Tiger 900 GT Pro - Review

[gearheadmoto]

Preface: I’ve been riding for nearly 20 years and have owned 10 motorcycles which include just about every class of bike except dirt/dedicated off-road. I’m California based so Euro bikes demand a premium $$ over Japanese. This is my 2nd Euro bike. I’m biased towards Japanese and with the Tracer 9 GT or V-Strom-XT at a 30-50% discount (in my area) to the Tiger it was a tough decision to make. I’ve owned 3 V-stroms over the years and feel that bike is about 80% of what the Tiger has to offer. Excellent platform, but barren of any “nicety”. I have a few older injuries that have caught up to me and need those niceties now unfortunately...ha. I almost went the BMW GS route, but feel Triumph is a bit more unique with the triple and better buy for the $$. The below is from an owner’s perspective; you may wish to check out moto blogs or Triumph’s spec sheets if you want a lease’s or marketer’s take.

Cons (take your medicine first):

Throttle: The first few hundred miles seriously had me questioning my purchase. The throttle in first gear was very jerky/snatchy and impossible to ride smooth at speeds under 30 mph. It smoothed out around the 300 mile mark and after the first service it almost feels like a different bike. Speeds under 10 mph regardless of the “mode” that’s selected still aren’t as smooth as every other bike I’ve owned.

MPG: Started around 38 and settled around 44 on average. I’ve calculated around 45 on a longer highway ride so not horrible, but not as good as I was expecting. Prior bikes with same/similar displacement were 55+ mpg and only req’d 87 instead of 91, but this one has much more HP. Might still be breaking in, we’ll see.

Service: 500 mile service was stupid expensive, period. 6,000 mile service is even more $$ and 12,000 miles is when the valves are due. Factor in service costs when purchasing new. I’ve serviced all of my prior bikes myself, but with the cost of this machine it’s a dealer bike at least until the warranty is up.

Spare Key Tumblers: This is just stupid. Triumph gives you spare key tumblers so you can buy their “Triumph” luggage and match your ignition key, but they want you to buy their proprietary stamped Triumph bags at full MSRP whereas the exact same luggage stamped GIVI is about 30-40% cheaper and will not take their proprietary tumblers. There is a work-around to this if you’re willing to swap the entire latch, but come on Triumph.

Lights: The headlights are left and right…what’s with the trend of running 1 bulb on low beam full time and 1 bulb off full time for high beam? Why not have a dual filament/LED bulb in both sockets so both are on low beam (then high when needed) and look symmetrical? Also annoying you can’t have high beams on with aux fog lights on.

Cold Start: I’ve had some random cold start issues for the last few hundred miles and by cold start I mean the first start in 24 hours…even if its warm outside. I’ve read its pretty common and it turns over on the second crank, but I’m not super happy about it and sure its emissions related. I’ll be checking on this issue at my next service.

Triumph Bluetooth: Works when pairing bike to Triumph app, but not much else (including Sena headset for music). There are some workarounds but your phone mounted to bars is probably your best option

Pros (buy once cry once):

Throttle: Shift past 2nd gear, WOT, kick the quick-shifter, and holy cow she’s fast. If you want a do-it all mule of a bike with sport bike style acceleration this engine is tough to beat.

Exhaust: Really opens up after break-in with a deeper tone and unique triple note at higher RPM. Reminds me of why I always wanted a Daytona 675 when it came out years ago.

2 Up Riding: This bike is a beast. Fully loaded top/side cases & 2 up riding and still tons of passing power.

Cruise Control: Really should be standard on all levels of touring bikes. Not a huge fan of how you switch back to manual, but its definitely a big pro.

Suspension: On the fly suspension adjustments really sold me on the Pro model especially since I commute M-F and then ride with a passenger on the weekends. The bike raises/lowers itself in seconds…no tools…no fuss….just select if you’re riding with a passenger and how much luggage. Really soaks up the bumps on comfort mode.

Lights: Very bright low beam and crazy bright with both low/high beam. Well done…and hey at least the rider doesn’t see the “burned out” bulb

Display: Takes some getting used to, but gives you a lot of options on how you want to read your data. I don’t love that the odometer is on the service interval stage, but the rest of it looks great....very "futuristic" compared to other bike displays on the market.

Conclusion: I’ve wanted a Tiger for years. I really wanted to like the 800s but the high-pitched whine on a test ride years ago hurt my ears even with plugs in. I decided to take a chance on the 900 and I'm glad I did. If I had the option I’d pick one up used and let the first owner take the big appreciation hit. I had to go new as there just aren’t that many around my area to begin with. Hope this review called out some nits in case you’re shopping. Good luck,

 

[shanered6]

Nice to here a owners views in the real world warts and all not a jurno's promotion .... good solid review with plenty of the type of info you want to know

 

[Qship]

Yup! Good solid review. Thanks for sharing.
May look at these for my next ride when the time comes.
Hard to give up that original Triumph triple sound track.

 

[CarlS]

Welcome to the forum. This is a great, solid review.

