Triumph Tiger is great adventure

It's a big seller for the Midlands company and one of the biggest-selling 'adventure'-style machines on the market, which shows the engineers and designers at Hinckley got it just right.

It has evolved into a number of sub-species: there's the standard 800, the more off-road orientated 800XC, and the Tiger Sport with the bigger 1,050cc engine it shares with the Speed Triple.

But they have a lot in common, from Triumph's signature three-cylinder powerplant to the instruments and a strong yet relatively light, well-balanced chassis.

It's the key to the Tiger's versatility and therefore its success – the second best-selling bike over 500cc in the UK.

The test bike on this occasion was the £8,199 entry level 800, which scores a lot of ticks in comparison to rivals such as BMW's 800GS (not least in terms of price and performance).

While it may be labelled an 'adventure' or 'enduro' bike, you can't put the Tiger in a box because in reality it's a true all-rounder.

It has some off-road ability – at least unsurfaced tracks but if you want to really head for the hills you might be better with the XC version. But it could equally compete with a purpose-built long-distance tourer, or it would serve well beating the traffic as a commuter.

And its performance and handling are good enough to persuade all but the real diehards that supersports machines aren't necessarily the holy grail of motorcycling.

The Tiger 800's three-cylinder powerplant was developed from the acclaimed 675cc Street Triple. It has 95PS of power but with a longer stroke to create the extra capacity. It also has a healthy 79Nm of torque, which is particularly accessible at the low to middle rev range.

It's ideal for this type of bike. You can, if you really want to, rev it up to the 10,000rpm limit and take off like a scalded cat: but you'll still only be in third when you hit the licence-losing zone.

Or you can cruise along in fifth or sixth gears at a little over 2,000rpm, where a small twist on the throttle will send you surging into an overtake like a racehorse that's been shown the whip.

On my test run I averaged 53mpg according to the trip computer: not quite up to the official figures of over 70mpg but with a 19-litre tank that would still mean a range of more than 200 miles between stops.

The engine (and everything else) is contained by a strong, stiff tubular frame which was built with the stresses of off-road riding in mind. It is also the basis of the Tiger's excellent, stable handling characteristics.

At 210kg, the Tiger isn't heavy by class standards and it feels light and flickable on twisty B-roads. Without the extra height and long-travel suspension of the more off-road biased XC, it's probably the best bet for touring the byways of Britain.

The riding position is upright, with arms straight and pedals in what to me (at 5ft 10ins) was a very natural position. The seat height is quickly adjustable (by some 20mm).

The fly-screen, together with the protective panels shielding the fuel tank and radiator (and indeed the tank itself) are aerodynamically efficient, so cutting out most of the windblast and buffeting which can make long-distance touring a chore. For me it's one of the most comfortable bikes around to go the distance.

The pillion seat is generously-sized too, with a pair of sturdy grabhandles for the passenger, and a luggage rack is fitted as standard.

The Tiger's instruments are excellent, a big digital speedo and analogue rev counter. There's also a comprehensive trip meter, with clear fuel readout, average fuel and time readouts available.

The anti-lock brake system is switchable, and there's also a switch to quickly adjust main beam height to allow for the weight of a pillion passenger.

The standard Tiger comes with a 19in front wheel, compared to the 21in fitted to the XC version.

By John Griffiths