The trouble with sports bikes, of course, is that there's only two things you can do with one. You can ride it very, very quickly. Or you can pose in the car park. Now take a sports bike engine, plonk it into a mammoth trail bike chassis, and a whole new vista of options opens up before you. You can ride fast, you can ride slow, and you can ride majestically upright amongst rush hour traffic on a bike which looks capable of crushing a wayward Mondeo with a glance.

Triumphs Tiger has been showing the way since it was first launched more than ten years ago and has proved enormously popular with our continental cousins. Now this latest revised version with a detuned 955 engine is set to win new converts and take sales away from the growing numbers of big Japanese trailies. For the Tiger, Triumph have softened the tune of their superb water cooled triple engine which now pumps out 104 BHP; not bad for a trail bike. More importantly the engine now makes 72 ft lbs of torque at only 6200 RPM. The result is a hugely tractable engine with lots of useable urge at real life speeds. Combine this with a dry weight of only 215Kg and a light, east steering geometry and you have a recipe for almost unlimited fun in a very practical package. The 24 litre fuel tank gives a whopping range between fuel stops and that trendy nose fairing does an admirable job of keeping the rider comfortable and dry.

I had a regrettably brief day aboard the Tiger on one of those strange August days we only get in England, when every possible combination of weather you can imagine hits unpredictably and without reason. Blistering heat, torrential rain, bright sunshine, sub-zero gale force winds and plagues of frogs made up the typical summers day, and gave me opportunity to try the Tiger in a range of conditions it would have taken months to muster in any country with a sensible climate. To it's great credit the Tiger shrugged it all off and just kept rolling. At low speeds the bike is nimble and sure footed, though a little tall in the saddle. I was on tip toes to hold it up in a particluarly slopey pub car park, and I'm over six foot. At speeds of up to 110MPH on tarmac it's confident and well planted, and blasting across rough ground standing on the pegs I could steer with confidence at 60 MPH.

And that motor is really quite pokey, in a moorland blast I was able to put some distance between me and a persuing BMW R1100S. Turn it on, and the power comes in with a rush at around 4000RPM, accompanied by a sweetly rasping exhaust note that's unique to Triumph triples. Lovely. But what really grabs you about the Tiger is the way it looks. This bike looks great from any angle, the tiger stripe graphics driving home the "Don't mess with me" message. That mean, purposeful stance makes lesser bikes cower as you pass, leaving a final impression of a huge silencer like a rocket launcher threatening rearward retribution. And the real surprise for those unused to big trailies is just how versatile a bike the Tiger is. You can tour on it, you can commute on it, you can cross continents on it, and you can even scratch on it at a push.

The one thing you may struggle to do is ride ride it off road, where it really is a bit big and heavy to cut it with the Maicos and Montessas. It's comfortable, smooth, reliable and well built, and it has an engine which is rapidly gaining cult status.

Marks Out Of Ten:

Performance: 8/10
It's not as fast as a Fireblade, or a 955 for that matter, but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in sheer umph. This years new engine produces gobs of useable torque at low and mid range speeds, and power delivery is smooth. The bike handles and stops with competence and poise. A great all rounder.

Comfort: 9/10
I just love the tall upright riding position of a big trailie. It gives great vision and feels comfortable enough to ride all day. The Tigers seat is a little firmer than some of the opposition, which some will prefer. There's plenty room for a passenger, who gets well positioned pegs and grab handles.

Build Quality: 9/10
The bike is well thought out and well put together, and standards of finish are high. The lack of surplus decorative chromework on the Tiger should make it easy to keep smart, and I just love that gorgeous metallic green finish. Black is an option for the less extroverted.

Value for money: 7/10
At £7599 the Tiger goes head to head with Suzuki's new V-Strom and the Honda Varadero, both worthy opposition. The Tiger is competitively priced and well worth considering. Depreciation may be slightly less that a Japanese bike too.

Street Cred: 8/10
The Tiger has an impressive presence in traffic and will wow the crowds in the local supemarket car park. It's sufficiently unusual to look distinctive and it wears the logo of one of the worlds great marques. All in all, the Tiger delivers what it promises. I'll have a green one please.

 

Dr.Rod.