 

[Windy]

Preface: I’ve been riding for nearly 20 years and have owned 10 motorcycles which include just about every class of bike except dirt/dedicated off-road. I’m California based so Euro bikes demand a premium $$ over Japanese. This is my 2nd Euro bike. I’m biased towards Japanese and with the Tracer 9 GT or V-Strom-XT at a 30-50% discount (in my area) to the Tiger it was a tough decision to make. I’ve owned 3 V-stroms over the years and feel that bike is about 80% of what the Tiger has to offer. Excellent platform, but barren of any “nicety”. I have a few older injuries that have caught up to me and need those niceties now unfortunately...ha. I almost went the BMW GS route, but feel Triumph is a bit more unique with the triple and better buy for the $$. The below is from an owner’s perspective; you may wish to check out moto blogs or Triumph’s spec sheets if you want a lease’s or marketer’s take.

Cons (take your medicine first):

Throttle: The first few hundred miles seriously had me questioning my purchase. The throttle in first gear was very jerky/snatchy and impossible to ride smooth at speeds under 30 mph. It smoothed out around the 300 mile mark and after the first service it almost feels like a different bike. Speeds under 10 mph regardless of the “mode” that’s selected still aren’t as smooth as every other bike I’ve owned.

MPG: Started around 38 and settled around 44 on average. I’ve calculated around 45 on a longer highway ride so not horrible, but not as good as I was expecting. Prior bikes with same/similar displacement were 55+ mpg and only req’d 87 instead of 91, but this one has much more HP. Might still be breaking in, we’ll see.

Service: 500 mile service was stupid expensive, period. 6,000 mile service is even more $$ and 12,000 miles is when the valves are due. Factor in service costs when purchasing new. I’ve serviced all of my prior bikes myself, but with the cost of this machine it’s a dealer bike at least until the warranty is up.

Spare Key Tumblers: This is just stupid. Triumph gives you spare key tumblers so you can buy their “Triumph” luggage and match your ignition key, but they want you to buy their proprietary stamped Triumph bags at full MSRP whereas the exact same luggage stamped GIVI is about 30-40% cheaper and will not take their proprietary tumblers. There is a work-around to this if you’re willing to swap the entire latch, but come on Triumph.

Lights: The headlights are left and right…what’s with the trend of running 1 bulb on low beam full time and 1 bulb off full time for high beam? Why not have a dual filament/LED bulb in both sockets so both are on low beam (then high when needed) and look symmetrical? Also annoying you can’t have high beams on with aux fog lights on.

Cold Start: I’ve had some random cold start issues for the last few hundred miles and by cold start I mean the first start in 24 hours…even if its warm outside. I’ve read its pretty common and it turns over on the second crank, but I’m not super happy about it and sure its emissions related. I’ll be checking on this issue at my next service.

Triumph Bluetooth: Works when pairing bike to Triumph app, but not much else (including Sena headset for music). There are some workarounds but your phone mounted to bars is probably your best option

Pros (buy once cry once):

Throttle: Shift past 2nd gear, WOT, kick the quick-shifter, and holy cow she’s fast. If you want a do-it all mule of a bike with sport bike style acceleration this engine is tough to beat.

Exhaust: Really opens up after break-in with a deeper tone and unique triple note at higher RPM. Reminds me of why I always wanted a Daytona 675 when it came out years ago.

2 Up Riding: This bike is a beast. Fully loaded top/side cases & 2 up riding and still tons of passing power.

Cruise Control: Really should be standard on all levels of touring bikes. Not a huge fan of how you switch back to manual, but its definitely a big pro.

Suspension: On the fly suspension adjustments really sold me on the Pro model especially since I commute M-F and then ride with a passenger on the weekends. The bike raises/lowers itself in seconds…no tools…no fuss….just select if you’re riding with a passenger and how much luggage. Really soaks up the bumps on comfort mode.

Lights: Very bright low beam and crazy bright with both low/high beam. Well done…and hey at least the rider doesn’t see the “burned out” bulb

Display: Takes some getting used to, but gives you a lot of options on how you want to read your data. I don’t love that the odometer is on the service interval stage, but the rest of it looks great....very "futuristic" compared to other bike displays on the market.

Conclusion: I’ve wanted a Tiger for years. I really wanted to like the 800s but the high-pitched whine on a test ride years ago hurt my ears even with plugs in. I decided to take a chance on the 900 and I'm glad I did. If I had the option I’d pick one up used and let the first owner take the big appreciation hit. I had to go new as there just aren’t that many around my area to begin with. Hope this review called out some nits in case you’re shopping. Good luck,

Preface: I’ve been riding for nearly 20 years and have owned 10 motorcycles which include just about every class of bike except dirt/dedicated off-road. I’m California based so Euro bikes demand a premium $$ over Japanese. This is my 2nd Euro bike. I’m biased towards Japanese and with the Tracer 9 GT or V-Strom-XT at a 30-50% discount (in my area) to the Tiger it was a tough decision to make. I’ve owned 3 V-stroms over the years and feel that bike is about 80% of what the Tiger has to offer. Excellent platform, but barren of any “nicety”. I have a few older injuries that have caught up to me and need those niceties now unfortunately...ha. I almost went the BMW GS route, but feel Triumph is a bit more unique with the triple and better buy for the $$. The below is from an owner’s perspective; you may wish to check out moto blogs or Triumph’s spec sheets if you want a lease’s or marketer’s take.

