[neil.jericho]

Im sharing a few pictures taken during the delivery of the new Tiger 900 from the Cochin showroom last week. Ive also penned a few thoughts towards the end of the post.

Menacing from up front


From this front three quarter angle it looks very narrow




Dash when switched off


Lovely screen in action


Good quality switchgear




More of the good quality switchgear


Comfortable bars


Location of the lock set


Neat looking headlight


Sneak peak of the back of the headlights


Side view of the engine, the white frame makes for a good contrast


Twin radiators are nicely designed


Spoked wheels


Exhaust is nicely tucked in

The styling of the Tiger 900 is pretty deceptive to be honest. At first glance, it does appear as though the designers at Triumph shrunk the bulk off the old Tiger 800. Now the problem with the old Tiger 800's styling was that to new riders, it felt visually brawny, when you sat on it and with a fairly high center of gravity, the bike was not something that you could just hop on and ride off with full confidence And that was something that used to always plan on the minds of riders new to the Tiger, it certainly did for me.

The view from behind, notice how the narrow seat widens as you go towards the front

What the Triumph designers have done is listen to the feedback from both owners and prospective owners and used it to re-design the Tiger from the ground up. Now the riders seat is very narrow and tapers upwards towards the tank. This makes getting your legs down in stop go traffic very easy for riders of medium height (i.e. most Indian buyers) and it also makes standing and riding easier. Now that you have read this, just look at the picture above and see how nicely it has been executed.

Triumph also has taken care to ensure that the tank hasnt been too slimmed down to Africa Twin-ish proportions and has ensured that at least the front of the tank has some bulk to retain its traditional visual appeal. You can see the same in the picture below. It all does come together very well as a package.

Rider's view


Rear three quarter view

I didnt get a chance to ride it but feedback from a TBHPian who managed to clock some kilometers on this bike has been very positive. I am taking the liberty of summarizing it in a few words - it doesnt feel like a Triumph Tiger 800 on the move, the new 900 is very agile and has a low center of gravity that makes it very easy to ride. Overall, it is a very different bike as compared to it's predecessor and that can only bode well for Triumph. I can see a lot of Tiger 800 owners upgrading to the 900.

[Red Liner]

Good photos and comments. That tank being bigger and scooped out is more for highway aerodynamics and a little less about brawn appeal. The wind will brush off against the tank and shield the rider.

Have said this before, I doubt many owners will be taking this bike off-road, highway miles is probably where this bike will still be found.

[krishnaprasadgg]

I'm a bit surprised they went with the rearview mirrors which look like from the Tiger 800 2 generation back(Before the TFT screen came in), even with the TFT screen-generation only the base variant XR came with those design mirrors, XRX onwards had a completely different design and shape mirrors and looked much better too imo.

I like the way the seat is. I think it'll help people who are not tall to maneuver the bike easily. That's really great.

Any idea when the Cochin showroom will provide test rides for the 900? Been wanting to test both the ST RS and the 900 as well.

Cheers
Ride Safe
Krishna

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Good photos and comments. That tank being bigger and scooped out is more for highway aerodynamics and a little less about brawn appeal. The wind will brush off against the tank and shield the rider.

That tank design explanation does make sense but didnt the tank on the old Tiger 800 cover the rider's knees similar to this? I thought it did.

I forgot to mention that it is genuinely surprising to see that Triumph made the stock windscreen much smaller than the one from the old XCA (there is an unsold BS4 one in the showroom, so we could compare them). So the windblast is going to tire you out for sure. Maybe its a product manager's trick to entice buyers to pick up a bigger accessory?

The good thing about the stock windscreen is that you can easily slide it up and down with one hand. No complicated thingamajingy procedure to move it.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

I'm a bit surprised they went with the rearview mirrors which look like from the Tiger 800 2 generation back(Before the TFT screen came in), even with the TFT screen-generation only the base variant XR came with those design mirrors, XRX onwards had a completely different design and shape mirrors and looked much better too imo.

I like the way the seat is. I think it'll help people who are not tall to maneuver the bike easily. That's really great.

Any idea when the Cochin showroom will provide test rides for the 900? Been wanting to test both the ST RS and the 900 as well.

The rear view mirrors probably werent the nicest design element of new Tiger 900. I havent heard anything about test rides yet, they have delivered a couple of bikes already though. Ill keep you posted.

[Red Liner]

Good questions Neil. Let me try.

So the tank has been given that shape to protect the rider from wind. Sometimes, extra fairing around the tank does that too, but remember, Triumph is trying very hard to position this bike as much more off-road friendly what with the change in firing order config to get more low down torque, and a new sub frame. So they went with the tank shape with the least plastics there for off-road cred.

