[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Its been 7 years since I got myself a Versys 650 and fell in love with its versatility. I christened it the 'One bike to tame them all' and had good fun with it for 30k kms, before eventually having to part with it due to an assumed relocation. It was a mile muncher par excellence, comfortable, fun, reliable and fuel efficient. That whole story is here - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/super...-now-sold.html (One bike to tame them all! 'Black Panther' - My Kawasaki Versys 650. Edit: Now sold!)

11 months later, I ended up with the next chapter of this story - the replacement 'One bike' that I hope will keep me happy for the next few years to come. Here I intend to continue my biking diaries from where the above thread left off... This is a story of my unintended 10cc upgrade, from a Kawasaki Versys 650 to a Triumph Tiger Sport 660.

Disclaimer - The vehicle has completed only about 5000 kms in about 99 days of my ownership at the time of publishing this initial report. Will keep this a running report for long-term observations

What I love:

+ Lovely 660cc, Inline triple motor that produces 80 bhp & 64Nm.

+ Good performance. 388 bhp/ton, 4.26 seconds to 100!

+ Boy, can it sing! Always wanted an i3/i4 motorcycle before the world went electric silent. A bassy rumble when started, a sweet whistle in the city, a raspy but muted roar when accelerating and just pure silence on the highways - this is just lovely orchestra for the rider without disturbing anyone else.

+ Compact packaging and excellent weight distribution! Way easier to handle than most adventure styled big bikes - especially for me, coming from the top-heavy Versys 650.

+ Effortless to ride at any speed. Linear, punchy performance throughout the revv range. Sixth gear can be used all the way from 35kmph to 120 kmph and beyond.

+ Brilliant mile muncher - SUV-like seating position, upright and comfortable stance, good suspension manners and decent fuel range. Can do 12 hour, 800 km days without fatigue.

+ Good suspension manners. Showa suspension is comfortable and yet - confidence inspiring. Fun into corners unlike what the stance suggests!

+ Good pillion comfort - "chair like" seating comfort and very minimal vertical movement. Smooth and linear acceleration causes less pillion anxiety.

+ Excellent choice of tyres. Michelin Road5 tyres grip well - both in the dry and the wet. Can't get better for a road biased tourer.

+ Looks. A desirable motorcycle (subjective!) and quite a head turner (that sound helps too!)!

+ Excellent fuelling with the electronic ride-by-wire throttle control provides butter smooth lower rpms. Picks from from idle rpms without a jerk.

+ Excellent engine refinement - feels butter smooth at most rpm ranges with only a slight coarseness felt from around 3000-3500rpm.

+ Better safety - ABS and Traction Control with two riding modes - Road and Rain.

+ Good feature upgrade over the Versys - Triumph Shift Assist Quickshifter (accessory added), Slip and Assist Clutch, All LED lighting with well-integrated OEM foglamps (accessory added), self-cancelling indicators, immobiliser, TFT instrumentation and My Triumph Connectivity System (accessory added) - all features that are additional compared to the Versys.

+ Practicality - Well designed, colour coded and neatly integrated side panniers with a single key system. Provides 57 liters of storage capacity.

+ Decent fuel economy of ~22 km/l on the highways with consistent 120 km/h cruising.

+ Industry leading 16,000 km /12 month service interval. Lesser visits to the infamous authorized centers, although I plan to get a half-yearly inspection done at my trusted FNG.

+ Compliant with E10 and above till E25 as per the owners manual. Thats a good thing to note, given the current volatile political situation.

+ Bought preowned - But with just 6 months and 2288kms used - at a price I consider a win-win.

+ Previous owner loaded it with OEM Accessories, some of which the 'miser in me' would have chickened out otherwise - Frame protectors, engine cover protectors, fork protectors, colour coded belly pan, hand guards, rubber tank pad, My Triumph Connectivity Module, Triumph Shift Assist, LED Auxillary lights, Side panniers with colour coded infills, USB charger. In fact the only non-OEM accessories were the bike cover and mobile holder.

+ Came paid with 2 more years of extended warranty till Nov 2026, 2 years RSA and a 2 year pre-paid service package till Nov 2024.

+ No major accessory purchase list was required as it often happens with big bike purchases. The only essential accessory that was missing and needed purchase was a radiator guard.

What I hate:

- Engineered for weight savings and not durability. The entire windscreen and front console shakes on bad roads and potholes. Irritating to see and hear, but thankfully with aftermarket fix available.

- 162mm ground clearance is just about adequate. You can hit the bottom if you are careless over the larger speedbreakers. Oil sump is placed dangerously in the line of a hit and can cause significant engine damage if the owner is careless.

- Throttle drop during shifts is a bit slow and the ride by wire is on the lazier side during shifts. Gets difficult to revv-match during downshifts. (Quickshifter helps here!)

- Gearing is on the shorter side. 100 km/h comes in around 4900rpm and 120km/h comes in around 5800rpm. And although (theoretically) this can go on to hit 200 km/h - many owners have gone in for a smaller rear sprocket to go taller.

- Clutch is slightly on the heavier side - neither light for city traffic, nor too bothersome. However, certainly not in the league of Kawasaki and Honda offerings.

- Over the longer 500km journeys, you do realize some buzz in the handlebars that make the hands feel all tingly. Grip puppies might be able to solve this. Never needed one for the Versys though! That said - Overall NVH is much, much better here otherwise.

-Euro-5 / BS6 has killed some of that engine note - the old Street Triple 675 sounds even more delicious exhaust note in comparison.

- Seating ergonomics are comfortable enough for 12 hour days, but these are not the perfect cushions that the Versys had. The thin padding requires you to move around in the seat slightly every hour or so, as to avoid taking breaks.