Cons (take your medicine first):

Throttle: The first few hundred miles seriously had me questioning my purchase. The throttle in first gear was very jerky/snatchy and impossible to ride smooth at speeds under 30 mph. It smoothed out around the 300 mile mark and after the first service it almost feels like a different bike. Speeds under 10 mph regardless of the “mode” that’s selected still aren’t as smooth as every other bike I’ve owned.

MPG: Started around 38 and settled around 44 on average. I’ve calculated around 45 on a longer highway ride so not horrible, but not as good as I was expecting. Prior bikes with same/similar displacement were 55+ mpg and only req’d 87 instead of 91, but this one has much more HP. Might still be breaking in, we’ll see.

Service: 500 mile service was stupid expensive, period. 6,000 mile service is even more $$ and 12,000 miles is when the valves are due. Factor in service costs when purchasing new. I’ve serviced all of my prior bikes myself, but with the cost of this machine it’s a dealer bike at least until the warranty is up.

Spare Key Tumblers: This is just stupid. Triumph gives you spare key tumblers so you can buy their “Triumph” luggage and match your ignition key, but they want you to buy their proprietary stamped Triumph bags at full MSRP whereas the exact same luggage stamped GIVI is about 30-40% cheaper and will not take their proprietary tumblers. There is a work-around to this if you’re willing to swap the entire latch, but come on Triumph.

Lights: The headlights are left and right…what’s with the trend of running 1 bulb on low beam full time and 1 bulb off full time for high beam? Why not have a dual filament/LED bulb in both sockets so both are on low beam (then high when needed) and look symmetrical? Also annoying you can’t have high beams on with aux fog lights on.

Cold Start: I’ve had some random cold start issues for the last few hundred miles and by cold start I mean the first start in 24 hours…even if its warm outside. I’ve read its pretty common and it turns over on the second crank, but I’m not super happy about it and sure its emissions related. I’ll be checking on this issue at my next service.

Triumph Bluetooth: Works when pairing bike to Triumph app, but not much else (including Sena headset for music). There are some workarounds but your phone mounted to bars is probably your best option

Pros (buy once cry once):

Throttle: Shift past 2nd gear, WOT, kick the quick-shifter, and holy cow she’s fast. If you want a do-it all mule of a bike with sport bike style acceleration this engine is tough to beat.

Exhaust: Really opens up after break-in with a deeper tone and unique triple note at higher RPM. Reminds me of why I always wanted a Daytona 675 when it came out years ago.

2 Up Riding: This bike is a beast. Fully loaded top/side cases & 2 up riding and still tons of passing power.

Cruise Control: Really should be standard on all levels of touring bikes. Not a huge fan of how you switch back to manual, but its definitely a big pro.

Suspension: On the fly suspension adjustments really sold me on the Pro model especially since I commute M-F and then ride with a passenger on the weekends. The bike raises/lowers itself in seconds…no tools…no fuss….just select if you’re riding with a passenger and how much luggage. Really soaks up the bumps on comfort mode.

Lights: Very bright low beam and crazy bright with both low/high beam. Well done…and hey at least the rider doesn’t see the “burned out” bulb

Display: Takes some getting used to, but gives you a lot of options on how you want to read your data. I don’t love that the odometer is on the service interval stage, but the rest of it looks great....very "futuristic" compared to other bike displays on the market.

Conclusion: I’ve wanted a Tiger for years. I really wanted to like the 800s but the high-pitched whine on a test ride years ago hurt my ears even with plugs in. I decided to take a chance on the 900 and I'm glad I did. If I had the option I’d pick one up used and let the first owner take the big appreciation hit. I had to go new as there just aren’t that many around my area to begin with. Hope this review called out some nits in case you’re shopping. Good luck,

Preface: I’ve been riding for nearly 20 years and have owned 10 motorcycles which include just about every class of bike except dirt/dedicated off-road. I’m California based so Euro bikes demand a premium $$ over Japanese. This is my 2nd Euro bike. I’m biased towards Japanese and with the Tracer 9 GT or V-Strom-XT at a 30-50% discount (in my area) to the Tiger it was a tough decision to make. I’ve owned 3 V-stroms over the years and feel that bike is about 80% of what the Tiger has to offer. Excellent platform, but barren of any “nicety”. I have a few older injuries that have caught up to me and need those niceties now unfortunately...ha. I almost went the BMW GS route, but feel Triumph is a bit more unique with the triple and better buy for the $$. The below is from an owner’s perspective; you may wish to check out moto blogs or Triumph’s spec sheets if you want a lease’s or marketer’s take.

Cons (take your medicine first):

Throttle: The first few hundred miles seriously had me questioning my purchase. The throttle in first gear was very jerky/snatchy and impossible to ride smooth at speeds under 30 mph. It smoothed out around the 300 mile mark and after the first service it almost feels like a different bike. Speeds under 10 mph regardless of the “mode” that’s selected still aren’t as smooth as every other bike I’ve owned.

MPG: Started around 38 and settled around 44 on average. I’ve calculated around 45 on a longer highway ride so not horrible, but not as good as I was expecting. Prior bikes with same/similar displacement were 55+ mpg and only req’d 87 instead of 91, but this one has much more HP. Might still be breaking in, we’ll see.

