Tiger 800 XC goes the distance

I’ll bet my mortgage that 90% of ‘adventure bikes’ are never used on an ‘adventure’. Most are too heavy with dual-sport tyres which don’t cut the mustard on off-road adventures. But if most of these bikes never see the dirt, then why is the adventure category the fastest growing sector in the bike market?

When I first passed my driving test I shared my mums Nissan Micra (the purple one) the 1 liter engine returned 10 miles the pound. We had a “mileage book” so I knew how much to pay for the petrol I used (yes, tough times!) That was over 14 years ago but 10 miles to the pound has always remained a benchmark for me.

I put Triumphs Tiger 800 XC through the “mileage test” and the figures were the closest I’ve seen since the good old days of economy when petrol was cheap and you could fill your bike for under £13 quid.

The fuel light came on at 161 miles, 20 miles later I got to the services. Figures at the pump show that the XC has a 17-18 liter tank. I’d covered 181 miles on mostly A-roads and that cost £21.60. 8.4 miles to my £1. A Bargain in todays standards.

The seat on the Tiger is wide and plentiful. The one inch of height adjustment takes less than a minute to implement and makes a noticeable difference in your reach to the ground. For the first time ever I rode the 151 miles from the Triumph factory to the office without stopping thanks to the comfort and tank range of the XC.

Why would I buy an adventure bike? to cover miles in comfort whilst feeling and looking (debatable) good. And, if I ever fancied risking my shiny bike in the mud then maybe, just maybe I’d take it on some greenlanes on a foggy Sunday morning. If this sounds like your sort of riding then the Tiger 800xc could be for you.

More on the Triumph Tiger in our buyers guide here