm »

except the FJR is water cooled with 145bhp and shaft drive

mcyoungy · « **Reply #10 on:** 02 July 2012, 09:11:32 pm »

oh and a lightweight aluminium frame.

CRH · « **Reply #11 on:** 02 July 2012, 09:35:26 pm »

the fjr is a completely different machine to the xjr and definitely not the fared version!!! a good fjr will easily do 160mph...the xjr wouldnt be even close!!....i have friends with xjr,s and they say the same!....

flesh · « **Reply #12 on:** 02 July 2012, 10:28:08 pm »

Had an XJR many moons ago. Great bike but need wind protection as I'm a big fairy now.
Sprint ST was a bit too hard on my wrists for some reason.

CRH · « **Reply #13 on:** 02 July 2012, 10:42:37 pm »

the fjr as a electric screen and is realy good specialy on motorways!!!! go test ride one flesh?..see how you get on!!

SEPTIKANGEL · « **Reply #14 on:** 02 July 2012, 11:10:24 pm »

Quote from: fazercol on 02 July 2012, 09:04:47 pm

I have a xjr1300 great bike, The FJR is a faired version of that now i am a bit bias but dont think you will get a better bike loads of grunt and with a little mod will go like stink.

Think what Fazercol's refering to is the heritage..... FJ1100, FJ1200, XJR1200, XJR1300 and progression to what we have today with the FJR1300. Yes, at far end of line, but perhaps where the FJR began? (and maybe where the XJR1300 would now be if Yamaha didn't want to keep the lone[?] aircooled character of the XJR series?)

flesh · « **Reply #15 on:** 03 July 2012, 12:34:25 am »

Anyone any experience of the Tiger or Triumphs in general as an alternative to the Yamaha?

mcyoungy · « **Reply #16 on:** 03 July 2012, 06:42:49 am »

I'm now on my 7th Triumph. Love them to bits. Rode a Tiger once, never owned one. Mate has the 800, having alternated between big Tigers and GS's for years.

1050 Sprint is a great bike....... early ones had lower bars which could be what did your wrists.

What age/money are you looking at?

pitternator · « **Reply #17 on:** 03 July 2012, 07:10:32 am »

The tiger 800 is a very very good handling bike. Its one of the best I have ridden,and enjoys good ride quality too, with the besthandling /ride being the street triple R. Thats across the whole spectrum of bikes I have ever ridden.High praise indeed. IF they put the speed triples 1050 engine in a tiger 800 chassis that would be a phenomenal bike.As it is the tigers engine is a bit flat feeling , with no real top end as such.BUT it would make a good commuter / tourer. Its excellent B road handling will be some compensation, but it does feel a tad flat after riding say a street triple...and is completely bested by the 130 bhp 1050 torque monster engine in the speed triple.
Having ridden the considerably dearer 1200 tiger , its a completely diffrent bike- big , heavy , cumbersome. Handles Ok but nothing like the suppleness or comfort of the 800.

FJR is now quite an oldfashioned bike, but still has its charms. But its very expensive to buy new , and is bettered by many other bikes out there if you have a 15k budget ! No disrespect to any FJR owners, but , like the FZS 1000 we are talking of a bike actually designed in the late 90 s ! Its very comfy and powerful , but lacks any real development in the last 10 yrs, as has happened to so many of Yams bike range.

Sprint ST1050 ( old model now discontinued) is actually quite a good bike, a sort of half full dress tourer, grunty and good handling, very comfy and not too expensive to run ( 12k services apart which all triumphs suffer from)...and can be bought quite cheaply. Get the one fitted with higher bars from the factory and its a good riding position compromise.I had 2 and loved them. Cant say I feel the same way about the sprint GT I rode recently , which felt very " long"....not as perky or good handling as the ST.The Tiger 800 and explorer have now taken over from the ST, but I reckon a sporty ST is still a good bike. Interesting to see Triumph are thinking of bringing out a sporty Tiger 1050...I would be interested to see if it has the full fat 1050 engine !

Phil · « **Reply #18 on:** 03 July 2012, 11:44:07 am »

Quote from: flesh on 03 July 2012, 12:34:25 am

Triumphs in general as an alternative to the Yamaha?

I had a Street Triple 675 for 2 1/2years, bought it Nov 2007 so thats a while ago now. The most fun to ride on the road bike I have ever had but sold it for the Fazer8 as I wanted something with a fairing.
I think the build quality is slightly below Yamaha, but they are cheaper. The rear shock seemed to corrode quickly and was replaced under the general shock recall they had. The chain would rust if you didnt lube it after it got wet. It did 9,000 miles with no issues, but thats a tiny milage really. Valve checks required every 12,000 miles, expensive servicing.

The Rocketeer · « **Reply #19 on:** 03 July 2012, 02:43:54 pm »

FJR is way better than the Sprint 1050 (I've owned both), Sprint is good but let down by squidgy brakes, the worst headlight this side of a Honda 90 and panniers that are a sick joke. Chain adjuster seizes solid after one winter too. Peach of an engine though, and they do handle good.

UG · « **Reply #20 on:** 03 July 2012, 04:01:54 pm »

Or try a Tiger 1050. I had a spin on one for more than a few miles. They hold the road well, even in wintery weather when I tested it. Plus they go fast enough to get airborne over bridges. Good screen to. Nice engine. Good for blatting off the miles.

steeeve66 · « **Reply #21 on:** 03 July 2012, 04:21:22 pm »

CB1300S? I've only tried them on a couple of short tests but it's a lovely bike, perhaps a little over-priced now tho.

pitternator · « **Reply #22 on:** 03 July 2012, 06:43:43 pm »

The sprint is way way cheaper than a FJR. I never had any mechanical issues with mine as such...did 24K miles on 2 bikes. Only sold my last one when I got my gen1 mark 2...and felt they were too similar ...then went onto super nakeds, and the last 5 yrs has been quite entertaining. I wont slag off FJR s cos I like them myself, but as new, its almost ridiculous money.
I always felt the sprint went just a bit more than a vfr 800, almost bridging the gap to a blackbird , but obviously not the top end.Early panniers were a bit shoddy, but I just bought a ventura system which worked really well, and keeps the sporty flavour of the ST. I could get my knee down at will on a ST too...lovely handling.I had my brake supgraded for free by the factory after a fe wissues, and they were great afterwards.

You might have guessed I am a big triumph fan...dont have one just now, but am probably going to get another one very soon....

flesh · « **Reply #23 on:** 03 July 2012, 07:36:36 pm »

CB13000s....done that for 3 years. Great bike but poor build quality and Honda are a bunch of sh*!ebags

You guys have sort of put me off the FJR a bit being honest. In summary a great bike but a big old unweldy lump suited for motorway cruising seems to the be common feeback.
I initially though Tiger 800 (don't like the 1050) but the maintenance/servicing and more specifically the horror stories owners have been giving about dealer back up (and faults) is really putting me off. That and my local Triumph dealer is sh*!e (did it mention that previously

)
I have had most of the big bore "muscle bikes", with the exception of Suzuki cos they are made of of cheese, and I keep coming back to the Fazer.
I am now in a dilema as what to buy (MkII 600 + '10 FZ1 - had both so I know what to expect) or something completely off field.

steeeve66 · « **Reply #24 on:** 03 July 2012, 07:56:29 pm »

Quote from: flesh on 03 July 2012, 07:36:36 pm

CB13000s....done that for 3 years. Great bike but poor build quality and Honda are a bunch of sh*!ebags

..glad I didn't buy one now