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Triumph Tiger 800 XC ABS

XC ABS2013
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Triumph Tiger 800 XC ABS XC ABS — 2013
Image: Triumph Motorcycles Media Kit — Triumph Motorcycles Media

Vitals

Wet weight
215 kg
Seat height
845 / 865 mm
Fuel capacity
19 L
Real world range
325 km
Front tyre
90/90-21 M/C 54V
Rear tyre
150/70 R17 M/C 69V
Tyre pressures
2.5 / 2.9 bar solo
TerrainTarmacGravel — easyGravel — technical

Field repair

Fuse box
Beneath the rider's seat (front and rear fuse boxes)
Fuses
12

Gear shift return spring pin repair (broken selector pin)

  1. 01Remove the clutch housing cover on the right-hand side of the engine.
  2. 02Remove the clutch assembly to access the gear selector mechanism.
  3. 03Undo the gear linkage on the opposite side of the engine.
  4. 04Slide out the selector rod and return spring mechanism.
  5. 05Drill out the original broken/sheared retaining pin where it was swaged/riveted to the mechanism.
  6. 06Thread the drilled hole for an M5 bolt.
  7. 07Reassemble using an M5 bolt with threadlocking compound (e.g. Loctite) in place of the original riveted pin.
  8. 08Reinstall the clutch, clutch housing cover, and gear linkage, then verify the shift lever returns correctly under spring pressure.

Sprag clutch (starter clutch) replacement

  1. 01Drain the engine oil and remove the crash bar/lower fairing as needed for access.
  2. 02Remove the alternator/stator cover bolts to expose the flywheel.
  3. 03Use a flywheel holding tool (strap-type U-holder) to prevent rotation, then use a flywheel puller to remove the flywheel.
  4. 04Inspect and clean the area; replace the sprag clutch assembly, ensuring all roller/finger bearings face the correct direction and the retaining spring is not overstretched during installation.
  5. 05Reinstall the flywheel and torque the central retaining nut/bolt to approximately 60 Nm (49 ft-lb) per community-documented procedure.
  6. 06Torque the sprag clutch retaining bolts/nuts to approximately 10-12 Nm per community-documented procedure.
  7. 07Reinstall the alternator cover, refill with fresh engine oil, and verify quiet starter engagement with no rattle.

Data sheet

Dimensions & weights

Wet weight
215 kg
Seat height
845 / 865 mm
Wheelbase
1545 mm
Suspension travel
220 / 220 mm

Engine & drivetrain

Engine
800 cc · Inline triple
Cooling
Liquid cooled
Output
95 hp · 79 Nm
Transmission
6-speed
Final drive
Chain
Fuelling
Electronic fuel injection

Fuel & range

Fuel capacity
19 L
Real world range
325 km

Electronics & rider aids

Ride modes
None
Cruise control
No
Traction control
No
ABS
Yes · fully defeatable
Heated grips
No
Heated seat
No

Service intervals

Service interval
10,000 km
Valve check
20,000 km

Protection

Bash plate
None
Radiator guard
No
Oil cooler guard
No
Hand guards
No

Consumables & service specs

Every value carries its source.

Tyres

Front
90/90-21 M/C 54VXC-specific 21-inch spoked front wheel tyre size, different from base model's 19-inch 100/90-19Triumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official
Rear
150/70 R17 M/C 69VSame rear tyre size as base modelTriumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official

Tyre pressures

Front — solo
2.5 barOn-road, cold tyre (36 lb/in²). Same on-road pressure applies to both Tiger 800 and Tiger 800XC per handbook.Triumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official
Rear — solo
2.9 barOn-road, cold tyre (42 lb/in²)Triumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official
Front — loaded
1.5 barXC-specific OFF-ROAD tyre pressure setting (22 lb/in²), not a passenger-loaded on-road figure; XC is the only variant of this pair with a published off-road pressure spec, since it has approved dual-purpose (knobby) tyre optionsTriumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official
Rear — loaded
1.5 barXC-specific OFF-ROAD tyre pressure setting (22 lb/in²); see note on frontTriumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official

Engine oil

Viscosity
Semi or fully synthetic SAE 10W/40 or 10W/50Must meet API SH (or higher) and JASO MA; identical spec to base Tiger 800 (same handbook, same engine)Triumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official
Capacity
3.6 lOil and filter change quantity; dry fill 4.1L, oil-only change 3.4L. Unchanged from base Tiger 800.Triumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official

Coolant

Type
Triumph HD4X Hybrid OAT coolantUnchanged from base Tiger 800Triumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official
Capacity
2.4 lUnchanged from base Tiger 800Triumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official

Brakes

Fluid type
DOT 4Triumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official

Forks

Oil viscosity
Showa SS 8Same fork oil grade as base Tiger 800 per service manualTriumph Service Manual Tiger 800/800XC 2010-2013 · official
Oil capacity
619 mlXC-specific dry-fill capacity (vs 553cc on base model) due to longer-travel forks (220mm vs 180mm travel); fork oil level 107mm from top, fork fully compressed with spring removedTriumph Service Manual Tiger 800/800XC 2010-2013 · official

