Tiger Warranty Issues

[Richard-BKK]

Wantan.. The Tiger Retro sidecar that Tony WAS selling is sooooo bad it sold within 12 hours.

That's pretty good.

PS: 18 months is SOON... really!

You call 84% off the new price for a nearly new, hardly used motorcycle a pretty good?

[thaicbr]

Wantan.. The Tiger Retro sidecar that Tony WAS selling is sooooo bad it sold within 12 hours.

That's pretty good.

PS: 18 months is SOON... really!

You call 84% off the new price for a nearly new, hardly used motorcycle a pretty good?

My math is not that good but were do you get 84% off?

i work that out to be 55,000b take off 84% (46,200b) meaning Tony sold it for 8,800b. but he didn't he sold it for 30,000b so 46% off.

Which is still not brilliant but for a QUICK SALE it's ok.

18 months is nearly new.......really..... NO.

3 months is nearly new. 18 months is............ 18 months.

Edited July 30, 2011 by thaicbr

[fab99]

Wantan.. The Tiger Retro sidecar that Tony WAS selling is sooooo bad it sold within 12 hours.

That's pretty good.

PS: 18 months is SOON... really!

You call 84% off the new price for a nearly new, hardly used motorcycle a pretty good?

At least he sold it fast.

That was the point, he certainly could have sold it for quite more, actually I am sure I was not the only one regretting not to have taken advantage of this deal...

But if you have to only consider the money, when you think about it, it costed him less than 1500 baht a month to own this fun bike, I wouldn't call it a major lost, and I am 100% it was worth every satang...

But hey, up to him, yet, I certainly trust his views a lot more than yours considering both your post history...

[Revenue]

Wantan.. The Tiger Retro sidecar that Tony WAS selling is sooooo bad it sold within 12 hours.

That's pretty good.

PS: 18 months is SOON... really!

You call 84% off the new price for a nearly new, hardly used motorcycle a pretty good?

At least he sold it fast.

That was the point, he certainly could have sold it for quite more, actually I am sure I was not the only one regretting not to have taken advantage of this deal...

But if you have to only consider the money, when you think about it, it costed him less than 1500 baht a month to own this fun bike, I wouldn't call it a major lost, and I am 100% it was worth every satang...

But hey, up to him, yet, I certainly trust his views a lot more than yours considering both your post history...

As they say in life if you not fast you are last, been looking for one but didnt want to pay the 52k they want here in Mukdahan, so thanks you Tony.

Some times a bitter pill to swallow when selling a bike or car as so many people dont seem to relise that things depreciate, seen second hand 6 month old KLX 250 for 142k, <deleted> when new only 150k otr

[misterkeeperofthereef]

Concerning resale . I traded my first Boxer 250Rs that was 10 months old and had 8,500 kms back to Tiger and was paid a diffrence of $25,000 Baht . Original price was 76,000Baht . I beilieve that works out to about 33% Depreciation .

[LeCharivari]

.....My Tiger Retro/w side car is the worst bike I ever had, we hardly use it anymore. I given up using the warranty but use a small shop near to our house as I don't want to ride/drive on Sukhumvit road on it(pattaya), and the trips for repairs have been qiute a few (electrical problems).

The rig have now covered app 1100 km in about 1.5 years but sounds like a tired Wave with +100k on the clock.

If Tiger gave me a bike for free, I would say thanks but no thanks. .....

Let's, again, try to put that in perspective.

First, what bikes are you comparing it to? The Retro, new less side car, cost 30,000 baht. Your H-D or Guzzi, new, would be around forty (40) times that. As others have said, you get what you pay for.

As I recall you posted a lot here about how bad your Retro/w sidecar was after you bought it, but you never complained to or contacted Tiger or the Tiger Club about your problems. Mbox at the Club contacted you after reading your posts here and a service team was sent to your home to repair/replace the front brake. Since then, have you told Tiger or the Club of any problems?