Service: 500 mile service was stupid expensive, period. 6,000 mile service is even more $$ and 12,000 miles is when the valves are due. Factor in service costs when purchasing new. I’ve serviced all of my prior bikes myself, but with the cost of this machine it’s a dealer bike at least until the warranty is up.

Spare Key Tumblers: This is just stupid. Triumph gives you spare key tumblers so you can buy their “Triumph” luggage and match your ignition key, but they want you to buy their proprietary stamped Triumph bags at full MSRP whereas the exact same luggage stamped GIVI is about 30-40% cheaper and will not take their proprietary tumblers. There is a work-around to this if you’re willing to swap the entire latch, but come on Triumph.

Lights: The headlights are left and right…what’s with the trend of running 1 bulb on low beam full time and 1 bulb off full time for high beam? Why not have a dual filament/LED bulb in both sockets so both are on low beam (then high when needed) and look symmetrical? Also annoying you can’t have high beams on with aux fog lights on.

Cold Start: I’ve had some random cold start issues for the last few hundred miles and by cold start I mean the first start in 24 hours…even if its warm outside. I’ve read its pretty common and it turns over on the second crank, but I’m not super happy about it and sure its emissions related. I’ll be checking on this issue at my next service.

Triumph Bluetooth: Works when pairing bike to Triumph app, but not much else (including Sena headset for music). There are some workarounds but your phone mounted to bars is probably your best option

Pros (buy once cry once):

Throttle: Shift past 2nd gear, WOT, kick the quick-shifter, and holy cow she’s fast. If you want a do-it all mule of a bike with sport bike style acceleration this engine is tough to beat.

Exhaust: Really opens up after break-in with a deeper tone and unique triple note at higher RPM. Reminds me of why I always wanted a Daytona 675 when it came out years ago.

2 Up Riding: This bike is a beast. Fully loaded top/side cases & 2 up riding and still tons of passing power.

Cruise Control: Really should be standard on all levels of touring bikes. Not a huge fan of how you switch back to manual, but its definitely a big pro.

Suspension: On the fly suspension adjustments really sold me on the Pro model especially since I commute M-F and then ride with a passenger on the weekends. The bike raises/lowers itself in seconds…no tools…no fuss….just select if you’re riding with a passenger and how much luggage. Really soaks up the bumps on comfort mode.

Lights: Very bright low beam and crazy bright with both low/high beam. Well done…and hey at least the rider doesn’t see the “burned out” bulb

Display: Takes some getting used to, but gives you a lot of options on how you want to read your data. I don’t love that the odometer is on the service interval stage, but the rest of it looks great....very "futuristic" compared to other bike displays on the market.

Conclusion: I’ve wanted a Tiger for years. I really wanted to like the 800s but the high-pitched whine on a test ride years ago hurt my ears even with plugs in. I decided to take a chance on the 900 and I'm glad I did. If I had the option I’d pick one up used and let the first owner take the big appreciation hit. I had to go new as there just aren’t that many around my area to begin with. Hope this review called out some nits in case you’re shopping. Good luck,

Gearheadmoto,

I have 3,000 miles on my 2023 Tiger 900 GT Pro - just finished a 2,000 mile ride. Prior to this bike, I rode a Tiger 800 xrx for 4 years. My thoughts:

Cons:

Slow speed tolerance: While the 800 tolerated accelerated from a slow speed in a higher gear without "chugging" along, I have to down shift 1-2 gears to get good acceleration. IMO, it is a fair trade-off for better torque in 1st and 2nd. I found the 800 easily stalled in 1st and 2nd, but not so with the 900.

Gear ratios: After 4th gear, there is not much efficiency gained by riding in 5th or 6th. When road conditions (curves, elevation changes, etc.), I ride in a lower gear now which is actually safer for me.

Mileage - the mpg is much less than the 800. I average 46-49 across abroad range of riding conditions - most of them in the 45-50 degree temperature range. Speed has varied from 50-55 to 75 in California.

Lights: Can't offer a comment on this as I have ridden exclusively on low bean with the fog lights - better visibility.

Tumblers: I bought the Triumph side and top cases because it was the best deal for me. I like the single key.

Cold Start - only had one experience with a slow cold start and it surprised me. I will pay more attention.

Bluetooth - I have not fiddled with Bluetooth yet - seems too much of a hassle. I use a garmin zumo xt or my phone for this stuff. I don't ride with a GoPro.

Display: As long as I only use the Garmin, any of the displays are fine. When I have both handlebar holders in use, I can't see the right side of the display. The location of the information was done without talking with real world riders.

Heated Grips - at this point, my heated grips are not effective when temps are below 50 - even on high. I need to have the Dealer check this out.

Auxiliary Power - the location for the auxiliary power to power my phone is ok, but very tight space. Wish they installed a USB port instead.

Headlight protector: The Triumph headlight protector is a pain to install. Buy the SW-Motech one instead.

Key Fob: Needs to have a key fob instead of an ignition key.

Pros:

Quick shifter: Good except under hard acceleration - it does not shift under this condition. Otherwise, awesome. Only thing better would be automatic transmission.

