Bike Summary
I bought my ’17 TEX in the Fall of 2017 after starting to do more long-distance riding and meeting a friend who introduced me to adventure riding on his V-Strom. It was my first non-cruiser, and I fell in love with the aesthetics of the Tiger when I saw a pair on the ferry from Nova Scotia to Maine on a trip I took in 2016. Coming from the cruiser world, I definitely had a “no replacement for displacement” mentality when I picked the 1200 over the 800.
The Tiger has a wet weight of 570lbs and makes 139bhp. It was a full suite of electronic rider aids (lean-sensitive ABS & traction control and a semi-active suspension) that take some of the edge out of riding off-road, but it’s definitely on the road-biased side of ADV bikes. Touring features like a shaft drive, cruise control, adjustable windscreen, and heated grips/seat make the Tiger an excellent long-distance touring bike. It’s proven that through several Iron Butt rides and a cross-country trip.
After some pretty mixed success in riding it off-road I’ve pretty much retired the Tiger to being a pavement princess, and it makes a phenomenal sport-touring machine.