Featured Tiger 900 - First Ride

As there isn't yet a Tiger 900 prefix in the Tiger section I'm going to put this in here.

Triumph show rooms reopened on Monday and I managed to get a test ride booked for Tuesday (just as well as it's raining on and off today). So here we have the top of the range 900 GT Pro, the more road focused one and the one I'd most likely be interested in.



First thing to notice was how much lighter it felt compared to my 800 when moving it on the forecourt. The weight distribution is definitely an improvement with a noticeably lower centre of gravity. I believe it actually is a few kg lighter but it felt a lot more.

Next is the engine sound - they have to all intents and purposes made a triple sound like a twin and even with the stock exhaust it sounds pretty decent, which for me is better than the slightly whiny sound of the current triple. It sounds a more powerful bike for it and to my ears is quite similar to the Ducati Multistrada 950 S.

Pulling off the forecourt on to the A32 (luckily Destination Triumph Solent is located in the middle of nowhere on one of the county's favourite biking roads) and accelerating away you notice a big improvement in acceleration over the 800. Throttle action is smooth and with no hint of snatchiness. It definitely shifts and although the BHP figure is the same as the old bike, the torque in the low to mid range is greatly improved and immediately apparent. I was after a bit more poke than the 800 gives but don't want to go down the weighty, cumbersome route of a 1200 and this bike certainly delivers. Did lots of overtakes in third, fourth and fifth and acceleration from 80 mph upwards in sixth on a dual carriageway - fantastic!



Riding position in terms of height is quite similar to mine but the seat is narrower (and possibly the rear of the tank?) so I felt as comfortable on this as my 800 (possibly slightly more comfortable). Bars are closer to you and possibly wider by a wee bit but I liked that feel and the riding style it encourages. It still feels like a Tiger, especially the XR model. The bike feels very nimble and handles the corners and bends well - it felt slightly more "chuckable" than the current model, generally more agile, but more stable at the same time. (must be the revised weight distribution!)

Up and down quickshifter is a delight to use. When I test rode the Tiger 1200 last year I wasn't that inspired to use it (nothing wrong with it but it just didn't seem necessary) but this one is super smooth and I found myself using it all the time and I felt there was something missing when back on the 800.

The screen is a big improvement to what was originally on mine, it's adjustable on the move and at the highest setting was more or less as effective as my 20" Madstad screen on the 800. (but without looking like a police riot shield attached to the front of the bike).

The big 7" TFT screen is clear and gives you all the information you can want with a number of styles and colours to choose from (you can make the rev counter very funky indeed!) Rider modes can easily be changed from the screen - a simple three stage process of menu, toggle, tick. Try that on the 800 without getting the manual out and taking a 10 minute break! Rear suspension can also be set up electronically from the screen too. Very easy and simple to understand.

You can tell that the new engine delivers more torque and better response at lower rpm, and more power across the rev range. I would say that the 900 feels more characterful than the 800, there’s more grunt throughout the range, and impressive mid-range performance.



It's definitely an impressive bike, with the revised engine characteristics, extra power and improved weight distribution. It's a more engaging ride but it's still a Tiger. Back on my own bike and it all felt a bit heavy and lacklustre for a while - missed the quickshifter and that deeper engine growl!

Would I buy one? Well I planned on changing the 800 this year so very likely yes, but the next test ride will be the new BMW F900XR followed by the Yamaha Tracer 900 GT.

 

Will do mate

 

Yeah, base model is £9500, GT is £11100 and GT Pro is £12800 (that's not including luggage or fittings).
Rally Pro is £13100.

 

Steve - you should add the Ducati Multistrada 950S to your test ride list. Its a stonking bike and also to avoid any out of date jokes/comments about its reliability... it comes with a 4 year warranty, so Ducati have a lot of faith in the bike.[/QUOTE]
Well I was thinking of testing one, it's a nice looking bike but with prices starting at £13850 it's getting a bit pricey!

 

Let's hope we do get to Spain but who knows what might happen? Can't see the GMU going ahead though.

 

Daniel, the screen on the 900 is much better than the almost useless one on my 800xrx. The last generation 800 Tiger has a better screen but the 900 one was the most effective of the three.
I'm 1.7 metres tall and here is my riot shield!