Balance: Much better balance and stability than the 800. When I get off balance, it is easy to correct.

Load Situations: I don't ride two-up nor with alot of weight. Still, the on-the-fly adjustments are nice.

Heated Seat: Exact opposite of the grips. I have to turn this down even at 40 degrees to keep from sweating.

Buffeting: There is less buffeting on this bike than the 800 and lower wind noise. At 75-80 mph, I can talk with my spouse via Cardo and she can hear me.

Cornering at speed: Much better cornering at 55-60 - especially if I have to lean further into the turn than I would like.

Engine Guards: SW-Motech guards are easy to install and are more robust. Do not require relocation of fog lights like the Triumph guards require.

Engine sound: Better engine sounds as mentioned. Easier to hear and adjust to.

Maintenance Plan: Triumph offered a plan to cover the standard maintenance for 3 years or 36,000 miles ($2,000) which I bought. if I am able to ride 10-12,000 miles/year it will save me about 50% on maintenance fees.


This is my third bike (CB500X, Tiger 800, and this one). I was reluctant to increase engine size yet glad I did. This bike carries the weight lower, the power comes where I used to struggle, and it is more stable. Although I have not been off-road other than some gravel, it feels stable and does not squirrel around - even with the stock tires. I was slightly concerned about the higher saddle height compared to the 800xrx, but it has not been an issue whatsoever.

Windy

 

[CarlS]

This is a really good, informative review.

 

[brooke]

Preface: I’ve been riding for nearly 20 years and have owned 10 motorcycles which include just about every class of bike except dirt/dedicated off-road. I’m California based so Euro bikes demand a premium $$ over Japanese. This is my 2nd Euro bike. I’m biased towards Japanese and with the Tracer 9 GT or V-Strom-XT at a 30-50% discount (in my area) to the Tiger it was a tough decision to make. I’ve owned 3 V-stroms over the years and feel that bike is about 80% of what the Tiger has to offer. Excellent platform, but barren of any “nicety”. I have a few older injuries that have caught up to me and need those niceties now unfortunately...ha. I almost went the BMW GS route, but feel Triumph is a bit more unique with the triple and better buy for the $$. The below is from an owner’s perspective; you may wish to check out moto blogs or Triumph’s spec sheets if you want a lease’s or marketer’s take.

Cons (take your medicine first):

Throttle: The first few hundred miles seriously had me questioning my purchase. The throttle in first gear was very jerky/snatchy and impossible to ride smooth at speeds under 30 mph. It smoothed out around the 300 mile mark and after the first service it almost feels like a different bike. Speeds under 10 mph regardless of the “mode” that’s selected still aren’t as smooth as every other bike I’ve owned.

MPG: Started around 38 and settled around 44 on average. I’ve calculated around 45 on a longer highway ride so not horrible, but not as good as I was expecting. Prior bikes with same/similar displacement were 55+ mpg and only req’d 87 instead of 91, but this one has much more HP. Might still be breaking in, we’ll see.

Service: 500 mile service was stupid expensive, period. 6,000 mile service is even more $$ and 12,000 miles is when the valves are due. Factor in service costs when purchasing new. I’ve serviced all of my prior bikes myself, but with the cost of this machine it’s a dealer bike at least until the warranty is up.

Spare Key Tumblers: This is just stupid. Triumph gives you spare key tumblers so you can buy their “Triumph” luggage and match your ignition key, but they want you to buy their proprietary stamped Triumph bags at full MSRP whereas the exact same luggage stamped GIVI is about 30-40% cheaper and will not take their proprietary tumblers. There is a work-around to this if you’re willing to swap the entire latch, but come on Triumph.

Lights: The headlights are left and right…what’s with the trend of running 1 bulb on low beam full time and 1 bulb off full time for high beam? Why not have a dual filament/LED bulb in both sockets so both are on low beam (then high when needed) and look symmetrical? Also annoying you can’t have high beams on with aux fog lights on.

Cold Start: I’ve had some random cold start issues for the last few hundred miles and by cold start I mean the first start in 24 hours…even if its warm outside. I’ve read its pretty common and it turns over on the second crank, but I’m not super happy about it and sure its emissions related. I’ll be checking on this issue at my next service.

Triumph Bluetooth: Works when pairing bike to Triumph app, but not much else (including Sena headset for music). There are some workarounds but your phone mounted to bars is probably your best option

Pros (buy once cry once):

Throttle: Shift past 2nd gear, WOT, kick the quick-shifter, and holy cow she’s fast. If you want a do-it all mule of a bike with sport bike style acceleration this engine is tough to beat.

Exhaust: Really opens up after break-in with a deeper tone and unique triple note at higher RPM. Reminds me of why I always wanted a Daytona 675 when it came out years ago.

2 Up Riding: This bike is a beast. Fully loaded top/side cases & 2 up riding and still tons of passing power.

Cruise Control: Really should be standard on all levels of touring bikes. Not a huge fan of how you switch back to manual, but its definitely a big pro.

Suspension: On the fly suspension adjustments really sold me on the Pro model especially since I commute M-F and then ride with a passenger on the weekends. The bike raises/lowers itself in seconds…no tools…no fuss….just select if you’re riding with a passenger and how much luggage. Really soaks up the bumps on comfort mode.

