The cat's out of the baE
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ALTHOUGH revealed at the Motor Show in October, Leyland kept many of the details of its long-awaited B43 coach chassis secret until its dramatic launch to over 200 operators in Gibraltar last month — where Tiger Strikes Back was the theme.
And no wonder, for the B43's been dubbed the Tiger and initially is to complement the longestablished leaf-sprung Leopard chassis. Offered with a choice of semi-automatic or manual gearbox in 11rn or 12m versions, the Tiger features full air suspension as standard.
At its Gibraltar launch, Tiger was let out of the cage at a Royal Air Force base where operators had a second close look at the actual chassis originally shown at the International Show.
Maybe the exotic lure of the African continent just across the water was irresistible, for after studying the chassis at close quarters, we were whisked away on a surprise jet flight to Tangier airport where three Tigers, complete with bodywork, were waiting.
These included a Plaxton Supreme GT-bodied example with ZF6-80 six-speed manual gearbox, a Van Hool Alizeebodied semi-automatic vehicle, and, looking somewhat incongruous against a backdrop of camels and palm trees, the first of the new generation of Scottish Bus Group motorway "supercoaches" — a Duple Dominant 3-bodied semi-automatic.
I took a ride, not on a camel, but on the Scottish Bus Group coach which I found smooth running and relatively quiet. The coach was well finished, with full body insulation and extensive use of moquette trim and I was surprised how cool the vehicle remained despite the searing Moroccan sun and also how fine the view was through the small tinted and double-glazed side windows.
The drive and ride session at Tangier also gave me the chance to drive the Plaxton-bodied Tiger with manual gearshift. By the time demonstrations were complete on a specially reserved back road near Tangier jail, time was fast running out so I drove the vehicle and its coachoperator passengers back to town.
I found the vehicle easy to drive and powerful. Engine noise on a Plaxton bodiedexample was present but unobtrusive. The Leyland Nationaltype Tiger instrument panel fitted well into the Plaxton surround to give an easy-to-read and comprehensive range of information to the driver.
The turning circle was good and the steering, with its new smaller National-style wheel, had plenty of "feel" with power assistance effective at all road speeds.
Brakes, which are bigger than those on the Leopard, are responsive and progressive.
I personally found the driving position comfortable, though I did hear that some operators complained at the intrusion of the radiator into the driver's compartment.
A gearbox-mounted Telma retarder was fitted, and I found this as impressive as ever though the panel-mounted hand control involved a long stretch and I had to remove my hand from the steering wheel to reach it.
The passenger ride seemed particularly promising — there was little body roll and no problems were encountered coping with rocky Moroccan roads.
Tiger's suspension is based on a proven air system built by Ley
land's Danish subsidiary DA Each axle is supported on fo rolling lobe bellows mounted ( two forged steel beams.
Each axle is located by Wew( ler-ended 1 0 0 mm wid parabolic steel leaves. A fir ride is achieved by widely spa ing the rear air bellows ar dampers. The front suspensic is also stiffened by a forwar mounted anti-roll bar.
Front and rear suspensic beam and link assemblies a identical, with 254mm (10in) C bags used at the front ar 304mm (12in) bags at the rea Ride height, roll stability ar axle wind-up is controlled levelling and isolator valves.
In common with other ne Leyland vehicles, the Tiger fitted with spigot-mounte wheels. The spigots are cast( lated to prevent the possibility' the wheels seizing onto tt. hubs. The wheel-nuts are le and right-handed with a metr thread and large flat face. Cal ture washers are fitted to ensui accurate wheelnut torques witl out distorting or damaging if wheel.
Engine power from the Tiger 11.1-litre six-cylinder turbc charged engine is slightly le: than its rivals — Volvo B10N, DAF MB 200 DKTL and FV1A1 SR280 — yet seemed completel adequate when I drove the full laden ZF-geared Tiger briefly i Morocco.
The TL 11H engine is a direc injection turbocharged uni mounted amidships. It not onl sounds different from the classi 680 unit used in the Leopard, Ix produces a lot more power an torque.
The engine is rated to produc 162kW (218 bhp) at 2,100 rpr and 884 Nm (650 lb/ft) at 1,30 rpm. Leyland says that, d( pending on the axle selected, th engine can give a cruising spee of up to 122 km/h (75 mph) wit the high torque output giving wide working speed range.
The engine features dry sum lubrications with twin oil pumps As with the Leopard there are n■ belt drives from the engine, witl le auxiliary drive gearbox owering only the alternator. Power steering is standard nd driven by a hydraulic pump lounted directly onto the enine.
To enable their animal to feel it home in all climates, Leyland as fitted its Tiger with a fourow radiator at the front of the hassis. A thermostaticallyontrolled an is used and Kysor adiator; shutters are available as production option.
Tiger's chassis is of all-steel lofted construction with channel ection side-members and ross7members. "Sticky bolts" ire used in the frame construcion, and all running units and omponents are kept below the op level to allow bodies to be )uilt directly on the chassis if iecessary.
Additional substantial chassis wtriggers can be attached to the ands of all structural cross-memoers to suit bodybuilder's indiridual requirements.
Like the Leopard, the Tiger is offered for 11m or 12m (36 and lOft) bodywork, with a choice of semi-automatic pneumocyclic gearbox and ZF manual sixspeed synchromesh gearbox.
The .pneumocyclic option is 3vailable in close or wide ratio orm with either semi or fully automatic controls using Ley
land's LVS45 or LVA45 solidstate control systems.
For all options, the gearbox is close-coupled to the engine, and provision is made for the fitting of a Telma retarder at the ; rear of the gearbox.
One reason some operators have forsaken Leyland coaches in the past has been the difficulty in getting service and spare parts in the unfortunate event of a breakdown in Europe. Leyland is confident that, with Tiger, criticism will be overcome with its Co-Driver support package.
With Co-Driver operators will get a one-year unlimited mileage warranty, service from 25 strategically located coach specialists, a list of European service contacts, a Freefone-type roadside assistance scheme to help a driver should he have a problem while on tour, a VOR emergency parts system, and a payment card system for repairs and routine maintenance.
Tiger has now undoubtedly brought the Leyland coach range right up to date, though it does not seem likely that it will meet the West German Tempo 100 speed regulations necessary for 100 km/h touring on German motorways although for most operators this will probably be only a minor consideration.
Tiger's impressive, but almost embarrassingly expensive launch, was intended to suggest