Today I had the chance to take one of the new Triumph 800XCs out for a 2-hour test ride. The bike was supplied by
Philip Youles Motorcycles and was resplendent in brilliant "daz-white".
Before I give you my opinion, I have to declare my current position. I am lucky enough to own both a 2005 BMW R1150GSA (47k-miles) and a late-2009 BMW F800GS (11k-miles). I love the 1150 deeply, as it took me from Alaska to Argentina in 2009 B) , and I bought the 800GS as soon as I got back as being without a bike was too depressing
. I've added all sorts of "adventure" extras to it, and it's a great bike, but I've not yet had chance to do a big trip on it (I have something planned for the summer, though B) ).
So, I rode my 800GS to the dealer, so I could ride it and the 800XC back-to-back as it were.
Initial impressions were that they feel very similar. The seat on the XC is broader and shaped more like a road-bike, the GS being more like an enduro-style (and bloody uncomfortable after 60 miles until I had a gel pad inserted in it). But as soon as I pressed the starter the differences emerged. The GS is rougher, the twin-cylinder engine throbbing away while the XC's triple thummed smoothly, tinglng the bars rather than shaking them. My GS has an aftermarket can, but it was the same before I fitted it, not rough as in falling apart, just rough as in not smooth. The XCs smoothness remained the over-riding impression as I rode off and headed out, initially on the A665 towards the M60. The gearbox was smooth and well-spaced, the greatest sensation being of the engine buzzing away. Pulling onto the motorway I was able to rev the engine a bit, and what a lovely sound! Smooth as you like, too, with a lovely rush of power. I used to ride 4-cylinder sportsbikes and the rush from the XC was much more like that than the GS, which lacks the sensation of speed the XC provides. After a short stint on the m-way I think the XC is the better cruiser too, being much happier sitting at 90 ish :whistle: than my GS.
But I didn't book a test-ride to sit on the m-way, so I pulled off and headed up onto the moors, proper b-road stuff with a pock-marked, pot-holed, rutted, muddy and wet, twisty roads. Perfect roads for an adventure bike, and the XC impressed here too. Both it and the GS are ideal on roads like these, soaking up all the bumps whilst holding the line, allowing quick direction changes. I was loving it. :woohoo:
The engine really impresses on roads like these too, and I'm sure my average speed was a bit higher that it would be on the GS, as the XC just seems to love being revved. And it really growls in the upper rev range too. Despite the poor conditions (it was windy as hell and raining from time to time too) I was grinning like a Cheshire cat... I love riding, no matter what the conditions, but the XC was simply fantastic. :woohoo:
I continued over the moors in worsening conditions before realising that my enjoyment meant I was going to be late getting the bike back to Philip Youle, so I made the difficult decision to curtail my fun and headed back to the M62 and rode the 25 miles or so back along the m-way. By now the conditions were truly appalling, with a very nasty side-wind and heavy rain. But the XC was as solid as a rock, very reassuring. I did miss the heated grips on my GS though! B)
So, to the conclusion.
If I was buying now (which I'm not), I'd have a hard choice to make. I think the GS is a good bike, solid, reliable, well-built and dependable. But the XC is more fun. It's all about that engine - it's a peach. I'd love to ride them both off-road to see which is best, as I think the GS might have the edge slightly due to the low-down grunt - and I'm concerned by the XC's rear shock linkage which hangs down pretty low (thought the Excel wheels it wears a more substantial than the ones on the GS).
Then there's the looks. I don't like the XC's headlamp. It's an ugly thing, and whilst the GS is no beauty, it is, IMHO, stylish. The XC's is just plain ugly. And that, coupled with the obvious concern about the cost, is the reason I won't be trading in the GS just yet. Shallow, ain't I!
Photo taken in a rare break from the weather!