Lights: Very bright low beam and crazy bright with both low/high beam. Well done…and hey at least the rider doesn’t see the “burned out” bulb

Display: Takes some getting used to, but gives you a lot of options on how you want to read your data. I don’t love that the odometer is on the service interval stage, but the rest of it looks great....very "futuristic" compared to other bike displays on the market.

Conclusion: I’ve wanted a Tiger for years. I really wanted to like the 800s but the high-pitched whine on a test ride years ago hurt my ears even with plugs in. I decided to take a chance on the 900 and I'm glad I did. If I had the option I’d pick one up used and let the first owner take the big appreciation hit. I had to go new as there just aren’t that many around my area to begin with. Hope this review called out some nits in case you’re shopping. Good luck,

 

[brooke]

Preface: I’ve been riding for nearly 20 years and have owned 10 motorcycles which include just about every class of bike except dirt/dedicated off-road. I’m California based so Euro bikes demand a premium $$ over Japanese. This is my 2nd Euro bike. I’m biased towards Japanese and with the Tracer 9 GT or V-Strom-XT at a 30-50% discount (in my area) to the Tiger it was a tough decision to make. I’ve owned 3 V-stroms over the years and feel that bike is about 80% of what the Tiger has to offer. Excellent platform, but barren of any “nicety”. I have a few older injuries that have caught up to me and need those niceties now unfortunately...ha. I almost went the BMW GS route, but feel Triumph is a bit more unique with the triple and better buy for the $$. The below is from an owner’s perspective; you may wish to check out moto blogs or Triumph’s spec sheets if you want a lease’s or marketer’s take.

Cons (take your medicine first):

Throttle: The first few hundred miles seriously had me questioning my purchase. The throttle in first gear was very jerky/snatchy and impossible to ride smooth at speeds under 30 mph. It smoothed out around the 300 mile mark and after the first service it almost feels like a different bike. Speeds under 10 mph regardless of the “mode” that’s selected still aren’t as smooth as every other bike I’ve owned.

MPG: Started around 38 and settled around 44 on average. I’ve calculated around 45 on a longer highway ride so not horrible, but not as good as I was expecting. Prior bikes with same/similar displacement were 55+ mpg and only req’d 87 instead of 91, but this one has much more HP. Might still be breaking in, we’ll see.

Service: 500 mile service was stupid expensive, period. 6,000 mile service is even more $$ and 12,000 miles is when the valves are due. Factor in service costs when purchasing new. I’ve serviced all of my prior bikes myself, but with the cost of this machine it’s a dealer bike at least until the warranty is up.

Spare Key Tumblers: This is just stupid. Triumph gives you spare key tumblers so you can buy their “Triumph” luggage and match your ignition key, but they want you to buy their proprietary stamped Triumph bags at full MSRP whereas the exact same luggage stamped GIVI is about 30-40% cheaper and will not take their proprietary tumblers. There is a work-around to this if you’re willing to swap the entire latch, but come on Triumph.

Lights: The headlights are left and right…what’s with the trend of running 1 bulb on low beam full time and 1 bulb off full time for high beam? Why not have a dual filament/LED bulb in both sockets so both are on low beam (then high when needed) and look symmetrical? Also annoying you can’t have high beams on with aux fog lights on.

Cold Start: I’ve had some random cold start issues for the last few hundred miles and by cold start I mean the first start in 24 hours…even if its warm outside. I’ve read its pretty common and it turns over on the second crank, but I’m not super happy about it and sure its emissions related. I’ll be checking on this issue at my next service.

Triumph Bluetooth: Works when pairing bike to Triumph app, but not much else (including Sena headset for music). There are some workarounds but your phone mounted to bars is probably your best option

Pros (buy once cry once):

Throttle: Shift past 2nd gear, WOT, kick the quick-shifter, and holy cow she’s fast. If you want a do-it all mule of a bike with sport bike style acceleration this engine is tough to beat.

Exhaust: Really opens up after break-in with a deeper tone and unique triple note at higher RPM. Reminds me of why I always wanted a Daytona 675 when it came out years ago.

2 Up Riding: This bike is a beast. Fully loaded top/side cases & 2 up riding and still tons of passing power.

Cruise Control: Really should be standard on all levels of touring bikes. Not a huge fan of how you switch back to manual, but its definitely a big pro.

Suspension: On the fly suspension adjustments really sold me on the Pro model especially since I commute M-F and then ride with a passenger on the weekends. The bike raises/lowers itself in seconds…no tools…no fuss….just select if you’re riding with a passenger and how much luggage. Really soaks up the bumps on comfort mode.

Lights: Very bright low beam and crazy bright with both low/high beam. Well done…and hey at least the rider doesn’t see the “burned out” bulb

Display: Takes some getting used to, but gives you a lot of options on how you want to read your data. I don’t love that the odometer is on the service interval stage, but the rest of it looks great....very "futuristic" compared to other bike displays on the market.

