2016–2017 · Adventure · Buyer's Guide
The Fully Loaded Triple Tourer
The XCA is the loaded end of the Explorer range, and the 1215 cc inline-three is the reason you buy it. 137 hp and 91 lb-ft arrive in a spread so wide you stop planning downshifts, and the drive goes back through a shaft rather than a chain. Around that sits the full kit: electronic suspension front and rear, cornering ABS, traction control, ride modes, cruise control, tire pressure monitoring, heated grips and an electrically adjustable screen. In the big adventure class, this is the technology end of the shelf.
On the road it feels planted rather than flickable. At 600 lb wet with a 19-inch front, it tracks straight through crosswinds and bad camber and stays composed at speeds where lighter machines start hunting for a line. The 33.0 in seat suits taller riders best. Aging is the honest part: fork seals can weep at low mileage, second gear can jump out under load, and the final-drive bevel box can grumble or leak past roughly 31,000 miles (50,000 km). There is also a recall on the alarm control unit that can cut the ignition, plus a brake recall that may catch late-2017 bikes. Check the VIN with a dealer before money changes hands.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 137 hp (102 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 91 lb-ft (123 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1215 cc |
| Engine | Inline-three |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Shaft |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 305 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-19 |
| Rear tire | 170/60-17 |
| Front travel | 7.5 in (190 mm) |
| Rear travel | 7.6 in (193 mm) |
| Seat height | 33.0 in (837 mm) |
| Wet weight | 600 lb (272 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.3 gal (20 L) |
| Fuel economy | 44 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Safety
This picture comes from years of listening: paddock talk, long chats with owners, club nights, and the messages riders send me directly. On the 2016 Tiger Explorer XCA the pattern is lopsided. Owners talk at length about the engine, the comfort and the electronics, and nearly all of their complaints come back to one thing: weight.
The engine draws the most consistent praise. Riders describe the triple as refined, with plenty of pull low down and a real rush near the top of the rev range. Comfort earns the same enthusiasm: strong wind protection, a heated seat and generous heated grips, and a relaxed upright stance that makes long days easy. Several owners say the electronics give the bike a premium feel, singling out the five rider modes, hill-hold and lean-sensitive traction control. One rider found it surprisingly capable on flowing dirt roads.
The one recurring gripe is mass. Owners who rave about the bike on the move still call it a handful at a crawl, where it asks for deliberate balance.
Faulty alarm control unit causing ignition cut-out
Corrosion of the circuit board in the Triumph/Datatool S4 series alarm control unit can interrupt ignition, stalling the engine while riding. Covered by NHTSA recall 17E-008 (Triumph SB545).
Gearbox jumping out of second gear under load
Under hard acceleration, second gear can jump to neutral, often caused by incomplete shift engagement or premature wear of shift forks and selectors. Adjusting the shift linkage may temporarily mask the issue, but internal gearbox damage often requires repair.
Premature bevel‑box wear
The shaft-drive final-drive bevel box can develop a grumbling noise from worn bearings or seep oil past its seals at high mileage. Check used bikes for noise, play at the rear wheel, and oil residue around the bevel housing.
Premature fork seal leakage
Fork seals often begin weeping or leaking oil at low mileage, sometimes from new. The issue can worsen rapidly, contaminating brake pads and requiring seal replacement.
Where this Triumph Tiger Explorer XCA pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Tiger Explorer XCA is actually built for.
A strong fit if comfort counts as much as corners. It carries speed calmly through long sweepers, the adjustable screen and heated grips deal with weather, and 200 to 400 mile days leave you fresh.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
This is the one you came for. Shaft drive, cruise control, suspension you can dial in for a passenger and a full load, and around 230 miles between fuel stops at a steady highway pace.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2012–2015
Britain's First Long-Haul Triple
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Triumph Tiger Explorer XCA. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
