How well does a Triumph Tiger 800 crash?

I've just come back to the hotel after our first day riding the Tiger 800 with the other Brit journos. One of the journos (who shall remain nameless, but alas, it wasn't me) crashed at low speed.

Pictured here is his bike. There's light damage to the bar end, brake lever, mirror and footpeg - all the stuff you'd expect to go down in a low-speed spill. But the crash also damaged the fork bottom, the exhaust guard, tank shroud and pillion peg.

The pillion peg sits wider on the bike that almost everything else, so you'd expect that to go down. I know that a few potential owners were worried about this as it's welded to the frame. It doesn't look to have any more damage than just the scuff marks you can see. The tank shrouds worked well - I'd rather have to pay to replace a piece of plastic than a painted panel. Good thinking Triumph!

By Ben Cope