2012 Triumph Tiger 800/XC Motorcycle Test

Triumph's North American CEO, Greg Heichelbech shows us how much fun the Tiger 800 can be.

I kept two wheels on the ground, but had just as much fun.

The new Tiger 800 is built for adventure.

The Tiger XC is a little taller than the 800, with slightly wider bars and more suspension travel for optimal off-roading.

The 800's risers can be flipped around to bring the bars slightly closer to the rider.

The XC's risers are a little taller, but both bikes share the same dash control unit.

A BMW-style powerport is right up front. It's only powered when the ignition is on though.

Inside the fuel filler area, you can see two bars welded inside to prevent the fuel nozzle from damaging the plastic pump.

Triumph offers a host of accessories, including this tank bag that partially disconnects for easy fuel filling.

This large Triumph bag sits neatly on the rear luggage rack.

Hard luggage is also available for both models. This is the XC with panniers and other accessories installed.

But finding bungee points for any luggage you may already have is no problem on the Tiger.

Triumph took us on all kinds of roads and non-roads to test the Tiger's adventure capabilities.

The Tiger and Tiger XC are both very capable of traveling off-the-beaten-path.

But I had the most fun winding out the Tiger quickly through mountainous twisties.

In fact, once again, I had a hard time saying goodbye to this fantastic sporty standard.