Soren,
I love the new Tiger. I did ride an '04 model and almost fell over twice when stopping. I forgot about the 33 inch seat height with my 31" inseam. Anyway, the Tiger was a blast to ride and I'd love to have one with a 3" lowering kit. A great competitor for the Tiger is the Suzuki V-Strom
650\1000. The Vstrom is set up for serious touring. I read an article by a lifetime long distance rider who spent 25 years with BMWs. He stated that his new Vstrom made him realize how much time he spent in hotels waiting for BMW parts to arrive. He loves the Suzuki and now swears by it.
Both bike are unattractive, but very functional.