- Namesake TFT console that neither benefits from the looks or the information overload that a (KTM!) TFT is capable of! None of the information display options are to my liking - wish one custom option was there to show the ODO, time and DTE on the same screen.

- No center stand. No accessory or after-market options available either. Bad!

- Wind protection is less than the Versys 650 and people used to large shields on their ADVs will surely find this amiss! I am liking it though as the draft of air feels enough to keep my head fresh inside the helmet and not too much as to push back the helmet or make it bob around.

- Connectivity features feel useless IMHO, but that is my opinion on most vehicles except for some smart new age ones like the Ather. Navigation is better achieved using a phone mount.

- OEM USB charger is located under the seat. Somewhere on the handlebars would have been more useable to charge the phone.

- 17.2 L tank gives less tank range than the Versys 650. Three fuel stops required instead of two that I needed on the Versys for a 800km day.

- Had to sort a couple of niggles post delivery - with the ABS pulsar ring and quickshifter enablement.

- Personally spent a huge premium over the sale amount of the Versys 650, for what is essentially a slightly better, but 'similar on paper' proposition. Larger engined options like the Versys 1000, Ninja 1000, Z900, Tiger 800, etc were available at a similar budget - and represent more value on-paper.

What I don't mind, but could be misses for you:

• Smaller size and road presence. As the comparison photos with some similar themed motorcycles below will show - this comes in a very compact packaging. Not good if you are looking for commanding road presence. Excellent if you are looking for the one bike to do it all.

• Road-biased! Period. This one is a sports tourer - with comfortable ADV stance and styling. Think Taigun 1.5 TSi, not Scorpio! I wasn't looking for an offroader either. In fact, i specifically wanted a sportier ADV-styled vehicle than the Versys.

• Priced higher than expectations - But I bought preowned at a price I consider a win-win. However, i was also looking at buying it new, before this deal came up - its a beautiful motorcycle to own and I wouldn't worry about the price of purchase as long as the peace of ownership remains good.

• Reviews on the suspension setup - One of my most admired journos said "there is no state of tune on this suspension setup that actually works here" in India. I have been struggling to understand what and why - to a layman like me - this feels like at least 80% as competent as the Versys setup. In fact, pillion comments it is even better and the Versys was one of the best and most praised ever. Or it could be because laymen like us are only able to ride bikes at 80% of their limit.

• 835mm seat height on paper, just 5mm less than the very intimidating Versys. But trust me, the difference is drastic due to the weight distribution. Switching from a Versys 650 or the VStrom 650 on to the Tiger Sport 660 makes it feel like a regular commuter. In fact, the CB500X from a segment below feels more significant in weight and presence.

• Questionable local support for service, spares and accessories. Keerthi Triumph Bangalore has a very bad reputation, no doubt - but I still bough a Triumph because of Bajaj taking over the distribution and looks like the promise of more dealerships came true. I was also able to get my issues resolved from Keerthi without escalations.

• Heat from the 660cc triple is felt constantly, much more than the Versys 650 with its brilliant heat management. Not a bother for me so far as it isn't enough to cause discomfort or pain - just something you will always be aware of!

• 91 RON minimum claimed, 95 RON recommended. Higher compression ratio of 11.9:1 compared to 10.8:1 of the Versys. Not a worry as XP95 is very widely available now.

• Adjustment mechanism of the windscreen does not require tools, is a single handed operation, and can even be adjusted on the fly. But feels rather flimsy! Guess it does not matter as I would just leave it at the highest setting forever.

• Non adjustable clutch lever could be pain for some. I find it ok since the stock positioning seem to be good enough for my hand length.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Glossary:

1. Likes and dislikes
2. Glossary and Index of Rides
3. Anecdotes
4. My Garage
5. The Versys 650 Story...
6. OLX and KarthikK
7. On road price, extended warranty, RSA and AMC
8. Looks
9. Perspectives - With the Versys 650, VStrom 650, 390 Adventure, CB500X and more...
10. Ergonomics - Rider and Pillion
11. Electronics, Features & Instrumentation
12. Power, Transmission & Performance
13. Ride, Handling & Braking
14. Versatility - One bike to tame them all! Now even better...
15. Accessories
16. First Service and Issues resolution post delivery
17. Riding Gear Updates
18. Detailing and PPF installation

Index of Rides:

1. Break-in ride with the CB500X around north Bangalore.
2. Night ride CB500X and Harley Fatboy
3. Breakfast ride with my usual culprits
4. Breakfast ride with the company of two CB500X
5. Breakfast ride to Markonahalli Dam ~200 kms
6. Breakfast ride - Krishnagiri circuit
7. Breakfast ride to Maralwadi Dam
8. Breakfast ride on Mysore Expressway
9. Bangalore - Trivandrum - Bangalore - ~1550 kms.
10. Chikmagalur overnighter with BHPians - ~350 kms - Link to KarthikK's excellent report
11. Breakfast Ride to Malappa Konda
12. Night ride to AP border
13. Photoshoot ride to Chikballapur
14. Bangalore - Trivandrum - Guruvayoor - Bangalore - 1618 kms
15. Ride to Vaniyambadi - ~350 kms
16. Ride to Markonahalli ~200 kms
17. Chikmagalur Cheesecake Ride - ~570kms
18. Diwali Mangalore Overnighter - ~800kms
19. Shoolagiri Breakfast Ride
20. Kolli Hills Overnighter
21. Yercaud Ride Photo log
22. Bangalore - Kohlapur - Ganpatipule - Goa - Hubli - Bangalore
23. California Superbike School Report
24. Kolar breakfast ride
25. Chikmagalur overnighter with BHPians
26. The ZX10R welcome ride to Belur
27. Coorg (Somwarpet) overnighter - ~700kms
28. Tirunelli (Wayanad) Temple Run - ~750kms
    
    

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Anecdotes:

The cat family diaries!