[katabeachbum]

Wantan.. The Tiger Retro sidecar that Tony WAS selling is sooooo bad it sold within 12 hours.

That's pretty good.

PS: 18 months is SOON... really!

yep, I was to late to buy it

[wantan]

Wantan.. The Tiger Retro sidecar that Tony WAS selling is sooooo bad it sold within 12 hours.

That's pretty good.

PS: 18 months is SOON... really!

yep, I was to late to buy it

Shit, i wanted to buy it too. Would have been very nice in front of my house. Just put flower soil in the sidecar and plant some flower bed or a palm tree in it

[katabeachbum]

Wantan.. The Tiger Retro sidecar that Tony WAS selling is sooooo bad it sold within 12 hours.

That's pretty good.

PS: 18 months is SOON... really!

yep, I was to late to buy it

Shit, i wanted to buy it too. Would have been very nice in front of my house. Just put flower soil in the sidecar and plant some flower bed or a palm tree in it

well, I was more thinking of replacing this one

[harrry]

Wantan.. The Tiger Retro sidecar that Tony WAS selling is sooooo bad it sold within 12 hours.

That's pretty good.

PS: 18 months is SOON... really!

yep, I was to late to buy it

Shit, i wanted to buy it too. Would have been very nice in front of my house. Just put flower soil in the sidecar and plant some flower bed or a palm tree in it

well, I was more thinking of replacing this one

Maybe a bit more power and speed if you sit in the trailerr and harness that chiwawa to the front to pull it.

[katabeachbum]

well, I was more thinking of replacing this one

Maybe a bit more power and speed if you sit in the trailerr and harness that chiwawa to the front to pull it.

Rottweilers dont like to pull

trailer/bike isnt stable loaded above 50kmh. bike in picture is 7-8 years old nouvo, replaced now by 135cc elegance, even with 55Kg dog in trailer, GF and me 160Kg, its no problems up the steep hills here in Kata. pcx cant do it tho

[guzzi850m2]

.....My Tiger Retro/w side car is the worst bike I ever had, we hardly use it anymore. I given up using the warranty but use a small shop near to our house as I don't want to ride/drive on Sukhumvit road on it(pattaya), and the trips for repairs have been quite a few (electrical problems).

The rig have now covered app 1100 km in about 1.5 years but sounds like a tired Wave with +100k on the clock.

If Tiger gave me a bike for free, I would say thanks but no thanks. .....

Let's, again, try to put that in perspective.

First, what bikes are you comparing it to? The Retro, new less side car, cost 30,000 baht. Your H-D or Guzzi, new, would be around forty (40) times that. As others have said, you get what you pay for.

As I recall you posted a lot here about how bad your Retro/w sidecar was after you bought it, but you never complained to or contacted Tiger or the Tiger Club about your problems. Mbox at the Club contacted you after reading your posts here and a service team was sent to your home to repair/replace the front brake. Since then, have you told Tiger or the Club of any problems?

I did have Tiger mechanics out at my house and they changed the front brake pads (excellent service I must say). Sadly it didn't help. I read in Tiger/Sachs forum about one member who changed the front forks at a whopping 13K bath for a Wave front w. drum brake without much improvement. It was not possible to test ride before I bought the Tiger/w sidecar, but if I did I would have backed away due to the brakes.

I think Tiger should had mounted something with front disk, but that is properly not possible with that Cup style front fork.

I am comparing with Honda Wave of which I have owned 3 pcs all bought 2'nd hand, but as you correctly write; you get what you pay for and the Tiger is cheaper than a Wave.

I am having almost same problem as BigbikeBBK (Tony), he have sold his because of heavy traffic in downtown BKK, and I am facing the same problem here in Pattaya, heavy traffic very often. I have told my wife not to drive on Sukhumvit road on the rig as it is too dangerous, but use it for small errands in Naklua (small town next to Pattaya) where we live.

