I've never heard such rubbish from people on here talking about a supposed 'British Bias'. The review was impartial. All they were saying was the Tiger 800 was a better bike especially in the engine department. Let's face it the 3 cylinder Hinckley motor is a cracker no matter what displacement, 675, 800 or 1050. Jap 4's are also great. Not sure why anyone would want a vibey twin for the road. How come you think MCN are biased when global sales of Triumphs prove what they are saying?
i love how he says "theres nothing this bike cant do" when this is the very first time they've ridden it, and it was in a very limited fashion being icy/wet/20 degrees outside. little biased pre determined opinions..
@sonofnothing I totally agree !! I'm tired of watching such videos. This attitude is just a British National preference to Triumph iconic brand which is a really good brand by the way but this behavior give no chance at all to any foreign brand. For those 2 men, Bmw F650 gs is a "nice" bike but Triumph will always be "amazing" ! Mr Trevor Franklin have same "chauvinism" attitude in Triumph Tiger 800XC vs BMW F800GS video. When people give their opinion, they have to be OBJECTIVE !
What about comfort, ability to fit luggage, tank range? MPG? insurance group? Weather protection? Service Intervals? Wind protection from the screen? Compare like for like.. why not compare an f800gs v the triumph 800??
If I rode a bike in that weather, first thing I'd do is say, woo, good screen or shit screen. Do heated grips work well/ crap. Give us the basics first jeeees!
Who was that test aimed at?? The Saturday morning bike shop gimps? Some of us actually ride these things you know!
Offroad, weight, MPG, side of the road maintenance, Crash n go, extra's available, compatible bags.. I love MCN,but they really need to read ADVrider_com to get an idea of this market. Still enjoyed the video. cheers.
to dirtdadx - I've not ridden the F650gs but have tried both Tigers & the F800gs & I'd go for the 800xc. Both Triumphs handle much better than the BM and the engine is fantastic, the xc felt more comfortable to me without losing out anywhere.
I am looking for a used F650GS right now, but I like the spec on the Tiger. Maybe this will put pressure on BMW to spec the F800GS motor on the F650GS. The difference between the F800GS and F650GS is not about the power, but the layout of the bike.
I sleep great thanks. As davidgermain said the F650gs is only 71hp, compared with 94hp for the Triumph. Put another way over 30% more power, hardly like for like.
Aaahhh yeah...a little injection of bias in this review. Although going to test both bikes myself here in Miami, Florida tomorrow and find out myself.
This is the first MCN review I've watched that has actually been good. The all rounds video which pits sports bikes against enduro's was the most ridiculous video I have ever seen... A GSXR an all rounder, are you stoned! But this video actually informed me about the bikes, hopefully this is the sign of things to come.
Dissapointed with the 800xc.They just didn`t sort out the pillions comfort. Footrests are a nightmare ,one forward of the other and footfouling the panniers.Who would have thought people would want to go two up touring..........you think!
Not sure what they are trying to do here but these 2 bikes are not rivals. They should have compared the F800GS to the triumph 800. He says in the video that the BMW has an 800cc motor but that just isn't true. It is thersame motor as the F800GS however it has been de-tuned or fitted with a sleeve to make it 650cc. At the end he raves about the power of the triumph. Of course it has more power it's a BIGGER motor.
@fotoblau only £500 differance between the bikes, one a small cc bike and the other a full power road bike - wow BMW's are very expensive for what they are!
Bit of British bias going on here methinks. The 800XC & F800GS are natural rivals. The 800 & F650GS are both more road orientated versions of those bikes, but they're not aimed at remotely the same market.
The F650GS is a castrated 800 aimed at the 1st big bike market (there's even a 34bhp restricted version). The Tiger 800 is aimed at people who want the 'Ewan & Charlie' look but MORE power & better road handling.
@474Paddy I think these two bikes are a very fair comparison. True, the F650GS is intentionally soft, but a look at the spec sheet, options, and prices will show they are very much direct competitors. BMW decided to neuter the F650GS back when it didn't have any direct competition. They wanted to further differentiate it from the F800GS to better fit their pricing strategy. If the Tiger sells well, expect upgrades to compete.
BMW's G650GS is the model most directly aimed at the beginner market.
Thanks for the effort guys. I'm glad to see you braved the freezing conditions and gave us a detailed review unlike previous ones that would only last a couple of minutes.
