5th Gen VFR, or Tiger 1050?

Discussion in '5th Generation 1998-2001' started by bmonnig, Oct 8, 2020.

  1. bmonnig

    bmonnig New Member

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    I've been without a bike for six or seven years now, and I would like to pick another one up. I owned a couple hundred bikes between 97 and 2008 as I parted and flipped a lot of bikes for my business. I've owned KTM Supermotos, Moto Guzzi Super Sports, Ducati tourers, SV"s, Japanese liter bikes, and most everything in between.

    I was very active on the VFR email list in the late 90s and early 2000's, and I have owned half a dozen (or more) 1st Gen and 2nd gen VFRs. I always wanted a 5th gen, but I never got around to it while I was riding.

    Now that I would like to get another bike, I see the world has moved on from sport tourers to Adventure Tourers. While I have no delusions about my need for a 1250 GS, the 1050 Tiger is something that interests me. They also can be found in that five thousand or less range, which I am shopping for. Otherwise something like a Tuono or a Super Duke would be something I would consider!

    I'm curious if anyone here has direct experience with the 1050 Tiger and the 5th gen VFR. I am not interested in any later VFR, and though I may like to have another pearl white 93, I really want to have a 5th gen if I get a VFR.

    I know they aren't really direct competitors, but they seem to be the type of bike that a VFR owner may end up owning or riding.
     
  2. jfrahm

    jfrahm New Member

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    I've been researching the Tiger 1050 and have one big issue: the cracking pistons, related oil consumption, engine failure, etc. That might be a reason why these bikes are such bargains. If you get one make sure it's not already using a lot of oil and see if the pistons have been replaced. However I have not figured out if Triumph has ever fixed the root cause or if the JE pistons address it and how much of a general pain this is going to be.

    If the JEs are good my inclination is to get a bike that needs pistons and ram them in there. Or get a Versys 1000 or Vstrom or just ride the VFR more.
     
  3. mello dude

    mello dude Administrator

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    Um, you are asking VFR addicts?
     
  4. comradeQuestion

    comradeQuestion New Member

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    Why in the world would you buy a bike that is known to crack pistons? I don't know about everyone else here, but part of the reason why I bought a VFR was the famed reliability. I know that as long as I change the oil, keep the coolant in the bike, and keep the battery charged, its good to go. My buddy has a carb'ed Ducati Monster and doesn't trust the thing to go more than 10 miles at a time because of all the trouble he's had with it. I just can't live life like that.
     
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  5. pi-on

    pi-on New Member

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    This guy ^^^ He gets it.
     
  6. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    My 6 Gen has just surpassed the 100K mile mark and the last two full tank fill ups and mileage checks, she got 45MPG! This was after a new chain and sprocket set and oil change though, so I'll chock it up to just having a smoother running drive train. That being said, normal mileage the past year has been 41MPG AVG.

    I'll take the VFR over the Triumph any day of the week and twice on Sunday! Although I did have my friends Tiger 800 for several months, it was an alright bike but always happier to hop on my 5 or 6 Gen.
     
  7. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    Well to give you the idea that we love VFR's on this site I'll ask one question.

    How many 20+ year old bikes do you see that are still working well.. The answer is unlikely to be a Triumph..
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2020
  8. jfrahm

    jfrahm New Member

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    I'm not sure how common the piston issue is yet. Triumphs have a lot going for them, sometimes there are some engineering shortcomings but they are a small manufacturer. I have 2 MY2000 Triumph triples and overall they are pretty good, and the 1050 interests me as a fast sporty bike with ABS and a comfortable riding position. Lighter than a Versys or a V-Strom. The 3 cylinder engine is also pretty cool, I like the Honda V4 also. Hard to say which is better overall but the triple is easier to work on.

    If I could get a VFR800X Crossrunner in the USA that might be better than a Tiger 1050.
     
  9. pi-on

    pi-on New Member

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    In a year or so I'm looking to acquire (if possible) a 675 Daytona for super sportin' duties. Triumph has been putting out some impressive machines.
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2020
  10. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    The R version isn’t bad, but think the cbr600rr is a far superior machine...
     
  11. pi-on

    pi-on New Member

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    Isn't it true that the CBR600RR hasn't had any real updates since 2009? Thus my preference for the Daytona over the CBR.
     
  12. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    Yep - however the best cbr600rr is the 2007/8/9 years anyway.... The 2010/11/12 with ABS are not to bad though.
    The new Triple 765r is a good machine - but not for driving on a motorway..
     
  13. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    If you are large then scratch that as the 600rr is tiny...
     
  14. raYzerman

    raYzerman Member

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    If that were available here, I'd have one in a heartbeat.
     
  15. fink

    fink Member

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    It has long since been sorted and was only 2007/ early 2008 bikes which caused abnormal oil consumption.

    It seems as number of 2007 and some 2008 1050's suffered from abnormal oil consumption due to cracked pistons. Triumph had originally installed a tune in the ecu that had a bit too radical of ignition timing that demanded the use of higher octane fuel. Those that tended to run the bikes on the lower octane (as in 87 octane) fuel ran the risk of the pistons cracking due to spark knock. Triumph did however later, developed an updated tune to cure this issue.

    The cracked pistons didn't necessarily cause catastrophic failures. Many have continued to run for thousands of miles with only oil consumption as an issue.
    Mostly sorted by now.



    What about Hondas notorious camchain problems
     
  16. jfrahm

    jfrahm New Member

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    I've read that the tune did not really fix the issue and that it was fatigue related, but I do not think there is really good data. Someone with a 2009 Sprint ST posted a very informative thread about their cracked pistons, so it happened to later 1050 engines. Maybe if you get a good one and make damn sure the updated tune is on the engine, and also make damn sure you get good fuel (not regular from the premium pump) you'll be OK.

    > What about Hondas notorious camchain problems

    Not a factor on the VFR800FI with gear driven cams. Maybe that's the later VFR with VTEC? I dunno, never even swung a leg over one.
     
  17. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    What year - this doesn't apply to anything this millennia....
     
  18. fink

    fink Member

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    True, was merely an example.
     
  19. vikingGoalie

    vikingGoalie New Member

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    How many 22 year old triumphs run or look as well as a 5th gen VFR? I actually looked (didn't ride) at getting a Sprint but really for me i always came back to a 5th gen VFR. The biggest draw for me for the sprint was that most Sprint's have matching hard bags included when you look around. There is no denying that as a nice thing for trips as I will have to come up with something there. For the VFR the reason i settled on that is one I rode friends a bunch back in the day, and if I'm getting a used bike I want something that is not going to be a headache to keep on the road.
     

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  20. Laker

    Laker New Member

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    I was concerned about the chocolat cams in the 750 Interceptor so I bought a new GS750E. What a great bike that was.
    Oh that was 37 years ago. Buy the VFR, it's a fantastic machine. (As quoted on VFRWORLD)


    IMG_1558.JPG
     
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