Compare the tank shape between the BMW g310 gs and the KTM 390 adventure, and you will see what I am talking about. The KTM fuel tank/lack of fairing is decidedly less protective from elements on the road. The GS on the other hand is supremely comfy on the highway. Suspension, seat, and ofcourse the forward body shape and generous use of plastic.

Stock smaller windscreen is to again, position this bike off-road. At least the rally version. A smaller screen is helpful offroad, because you can see right over it sitting down, I myself now prefer the standard stock short screen on the KTM. The 790 adventure takes the same approach. The Africa twin standard also takes the same approach, but the bigger rally version or whatever it’s called does not. That bike is positioned for highway.

So you can see, how manufacturers are positioning their adventure bikes just through these small tweaks.

I do feel, both the africa twin and the tiger 900 are confused bikes. They look positioned for off-road, but they will only be used well on road. The Tenere 700 and the 790 adventure make no such pretensions. They are both just big dirt bikes, period. And that’s what I like, strong manufacturer intent in the product.

Are there folks who take the big tiger off-road. Ofcourse yes, and I enjoy watching them do it!

[Axe77]

Rode the new GT today (the XRX equivalent). Here are my initial riding impressions. I rode to the showroom on my own XRX so the comparison was immediate.

1. Weight

The GT in stock is ~ 6-7 kilos lighter than the stock XRX. That's a significant difference. I believe the weight is also carried a touch lower (so less top heavy). Unfortunately my comparison is not like for like since my bike is accessorised up while the GT was bone stock. Key differences between the two: mine was fuelled up (19 ltrs) while the GT was near empty. Plus my bike has top box, side pannier holders, engine and tank guard, beak, aux lights (2 sets), metal sump guard and main stand.

I would really like to ride comparably kitted / unkitted XRX and GT but I can say this from my ride. The GT felt light - like - really light. And perhaps due to the lower weight, immensely flickable.

2. Sound

This is the only disappointment. The 800 sounds much sweeter. This one sounds to me like a twin and that is a HUGE negative for me. Not negative enough to ignore everything else that's sweet but a very big point nevertheless. After a quick test ride on the 900 I actually loved the sound of my 800 on my ride back. Made me appreciate this sound all over again.

3. The Rest

The bike feels much more torquey right off the word go and is almost raring to vroom at the slightest flick of the wrist. Combined with the light weight, I literally felt like chucking it around as if one would a Duke 390 or street triple or something. This (GT) can basically double up as your hooligan street bike in the city if you wanted and capable enough to hit the trails on weekends if you wanted - a proper all rounder.

The TFT screen is absolutely beautiful - design wise looks a bit more like the GS screens than the previous Tiger TFTs.

All in all, I would definitely consider this if my 800 was due for a replacement. Its definitely not a switch I would make out of turn. The 800 has its own charm for sure. As for exhaust sound, if you want more bass, the 800 with a Scorpion or like will give you just that without compromising the inline 3 character. This 900 sound though - literally the only disappointing aspect of the bike.

Sidenote: : I have now seen all the colors across the two variants. The red, white, and black all look stunning. The bike has enough presence in the flesh even though its gone on a diet. Pics don't do it justice. The green Rally Pro looks godawful with the white frame contrast clearly overdoing it and killing the charm of one of the most beautiful colors in the Tiger lineup. I wish they had limtied the white contrast to the panels and kept the frame color grey / black. That would have been a much better look.

I'm leaving some pics of the Black GT I test rode, my own bike at the showroom in contrast as well as my bike near a 2017 silver Tiger that has done close to 60k clicks and still looks gorgeous.

[forty6]

There is a marketing theory that says everything is a competition to everything else, when it comes to deciding on what to purchase. For example a vacation to Europe or a new bike. The middle class has to take calls like that.

I got reminded of this when someone in the comments above pointed out that instead of a GT get the RS. I think this is an extreme comparison, maybe stupid, but a valid one for folks like us who have dreamed of a multi-cylinder sports bike since we first twisted the throttle of an asthmatic Chetak.

I think bikes at this price point are bought to satisfy our hearts. We struggle to accept that because, well we are Indians, value trumps everything else.

Many are not seeing the value in GT, but honestly don't think we ever go off the road like the testers or a lot of population in the west do. At best we find roads that made Alexander go back, and haven't been built since for the fear of him returning. But the image of an off road bike with its rear stepping out leaving a cloud of dust behind like it was a train behind a newly-wed princess, is hard to let go of. As is the image of a lonely road amongst a vast landscape, preferably steppes but most like rocky or arid in India.

Majority of this country enjoys touring, that's why if you step out at least 100 kms from cities, the bigger bike you will encounter most likely is a Bullet. Corner craving is an instinct, and carving them talent, but more often than not for majority of roads, you sit loose and go straight. Unless, of course, you're in the hills. And there, most likely a local on a splendor will beat any of us on any of our bikes. Uttrakhand is best enjoyed on a light and nimble bike, 40 bhp is deadly with talent, enough otherwise. A GT, Rally, GS are absolute nonsense, if you talk about corners in the hills. Himachal has a few stretches where you can enjoy bigger bikes a bit, but mostly these bikes are best for the roads leading up to the fun bits, not in the fun bits.