I sold my triumph tiger 1050 earlier in the year in anticipation of the new smaller tiger however I'm pissed off that all triumph did was launch 2 similar F800gs clones. Why couldn't they have just produced the tiger 800xc as one bike and a minature sporty version of the tiger 1050 with 17 inch wheels as the second.
@johnnylongsock Both bikes were really comfortable, given it's looks the Triumph had a surprising lack of height, weight and bulk, and the bars are cleverly pulled back so you're not stretched. I liked both bikes, but the Triumph a lot more.
As for free V2 Sponges, probably not! but you can get a decent discount code on the "Visorvision" twitter feed
I've never heard such rubbish from people on here talking about a supposed 'British Bias'. The review was impartial. All they were saying was the Tiger 800 was a better bike especially in the engine department. Let's face it the 3 cylinder Hinckley motor is a cracker no matter what displacement, 675, 800 or 1050. Jap 4's are also great. Not sure why anyone would want a vibey twin for the road. How come you think MCN are biased when global sales of Triumphs prove what they are saying?
fotokitdirect 2 months ago in playlist motorcyclenewsdotcom
i love how he says "theres nothing this bike cant do" when this is the very first time they've ridden it, and it was in a very limited fashion being icy/wet/20 degrees outside. little biased pre determined opinions..
sonofnothing 5 months ago 2
@sonofnothing I totally agree !! I'm tired of watching such videos. This attitude is just a British National preference to Triumph iconic brand which is a really good brand by the way but this behavior give no chance at all to any foreign brand. For those 2 men, Bmw F650 gs is a "nice" bike but Triumph will always be "amazing" ! Mr Trevor Franklin have same "chauvinism" attitude in Triumph Tiger 800XC vs BMW F800GS video. When people give their opinion, they have to be OBJECTIVE !
kenseitakezoo 3 months ago
I want to see the bikes,not youre ugly faces,so please move the camera on the bikes next time!!!!!! thank you
badimiki 6 months ago
f800gs is what they need to test against do they know there bikes mcn always push triumph
martinfretwell 8 months ago
Do Pommy bikes still come new from the factory with seals, nuts and bolts missing?
waggafletcher 9 months ago
He said the tiger has just arrived in the uk ,where the hell's it made.
rushowen 9 months ago
I wonder why I cancelled my MCN subscription. Don't listern to these monkeys...try and make your own mind up.
charlienut007 9 months ago
What about comfort, ability to fit luggage, tank range? MPG? insurance group? Weather protection? Service Intervals? Wind protection from the screen? Compare like for like.. why not compare an f800gs v the triumph 800??
If I rode a bike in that weather, first thing I'd do is say, woo, good screen or shit screen. Do heated grips work well/ crap. Give us the basics first jeeees!
Who was that test aimed at?? The Saturday morning bike shop gimps? Some of us actually ride these things you know!
GenonUK 9 months ago 3
@GenonUK Perfectly said !! this test is not a test it's only a British National preference to Triumph iconic brand. Nothing is objective !
kenseitakezoo 3 months ago
Offroad, weight, MPG, side of the road maintenance, Crash n go, extra's available, compatible bags.. I love MCN,but they really need to read ADVrider_com to get an idea of this market. Still enjoyed the video. cheers.
eastyamg 10 months ago
to dirtdadx - I've not ridden the F650gs but have tried both Tigers & the F800gs & I'd go for the 800xc. Both Triumphs handle much better than the BM and the engine is fantastic, the xc felt more comfortable to me without losing out anywhere.
474Paddy 10 months ago
I am looking for a used F650GS right now, but I like the spec on the Tiger. Maybe this will put pressure on BMW to spec the F800GS motor on the F650GS. The difference between the F800GS and F650GS is not about the power, but the layout of the bike.
dirtdadx 10 months ago
I sleep great thanks. As davidgermain said the F650gs is only 71hp, compared with 94hp for the Triumph. Put another way over 30% more power, hardly like for like.
474Paddy 10 months ago
Aaahhh yeah...a little injection of bias in this review. Although going to test both bikes myself here in Miami, Florida tomorrow and find out myself.
Niemeyer2007 11 months ago
Best review MCN ever gave. Loads of info. This is exactly what we want.
simon44 1 year ago 4
This is the first MCN review I've watched that has actually been good. The all rounds video which pits sports bikes against enduro's was the most ridiculous video I have ever seen... A GSXR an all rounder, are you stoned! But this video actually informed me about the bikes, hopefully this is the sign of things to come.