Final drive

Chain
DID O-ring, 124 linksXC uses 124 links vs 122 on base model (longer wheelbase); chain slack spec 20-30mm vs 15-25mm on base model per service manualTriumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official

Spark plugs

Type
NGK CR9EKUnchanged from base Tiger 800Triumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official
Gap
0.7 mmGap tolerance +0.05/-0.1 mmTriumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official
Quantity
3In-line 3-cylinder engine, one plug per cylinderTriumph Service Manual Tiger 800/800XC 2010-2013 · official

Battery

Type
YTX-16BS, 12V/14AhUnchanged from base Tiger 800Triumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official

Fuel

Minimum octane
87 AKI / (R+M)/2 (CLC octane rating)Triumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official
Ethanol tolerance
Up to E10 (10% ethanol / 90% gasoline); up to 15% MTBE permittedTriumph OM Tiger 800/800XC 2012 · official

What breaks first and where.

01

Turn signal (indicator) stem fracture — recall 13V-104

ModerateOccasional

Due to a manufacturing/material error, the turn signal stems on the front and rear of certain 2012-2013 Tiger 800XC and Tiger 800XC ABS motorcycles (VIN range 520000-574427) could fracture during use, potentially making turn signals invisible to other road users and increasing crash risk.

Symptoms

  • Turn signal stem cracks or snaps off
  • Turn signal no longer visible/functional

Field repairableYes — Dealer performs free replacement under recall; owners have also self-replaced the indicator stem (Triumph part T2701039 Indicator Stem Kit) as a ~10 minute DIY job when outside the recall VIN range.

NHTSA Recall 13V-104 · official
02

Sprag clutch (one-way starter clutch) failure

SeriousCommon

The sprag clutch on the Tiger 800/XC triple engine can fail due to breakage of the finger retaining spring inside the sprag assembly, most often linked to low-battery starts, starting without choke/in gear, or using too-low-viscosity oil. A secondary failure mode involves brass rivets separating from the clutch judder-plate and migrating through the engine, causing intermittent clutch failure, inability to shift, or loud clacking noises. This is a well-documented issue affecting the shared 800cc triple platform across base and XC variants.

Symptoms

  • Engine fails to start (spring breaks at start-up)
  • Loud rattling/clacking noise from engine on starter engagement
  • Intermittent clutch failure
  • Inability to shift gears

Field repairableYes — Requires removing the alternator cover/flywheel to access and replace the sprag clutch; documented as DIY-feasible with a flywheel puller and holding tool.

TriumphRat — Sprag Clutch Failure Part I
03

Gear shift return spring / selector pin failure

ModerateCommon

The 2013 XC shares the shift mechanism of the base Tiger 800/800XC platform. Early bikes had a weak gear lever return spring addressed by a factory recall/service action; bikes with the revised spring (or outside the original recall VIN range) can subsequently suffer a sheared retaining pin, leaving the gearshift lever stuck down. Confirmed by owners of 2013-era XC bikes on Triumph community forums as a persistent, non-recalled failure mode.

Symptoms

  • Gearshift lever remains in the down position and does not spring back
  • Gear position sensor may fail to recognize neutral, particularly when cold
  • Difficulty selecting particular gears if pivot plate/detent wheel wear accompanies the fault

Field repairableYes — Requires removing the clutch housing cover and clutch, undoing the gear linkage, and sliding out the selector rod/mechanism; the broken pin can be drilled out, tapped for an M5 bolt, and reassembled with Loctite as a documented owner fix.

Tiger800.co.uk — Broken Gear Shift Return
04

Overheating / radiator cooling fan not engaging

ModerateOccasional

Owners of Tiger 800XC/XCA models report the coolant temperature gauge climbing close to maximum without the radiator fan engaging, particularly in slow-moving traffic. The fan is designed to switch on around 103°C; root causes traced by owners include the fan fuse, fan wiring connectors, temperature sensor connector, fan relay, faulty thermostat, or trapped air/low coolant — not a single universally-confirmed failure point.

Symptoms

  • Temperature gauge rises to near-maximum, especially in slow traffic
  • Radiator fan does not audibly engage
  • Engine management/check engine light may illuminate
  • Engine heat noticeably radiating onto rider's legs

Field repairableYes — Check fan fuse, fan wiring connectors, and temperature sensor connector first; fan relay and thermostat can be bench-tested; a diagnostic tool (e.g. TuneECU) can force-trigger the fan to isolate the fault.

Tiger800.co.uk — Overheating Thread
05

Speed sensor error caused by mud contamination on ABS ring (XC/off-road use)

MinorOccasional

On ABS-equipped Tiger 800XC models, the rear wheel ABS sensor ring doubles as the speed sensor. Riding through thick, sticky mud can coat the ABS ring, triggering a 'speed sensor error' check engine light. Documented in an owner's long-term ADVrider thread as an easily-resolved nuisance fault specific to off-road-capable XC use.

Symptoms

  • Check engine light after riding through mud
  • Speed sensor error code

Field repairableYes — Clean the ABS sensor ring on the rear wheel and reset the check engine light; no parts replacement needed.

ADVrider — Tiger 800 Problems Reference Thread