Can't speak more on this without setting the context. Wife is a big-time cat person. The Versys came into our life because it resembled a "Black Panther"

"Whats this Versys? Kawasaki doesn't even have a good logo. Why not Benelli GT? Why not Triumph Tiger?" (Incase, you didn't notice the pattern - Benelli has a lion logo, whereas the Tiger obviously has cat connections. Yep, she loves cats.)

I knew how to answer this question. Afterall, I've watched the 'Powerdrift' video review of the Versys 650 a million times, I could recite the whole thing by-heart! A 21 liter tank, Showa seperate function forks, adjustable shocks with a remote preload adjuster, ergonomics which have been custom designed for the long haul and more importantly - its got ABS as standard. You would never ever on a motorcycle trip around the world, wish that your motorcycle was bigger and heavier (as the GT), and with dual purpose tyres - the Versys could very well eat into the market of the much more expensive Tiger 800.

And then i sent her a pic, in whatsapp.

"Oh! This looks like a black panther. Cat family. Good".

Later many of our friends have argued that it looks more like "Toothless", "Street Hawk", Alien etc. But for her, it is, and forever will be - Black Panther.

Well, no such long discussions needed for a bike named "Tiger", but to help my case - Triumph posted this pic a week or so before this bike came up on OLX. That resolved all home ministry approval concerns

Whats weird though is how the below pics came about - I was washing the bike and prepping it for the return ride from hometown to Bangalore - when this cat came and posed very nicely! Strangely - this was our first sighting of this cat.

The one that started it all!

The credit of this purchase is more for BHPian KarthikK than myself. And it all started with this - (More on this in the following sections)

Triumph Tiger... Manifested in Round 2

This happened back in 2016:

"Bike for 8 lakhs? Upgrade the car instead. Get an SUV this time" I had used all the tricks in the book to convince father, but all of it was falling on deaf ears. Infact, his arguments were starting to dissuade the ladies who were initially on my side. Thankfully, the phone rang and the conversation was interrupted.

"Sir, calling from Triumph Bangalore. Earlier you had expressed your interest in the Street Twin". I told him how I had decided to go for the Versys, and I expected him to ask to re-consider the Twin. Got a googly instead. "Sir, in that case - why don't you look at the Tiger XR. Our finance partner has some special offers running for it, and we have offers on accessories as part of the three year celebrations of Triumph in India".

And the arguments resumed, only this time it was "Whaaat? Bike for 14 lakhs? What's wrong with the 8L Versys? Why can't you get that iself?"

Quite co-incidentally, the replacement turned out to be a 'Tiger' Sport with an on-road value of 14.x lakhs that the first owner paid with accessories. And it joins the garage with the upgraded SUV.

Living his dream!

It was late evening and I had to make a quick run to the main street to take some prints. I was riding at around 50-60 kmph on the Tiger Sport when I noticed this young lad, probably of college-going age (or not, who knows with helmets on!) riding alongside on his XPulse 200 with this eyes fixed on the Tiger Sport.

And then - he signalled me to slow down a bit, thumped his chest with the left hand and screamed out - "My dream"

I hope you get your own big bike soon buddy and get to experience such moments that bring about a confusing pallete of emotions, ranging from pride of ownership to humility to thankfullness in god for being able to live out a dream.

The Hitlist:

Sagar Sheldekar sure knows how to make videos that sell motorcycles! His Versys 650 video for Powerdrift was an absolute masterpiece and sure did influence my purchasing decision a lot. He did even better with the Tiger Sport 660 - The Hit List series. An amazing road, incredible scenery, excellent camera work and top-notch production quality. I would have watched this video at least two dozen times on the home theater - enjoying the sound that the i3 makes. For anyone who wants to know what the bike sounds like, I've skipped it to the specific section (3:30):

https://youtu.be/0kK7YdDLV2M?t=210

So why pen down my experience? Who am I doing this for?

When publishing the Versys report - I had this section noted down, which sounded rather naive at first - but then the report did help with all those points noted below. 1. It did help as a log of how my riding evolved over the years, 2. how the bike performed and lived upto its versatility over the years, 3. inspired at least one person to live their own big-bike dream and 4. It did help me get brownie points with the better half on the purchase this time around as well.

So, I guess, I will try my best to maintain this report in a similar fashion! It is a 'Tiger' Sport, afterall!

Well, first or foremost - I do it for myself. As selfish as that might seem, I've always loved stories of biking dreams coming true (who doesn't?) and now that my wish to own a big motorcycle has been granted as well, the flurry of emotions is just too strong not to be shared.

Secondly, I do it for the bike itself that has become a part of the family. A new born kid for now, but will soon grow up fast and I'll need a diary to log our photos, experiences, long rides, falls (hopefully not) and what not! As with every relationship - the perspective would change over time, the feelings and even the memories may fade away - or atleast the finer details of it will. And a diary (or an ownership report as we call it) to relive these moments can make for a an excellent companion to a warm cup of coffee on a cold winter morning.

And in the process, if at all this thread inspires you to live your own motorcycle dream, then i pen this thread down for you - fellow rider. So someday we can share our riding experiences as well, just like I hope to share rides with the ones that have inspired me.

Lastly (but certainly not the least for the fear of a divorce, or worse!) - the lady had a loaded gun pointed right at me, to inspire me to introduce the Black Panther to a wider audience. You see - its a Panther, not an alien, not 'toothless' the dragon, and certainly not 'street hawk'. Inspired by cat family. Get it? No?