ShakyUK 1 year ago
Dissapointed with the 800xc.They just didn`t sort out the pillions comfort. Footrests are a nightmare ,one forward of the other and footfouling the panniers.Who would have thought people would want to go two up touring..........you think!
xfire7 1 year ago
what about ktm's 990 adventure? how would the tiger 800 xc compare to that?
lamilumag 1 year ago
Not sure what they are trying to do here but these 2 bikes are not rivals. They should have compared the F800GS to the triumph 800. He says in the video that the BMW has an 800cc motor but that just isn't true. It is thersame motor as the F800GS however it has been de-tuned or fitted with a sleeve to make it 650cc. At the end he raves about the power of the triumph. Of course it has more power it's a BIGGER motor.
fotoblau 1 year ago
@fotoblau only £500 differance between the bikes, one a small cc bike and the other a full power road bike - wow BMW's are very expensive for what they are!
davidgermain 1 year ago
@davidgermain They are the same cc's chief
tonyinfinity 10 months ago
@tonyinfinity eh? 650 smaller than 800
davidgermain 10 months ago
@davidgermain BMW called it the F650GS but it is the 800 cc motor from the F800GS just tuned down to 71hp.
tonyinfinity 10 months ago
it will all be up to the cash . unless you want to get a british bike
exilog 1 year ago
Bit of British bias going on here methinks. The 800XC & F800GS are natural rivals. The 800 & F650GS are both more road orientated versions of those bikes, but they're not aimed at remotely the same market.
The F650GS is a castrated 800 aimed at the 1st big bike market (there's even a 34bhp restricted version). The Tiger 800 is aimed at people who want the 'Ewan & Charlie' look but MORE power & better road handling.
474Paddy 1 year ago 8
@474Paddy Keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night.
CaptainTurkeyGiblets 10 months ago
@474Paddy I think these two bikes are a very fair comparison. True, the F650GS is intentionally soft, but a look at the spec sheet, options, and prices will show they are very much direct competitors. BMW decided to neuter the F650GS back when it didn't have any direct competition. They wanted to further differentiate it from the F800GS to better fit their pricing strategy. If the Tiger sells well, expect upgrades to compete.
BMW's G650GS is the model most directly aimed at the beginner market.
tubesockanarchy 10 months ago
WHY wouldn't you test it with the BMW 800GS...? THAT is the closest "rival"
hankgs 1 year ago
Can you tell us the clothing you are wearing in the videos?
stevenv1992 1 year ago
@cjoeras SV650 vs Super Duke 990??? Tht's definitely unfair.
BMW F650GS is actually 800cc. So it's a fair comparisson with Triumph Tiger 800, no?
Can't wait for the F800GS vs Tiger 800XC vid!
crazybike1976 1 year ago
Thanks for the effort guys. I'm glad to see you braved the freezing conditions and gave us a detailed review unlike previous ones that would only last a couple of minutes.
I sold my triumph tiger 1050 earlier in the year in anticipation of the new smaller tiger however I'm pissed off that all triumph did was launch 2 similar F800gs clones. Why couldn't they have just produced the tiger 800xc as one bike and a minature sporty version of the tiger 1050 with 17 inch wheels as the second.
elementlead1 1 year ago
Triumph always wins in these reviews.
SkullLikeASecret 1 year ago
@cjoeras Triumph have said that the Tiger 800 is a rival for the F650GS, so that's the reason for this test.
The more adventure-style Tiger 800XC however is aimed at the F800GS, so watch out for a head-to-head test between those two soon!
motorcyclenewsdotcom 1 year ago
nice start into 2011 with the ktm review and this one!!
Kingcrispyable 1 year ago
Man it was cold.....
VisorvisionUK 1 year ago
@VisorvisionUK What was the comfort like on the Tiger? Oh and can I have some free wipes please :D
johnnylongsock 1 year ago
Comment removed
VisorvisionUK 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@johnnylongsock Both bikes were really comfortable, given it's looks the Triumph had a surprising lack of height, weight and bulk, and the bars are cleverly pulled back so you're not stretched. I liked both bikes, but the Triumph a lot more.
As for free V2 Sponges, probably not! but you can get a decent discount code on the "Visorvision" twitter feed
VisorvisionUK 1 year ago
@cjoeras "despite the name, it's actually got an 800cc engine". read/watch -> think -> write.
casterofchaos 1 year ago
@casterofchaos meheheheheehee :D
ectoplasma2 1 year ago