F900XR is the most practical of the big bikes in India. Smaller front wheel will keep it nimble, and the added ground clearance and straightish riding position will keep the bum subdued. Anything sportier, will have it revolt and land up in the camp of family and loved ones, which means you will have to quit riding.

The GT is good too, the XR was too. But most people will not buy either.

Because the BMW to have is the GS. And the Tiger to have is the Rally (Erstwhile xcx). One is a 250 Kilo monster with admirable engineering, the other source for some extra monies for its manufacturer over its equally talented but ignored brother.

Please don't be triggered, there are exceptions. Some people are genuinely good with a bigger adventure bike, and quite a few do take their sports bike up Khardung La, but they are outliers.

So, the best bike for India, for most of us, is the Versys 650. But it just doesn't give you the fizz, to quote James May, and that's why when I had a choice I bought an RS.

And then went and rode it till Kanyakumari from Gurgaon. Sitting on a soft pillow every night, a la Saif in Dil Chahta Hai, and battling wind blast throughout the day, only to enjoy a few corners every day. A Versys would have been cheaper, comfier, and probably faster overall. But no, ye dil mange more pain. So, yeah, go for RS.


But, the bikes to really enjoy what biking was for - which is going far and wide, are the ones we will ignore. Including the GT.


P.S: When I bought the RS, the Tiger 800 XRX was almost the same price with panniers and what not, and I rode it, liked it, and then told myself, abhi kamar aur umr dono theek hain, RS chala lete hain. Baad main toh yahi leni hai.

[suneel]

I would love to hear some opinions on how flickable / usable the 900 is in the city. We all know it's a great cruiser + off roader, but would it be nimble and slender enough to chuck around town? I am considering trading in my Bonnie for one but I'm not sure if it would be as versatile in town.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by suneel

I would love to hear some opinions on how flickable / usable the 900 is in the city. We all know it's a great cruiser + off roader, but would it be nimble and slender enough to chuck around town? I am considering trading in my Bonnie for one but I'm not sure if it would be as versatile in town.

Immensely chuckable and very usable in the city. Read my review two posts above. It's like riding a duke 390 on the chuckability quotient.

[suneel]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Immensely chuckable and very usable in the city. Read my review two posts above. It's like riding a duke 390 on the chuckability quotient.

Great review btw. Thanks for replying.

I can't wait to grab one later this year in that case. I hope test rides open up again soon.

[Red Liner]

Good review... Not easy to lift if you fall offroad haha.

https://youtu.be/KpI-NWTm3rI

[//M]

Test rode the 900 GT and the 900 Rally Pro the other day at One Triumph Gurgaon.

The 900 is tall and big, something which pictures do not reveal. However it is narrower and the Rally Pro reminds of the Africa Twin in many ways.

Both the GT and the Rally Pro feel much lighter and more flickable than the 800s. Very easy to ride, comfortable and very agile. In every way, the 900s are an improvement over the 800s. The 900 is noticeably lighter and the GT is very eager to lean into corners as well.

The only areas where the 800s outshine the 900 are the exhaust note and the wee bit more real estate in terms of width. The exhaust note on the 900s is pretty muted, more like a twin. The infamous whistle of the inline triple is missing.

One weird thing I observed with the 900 Rally Pro is that one moment it feels reluctant to lean into a corner and the very next moment it feels very eager to lean into a corner, this was really unnerving at high speeds. I am not sure if the 21" front wheel has anything to do with this but I never noticed this on the Tiger 800 XC variants. Possibly the particular motorcycle had some issue, wheel alignment maybe. I didn't face any such issue with the GT though.

Attaching some pictures I clicked during the test ride.

[Axe77]

Nice video focusing exclusively on the sound difference between 2019 tiger 800 and 2020 tiger 900. Uses a mic on the bike to show the sound while riding and also has some drive by comparisons. All with stock exhausts.

https://youtu.be/9kK-tMDs3UE

[Venkatesh]

Triumph Tiger 900 GT review

https://youtu.be/zvktckVg2AY

[imranstael]

Have any distinguished TBHPers done any test rides on the new Tiger? It would be lovely to get some reviews from members on the bike. The GT version looks quite practical and fun but the Rally Pro has so much visual appeal!

Triumph is constantly introducing bikes to the market and then suddenly removing them. The Speed Twin and Scrambler 1200 both appeared and disappeared within 1 year of launch. I don't understand the logic of this. I hope the same does not happen to the Tiger before any of us even get to see them on the road.