Conclusion: I’ve wanted a Tiger for years. I really wanted to like the 800s but the high-pitched whine on a test ride years ago hurt my ears even with plugs in. I decided to take a chance on the 900 and I'm glad I did. If I had the option I’d pick one up used and let the first owner take the big appreciation hit. I had to go new as there just aren’t that many around my area to begin with. Hope this review called out some nits in case you’re shopping. Good luck,

Thanks for the great report . My 850 s seems to get much better mileage than my 800 did and seemed to do it right out of the gate . Both had 17 tooth front sprocket installed but after fill up the new one indicates it should go 400 km , 250 miles , the 800 offered about 330 km till refill .

 

[brooke]

Preface: I’ve been riding for nearly 20 years and have owned 10 motorcycles which include just about every class of bike except dirt/dedicated off-road. I’m California based so Euro bikes demand a premium $$ over Japanese. This is my 2nd Euro bike. I’m biased towards Japanese and with the Tracer 9 GT or V-Strom-XT at a 30-50% discount (in my area) to the Tiger it was a tough decision to make. I’ve owned 3 V-stroms over the years and feel that bike is about 80% of what the Tiger has to offer. Excellent platform, but barren of any “nicety”. I have a few older injuries that have caught up to me and need those niceties now unfortunately...ha. I almost went the BMW GS route, but feel Triumph is a bit more unique with the triple and better buy for the $$. The below is from an owner’s perspective; you may wish to check out moto blogs or Triumph’s spec sheets if you want a lease’s or marketer’s take.

Cons (take your medicine first):

Throttle: The first few hundred miles seriously had me questioning my purchase. The throttle in first gear was very jerky/snatchy and impossible to ride smooth at speeds under 30 mph. It smoothed out around the 300 mile mark and after the first service it almost feels like a different bike. Speeds under 10 mph regardless of the “mode” that’s selected still aren’t as smooth as every other bike I’ve owned.

MPG: Started around 38 and settled around 44 on average. I’ve calculated around 45 on a longer highway ride so not horrible, but not as good as I was expecting. Prior bikes with same/similar displacement were 55+ mpg and only req’d 87 instead of 91, but this one has much more HP. Might still be breaking in, we’ll see.

Service: 500 mile service was stupid expensive, period. 6,000 mile service is even more $$ and 12,000 miles is when the valves are due. Factor in service costs when purchasing new. I’ve serviced all of my prior bikes myself, but with the cost of this machine it’s a dealer bike at least until the warranty is up.

Spare Key Tumblers: This is just stupid. Triumph gives you spare key tumblers so you can buy their “Triumph” luggage and match your ignition key, but they want you to buy their proprietary stamped Triumph bags at full MSRP whereas the exact same luggage stamped GIVI is about 30-40% cheaper and will not take their proprietary tumblers. There is a work-around to this if you’re willing to swap the entire latch, but come on Triumph.

Lights: The headlights are left and right…what’s with the trend of running 1 bulb on low beam full time and 1 bulb off full time for high beam? Why not have a dual filament/LED bulb in both sockets so both are on low beam (then high when needed) and look symmetrical? Also annoying you can’t have high beams on with aux fog lights on.

Cold Start: I’ve had some random cold start issues for the last few hundred miles and by cold start I mean the first start in 24 hours…even if its warm outside. I’ve read its pretty common and it turns over on the second crank, but I’m not super happy about it and sure its emissions related. I’ll be checking on this issue at my next service.

Triumph Bluetooth: Works when pairing bike to Triumph app, but not much else (including Sena headset for music). There are some workarounds but your phone mounted to bars is probably your best option

Pros (buy once cry once):

Throttle: Shift past 2nd gear, WOT, kick the quick-shifter, and holy cow she’s fast. If you want a do-it all mule of a bike with sport bike style acceleration this engine is tough to beat.

Exhaust: Really opens up after break-in with a deeper tone and unique triple note at higher RPM. Reminds me of why I always wanted a Daytona 675 when it came out years ago.

2 Up Riding: This bike is a beast. Fully loaded top/side cases & 2 up riding and still tons of passing power.

Cruise Control: Really should be standard on all levels of touring bikes. Not a huge fan of how you switch back to manual, but its definitely a big pro.

Suspension: On the fly suspension adjustments really sold me on the Pro model especially since I commute M-F and then ride with a passenger on the weekends. The bike raises/lowers itself in seconds…no tools…no fuss….just select if you’re riding with a passenger and how much luggage. Really soaks up the bumps on comfort mode.

Lights: Very bright low beam and crazy bright with both low/high beam. Well done…and hey at least the rider doesn’t see the “burned out” bulb

Display: Takes some getting used to, but gives you a lot of options on how you want to read your data. I don’t love that the odometer is on the service interval stage, but the rest of it looks great....very "futuristic" compared to other bike displays on the market.

Conclusion: I’ve wanted a Tiger for years. I really wanted to like the 800s but the high-pitched whine on a test ride years ago hurt my ears even with plugs in. I decided to take a chance on the 900 and I'm glad I did. If I had the option I’d pick one up used and let the first owner take the big appreciation hit. I had to go new as there just aren’t that many around my area to begin with. Hope this review called out some nits in case you’re shopping. Good luck,

The 900 manual does say 91 octane RON . That’s equivalent to 87 octane ( r+m /2 ) which we use in the new world . 91 ron would 95 over here . I been using 87 and it works fine . My 800 required 89 but didn’t mind 87 in a jam .