I am still trying to find a solution to the brake problems (check Tiger/Sachs forum), as the Tiger/w side car is very charming in many way and gets huge attention wherever we go on it. When we go fully loaded, 2 adults & son (in the sidecar), I never drive over 40 km/h and slow down if traffic is encountered. When I go alone the brakes are much more efficient (rear brakes) so I drive "fast" and sometimes even lift the sidecar in right hand corners.

The rig is okay on the country side, but not in the city in my opinion.

[katabeachbum]

.....My Tiger Retro/w side car is the worst bike I ever had, we hardly use it anymore. I given up using the warranty but use a small shop near to our house as I don't want to ride/drive on Sukhumvit road on it(pattaya), and the trips for repairs have been quite a few (electrical problems).

The rig have now covered app 1100 km in about 1.5 years but sounds like a tired Wave with +100k on the clock.

If Tiger gave me a bike for free, I would say thanks but no thanks. .....

Let's, again, try to put that in perspective.

First, what bikes are you comparing it to? The Retro, new less side car, cost 30,000 baht. Your H-D or Guzzi, new, would be around forty (40) times that. As others have said, you get what you pay for.

As I recall you posted a lot here about how bad your Retro/w sidecar was after you bought it, but you never complained to or contacted Tiger or the Tiger Club about your problems. Mbox at the Club contacted you after reading your posts here and a service team was sent to your home to repair/replace the front brake. Since then, have you told Tiger or the Club of any problems?

I did have Tiger mechanics out at my house and they changed the front brake pads (excellent service I must say). Sadly it didn't help. I read in Tiger/Sachs forum about one member who changed the front forks at a whopping 13K bath for a Wave front w. drum brake without much improvement. It was not possible to test ride before I bought the Tiger/w sidecar, but if I did I would have backed away due to the brakes.

I think Tiger should had mounted something with front disk, but that is properly not possible with that Cup style front fork.

I am comparing with Honda Wave of which I have owned 3 pcs all bought 2'nd hand, but as you correctly write; you get what you pay for and the Tiger is cheaper than a Wave.

I am having almost same problem as BigbikeBBK (Tony), he have sold his because of heavy traffic in downtown BKK, and I am facing the same problem here in Pattaya, heavy traffic very often. I have told my wife not to drive on Sukhumvit road on the rig as it is too dangerous, but use it for small errands in Naklua (small town next to Pattaya) where we live.

I am still trying to find a solution to the brake problems (check Tiger/Sachs forum), as the Tiger/w side car is very charming in many way and gets huge attention wherever we go on it. When we go fully loaded, 2 adults & son (in the sidecar), I never drive over 40 km/h and slow down if traffic is encountered. When I go alone the brakes are much more efficient (rear brakes) so I drive "fast" and sometimes even lift the sidecar in right hand corners.

The rig is okay on the country side, but not in the city in my opinion.

the first bike i purchased here in TH was a Wave with front drum back in january 2003. Scary.

with a tiger retro samlor I guess I would not dare above 50kmh, which is fine here in Kata Beach

[BigBikeBKK]

.....My Tiger Retro/w side car is the worst bike I ever had, we hardly use it anymore. I given up using the warranty but use a small shop near to our house as I don't want to ride/drive on Sukhumvit road on it(pattaya), and the trips for repairs have been quite a few (electrical problems).

The rig have now covered app 1100 km in about 1.5 years but sounds like a tired Wave with +100k on the clock.

If Tiger gave me a bike for free, I would say thanks but no thanks. .....

Let's, again, try to put that in perspective.

First, what bikes are you comparing it to? The Retro, new less side car, cost 30,000 baht. Your H-D or Guzzi, new, would be around forty (40) times that. As others have said, you get what you pay for.

As I recall you posted a lot here about how bad your Retro/w sidecar was after you bought it, but you never complained to or contacted Tiger or the Tiger Club about your problems. Mbox at the Club contacted you after reading your posts here and a service team was sent to your home to repair/replace the front brake. Since then, have you told Tiger or the Club of any problems?

