I had just told Dale that the test bike was green, and he in turn was looking at me curiously as if I was stating the bleeding obvious. I replied "well maybe it makes more sense if I tell you I only have 15% red/green colour vision, and I can see it is definitely green" Dale gave an enlightened "Oohh"! The colour is such that if you ever get lost in the desert, they’ll still be able to see you from space.

This Triumph Tiger 955I is green, however, that doesn’t mean environmental, although it is very frugal with fuel (376 kilometers before the fuel light flickered on).

The test bike came equipped with adjustable seat, fuel injection, sports muffler and hand guards.

Many dual purpose bikes turn prospective buyers away because of their ‘unattractive’ looks but the Tiger is worth considering because it has more style than many of its competitors. I asked how many Tigers have been sold and was told not many, with the story of one chap being shown toward a Tiger saying "no, I don’t want a dirt bike"!

The truth is that the Tiger is NOT a dirt bike and is a better tourer than some purpose built machines. To say that the Tiger is just a dirt bike is like saying a Subaru WRX Imprezza is just another 4 wheel drive. And there perhaps is the best example of what this bike is in comparison to it’s road based competitors, the new Tiger is the WRX of the motorcycle world, and as capable on the tar as it is on dirt roads.

Initially as I negotiated the first corner I noticed a feeling of resistance or heaviness as I leaned the bike into and out of the turn. By the time I had arrived at the end of Industrial Drive there was a lessening sensation of this heaviness I had first experienced. When I returned the Triumph Monday morning and rode off on my own bike, I again felt the same heaviness through the same turns, but, only for a time. At that point I realised that these symptoms were the result of the highly varied geometry used between the two bikes, therefore, it would be negligent of anyone to assess the Tigers abilities from a short 10 to 15 minute test ride.

I found that the clutch handle was set too far away from the grip and it caused me some discomfort to operate it properly, so I adjusted it to around 25mm free play to get around the problem. I also found that at times the side stand was too long to be deployed, on say opposite camber road or when the pillion matched my own weight. Speaking of pillions they are very well accommodated and should find long distances unchallenging. The seating did give us ‘numb bum syndrome’ but as my pillion pointed out, it was only very new and would probably improve with use, as would the fitting of a sheep skin seat cover.

I was very impressed with this bike, because everything I asked of it, was delivered back twice fold. My sister was given the pillion seat for a trip up to Laurieton near Kew via the Old Pacific Highway, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Through the Bulladelah bends, the Tiger proved to be an excellent tool for shaving the sharper curves into a flowing series of enjoyable chicanes. However, when twisting this 78kW(105hp) cat’s throttle be warned, for if you do this too quickly you’ll be staring at the front wheel. You can pull away from 50kph in 6^th gear with little effort and it would be possible to become lazy by only changing gear when it really became necessary. The engine is very under stressed, at 120kph or 4500rpm it doesn’t appear to be working very hard at all. This test bike had a $518 sports muffler that made the exhaust note sound like an old six cylinder Holden with a straight through system, and because the note from the can was so pleasing, I just had to shift up and down through the gears as often as possible.

The twin Headlights are very good, and the excellent disk brakes while not ABS offer good feel. At around 120kph, the mirrors will just start to vibrate. The white with dark needle and number gauges are easy to read except on dusk where the numbers are hard to see, the lights masking their view against the facias (I wonder if they’re green?). A bash plate guards the lower part of the engine but the oil cooler and radiator hose are still exposed. A very good tool kit, pre load adjustment and non serviceable battery reside under the 3 height position seat, but with the seat at its lowest height it was still quite high (taller riders bike this one). The gearbox was ‘sticky’ during shifting, but an owner of the previous model said that the gear shift eased up after 5,000klms. Chain adjustment is by an axle cam. 24 litres of fuel in the ‘plastic’ tank, gives about 430k maximum range. This sort of bike could be ridden around our country in absolute comfort and the Metzler tyres offer good grip. I would prefer the higher accessory windscreen due to some slipstreaming over my helmet, but, the smallish fairing did offer good protection. The frame structure looks very strong and no doubt there is a, ‘horror’, tow bar available for those who want to carry more gear than the luggage allows. The bikes build quality is excellent, but I’m afraid that the foot pegs and supports might suffer if bike was to go over. There is a ‘power’ port on the left hand side, for your Triumph shaver or hair dryer. All yours for $16656 on the road.

I have been requested by Brisan Motorcycles to test the BMW R1150GS dual purpose bike next month and Neale has asked that I compare it to my experience with the Triumph Tiger, something I am going to find a very interesting exercise to be sure, stay tuned. Accessories include, Heated grips $ 259 - High Screen (clear or tint) $ 235 - Tank Bag $ 325.00 - Panniers (colour matched and including brackets) $ 1520 - Front guard extension $ 52.

Test bike courtesy of John Brisan Motorcycles, Whickham 49694500.

May your lid never skid.

Colours - Jet Black, Roulette Green.

Type - Liquid-cooled, DOHC, in-line 3-cylinder

Capacity - 955cc

Bore/Stroke - 79 x 65mm

Compression Ratio - 11.2:1

Fuel System - Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection

Ignition - Digital - inductive type - via electronic engine management system

Primary Drive - Gear

Final Drive - X-ring chain

Clutch - Wet, multi-plate

Gearbox - 6 speed

Frame - Tubular steel perimeter

Swingarm - Twin sided, aluminium alloy with eccentric chain adjuster

Front Wheel - 36 spoke, 19 x 2.5in

Rear Wheel - 40 spoke, 17 x 4.25in

Front Tyre - 110/80 H 19

Rear Tyre - 150/70 H 17

Front Suspension - 43mm forks with triple rate springs

Rear Suspension - Monoshock with remotely adjustable preload and rebound damping

Front Brakes - Twin 310mm discs, 2 piston calipers

Rear Brakes - Single 285mm disc, 2 piston caliper

Length - 2175mm (85.6in)

Width - 860mm (33.8in)

Height - 1345mm (52.9in)

Seat Height - 840 – 860mm (33.1 - 33.8in)

Wheelbase - 1550mm (61.0in)

Rake/Trail - 28º / 92mm

Weight (Dry) - 215kg (474lb)

Fuel Capacity - 24 litres (6.4 gal US)

Maximum Power - 105PS (104bhp) at 9,500 rpm

Maximum Torque - 92Nm (67ft-lbf) at 4,400 rpm