Triumph Tiger 955i - to spoke or not to spoke?
 

Hi, I am planning a two up trip from the UK east to OZ over approx. a year and have been thinking about what bike. I am coming round to an old lowish mileage Tiger 955i pending a test ride but have the dilemma on whether to go for the older spoke wheeled bike (looks the part) or the newer cast wheeled bike. I want to be able to plug basic punctures so if I buy the spoke wheel version I will want to seal the spokes to run tubeless tyres whilst carrying tubes to get me out of trouble. The cast wheels would be easier (no spokes to tighten that could then break the seal inside) but are they tough enough? I know this depends on the trails we travel so all I can say is that we are not off roaders but will go where we have to get where we want to go so this will probably include pot holed tracks etc. What do you think?

Neither
 

Hi there. Obviously the choice of bike is yours, but the tiger 955i has been known to have been plagued by electrical issues. I initially thought that it was just my bad luck (mind was a 2003 model and fond of popping ECU's). When I looked into it and met many other 955i owners over the years, it has been a very common story. Each to their own like I say, but personally I'd go for jap bike or KTM.

Thanks, I better do some more research as I had read they were reliable. I also liked the long 6k service intervals.

I have considered the KTM950/990 but I was put off a bit by reliability issues. Some servicing tasks also seem a real hassle.

I have also considered the Transalp 700 but the small tank range has unfortunately put me off.

All the above also have the issue of sealing the spokes.

All thoughts welcome?

From what I've read around, tube is the way to go. I even heard of people tubing tubeless tires as the perfect combination as it gives good strength and is easy to repair...

Not sure about tubed or tubeless,but I think you'd want spoked tires giv en all the. Poor roads you'll be on.

Well, a specific article right here at HUBB about the subject:
Bike preparation for long distance dirt road touring | Horizons Unlimited

You will not want to do this, as it may get you into trouble and there is no point in creating failure options. Why risk a loss of pressure from rims which are not intended to be used without tubes? There is nothing wrong with tubes to begin with, unless you want to dash down German Autobahns, and even then they will do their job, just check KTM´s LC8, which runs 220km/h on tubed wheels. Use rim and tube as intended by the manufacturer, carry tire irons as well as repair stuff for the tire and the tube and repair both when needed.
Cheers

I had a tiger with spoked. It was by far, the hardest tyre to break the bead and remove that I've ever done. And Iv'e done a lot of punctures and tyre changes by hand.

I had to call the AA to take me home and even with my proper workshop bead breaker it was very hard. I sold the bike because of that. A plug is way faster and easier than a tube to fix a small puncture.

Spoked wheels feel nicer, are less likely to crack and its not fatal if you bend them and they are often lighter. That's their benefit.

You can also ride on if necessary with a damaged tyre. I had a rear tyre with a 2" tear in it for 600 miles in Ethiopia. You can't do that with a tubeless.

At a push you could put a tube in a tubeless rim but you would have to remove the valve. Not really a good idea and VERY hard to remove a tyre by hand on a tubless rim/tyre.

www.touringted.com

tiger - no problem
 

Depends on where you go. I took a Tiger 1050 from UK to OZ, yes suspension almost like a race bike . I felt the pain in India and Pakistan on crap roads but I was going mostly tarmac to save time. I craved for spoked wheels and long suspension but in the end the bike pulled through OK.

Off road ... hmmm never take this again, I'd probably wreck the thing for once and all.

Hmmm, thanks for all the advice. It seems my options are:

1) Spoked wheels with a tube. However, if the wheel rim has a lip then breaking the bead to mend a puncture could be awkward.
2) Cast wheels with tubeless tyres. Easier to fix punctures but a problem if I damage a wheel!

Can anyone offer advice on the Tiger 955i for a long trip through hot countries using some sealed and some dirt tracks?

I suppose I should also go back and look at alternative bikes for 2 up touring, spending about 4k?

I wouldn't go off road on a tiger 955 if you paid me. Its waaaay too top heavy.

Two up touring, its great with a better rear shock.

www.touringted.com

Thanks Touring Ted. As I have not done this before I don't really know what to expect but I don't want to keep to the sealed stuff. Also I am not an off roader, having said that I know I will want the capability to do mild off roading - so what would you recommend? I don't want to spend more than about 4k ish.

Just a quick note - I will get the suspension set up, and modified if necessary, for my wife and I plus luggage on any bike I do get.

I'd go at it from the other end: work out how much luggage you will be taking, then minimize it as much as possible.
Then see if you can fit it on a more dirt worthy bike like one of the singles, unless one or both of you is too big.

Sent from my A898 Duo using Tapatalk 2

We are used to travelling light, we used to camp two up on a Ducati 916 and now on an ST4S so we don't take a lot with us. We now use soft panniers and a dry bag on a small rack. However, we will need to take more with us on a trip outside Europe and need to make sure my wife is comfy so she enjoys the trip. We did try a 650 V strom, which was a lovely engine but a bit small in the seat for a long trip two up - we are both slim and lightweight - probably 21 stone between us. I would prefer a twin rather than a single so what options would you suggest?