I did have Tiger mechanics out at my house and they changed the front brake pads (excellent service I must say). Sadly it didn't help. I read in Tiger/Sachs forum about one member who changed the front forks at a whopping 13K bath for a Wave front w. drum brake without much improvement. It was not possible to test ride before I bought the Tiger/w sidecar, but if I did I would have backed away due to the brakes.

I think Tiger should had mounted something with front disk, but that is properly not possible with that Cup style front fork.

I am comparing with Honda Wave of which I have owned 3 pcs all bought 2'nd hand, but as you correctly write; you get what you pay for and the Tiger is cheaper than a Wave.

I am having almost same problem as BigbikeBBK (Tony), he have sold his because of heavy traffic in downtown BKK, and I am facing the same problem here in Pattaya, heavy traffic very often. I have told my wife not to drive on Sukhumvit road on the rig as it is too dangerous, but use it for small errands in Naklua (small town next to Pattaya) where we live.

I am still trying to find a solution to the brake problems (check Tiger/Sachs forum), as the Tiger/w side car is very charming in many way and gets huge attention wherever we go on it. When we go fully loaded, 2 adults & son (in the sidecar), I never drive over 40 km/h and slow down if traffic is encountered. When I go alone the brakes are much more efficient (rear brakes) so I drive "fast" and sometimes even lift the sidecar in right hand corners.

The rig is okay on the country side, but not in the city in my opinion.

FWIW it is called a RETRO for a reason

Yes, the cub-style front forks and brakes are VERY weak but fortunately the rear brake is quite strong since it's braking TWO wheels.

Stomping on the rear brake I can lock up both rear wheels if I want to, so I hardly use the front brake on my Retro w/ sidecar.

But I seem to recall you posting that your rear brakes were weak on your rig, so that's something I'd certainly ask Tiger to sort out for you.

I find speeds up to 80kph are no problem on the Retro w/ Sidecar; above that speed it gets a little "twitchy".

A 0friend who has the Retro without sidecar is able to go quite a bit faster. But anyways, this thing clearly wasn't built for speed!

Happy Trails!

Tony

[BigBikeBKK]

Wantan.. The Tiger Retro sidecar that Tony WAS selling is sooooo bad it sold within 12 hours.

That's pretty good.

PS: 18 months is SOON... really!

You call 84% off the new price for a nearly new, hardly used motorcycle a pretty good?

At least he sold it fast.

That was the point, he certainly could have sold it for quite more, actually I am sure I was not the only one regretting not to have taken advantage of this deal...

But if you have to only consider the money, when you think about it, it costed him less than 1500 baht a month to own this fun bike, I wouldn't call it a major lost, and I am 100% it was worth every satang...

But hey, up to him, yet, I certainly trust his views a lot more than yours considering both your post history...

As they say in life if you not fast you are last, been looking for one but didnt want to pay the 52k they want here in Mukdahan, so thanks you Tony.

Some times a bitter pill to swallow when selling a bike or car as so many people dont seem to relise that things depreciate, seen second hand 6 month old KLX 250 for 142k, <deleted> when new only 150k otr

No, Thank YOU Revenue!

Will ship the bike up to you tomorrow via Logispost and need to run to the DLT to get the transfer papers which I'll send up along with original green book and keys via EMS.

Will get one of my worker bees to detail the bike for you before we ship it.

If it rains tomorrow I'm afraid I'll have to ship a dirty bike

Thanks again! :jap:

[BigBikeBKK]

Wantan.. The Tiger Retro sidecar that Tony WAS selling is sooooo bad it sold within 12 hours.

That's pretty good.

PS: 18 months is SOON... really!

You call 84% off the new price for a nearly new, hardly used motorcycle a pretty good?

My math is not that good but were do you get 84% off?

i work that out to be 55,000b take off 84% (46,200b) meaning Tony sold it for 8,800b. but he didn't he sold it for 30,000b so 46% off.

