A
fter only a brief test ride on
the XCa at the launch here in
NZ where we managed to get
a small taste of the Tiger’s abilities, I
was keen to get away on the bike for
a decent bit of riding to see if the big
Brit is all bling or whether there’s any
substance to its curvaceous flanks.
As I said, during the NZ launch I’d not
managed to spend much time aboard.
Firstly, the bike was hugely popular
and everyone wanted a piece of it.
Secondly, I’ve always been a fan of
the Tiger 800, so spent time aboard
that while everyone else tripped over
102 KIWI RIDER
themselves making a beeline for the
bigger bike. That meant more fun
for me on the gravel sections and I
could keep riding without someone
pestering to ride the bike I was on.
So, to be brutally honest, during my
brief test ride I’d found the bike a tad
nervous in the steering at low speeds,
which wasn’t particularly comfortable
for me. It’s a heavy bike and I wasn’t
a fan of the 19-inch tyre on the gravel
– having had the benefit of the larger
21-inch hoop on the Tiger 800. So,
while playing with the throttle on the
1215cc triple was a real blast, I wasn’t
too enamoured with the big Tiger.