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

My Garage:

The Tiger Sport will hopefully be the final addition to my garage (for a few years at least!) which is starting to look sorted for my requirements otherwise. The other stablemates include -

1. My 2022, Galaxy Blue, Jeep Compass 2.0 Limited(O) MT. Link to ownership report - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...laxy-blue.html

2. For the better half - A 2022, Racing Blue, Yamaha Aerox 155. Link to ownership report - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...cing-blue.html (Ownership Review | 2022 Yamaha Aerox 155 | Racing Blue)

The two 2-wheelers in the garage, both CKD units i believe -

3. And lastly for parents - A 2014, Pure White, Hyundai Xcent SX(O) AT. Link to ownership report - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...e-darling.html (Good things come in small packages - Our Hyundai Xcent SX(O) AT a.k.a Delicate Darling!)

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

The Versys 650 story

The decision to buy a big bike happened virtually overnight for me. Although I always wanted to buy one, I never really had a hard look into the affordability factor, neither expected support from family on the decision. It was always a dream that I wished to fulfill sometime in the future when other main aspects of life were settled. However, the status quo did change overnight and the bike was in the garage within a period of just over a month. Thankfully I took a right decision with the Versys and never had to look back at the choice and repent.

My likes and dislikes, noted down on the ownership thread for the 5-year update:

Top 5 things I liked:

+ Brilliant mile muncher - SUV-like seating position, upright and comfortable, excellent suspension, good fuel range. Can cover journeys like Bangalore-Trivandrum with only 1 major break and almost zero fatigue!
+ Excellent suspension manners. Comfortable and yet - confidence inspiring. Fun into corners unlike what the stance suggests!
+ Torquey engine performance! Well suited for the Indian conditions, be it calm cruising on two lane highways or blasting on six lane expressways. Excellent heat management too!
+ Good local support for service, spares and accessories. Reasonable to maintain in comparison to this segment standards. Good ownership groups and many long term owners around to support with their knowledge too!
+ Looks. Five years down the line - still is a desirable motorcycle (subjective!) and IMHO - better than the new iterations (including the upcoming 2022 facelift!).

Top 5 things I don't:

- You never get to forget the weight at parking speeds! It is one of the heaviest (in terms of feel!) motorcycles out there - with even many more expensive ADVs feeling lighter when you are on the saddle.
- Gearshift is a bit clunky. Also has a slight nervousness at low rpms that urges you to get a move on, or shift. Clutch is average - neither light for city traffic, nor bothersome.
- Not a hardcore adventure machine! Period. This one is a brilliant tourer - for the road - which can take on a bit of the broken stuff. Think Harrier, not Thar!
- Feature list is outdated by modern standards - Halogen headlamps, old school instrument console and dials, no traction control, etc - Its a wonder how they still managed to sell it with sticker changes till end-2021.
- Still wish it had a triple or an inline4, just for that extra doze of engine character! Reason to upgrade someday would be to pick up an i3/i4 before the world goes electric silent.

Reading this after a year, I guess the Tiger Sport 660 was truly made for someone like me, retaining the pros of the Versys and improving on the cons. It solves the problem of weight, brings in a ton of features including a quickshifter and that i3 motor surely does have the sweetest of notes! I just hope to have even more fun with the Tiger Sport, than I had with the Versys

The Versys is now with a good friend and I even got to ride it back to back with the Tiger Sport recently -

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

OLX and KarthikK:

This section is named so because BHPian KarthikK helped me a lot with this purchase and had much more involvement in the purchase of this motorcycle than myself.

First glimpse of this Nov'22 Tiger Sport 660 - when it came up for sale in April 2023 with 2281kms on the odo.

Test Ride:

I woke up early on one fine Monday morning and somehow ended up on OLX before the world woke up. Noticed the ad and casually forwarded it to my friends group without knowing the chain of events it would kickstart. KarthikK and deepfreak15 were fully convinced on the deal and in-fact it was Karthik who did all the background work and even conversations with the owner for me. I hadn't even spoken a word with the owner till we ended up at his doorstep for a test ride the next weekend. Without him nudging me along - i would surely not have ended up with this motorcycle. I think the Tiger Sport will also be heavily featured in his ownership reports as most of my rides are with him and friends anyways.

Test ride was uneventful. Both me and BHPian rbp took the bike around the street for a couple of kms and couldn't find anything amiss. The owner had medical reasons to sell the bike and it all checked out as genuine. Payed a down payment then and there and blocked the bike from being offered to others for future test rides.

Taking delivery:

Took ownership of the bike on the 5th of May 2023, with 2288 kms on the odo.

Learning to fix the panniers for the first time:



A win-win deal brings out smiles from both parties:

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

On road Price

Since the first owner kept all the documentation properly, I do have the below figures even though I didn't have to pay this.

Extended warranty

Extends the standard 2-year warranty to 4 years and is valid from 11/2024 to 11/2026. Cost - 14998.98/-

RSA

A vital ingredient for the peace of mind of a Triumph owner - the RSA is for two years and is valid till 11/2024. Cost - 6016/-

AMC

AMC is dealer-specific and I'm unfortunately locked in with the infamous Keerthi Triumph for this reason. The service plan is valid for 2 years / 3 periodic maintenance services till 11/2024. Two additional general checkups are also included. Cost - 30356/-

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Looks! Walkaround...

Now that we are done with the mandatory parts of the thread, let me introduce the bike in detail, starting with the looks.

Motorcycles with adventure pretensions are not going to be everyone's cup of tea. You either learn to live with it, or just plain hate it. I had always felt that the Versys 650 was one of the best looking motorcycle among this weird looking class of vehicles that clearly prioritizes function over form. The Tiger Sport 660 takes the same format and makes it genuinely good looking IMHO. Europeans sure can design better than the Japanese!

