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Ride Review Triumph Tiger 900 By Andy Saunders
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Looking for a bike that can go anywhere? The Triumph Tiger may be just the beast for you. With a design based on off-road machines, and Triumph's thoroughly engaging three-cylinder engine under the stripes, the Tiger offers touring riders its own special blend of comfort, power and looks (and when it comes to looks, there's not another motorcycle that resembles the Tiger). Does the Tiger roar? Maybe, if you tug the throttle real hard. But mostly, it purrs like a soft-hearted big cat, one with 885cc of three-cylinder power. Everything about the bike seems big, from the huge exhaust muffler (which has a catalytic converter hidden inside), to the fat rear tire, to the bulbous lines of the huge gas tank. There's a reason for it. |
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Grip the tank pads between the knees, and waggle your backside to change direction. Sounds weird: works well (thanks to Reg Pridmore for that tip). When you get the hang of nudging the bike into bends, you'll find a road-handler that's as agile as most, especially when the going gets tough. The suspension is supple at both ends, the long-travel suspension dipping whenever the front brakes are applied hard: you soon get used to smoothly pull the brake lever to avoid dropping the front, and at highway speeds the effect is less noticeable. Make no mistake, this is one big motorcycle. You'll notice that when you climb aboard the 33-inch high seat and settle down into the downward-sloping seat. Once you're settled, you'll notice that the riding position is armchair-comfortable, and your knees fit comfortably into the tankside cutouts. Seat height is adjustable over a range of nearly an inch, with a minimum of 33 inches, still a stretch for short-legged riders. If the bike fits, you'll find that all controls are close at hand in the roomy, surprisingly comprehensive cockpit. Four big white dials light up speed, engine revs, engine temperature and fuel level. |
Can we put 'swoopy styling' in again here, please? |
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The engine starts easily from cold with a prod on the e-starter button: there's no choke or fast idle control, since this Triumph (and almost every other bike in the range) is fuel-injected, with a reprogrammable computer under the bodywork. The engine note is unmistakably Triumph. Nobody else offers a three-cylinder motorcycle like this one, and the sound is unique. A kind of a rasp as you open the throttle. The motor is smooth, torquey, pulls easily, and the counterbalanced three-cylinder gives just a slight buzz through the bars to remind you that you're riding something different from the mainstream (as if you needed reminding, perched up high, eye-level with SUVs). At highway speed, you'll notice that the motor is torquey enough to zip past highway obstacles without gearing down, and that protection from the elements is surprisingly complete, thanks to the small fairing screen. The screen lifts and separates the airflow around your helmet, with just a little buffeting above faceshield level.
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You can take this Tiger anywhere |
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Is it an off-road bike? No, of course not. But you can indulge in fire-road rambling if you like: the Michelin radial tires (inflated with tubes inside) give a modicum of grip on slippery surfaces like mud or gravel. You could do a million miles of fire roads on this machine. Or, find some gravel-strewn backroads and not worry at all about the road surface. Where the Tiger really shines bright is on these backroads, where the long-travel suspension soaks up every bump, berm and pothole that the roadmenders have ignored for the last half-century. |
Typical Triumph touches: Rack, Brit flag |
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It's utilitarian luxury. Sitting up high in your armchair perch, viewing lesser mortals below you, leaning into bends that would have a sportbike owner's wrists, shoulders and neck twisting in pain from the road shocks. And riding smoothly on. u'll get to appreciate other things too, like the brushguards mounted in front of each handgrip. You're never going to ride on narrow enough trails to need them to swat bamboos and cane from your path, but they're great at keeping your hands sheltered and protected from the elements. If you really do intend to go out in the cold, Triumph have a set of heated handgrips that will keep your mitts even toastier. There's a whole shopping list of extras for this machine - from hard luggage (including a top box that mounts on the tiny rear rack) through an optional center stand, a tinted screen (or a higher one), an alarm system and a specially designed tank bag. World tourers take note. As you'd expect from its bulbous looks, there's a lot of room in that gas tank. You can fit 6 gallons in, says Triumph, easily enough for a 200 mile jaunt almost anywhere you can imagine. If anywhere is where you want to go, maybe this is the motorcycle to do it.
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Rider's eye view |
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