Which is still not brilliant but for a QUICK SALE it's ok.

18 months is nearly new.......really..... NO.

3 months is nearly new. 18 months is............ 18 months.

^ +1 to what Allan said. You are truly hopeless Richard

[BigBikeBKK]

Just came across this very well written and informative post on another forum regarding Retro w/ Sidecar brakes and think it should be required reading for anyone who might want to purchase one of these bikes. I learned a lot from this post by John over on the Tiger forum:

If you can't lock up your Retro rear brake at the moment then it is definitely wrongly adjusted; with a push-rod foot-operated set up (like most rear brakes) you can put far more pressure on the brake drum than you can with any hand-operated cable brake so there should be no problem locking up the Retro rear brake at all.

You will have a problem, though, adjusting the brake on the side car to lock up at the same time as the rear brake because the side car brake is cable operated and cable operated brakes need more travel at the lever/pedal than push-rod operated brakes before they start to be effective. To be able to get this adjustable amount of travel you would need to not only be able to tighten the cable with the adjusting nut (the one indicated by mbox in the pic in the link) but to be able to adjust the actual length of the inner cable under tension to get more (or less) cable travel. The only way to do this would be to adjust the pivot point of the cable on the foot brake lever - basically being able to move the point where the sidecar brake cable connects to the foot brake lever backwards (less travel) or forwards (more travel). As this would also mean re-routing the cable every time so that it didn't come out of the brake cable mounting at an angle you would be looking at an engineering nightmare.

You would be facing exactly the same problem whether your brakes were drums or discs if one is cable operated and one is push-rod operated - just changing from one system (drums) that can lock up one push-rod operated brake but not the other cable operated brake to an identical system (discs) that can lock up one but not the other would be completely pointless. If you want to be able to lock up two brakes at the same time using one lever the only simple way to do it is for them both to be operated the same way - for example hydraulically. I'm not even going to go into the problems and cost of installing a hydraulic brake system!

The other problem you face with making both your rear brakes (Retro and sidecar) lock up at the same time is that this will make your complete rig swerve to the left every time you brake (not just when you brake in an emergency); the amount of "swerve" will also vary enormously depending on how your rig is loaded (with or without a passenger in the sidecar, on the bike, etc). Basically, it would be very dangerous to drive and a danger to anyone near you, which is why if you read up on sidecars you will see that no road sidecar brakes work like this - the sidecar brake is always "softer" than the bike rear brake.

An alternative, which I am going to try on my own rig as much out of curiousity as anything else, is to fit a separate brake lever for the sidecar brake. The advantage with this set-up is that you can vary the amount of pressure applied to the sidecar brake independently, so balancing the amount of braking and the amount of swerve. This would be particularly easy to do on the Retro as there is no clutch, so you would end up with: right-hand brake lever = front brake, left-hand brake lever = sidecar brake, foot brake pedal = rear brake. The disadvantage is that unless you practice it and are totally familiar with the system, particularly in an emergency, you could put too much pressure on the sidecar brake and not enough on the others and end up spinning the entire rig around to the left - which is why, even if it works for me, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else as it depends too much on individual familiarity and skill.

The alternative which I would recommend is to drive your Retro and sidecar as it was intended, designed, built and legally licenced. It is built and licenced to carry TWO people (driver + 1 passenger), not to carry FOUR which is how you say on TV you regularly drive it (driver + 3 passengers + shopping).

[LeCharivari]

It may also be worth posting the subsequent post from the same forum/thread/poster for anyone thinking of buying a Retro and sidecar:

lordofthedread wrote:The problem with sides is the amount of weight you put in it, not only passengers but also when you go shopping. In my point of view a side should be driven at reasonable speed and the gear braking should be used a lot, you shouldnt try to block your brakes unless you are in an emergency case.