 

[rodders]

The new T-Plane engine sounds and feels like a box of loose bolts. It is a truly terrible innovation.

Why take a perfectly smooth smooth high-tech engine, and deliberately make it worse? If they had wanted more torque (which the T-Plane does not give) they should investigate a longer stroke and offset cylinders.

I would rather lose some bhp, if I could gain more torque. I hate the way the -900 can stall on slow turns (5 mph in second), which can end up with a falling bike if you are not quick to catch it. This is unacceptable, on a bike that is supposed to be able to navigate a muddy rutted lane, at 5 mph.

Rod

 

[CarlS]

You should send this review to Triumph. I'm not bein critical. Triumph needs to know how their customers feel.

 

[Qship]

I would rather lose some bhp, if I could gain more torque. I hate the way the -900 can stall on slow turns (5 mph in second), which can end up with a falling bike if you are not quick to catch it. This is unacceptable, on a bike that is supposed to be able to navigate a muddy rutted lane, at 5 mph.

Rod

I can't ride my '17 Tiger Explorer 1200 at 5 mph in second(without a lot of clutch slipping. Heck I can't even do that in 1st without slipping the clutch. Mine idles at about 10 kph(7-8 mph) in first, Don't know why you'd expect the 900 to do this. There is NO torque from any bike at idle.
I agree with you about the longer stroke making more torque and the 270 crank being counterintuative to what Triumph has built their reputation on.
They hope it pleases the masses AND EURO emissions to sell more bikes. Think a test ride is in order to assess this myself.

 

[brooke]

IMHO despite having a lower ratio first gear I don’t believe the 900 will ever run as slow as the 800 could without stalling , Probably not even close . Granted the 900 has a flatter torque curve but that’s a natural, it’s 11 percent more displacement , lower redline and less hp per cc will do that to you . The new crankshaft hooks up on the dirt better at middle and high engine speed , I can go along with that also and that’s a nice plus for a motocrosser . I can’t remember exactly what rpm I could lug the 800 down to in hi gear and roll on the power without stalling but it was extremely low , trails bike low . The new 850 s certainly doesn’t come close but having finally got it in some greasy stuff with those so so tires I must admit it got the job done with out stalling or spinning the tire up . I think it vibes less now at 3000 km , thank goodness for that . So it’s a better motocross engine but not as nice a touring unit , depends on what you do I guess .. I suspect the 270 will be 30 percent more noticeable on the 1200 …. Q

 

[rodders]

I can't ride my '17 Tiger Explorer 1200 at 5 mph in second(without a lot of clutch slipping. Heck I can't even do that in 1st without slipping the clutch.

Because the engine has no torque. A high torque engine, like a tractor, would happily pull away at 5 mph in second (or 3rd or 4th).

Now I am not asking for a tractor engine, but I do expect to pull away at 5mph in second without the engine stalling. Triumph knows this is a problem, which is why they have fitted that auto-rpm-increase device on the Tiger-1200. It will automatically advance the throttle when you release the clutch, to stop the engine stalling. It is a known problem, with a pathetic ’solution’.

But the auto-rpm device is not a solution. It is a cheap fix, because among many problems it makes trickling in slow traffic difficult - the bike wants to go too fast.

The problem is the engine. They have fitted a high-rpm race-track engine, to a cross-country mud-plugger, which is supposed to be able to traverse thick mud at 5 mph in second, without stalling. And it will not - unless you slip the clutch and rev to 4,000 rpm.

Ok, so 99.99 % of these bikes will never see a muddy track, but the urban road is very similar. I want to negotiate a slow roundabout in second, and then pull away into my exit without the engine quitting, and putting me in danger of dropping the bike. And I don’t want to do that in peaky 1st gear, where the power is more ‘unstable’ and uncontrollable.

Any bike that cannot accelerate away from 5 mph in second, is a technical failure. My car can do this with ease, and my car has less bhp than the bike.

My car has never stalled, but even if it did, it would not be in danger of falling over. Now see what happens on the bike, if the engine quits while you are banked over for a tight but slow turn. You will be picking gravel out of your jacket.

R

 

[Qship]

Perhaps an increase in the rear sprocket size by a few teeth will get the bike behaving like you want. Lots of peeps have done this to tailor the bike to their riding style.
The 1200s don't have this option available due them being shaft driven.

 

[rodders]

Perhaps an increase in the rear sprocket size by a few teeth will get the bike behaving like you want.

Possible. But then the bike will rev even more on the motorway.

The -900 could do with an overdrive 6th gear, for the motorway. It has more than enough power to cruise at 70 mph, with a lower rpm. And an overdrive 6th would not impinge on any x-country riding (not that anyone does this.)

Bottom line is, I am not buying a new -900 until they remove the lumpy T-Plane engine.

R

 

[Qship]

Ahhhhh! Thought you had one. Both 5th AND 6th gears are overdriven on my bike. Think 6th could be a bit taller IMO. 3-400 RPM difference between 5th and 6th gears. Still a bit wound out at freeway speed for my liking. Good thing it the older smooth triple.