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Story and Photos By Tom Fortune, Managing Editor
Somewhere a motorcycle manufacturer's
marketing department coined the name "adventure tourers" to describe
large-displacement dual sport bikes. Spawned from Paris-Dakar rally machines,
they come equipped with hard luggage, enormous fuel tanks, high-mileage radial
tires, comfortable seats, long-travel suspension and lots of ground clearance.
Want to take a trip to Alaska? Maybe head south through Mexico's rugged terrain?
These will be the machines of choice. But which of these heavyweights works best
in this environment? That depends on which side of the equation you place the
most emphasis -- adventure, or touring. Follow along as we do a photo-comparison
of these two adventure bikes. The results may be surprise you.
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BMW's Telever front suspension gives a natural
anti-dive effect under hard braking, something you can do with confidence on the
R11GS because of its Brembo-equipped dual discs and four-piston calipers. The
Tiger's softly-sprung, long travel forks dived excessively under heavy braking
during spirited riding, putting it at a distinct disadvantage while chasing the
Beemer through the canyons.
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Using the same fuel-injected, 4-valve boxer motor
as the R1100R Roadster, the GS produces a claimed 80 hp, the same output claimed
by Triumph for its DOHC, 4-valve triple. But the BMW is a heavy beast. Although
providing the perfect marriage between mechanical innovation and computerized
electronics, its three-way catalytic converters, electronic engine management
system and ABS-controlled triple disc brake system extol a large weight penalty.
BMW's Teutonic twin outweighs the Tiger by almost 50 pounds -- an important
consideration when blasting down rock infested trails.
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Off-road, the GS' wide bars offer more leverage during tricky uphill climbs than the Tiger's narrower bars, but then again, the Beemer shouldn't be climbing hills off-road. The narrow windscreen provided a surprising amount of wind protection during freeway travel. BMW's Rider Information Display, a broad array of functions and warning lights that includes the ABS warning system, is the prominent feature on the GS' simple instrument panel. The ABS system can be disarmed through an instrument panel-mounted switch, something you'll want to remember if you venture off the pavement with the GS. Take it from us, anti-lock brakes make it difficult to control a motorcycle as large as the Beemer when traveling down a slick, off-camber cobby downhill.
Meanwhile, the Tiger's cockpit features the
standard array of gauges and lights, and even has a clock -- a nice touch when
out on tour. A major nitpick though, is the dark-tinted lens cover over the
idiot light strip that makes it hard to see the neutral light or turn signal
indicators in daylight. More than once it caused us to travel down the highway
for miles with a blinker flashing.
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Large dual-sport motorcycles are often
categorized by the percentage of street-vs-off-road capability they possess.
Make no mistake -- both these bikes are happier on pavement than plowing through
sand washes. 85 percent street, 15 percent dirt is the usual formula. And that
15 percent dirt had better be on smooth fire roads -- there'll be no
rock-infested single-track trails in either of these bikes repertoires. Indeed,
many adventure bike owners may never experience life beyond the asphalt, and the
docile road-going manners of both the BMW-GS and Triumph Tiger make them
perfectly suited for light-duty street-only touring.
But if you seek real adventure and want your
tourer to be capable of heading into the boonies when the need or desire arises,
you'll want the Tiger. Lighter weight, six-speed transmission, chain-drive,
powerful high-rev motor, suspension that handles acceptably well in the street
and even better off-road, there isn't much that a Tiger rider would have to
avoid. It's only limitation is in its tires, which are not intended for serious
off-road play -- although the Triumph Tiger is willing in every other way.
Manufacturer: Triumph Model: Tiger Price: $10,395 Engine: dohc, liquid-cooled, in-line three-cylinder Bore x stroke: 76 x 65mm Displacement: 885cc Carburetion: (3) 36mm Mikuni CV Transmission: 6-speed Wheelbase: 61.0 in. Seat height: 33.4 in. Fuel capacity: 6.0 gal. Claimed dry weight: 460 lbs. Manufacturer: BMW Model: R1100GS ABS Price: $14,750 Engine: air/oil cooled flat twin Bore x stroke: 99 by 70.5mm Displacement: 1085cc Carburetion: fuel injection Transmission: 5-speed Wheelbase: 57.5 in. Seat height: 30.7 to 32.2 in. Fuel capacity: 6.07 gal Claimed dry weight: 506 lbs