Always keep a safe distance between you and the car / bike / whatever in front of you is the best way to avoid emergencies (an unexpected dog can always happen but he will get hurt a lot more than you most of the time in case of a crash).

The safe distance is ALWAYS valid not depending what bike you ride but i'll double it easy if i had a side.

Agreed 100%, Lotd.

In the case of the Retro its not made for speed or load carrying or taking all the family out for the day - its perfectly practical, if that's what you want, but its made for FUN, driving around the country-side and smelling the roses and getting smiles as you go. Now I've sorted out the mechanical side (brakes and bolts), which was relatively easy, its a relaxing drive which can still comfortably overtake most of the salaengs as long as I'm the only one on the bike and can put my weight on the appropriate side, and I take it carefully wherever there's a camber. Its not made for driving up Sukhumvit (unless its on the hard shoulder, out of everyone's way), although there's no problem there if you think about what you are doing and avoid heavy traffic where you will be in the way, or for Bangkok traffic - none of the advantages of a bike, weaving through stuck traffic, with all the disadvantages of a car and none of the comfort, particularly in the rain.

The problems only come if you try to drive it like a bike or use it like a car - its neither.

I drive my Retro and sidecar just as I would any other vehicle - within the limitations of my ability, the vehicle and the road conditions. For me that means a cruising and top speed of around 60 kph. I wouldn't consider driving it at 80kph unless I was on an open road, and on Sukhumvit that means going at the same speed as some Wally who often wants to get a closer look at the "old" bike and sidecar - and often that's a bit too "close" for comfort. If they do that at 60 kph there they end up holding up the traffic, not me! Elsewhere, 60 gives me enough time to react safely to the assorted dogs, kids chasing a ball, kids on bicycles, women who've just had a fight with their boyfriend, and anyone else who wants to jump into the sidecar while I'm going along enjoying the drive and the scenery. A sidecar, and particularly a sidecar on a small bike like the Retro, means you don't have the options you do with just a bike if something does go wrong.

Revenue, for 30,00 baht you've got a real bargain and you should have a lot of fun for the money. You may want to follow the tip on the front brake at the Tiger Forum (by the sound of "VERY weak" its at least worth checking), or you may be one of the lucky ones who doesn't need to. Either way, you should join the Tiger Forum where I'm sure you'll be made welcome and get the answers to any questions you have on your "new" bike.

The Tiger Forum should be "required reading" for anyone thinking of buying a Tiger, as it gives the good and the bad. The only drawback is that there have been a few troublemakers who insist on rubbishing the bikes they have clearly never owned and are doing so for their own reasons - they usually give themselves away by posting incorrect details but unfortunately the same applies anywhere (even here). From what I have seen (and from my own experience) valid complaints (and even invalid complaints!) are always given constructive advice, even when they may not deserve it.

Edited August 2, 2011 by LeCharivari

[wantan]

Hello Another update . Mailed the Bike back to Tiger Factory yesterday . which they said they would remburse I wish this had happened the first time around and then would not of had to wait for parts to be sent out 2 different times. I am looking at another 3 week to a month of being bike-less .For those of you that don't know this is my second Boxer 250 RS and I knew of some of the problems with the first one . Om my first bike they came to the house to do a few repairs . They were great and I was a happy camper . My second bike has had a few more problems and had corrected most of these myself at my expense . At 1800 kms the front caliper fell off and had it repaired at the first bike repair shop I came accross .

I guess I am a bit pissy after waiting over 3 weeks and then going for a 50 km ride resulting in oilsoaked leg and shoe . I guess i could have rapped it in saran wrap to keep it dry . Well I guess i will see you back on the road in the next 3 or 4 weeks if everything goes well.

Hi misterkeeperofthereef,

now more than 6 weeks have gone by. I hope you got your bike back and everything is OK now. Do you like to give us an update on this? I am curious

My own Boxer 250 is running well at the moment. I pamper it daily hoping i can enjoy riding it for longer time now