However, if you cast a keen eye over the Tiger 800 XRx, you’ll be able to discern some small bits that tell you that this bike is road-biased. For starters, the wheels are 10-spoke alloys and not wire spoke as you would expect on a proper adventure bike. Compare it to Triumph’s own off-road biased XCx version of this same bike, and you’ll also realise that the front wheel on the XRx is a different size. Where the XCx sports a 21-inch front wheel, the XRx gets a 19-inch wheel. You’ll also notice the missing beak at the front (which is replaced by a snub nose). On the off-road bike, the beak serves as a deflector for stones getting thrown back by the front tyre. Then there is the engine guard. On the XRx the unit is a much less robust one than on the XCx, given that the former will mainly remain on tarmac.
Moving on from the looks, the most significant departure from its off-road twin is in the XRx’s much more accessible seat height. Where the XCx stands tall with a seat height that varies between 840 mm and 860 mm, the XRx’s seat height is a lot less intimidating at 810-830 mm. Opt for the special accessory low seat and you can bring that further down to 790-810 mm. This is way below off-road bike territory. Those of you who are looking at this bike with scorn now, please note that rider confidence is inversely proportional to seat height. The lower the height, the higher the confidence. And on the XRx, you get plenty of confidence because you can plant both your feet flat on terra firma when at standstill.
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