Triumph Tiger 800 Pillion Pegs Damage Frame

[OB1]

The Triumph Tiger 800 and 800XC models are three years old now and, for more than that time, I have been reading reviews and thoughts that there is an inbuilt weakness in the bike's design. I have read reviews in magazines and threads on forums which highlight the fact that Triumph decided to weld the pillion peg supports to the rear of the frame: not a sub-frame, because the Tiger does not use one, but the main frame. There have been many discussions that, if the bike were to be involved in a crash, even at low speed, the frame would be damaged and the whole bike would be written-off leaving the rider stranded in the middle of nowhere, miles from civilisation.

However, I am yet to see a report from an owner, or even from a mate of a mate, who has actually had the misfortune to experience a write-off which was caused by the rear footpeg digging-in and ripping the frame apart. I have dropped my bike 4 times - twice on each side - and the frame remains undamaged. Okay, these were low speed (stopped on one occasion) and whilst on the trails, but this is the claim: even a low speed spill would cause the aforementioned write-off.

Some time back, sexysi had a bit of an off at low speed and he was quite anxious about the chances that he might have damaged the frame: he needn't have worried as the frame was fine, IIRC.

The biggest incident that I have seen was on the ADVRider forum where GuiltyParty's Tiger was knocked off a cliff by a lorry. Yes the frame broke but this was an extreme incident that would not happen in everyday riding. Regardless of this accident, GuiltyParty and Patty had the bike repaired and carried on with their journey… until, further down the road, he ended up drowning the bike!

So, has anyone else experienced a written-off Tiger due to this "design fault" that Triumph built into their bike?

This myth has so many believers that they could start a religious cult!

[johnnyboxer]

Internet fantasy, from armchair pundits

[OB1]

I was provoked into asking the question because, in the thinking about a change thread, it was brought up again by APD_660Ten:

Tiger - I can't help but love the look of these. More of a road bias than offroad for me. Only riden one briefly and a hoot on the road. Really don't like the lack of lower protection and the foot rest issue with regards to offroad. (I noticed they chopped the pillion pegs off the rally bikes )

[V_King]

since when have you started believing media? they don't have what to write about, so inventing new physics laws.

the problem with tiger frame as with many others is that the frame and subrame is the same one part (xt660 bikes are the same design principle). And it does not matter wether the pillion peg is welded or bolted, if the impact force is going to be into the pillion peg, one way or another, it is going to damage the subframe part of the frame. Will a bent subframe make any difference in bikes rideability? NO, those boffins, who "will be left stranded in the middle of nowhere without a bike" have no idea how much force you need to make a considerable abount of damage, to make a bike unrideable.

also, insurance very rarely write off bikes due to frame damage, even if you consider the scratches to the frame, which in insurance books is a damaged frame in UK.

[sexysi]

Yep, my frame was fine.

I just wonder why they didn't just use a bolt on one like the Yam Ten. Just makes sense.

Or even when they do a "Slightly newer model update" add it

si

[OB1]

I'm not an engineer but I did study physics at school and architecture (where you read about structural forces) at college and I'm sure that the engineers at Triumph would have thoroughly tested this supposed weakness.

The way I see it is that, if the bike fell on to its side with enough force to move the footpeg mounting, the weld that connects the mount to the rear of the frame will break long before the frame itself is damaged. This would have been engineered in as a weak joint in order to prevent any damage to the frame: the mount is strong in the direction that it was designed to be used (supporting the pillion's foot) but intentionally weak when forced laterally (during a crash) in order to protect the frame. It sounds simple to me…

I do agree with Si that a detachable mount would be a preferred solution but I'm sure that they would have probably had to increase the price of the bike however little. The Tiger was built to a price: Triumph wanted to beat BMW's F800GS on everything including price so certain design compromises would have been made.

[APD_660Ten]

I think it's the 'what if' thing here. The snag that people seem to be worried about isn't solely the pillion hangers but the pillion hanger which are welded to the subframe which is welded to the main frame.

Post here with a comment about write off because the hanger is all part of the frame.

http://www.tiger800.co.uk/index.php?topic=7659.0

Not saying here that I totally agree and I think in a sensible world you could fix something like this.

As for welded hanger. The gs800 has them but it had a seperate subframe.




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[APD_660Ten]

I was provoked into asking the question because, in the thinking about a change thread, it was brought up again by APD_660Ten:

Tiger - I can't help but love the look of these. More of a road bias than offroad for me. Only riden one briefly and a hoot on the road. Really don't like the lack of lower protection and the foot rest issue with regards to offroad. (I noticed they chopped the pillion pegs off the rally bikes )

sorry dude... I did say I love the look of them though :cheer:


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[OB1]

sorry dude... I did say I love the look of them though :cheer:

No worries! I've just heard it so many times and no-one ever counters the argument! (thumbs)

[APD_660Ten]

Must admit. Heard it more than ever seen it to be fair.

Hey. From the comments above. My 660 is at risk subframe wise and I never even thought of it that way. No one ever moans about those bending. I suppose look hard enough and you'll find a fault with every bike.

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