Tank Slap - Motorcycle Forum

I'll do a full review later on. For now a few photos and a quick overview of each one.

All 3 bikes were ABS models.

I took the Triumph and the Kwak on pretty much the same routes to make it easier to compare. All 3 bbikes were put on boring A roads or motorways, weaved through traffic and thrown about on country roads.

If the truth be told I can't pick one of them which stands out from the others. Obviously the Trumpet and the Yam are closest in design and what they're there to do. What stood out between those two though was the build quality. How a British marque can't make a bike that'll survive half a British winter is beyond me. The Kwak had 3,5000 miles on it compared to the Tiger's 500, yet the Tiger despite on a 15 plate looked 3 or 4 years old. The build quality on the Yamaha seemed to be excellent. It had the same miles on it as the Tiger. The saleman is using it to commute on between Worcester and Tamworth so it's been exposed to the elements.

In brief, I loved the handling of the Tiger, the Yamaha is the best complete package and the Kwak is a hoot to ride.

Yamaha MT-09 Tracer








Triumph Tiger 800XRX






Kawasaki Z1000sx

I like the look of the Yamaha

The first bike out was the brand new MT-09 Tracer. Based on the popular MT-09 (as the name unsurprisingly suggests) Yamaha has obviously thought long and hard about how to use the 900cc engine in a more upright adventure style bike. Some bike makers would bolt bits on to an existing model but this is well put together piece of kit.

I'm used to riding a sports bike. It took me about half of the test ride to get into the bike. That's not a criticism of the bike, just a reminder that this old biker is stuck in his ways Yamaha Tamworth took the time to wash the bike for me before letting me have the keys. The tank was half full of fuel, all they asked was I replace what I use.

The seat is tall, wide and very comfortable. The mirrors are well place, being close enough to make it easy to change them on the move, not so wide as you can't filter but not obstructive. The dash is nice and simple which makes it easy to read on the move. The controls on the handlebars for the dash are easy to use without being so close you hit the wrong one. This bike has 3 modes: rain, normal and sports. I used the standard mode for most of the ride. You can change modes on the move without having to throttle off or dip the clutch. The dash shows the usual including fuel, revs, gear and temps. You can cycle through the displays for trip, fuel range and economy.

What an engine. The sound through the standard can is pretty sweet. You've got that nice triple rasp and burble. It's very responsive. I did a few roll on tests and the bike got on with it without a shudder. Fueling was spot on, I really struggled to get it to play up.

Handling is what you would expect from a tall bike. The weight does feel high up and that shows when you tip it into a corner. These come with Roadsmarts which are decent but not something I would choose. The suspension is on the soft side but that can be firmed up a bit. Cornering was neutral but there was a sense of the bike trying to push outwards so you had to hustle it. That said when I found some traffic I could weave and filter without any issues or worries.

You could sit all day on the motorway on this thing. The engine sings, the screen protects, the seat makes you feel like you're in your favourite sofa.

It's a nice bike, well put together. I couldn't really find any faults with it apart from the side stand, which sits too closely with the rearsets so you have to hook your foot at a certain angle to get to it.

Would I have one? Yes. Am I going to get one? Probably not. If I was going to use a bike just for commuting or long journeys then this would be it. But I don't. If I see a series of bends I have to have fun. I want to throw a bike around. I'm not saying you can't with this bike but seeing as it was cold, on tyres I'm not fond of and as it was brand new I just didn't have the confidence to try and scrape the pegs.

This bike will sell by the bucketload and so it should. Hats off to Yamaha because this bike with that engine and the high level of equipment as standard, not to mention being about £1,250 cheaper than the next bike, has set the bar for the others.

The second bike of the day was the Tiger 800 XRX. This had some extras on it, which I was told about. Nice. You've gone to the effort of fitting bits, but you can't be bothered to put fuel in the tank? That big yellow light kind of stands out. I was asked to put fuel in. Great.

The dash on this bike was a bit cluttered. I don't think you need such a large rev counter. The dash wasn't as easy to read as the Yamaha and the controls to change things not as well set out. Changing modes was a pain after the tracer. I have up trying after a bit.

I do like a triple engine. They're pretty much spot on for regular road riding. The Trumpet had good grunt from the off, but it's not as sporty and certainly less refined that the Tracer's 900cc unit. It also sounds a bit more agricultural.

The seating position is slightly lower and the seat not as wide as the last bike. After a while I found it wasn't as comfortable either, despite this having an aftermarket seat.

Gear changing wasn't that slick, but having the gear shifter slightly higher than the footrest didn't help. Don't dealers set their bikes up before they send them out?

On the motorway the screen offered less protection than the other bikes I rode today. I was being blown about a bit, something I didn't get on the other two. It's not a problem and if I had ridden the Tiger on its own then I probably wouldn't have noticed it. I'm sure I could have ridden that bike in the rain without worrying about it.