Headlamps are sleek LED units - quite a departure from other Triumph designs off late! In fact - most ADV styled motorcycles go in for a bulkier and more imposing styling from the front end. Triumph went in for what they call a "contemporary adventure sports design"

The front 3/4th view can be described as pleasant looking, or handsome even! The Tiger Sport, however, is clearly more sport than adventure. The sleek headlamps lend it sportiness whereas the very large shield gives it presence:

Large windscreen shield is almost war-ready in size! It also is very organically shaped unlike the flat and squared off unit which was on my Versys 650. Well designed - but far from perfect in terms of functionality and almost a let down in terms of build.

Closer look at the fairing graphics, only available on the Korosi Red colour scheme

Triumph offered the Tiger Sport 660 in India, in three colours - Graphite, Lucerne Blue and Korosi Red. The red costed more than the other offerings - with Graphite on the fenders and stickering on the tank. Due to this dual colour effect - the side profile is also robbed off some bulk and the Tiger Sport 660 ends up looking like a half-faired motorcycle. I find it very reminiscent of the Pulsar AS 200!

For my height, I prefer the windshield at its tallest setting, which helps in shielding even at triple digit speeds, except at the very top of the helmet. Is an upgrade mandatory? I dont think so- yet, for it does remind me I'm still on a motorcycle and not the closed cage of a car. Many users have upgraded though!

Triumph claims "the sleek and aerodynamic screen is height adjustable through a simple, one-handed operation, enabling the rider to easily adjust the level of weather and wind protection while riding". Although technically they are not wrong, I feel it to be flimsy and requires a strong hand to operate at times. Many owners have also complained that the windscreen does not stay in position sometimes. While I haven't had that issue - I'd anyways just leave it at the top position.

Better look at the side profile. IMHO - Triumph has designed it well to hide the mass of a triple engine, the frame and avoid the clutter of wires etc running around.

Triumph badging takes center stage:

Personally, I'm not a fan of the quality of stickers used for the bike moniker. Looks very low key and difficult to read. No 660 stickering anywhere on the bike - that should help avoid comparisons and pricing expectations against the beautiful and competent Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.

The 17.5L tank is handsomely sculpted:

Well finished fuel filler cap with Triumph logo. The black contradicts the red colour scheme beautifully.

Tank goes wide towards the front, giving you a feeling of sitting on a substantial motorcycle (however the overall feel is still that you are sitting on a much smaller motorcycle than the others in the segment).

Tank gets a black plastic insert towards the bottom to avoid scratches from riding gear and knee inserts - very much needed and should be standard on bikes. Lol!

Closer look at the plastic insert for the tank - it even has a rougher grip where the knees hold the tank firmly.

Tank gets graphics inserts, only for the Korosi Red paint scheme:

Fake carbon fibre trim is flimsy and is engineered more for weight reduction than durability

Another flimsy plastic, which a couple of owners have reported as coming loose on their bikes

Tiger Sport continues with the tall and intimidating looks towards the rear profile, with the pillion seat significantly raised than the rider seat. There is more mass towards the front, but it doesn't look at disjointed as with the Versys

Well balanced out looks with the integrated side panniers in place:

Tyres are the only prominent feature from the rear, with all other features happily giving attention to the 180 section width:

Ending with sleek LED tail lamps that borders on being plain and boring. Notice the large gap below the seat - this is there on all motorcycles, looks like it is there by design and isn't a specific build issue - not sure what Triumph was thinking though! Pillion grab handles come standard:

Sleek rear end and number plate holder, fully displaying the width of the 180 section tyre. Tiger Sport 660 comes shod with Michelin's excellent Road5 120/70 R17 front and 180/55 R17 rear tyres. More on that later!

Sleek LED indicator lamps:

Mirrors extend wide and offer a good view of the road behind:

Attention to detail is visible in some of the smaller areas as well. For example - comes standard with the L-bent valve stem so as to make air pressure checks easy.

The lower fairing extension hides the radiator inside:

Graphite coloured fenders come standard for the Korosi Red colour scheme:

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Bringing in all the popular motorcycles from similar pricing, and one segment below, to give a perspective. Thankfully all the options are available in my friends circle only and no additional effort was required to arrange this:

With my old versatile system - the Kawasaki Versys 650 -

With the Suzuki VStrom 650 -

With the KTM 390 Adventure -

With the definitive Street naked - The Triumph Street Triple 675

With the definitive Sports tourer - The Kawasaki Ninja 1000

With the global mid-segment favourite - the Honda CB500X

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Ergonomics - Rider

Tiger Sport 660 has comfortable upright ergonomics as expected in the segment - but it is slightly on the sportier side as compared to a Versys or a VStrom. Whereas I used to describe the riding ergonomics on the Versys as a big Splendor riding position, the Tiger Sport has a farther reach to the handlebars and also a slightly sportier footpeg positioning. That said - it is still very comfortable and I could pull of 12 hour days with only a light stiffness of the shoulder to complain about!

However - there is one major ergonomic omissions in the name of cost cutting. Only the brake lever is adjustable - the clutch lever is not! Thankfully not an issue for me as the lever seem to be falling to hand correctly without issues.

I'm 5'11" and near 6' with my trusty pair of riding shoes. With 835mm of seat height, I cannot fully place my feet flat on either ends, but the heel is just slightly raised and no tip-toeing is required here.

Notice the slightly sportier rider triangle (Compare to the Versys here). Footpegs are slightly rear set on the Tiger Sport.

Got a guest star to show the riding posture for 5'8" tall person - BHPian ebmrajesh who claims to be 5'9" with riding boots:

Seat has a lot of room for movement and is significantly raised towards the rear - so one can move back a bit and get into a sportier riding posture for the corners:

Tapered in tight to enable riders to put their feet down comfortably:

Cast aluminum footpegs clearly show the sporty intent of this motorcycle - there is no removable rubber mounting or offroad grips to be showcased here.

The stock brake lever positioning is flawed for me - I need to set it much lower to avoid riding the rear brakes all the time

Stock handlebar grips are good - but over the longer 500km journeys, you do realize some buzz in the handlebars that make the hands feel all tingly. Grip puppies might be able to solve this.

