Classic To Adventure - Anyone Made The Change?

Thanks Ade - just come back from watching Tottenham, and it was filtering all the way home. The bike behaved impeccably.

Yes, I have some padded shorts somewhere, and I also got up on the pegs once or twice yesterday. Today, it seemed a bit more comfortable so maybe my arse just needs some punishment to toughen it up (no sniggering in the back).

 

I'll check them out if it comes to that - I'm still hopeful that the standard seat will be okay (I'm only about 160lbs, so I should have a fighting chance).

 

Well, I managed to grab a few shots on my phone today...















Some other things I've noticed over the 450 miles I've put on the clock:

It's quite top heavy compared to the other bikes I've owned. This can cause precarious moments, such as when you don't quite notice that there's a slight negative camber where you're trying to put your foot down.

The 19" front wheel becomes noticeable at slow speed on tight bends or turns. The bike needs more input.

Although it may sound strange, the Tiger seems very, very happy to be leaning. It's almost like leaning is it's preferred MO, and it's very reassuring.

Things that made my heart beat faster when on my TTR are just business as usual for this bike. Nothing seems to faze it.

Triumph's triple engines are bloody fantastic. I knew that from my Street Triple, but it's lovely to be on another one.

Oh, and the standard seat is now on the bike. Given that the new seat is all but unusable (there's just a void where the padding has been removed), I'm going to see if I can get some kind of refund on it.

 

Thanks, and yes, I can imagine that the Scrambler 1200 is a bit of a handful. I know what you mean about assessing every stop, even with the Tiger (and especially now, when I have the standard seat back on the bike).

 

Thanks very much on all counts.

As an aside, I'm already using the pegs to mount and dismount. I can swing my leg over without them, but it feels a bit like I'm doing a kind of poor man's capoeira and I'd rather not. What I've noticed, though, is that if I turn the bars away from me to make it easier when mounting, the bike starts to tip that way as I swing my leg over. It's easily catchable but was a bit unnerving at first.

I did wonder if fuel sloshing around in the tank could cause unsteadiness. I guess it can, then.

 

Yikes. Downhill stopping and turning can be nasty at the best of times - but on a 1200 with the rear loaded doesn't bear contemplating.
Anyway, I think I'll just avoid doing it. Ever.

 

Nasty. It reminds me of a time I rode up to Chesham on my Street Triple to have some ACF-50 applied by John, the regional AYB rep. As I approached a roundabout I came to a stop without realising that the lace from my boot (which I stupidly failed to tie in a double bow) had wrapped itself around the footpeg. The rest, as they say, is history.

 

Well, I've now put 650 miles on the clock (I've had the bike a week) and would value some advice.

I've pretty much ditched the low seat, as it's a piece of garbage - how anyone is meant to sit on it with a large void where the padding would have been is beyond me, and it's certainly not possible to do so for more than about half an hour without severe discomfort. I'll be speaking to Triumph North London today about returning it to them as it's really not fit for purpose.

My bigger problem is that - now I have the standard seat on the bike - it feels a bit too precarious for my liking. For clarity, when I stand over the seat I can get both feet flat on the ground. However, when I pull up to a stop and put one foot down I feel like I'm struggling a bit to find the ground (even with my toes), and it's making me nervous to the extent that I end up putting both feet down initially. I'm also finding the bike quite top-heavy compared to what I'm used to, which doesn't help.

Is it a question of getting more used to the bike, and building up my confidence on it a bit? I'm just worried that if a bike feels a bit big at first, then it really is a bit big, and time/mileage isn't going to help.

 

Well, it's too late for me to consider the low ride height, but the gel pad might be an option. Did it raise the height of the seat by much though, as there's only a 20mm difference and - if I'm going to lose that anyway - I may as well stick with the standard seat?

 

Yes, I've been looking at those, actually. Not really my style but if they solve the problem they're worth thinking about. Bloody expensive, though.