Spent some time at the BMW/Triumph dealer here (San Antonio, TX) yesterday. My first reaction was based on the appeal of the bikes to what I like in motorcycles - NOT based on what would actually work.
Loved the 675 Daytona! - but it won't work for the type of riding I do in Mexico with my hooligan friends. Liked the Street Triple but it won't really work either - insufficient ground clearance for the speed bumps there and the seat seems (to my butt) uncomfortable for longer stuff. Thought the Tiger 1050 was kinda neat; thought the Tiger 800 was ok. Didn't care for the Triumph Scrambler at all. Went almost nuts over a used (4600 miles) yellow BMW S1000R but it won't work any better in Mexico than the Daytona; if it would, I'd have ridden out of there on it!
Basically, sitting on the bikes made it clear immediately that the only two "contenders" for me were the 800 and 1050 Tigers. Frankly, the Commando works better for my riding than the Daytona/speed triple/S100R would. I pretty much eliminated the 1050 simply because it cost considerably more than the 8 and for single riding (I never ride two-up), the 800 would be fine power-wise. I liked the crystal-white one. They quoted me 11,700 USD out the door with tax/plates.
My wife thought it was a nice bike - she liked it better than I did and she offered to pay for half of it as an anniversary present! Hard to argue with a deal like that!
Now we are waiting for a Mexican friend to let me know the price of a new Tiger 800 out the door at the dealer in Leon, Mexico. We know it will be higher but if it's not more than say, 2000 bucks higher, it's less of a hassle to buy /register/plate it in Mexico since it will be living there.
FWIW, briefly looked at an 800XC but frankly didn't want spokes/tube-type tires. We do SOME off-pavement stuff but not enough to need a bike that's seriously oriented in that direction.
BUT dang it, I like my Commando better than I like the Tiger! OTOH, I'm sure all the bells/whistles would grow on me and, of course, suspension-wise there is no comparison. Though maybe it's purely an ego thing; I like the attention the Commando always receives, regardless of what sort of newer bikes are parked around it!
Life can be so confusing...