Tiger Sport 660 is not designed for offroad use, but it can handle some of the mild stuff which other 17" front motorcycles can. In fact, the lesser weight helps! When you stand up though - the riding position feels good to the novice in me - with the knees slightly bent and gripping the rough plastic area of the tank, being able to comfortably grip the seat, back in a slightly bent forward position, etc.

Ergonomics - pillion:

Had only one short ride with the pillion so far and that scenario is unlikely to change soon. However, during this short ride - the pillion was very happy with the ergonomics and comfort on offer. The seating position is very "chair-like" and the slightly stiffer rear suspension makes it even more comfortable for the pillion than in the Versys. There is almost no vertical movement except on the largest of rumble strips and speed breakers

Pillion seat is significantly raised than for the rider and that makes it harder to get on and off. One has to climb as if on a horse - Foot on the pegs, hand on the rider's shoulder, climb on the pegs, swing leg over the seat, stand on both pegs and sit. Voila! Strangely though - after getting on the bike - the visibility towards the front is not as compared to the Versys, but there is still a good amount of wind on the top of the helmet, causing a drag on the neck. Smooth acceleration of the linear triple engine causes less fatigue for the pillion though

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Electronics, Features & Instrumentation

Tiger Sport 660 comes with features which are considered contemporary for the price segment in 2023, and nothing extra fancy over it. However, some of the competition like the Versys 650 and the VStrom 650 are outdated in this department and hence the Tiger Sport looks feature-loaded in comparison. For me, especially, this is a good feature upgrade from the Versys with - Triumph Shift Assist Quickshifter (accessory added), Slip and Assist Clutch, switchable traction control, All LED lighting with well-integrated OEM foglamps (accessory added), self-cancelling indicators, immobiliser, TFT instrumentation and My Triumph Connectivity System (accessory added) - all features that are additional compared to the Versys. None of the buttons are backlit. Perhaps something Triumph could learn from Bajaj, with the new found partnership?

Safety is enhanced with ABS and switchable traction control and two riding modes - Road and Rain, all standard on the Tiger Sport 660.

Sleek LED healdlights feature small DRLs towards either side. Like with the Versys, only one headlamp illuminates for low beam whereas the other is for high beam:

Namesake TFT display is feature-loaded on paper and enables navigation, Go-Pro and phone controls. BUT - it is far from perfect and has almost no screen which provides the three options i need to see the most - to show the ODO, time and DTE on the same screen

Semi- digital looks good IMHO though:

Menu buttons take prominent positioning on the LHS switchgear. Comes equipped with self-cancelling indicators:

RHS switchgear is very small and only offers the ignition and hazard options. Not at all a fan of the positioning of the hazard switch though - as it requires me to take the hand of the accelerator to engage the warning lamps.

Single horn is decent, but does not do justice to a fast motorcycle:

Clutch lever is non-adjustable:

Seat storage is non existent and is best used for storing vehicle documents:

The Triumph key is a very regular affair, and looks plain from the opposite side:

Instrumentation:

As mentioned earlier, the TFT screen is feature loaded and offers a good amount of functionality. But unfortunately - with just three lines of display - that also means a lot of scrolling required.

Most of the menu options are shown below:

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Power, Transmission & Performance

Coming to the heart of the matter - the 660cc, 3 cylinder, inline triple engine on the Tiger Sport 660 produces a peak power output of 81PS @10250rpm, and a peak torque output of 64Nm @ 6250rpm. That does not sound like a big figure in the world of big capacity motorcycles, and it isn't. However, it is good enough for 393 bhp/ton to propel the motorcycle in 4.26 seconds to 100!

What is impressive is the way the power is laid out in a very linear manner, starting lower down in the rev range. There is a clear difference compared to the inline4 and twin competition. The power delivery comes across as incredibly linear from the bottom end, to the midrange and even top-end. 6th gear, for example, is useful from 35 kmph to 120kmph and beyond! This makes the Tiger Sport 660 a very easy bike to use in a varying range of conditions from city traffic to highway cruising.

Ride-by-wire ensures smooth throttle and there is none of the jerkiness off idle that is characteristic of the Kawasaki twins. The bike is compliant with E10 and above till E25 as per the owners manual, which is a good thing to note, given the current volatile political situation. Higher compression ratio of 11.9:1 compared to 10.8:1 of the Versys is not a worry as XP95 is very widely available now.

I have seen a decent fuel economy of ~22 km/l on the highways with consistent 120 km/h cruising. Coupled to a 17.2L tank, it is a very useful highway cruiser for the Indian roads. For me, coming from a 21L capacity on the Versys - this is a bit less though - with three fuel stops required instead of two that I needed on the Versys for a 800km day.

Gearing feels on the shorter side! 100 km/h comes in around 4900rpm and although (theoretically) this can go on to hit 200 km/h - many owners have gone in for a smaller rear sprocket to go taller. At 5800 rpm in 6th gear - you are at around 120 kmph, at which point you are still just close to the peak torque band, with 4.5k rpm left till the peak power band.

Engine refinement is excellent and almost everyone who rode the motorcycle commented how it feels butter smooth at most rpm ranges with only a slight coarseness felt from around 3000-3500rpm. Over the longer 500km journeys, you do realize some buzz in the handlebars that make the hands feel all tingly. Grip puppies might be able to solve this. Never needed one for the Versys though! That said - Overall NVH is much, much better here otherwise.

Heat from the 660cc triple is felt constantly, much more than the Versys 650 with its brilliant heat management. Not a bother for me so far as it isn't enough to cause discomfort or pain - just something you will always be aware of!

