A little while ago, Triumph’s Tiger range of motorcycles has given starved Indian adventure enthusiasts something to realise their dreams with. But tackling the mucky bits on these big and heavy motorcycles could turn an adventure into a misadventure. So to help Tiger owners to go further and explore, Triumph taken up the initiative of creating a riding academy to train them on how to better handle off-road situations with the motorcycle. This event is accessible free of cost to Tiger owners and prospective buyers of the Tiger.
I was genuinely eager to get aboard the Tiger XCx. I had ridden the XRx a while ago and was mighty impressed with its cornering capability on well-paved twisty roads. The XCx on the other hand, seemed like it was the better bike for this off-road kind of scenario; what with its spoked wheels and extra suspension travel. As I swung a leg over the saddle, the differences started becoming apparent; this version of the Tiger sat higher off the ground, had a larger wind-screen and the handle-bars were wider. And it only got better once I got moving; ample amounts of suspension travel and a 21-inch front wheel smoothed out the rough terrain decently well. It’s amazing how much easier the job becomes if you just use the right tools. The Tigers felt like they had a lot of weight at the front-end; which means you need to be a bit watchful at slow speeds and muscle it while going faster.
The marshals had laid out a slalom course for the riders to understand how to manoeuvre the Tiger through tight turns. And of course, the technique that worked the best was to treat the Tiger like you would a motocross bike; tip the motorcycle into the turn while you lean away from the turn. Just look in the direction you want to go and that’s where the motorcycle will go. Always remember to look further ahead. Your body will automatically adjust the motorcycle to make you get to that point.