The suspension was firmer. the tyres more suited to the bike than the Dunlops were to the tracer and the overall ride a good experience. One thing Triumph do very well is have a well sorted handling bike out of the box. You can really throw this thing around without it complaining. I've ridden sports bikes that could learn a thing from this motorcycle.

Braking was fine. It took a lot to get the ABS light to flash and when it did kick in it wasn't that obtrusive.

What disappointed me the most was the build quality. This bike is a 15 plate. It's a few weeks old. Yet it looks like Tony Robinson and his Time Team found it in an old shell hole in the Ardennes.

I really wanted to like the Tiger. It looks rugged and purposeful. It's got a great triple plant at the heart of it and it handles like a dream. But I really couldn't see me buying one.

The third bike was the Kawasaki Z1000sx.

It's not really fair to compare this to other two. They're adventure bikes, designed for touring. The Kwak is a sports tourer, more on the sports side. Plus it's a 1000cc IL4 whereas the other two are triples.

If this was a magazine group test then the kwak would be a Versys. If you want me to compare that to the other two I'll tell you it's fooking ugly, costs too much and hasn't got half the equipment and features of the other two. Happy? Good.

I feel right at home on this bike. It feels small, it's got nicely placed handlebars, the dash is easy to use on the move and easy to read. It's not cluttered and tells you want you want to know. Switching modes is easier that the trumpet but not as easy as the Yamaha. As it's an IL4 it lacks the character of the others but it does sound nice. In fact the engine really makes this bike. Roll on tests were silly. I'm pretty certain that I hit the dash switch as at one point it was telling me the outside temp, which seemed to be going up pretty quickly. 14.6C is pretty impressive for early March, don't you think?

You can chuck this thing about and it mops it up. Change of direction is easy, the engine responds, the bike goes the way you're looking. This is probably more like the cb1000r or the speed triple, but more sporty.

It felt a little basic compared to the other two but the build quality is excellent. This demo bike looked brand new despite being a year old.

I have to admit I was very tempted by this bike It's happy sat on the motorway, giving great wind protection and eating the miles without issue. The seat was comfortable, despite this being my 5th or 6th hour in the saddle today. Fuelling was glitch free. It's easy to stick it between lanes of traffic or weave it through cars that insist on using the wrong lane. Braking was firm, backed up with excellent adjustable suspension.

I was going to say how fecking ugly is the can on that Kawasaki.....and then i saw there is one each side

At least today it's helped you narrow down what type of bike you do or do not want.

That Kwak needs a better look to it. Those cans are indeed ugly.

I've seen one with twin Akras. Looked and sounded very sweet.

nice review !!!

I think the kwacks can looks good sort of futuristic

Good reviews. The tracer and tiger seem good bikes but as you say not going to give you the buzz when it gets twisty. Sounds like the kwak ticks all the boxes, do you think you will take it any further ?

Nice reviews, My opinion on the tiger's build quality is it's good, what lets it down is the quality that some of the components consist of. There are times when the air is damp, the bike grows a fur coat on some of the parts while in the mancave lol.... I think that is down to the metal they use. I have the XC which has the spoked wheels and they are the pain in the arse for surface rust. I think the Yam does look smart though, the engine looks very familiar lol

You cant beat a day of testing bikes of all sorts... was this all from one dealer or various, poor show giving you an empty tank!!!

The kwak dealer is keen for me to take a few other bikes out. He reckons the z1000 is the bike I'll love. He's offered me a load of bikes to try. They sell KTMs as well. In his opinion the Superduke is the most fun he's had on two wheels but reckons it's not for someone who rides all the time. Stick to Jap reliability.

So I'll try the z1000 next.

I should have mentioned the dealers.

Thanks to :-
http://www.tamworthyamaha.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.triumphbirmingham.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://birminghamkawasaki.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Frankie, you own a Tiger so you're better placed than me to talk about the build quality. For me I thought it looked poor when you can see signs of weathering on a nearly new bike.

I can see why you have so much fun on yours.

Your totally right, and its down to the quality of the bolts and other components they fit, mine is over three years now and not looking to bad, but if I am honest I would expect to look better.

And yes, saying all that it is a lot of fun ha ha ha......especially mine is it pre ABS and everything else, turn on throttle, brake... ha ha ha grin, chuckle, cake.

Poor show from the Triumph dealer then with the fuel....you dont want to be spending part of your test ride filling up with petrol!

If your considering the z1000 I would also look at the s1000r Frankie has also. Dam fine bike with all the bells and whistles including semi active suspension for not much more.

I'll add it to the list of bikes to demo ride.

Blade wrote:If your considering the z1000 I would also look at the s1000r Frankie has also. Dam fine bike with all the bells and whistles including semi active suspension for not much more.

I was going to say that.... thought it was only adventure type bikes up until the Zed... Yeah S1000R, you wont regret it, Its a refined street fighter
I can get you at least a couple of hours out on a test ride down here on one. (ps - not mine, from a dealer)

Kwacky wrote:
So I'll try the z1000 next.