The gearbox is a 6 speed with the universal 1 down and 5 up pattern, and I find it a bit clunky especially when engaging the first gear with a loud thud. What is irritating for me though, is that the throttle drop during shifts is a bit slow and the ride by wire is on the lazier side during shifts. Gets difficult to revv-match during downshifts. (Quickshifter helps here!). Clutch is slightly on the heavier side - neither light for city traffic, nor too bothersome.


The 3->1 exhaust pipes: Boy, can it sing! Always wanted an i3/i4 motorcycle before the world went electric silent. A bassy rumble when started, a sweet whistle in the city, a raspy but muted roar when accelerating and just pure silence on the highways - this is just lovely orchestra for the rider without disturbing anyone else.

Ending in a large underbelly silencer:

Many owners have gone in for a smaller rear sprocket to go taller:

Average FE after a 775kms ride:

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Ride, Handling & Braking

One of my most admired journos said "there is no state of tune on this suspension setup that actually works here" in India. I have been struggling to understand what and why - to a layman like me - this feels like at least 80% as competent as the Versys setup. In fact, pillion comments it is even better and the Versys was one of the best and most praised ever. Or it could be because laymen like us are only able to ride bikes at 80% of their limit.

Tiger Sport 660 comes shod with Michelin's excellent Road5 120/70 R17 front and 180/55 R17 rear tyres. Suspension duties are handled by 41mm Showa upside-down cartridge forks, delivering 150mm of wheel travel upront, and a Showa monoshock on the rear, with a dual rate spring to optimise performance for solo or pillion riding and also comes with a remote preload adjuster for the rear. The front suspension is non-adjustable! Ground clearance is a an average 162mm, seat height is a hefty 835mm and you are perched high enough to meet SUV drivers at eye level. Naturally, you wouldn't have high expectations for the ride and handling package of this machine. But the Tiger Sport proves you wrong. Infact, very wrong!

The ride is decent with the base setup provided by Triumph - there is no adjustability anyways. Not only does it feel very stable for triple digit crusing on expressways, but it can also deal with all the harshness thrown by Indian roads - albeit with a hint of sharpness over the rough stuff as compared to the brilliant suspension tune on the Versys. Once the tarmac ends (as is quite so natural in rural India), you can bottom out the suspension if ridden hard over broken stuff - but there is an even easier possibility of damaging the alloy wheels by riding too hard, so it might be better to just back off!

162mm ground clearance is just about adequate. You can hit the bottom if you are careless over the larger speedbreakers. Oil sump is placed dangerously in the line of a hit and can cause significant engine damage if the owner is careless.

The bike can surely help you munch miles and how! Seating ergonomics are comfortable enough for 12 hour days, but these are not the perfect cushions that the Versys had. The thin padding requires you to move around in the seat slightly every hour or so, as to avoid taking breaks. I was able to do Bangalore-Trivandrum and Trivandrum-Bangalore 770km days without any fatigue

The Tiger Sport takes the 'Sport' seriously and naturally leans into corners. The seat has a lot of room for movement and is significantly raised towards the rear - so one can move back a bit and get into a sportier riding posture for the corners. It feels a lot lighter than my old Versys (than the 11kg difference would suggest) and can sharply lean into and out of the corner without much effort. Once into a corner, the excellent suspension makes sure the road imperfections are dealt with, and you concentrate on taking the planned line out of it. Michelin Road5 tyres play an excellent part too.

The Tiger Sport can handle a little bit of soft-roading as well. Once the road conditions worsen - you just stand up and let the suspension sort things out for itself. It can handle some of the mild stuff which other 17" front motorcycles can. In fact, the lesser weight helps! When you stand up though - the riding position feels good to the novice in me - with the knees slightly bent and gripping the rough plastic area of the tank, being able to comfortably grip the seat, back in a slightly bent forward position, etc. What spoils the fun is the vibrating front fairing and console - utterly irritating on bad roads! Waiting to install an aftermarket brace soon!

For a bike capable of 200 kmph speeds, braking is very important as well and the Tiger Sport 660 features 310mm dual floating discs with Nissin 2-piston sliding calipers upfront and a 255mm single disc with Nissin calipers on the rear. With standard ABS as well, the braking package is excellent but the initial bite does feel a bit wooden and soft. Make sure to grab a handful!

Tubular steel perimeter frame on the Tiger Sport 660 is borrowed from the Trident 660, with an extended and beefed up rear subframe for extra practicality pillion and luggage capacity.

41mm Showa upside-down cartridge forks, delivering 150mm of wheel travel upront:



Showa monoshock on the rear, with dual rate spring and remote preload adjuster for the rear:

162mm ground clearance is just about adequate. You can hit the bottom if you are careless over the larger speedbreakers.

Oil sump is placed dangerously in the line of a hit and can cause significant engine damage if the owner is careless.

310mm dual floating discs with Nissin 2-piston sliding calipers upfront. No petal discs here:

255mm single disc with Nissin calipers on the rear:

Tiger Sport 660 comes shod with Michelin's excellent Road5 120/70 R17 front and 180/55 R17 rear tyres:

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Versatility - One bike to tame them all! Now even better...

The Versys was my original versatile system - my first 'one bike' and the Tiger Sport truly continues to build on the advantages and disadvantages it had - in the Indian context. For those who have read the earlier thread - this would be a rather cliche'd post. But then again, the versatility of these bike is the one true factor that has impressed me the most during my small ownership period with both bikes.

It ain't no beauty queen like a Ducati Panigale, but is still a desirable motorcycle (subjective!) and quite a head turner. The bike does announce your arrival (that sound helps too!), more more so in this Korosi Red colour scheme. Be prepared to face stares, answer questions, smile for school kids waving out from their buses, etc... etc associated with a big bike ownership. That said - the size is also small enough to be able to park it between other vehicles somewhere in a lot and escape attention too - only people who know it realizes what it is till the bike is started.

