I just found out on a TV show and also in the news section here in XBHP that Triumph will not bring in its bikes as CBU's but will actually start a production facility here. Looks like it will be following in the footsteps of HD, this means that not only will the bikes be cheaper, but you will also be assured of parts and service. The Tiger XC 800 is rumoured to be in the range of 6.5L, so that is a big margin in favour of Triumph.

I am a shorter rider, hence my preference for the standard 800. I was also looking at what aftermarket knobblies you could mount on the tiger, the K60 scouts TL are a perfect fit.

Can't wait for the Auto Expo!

I'm partial to the Continental TKC80, myself. Plus, since Continental is already a big name, and is owned by Metzeler, a bigger name (for bike tires), the quality is likely to be more consistent. I'm not even sure the Heidenau tires are available in India.

And yes, I'm a pretty big guy, at 170cm and 90kg, so the taller bike doesn't worry me.

I just hope they get the 600cc's here man, that will be something then...
As a side note, I do not think that putting knobby tyres is a good idea, because in India one second you will be on a road with Lunar scale potholes and the next you will be on a newly constructed silk smitha-smooth highway (including the curves ) with not a speed-breaker in sight (I know such a road near my place). So the best option IMHO is to stick to standard street rubber.

My being slightly taller would have solved most of my bike woes

I doubt one would find many DS tires in India at all, regardless of the brand.

I was meaning dual sport tires with off-road pretensions. While the tires will be noisier, it should still work ok on Indian roads.

Thought I should update:

Well, after emailing back and forth with Triumph, I remain disappointed that the Tiger will be priced at 11lakh. It strikes me that, if you're not sure whether the bike is going to be popular or not, pricing it out of nearly everyone's reach isn't going to help your case. That said, Triumph does have other models. Since I was going to go the streetfighter route anyway with that Bandit, why not just buy the original?

So, I'm adding the Speed Triple to the list. It's over 1lakh cheaper than the Bandit off the showroom floor, and the price differential gets even wider when you take the parts I'd need for the Bandit into consideration. The Speedy has a 1litre engine, with that howl only a triple can produce, and has much better suspension than the Bandit. It's also a lot less bulky. Plus, I won't need to get new gear (all my current stuff is more street/racing-oriented, rather than off-road).

hope this link helps you.Triumph Speed Triple test ride/Bandit mini comparison - TWT Forums.

That review kind of reinforces my initial impression of the Bandit as a really large, heavy bike, especially for in-town riding. Yes, it's got Suzuki's version of That Motor, but apparently it only really comes into its own out on a restricted-access highway where you can ride at 120-130kmh all day. As far as I know, there are no highways like that in India, and even the little 20km-long expressways are restricted, and no bikes are allowed on them. Since the vast majority of my riding will be in-town and in-city, the quicker-turning Speed Triple is going to be far more capable of dealing with the kind of traffic I'll be seeing.

I just hope, as I did with the Tiger, that Triumph brings its accessories into the country too: I want that lowboy racing exhaust, the belly pan, and the bar-end mirrors.

so which way are you inclined?

Right now, the Speed Triple is in the lead, followed by the Tiger, and the Bandit coming in last. The ST is cheaper than either thanks to Triumph's CKD policy. The Tiger the most expensive by far, again thanks to Triumph and their stupid policy of not going the CKD route for this bike, but also the most suitable. The Bandit requires modification to meet my needs, and the price (including custom parts) falls in the middle, as well as requiring extra effort on my part to get it to where I want it. The Bandit's main positive is that it's available in my city, while the other two are not.

Here's a revised Pro/Con list, now including the Speed Triple and some changes to the Tiger list:

Pro Bandit:
Can buy as soon as my finances are ready
There's a dealer here in town
Already have the parts lined up for my conversion
Big-ass motor/nothing like winding out a big inline-four, especially with a performance muffler
Huge support community world-wide

Con Bandit:
To get the bike I want, I have to do some frame cutting and buy some expensive parts
Will probably lose the passenger seat during the conversion
Dubious performance on muddy/dirt/gravel roads (heavy)
Low-siders are risky, as the bike is more likely to be damaged, and is heavy to pick up afterwards

Pro Tiger:
Much better suited to the multi-surface roads here
Still good at long tours
Can keep the passenger seat
Will be better in wet weather
That triple-piston sound

Con Tiger:
Price is ridiculously high
Have to wait for it to be available
Not likely to have a dealer in BBSR
Smaller motor
Probably need at least off-road-type boots, to better suit the bike.

Pro Speed Triple:
Price lower than either of the other two bikes
Better performance than the Bandit; motor has more power, and sounds better than almost anything on the road.
Better suspension than the Bandit, and will handle better in heavy traffic and city roads
Lighter than the Bandit
Don't need to do any modifications outside the dealer
Don't need to buy any off-road gear

Con Speed Triple
Requires expensive performance tires that will wear quickly
No local dealer
Have to wait for it to become available
Wet-weather handling will be questionable, and bike will not do well on muddy/unpaved roads

Why not consider the Ducati HyperMotard?

Ducatis are notoriously maintenance-intensive. Also, having sat on a couple of Ducks, I just don't get the same sense of "solidity" that I do on the Japanese/UK/US bikes. It may only be in my head, but Ducatis feel more fragile to me. Further, I have not liked the "look" of any Ducati since the old 888SPO. I just find their styling cues to be weird.

If none of that was enough, the Ducati Hypermotard *starts* at 10.5lakh, which means it's nearly the cost of the Tiger. However, it is a more direct competitor to the Speed Triple, yet only produces 81hp to the Speed Triple's 133hp despite costing 2lakh more than the Triumph.

Edited to add: Honestly, I've never really liked any of the Italian bikes. Aprilia is probably the best-looking for me, followed by MV Agusta, then Ducati, then Moto Guzzi, but I don't find any of them as visually appealing as their competitors. Note I am not counting Bimota or Benelli, as they are not really factory bikes.

Ducatis are also far more aggressive than other bikes in terms of stance. Even the naked Monster and certainly the Streetfighter are more like sportsbikes than regular road/street bikes. For comparison, try sitting on the Monster or Streetfighter and then on the FZ1 and you will notice the difference.

Aggressive doesn't bother me (much; I am getting older, but can still fold myself onto a sportbike). I've ridden the old Suzuki "Slingshot"-generation GSXR1100, considered one of the most cramped bikes out there. I just don't want to spend a fortune doing Desmo valve adjustments, not to mention that there aren't any Desmo mechanics in my little city. In a pinch, I can get the Hayabusa guy at the Suzuki dealer here to help me with Speed Triple valves, since they're the same tech, and all he'd need is the shims and the service manual. He wouldn't have the first idea how to handle the Desmo system in a Ducati.