Cruising down the highway at a very healthy pace, silence for company (except for the racket inside the helmet!), comfortable seating position and a well damped suspension - I only did miss the Versys ever so slightly! May be a cruiser could have done the job better, but the Tiger Sport also proved itself to be pure bliss, making sure I wont repent not going in for a cruiser experience. In fact, on the long stretch from Madurai to Tirunelveli which is almost dead straight most of the time and extremely windy as well, I wouldn't have traded an ADV in for a proper cruiser experience - for it was cutting through the air at a good pace shielding me from the windblast and also had huge reserve power left untapped for overtaking moves.

Speaking of power - I do not miss the adrenaline rush of a more sportier naked Z900. The Tiger Sport is a genuine 200 kmph motorcycle if given the stick, and the power comes in a very linear fashion. It is capable of hitting 100kmph in 4.26 seconds and I feel is far more capable than me - the rider. I could have gotten used to the 120hp inline4 powerplant on the Versys 1000 - but it does come at a huge cost - the sheer weight - almost 50kgs more of it!

Once the four lane highways ended (On my ride to Trivandrum), the two lanes highway from Kanyakumari district to Trivandrum was marked with patchy sessions and road diversions due to construction work. The Tiger Sport proved itself mettle again, and the bad roads were dismissed with decent authority. The no-road sections were of no concern either, for I had to just stand up, ride the footpegs and let the bike sort out the road imperfections by itself. No, you can't abuse it like you would have done with a Himalayan, for the fear of making the rattling plastics sound even worse -but it can surely take you places, remote places, in comfort. Something like a KTM 390 Adventure is all the motorcycle you really need - and that is quite true for sure - but then it cant match a triple / inline4 thrill either.

I don't miss the Versys for commuting, as the Tiger Sport does a much better job inside the city. Compact packaging and excellent weight distribution helps! Way easier to handle than most adventure styled big bikes - especially for me, coming from the top-heavy Versys 650 which has an additional 11kgs. The tall SUV like seating helps you spot gaps earlier than most others do, afterall you are sitting eye level with Fortuner drivers. And once you decide to take it, the linear power delivery and the agile steering geometry helps you getting there without thinking about the mechanicals. Heat from the 660cc triple is felt constantly in the city, much more than the Versys 650 with its brilliant heat management. Not a bother for me so far as it isn't enough to cause discomfort or pain - just something you will always be aware of!

The 11kg difference means it can also take the 'Sport' tag seriously and dart into corners. The seat has a lot of room for movement and is significantly raised towards the rear - so one can move back a bit and get into a sportier riding posture for the corners. It feels a lot lighter than my old Versys (than the 11kg difference would suggest) and can sharply lean into and out of the corner without much effort. Once into a corner, the excellent suspension makes sure the road imperfections are dealt with, and you concentrate on taking the planned line out of it. Michelin Road5 tyres play an excellent part too.. Perhaps, a track day can help understand the limitations of the machine better.

Then there is the triple aural pleasure! Did I mention that?

The famous "master ring" dialogue from the lord of the ring says "One ring to rule them all". One bike to tame them all seems more apt for the Tiger Sport than it did with the Versys, as the "jack of all trades and master of none" nature can certainly tame all rivals.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Accessories

As mentioned earlier - the bike came with a ton of OEM accessories installed by the first owner, many of which were 'nice to have' and the miser-in-me wouldn't have ordered otherwise

Thanks to him for going all out and not compromising on warranty. I'm not sure i would have - Heck, I may even have bought a Speed 400 for this price

The whole list below, the adds up crazily close to the baby Triumph pricing -

Note: I dont have the bill for the ceramic coating, so skipped the cost for it. Also I intend to get PPF done within a couple of months and so the ceramic is not much of a value add.

Note 2: I don't claim having all-OEM is the better approach. Infact, some of the items like the handguards are much better purchased aftermarket!

Integrated side panniers with Korosi Red infills are well designed for the bike. They provide 57L capacity as well:

Mounts are integrated on to the bike as well, in a system which is very very similar to the ones on the Kawasaki Versys 650 / Ninja 1000 / Versys 1000 / H2SX range. Wont be surprised if these are also designed and manufactured by the same company (Givi).

The slim integrated mounts ensure the panniers don't stick out too much out of side profile.

Both panniers can be operated with the bike key itself and Triumph has even provided a spare lockset for the 47L top box, which can be purchased additionally:

These are also waterproof enough, as I tested unintentionally when cleaning the chain and heavy rain started suddenly. I have generic waterproof laundry bags for both boxes though - so not worried if it isn't water proof either! Note: The roller from Grand Pitstop can also be seen in this picture:

Triumph Shift Assist (Quickshifter) installed:

OEM fog lamps integrate very well with the vehicle and doesn't stick out. Functionally, these are just average and much better options are available in the market.

Belly Pan finished in graphite colour scheme - these are only for aesthetic reasons and doesn't help with sump protection:

Simple OEM Tank pads:

For protectors (sliders):

Frame protectors (sliders):

Engine case protectors:

OEM Handguards are flimsy and offer minimal protection - these can at best be described as wind cheaters:

OEM USB charger for the Tiger Sport 660 is located under the seat, above the battery. Very bad positioning IMHO, somewhere on the handlebars would have been more useable to charge the phone. I also didn't clean the area for this picture to show how the area is exposed to the elements.

Only rare non-OE accessory on the bike when I took delivery - A Bobo mobile holder:

I barely needed to get some essentials after getting the bike (Radiator Guard was a glaring omission!). A few more such items are in the pipeline -

1. Tiger 660 brace for front fairing (To reduce the vibrations) - Awaiting installation
2. Grip puppies
3. PPF for the instrument console (Awaiting installation)
4. PPF for the bike