Triumph Motorcycles has launched the all-new Triumph Tiger 900, the middleweight adventure bike which will replace the Triumph Tiger 800. In India, three variants of the Tiger 900 are offered on sale, the Tiger 900 GT, priced at Rs. 13.70 lakh (Ex-showroom,), the Tiger 900 Rally, priced at Rs. 14.35 lakh (Ex-showroom), and the top-spec Tiger 900 Rally Pro, priced at Rs. 15.50 lakh (Ex-showroom). Like the outgoing Tiger 800 range, the new Tiger 900 is also available in two broad families, a road-oriented model with cast alloy wheels with a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel, and a more hardcore off-road capable model with spoked wheels, with a 21-inch front and 17-inch rear combination.
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The Tiger 900 range is priced from Rs. 13.70 lakh to Rs. 15.50 lakh (ex-showroom)
The Tiger 800 XR range become the GT range in the 900, and the Tiger 800 XC family has become the Tiger 900 Rally range. And as the 900 name suggests, the new Tiger 900 has an all-new 888 cc, in-line, three-cylinder engine which is said to get lighter internal components, puts out 93.9 bhp of maximum power at 8,750 rpm, and 10 per cent more peak torque of 87 Nm at 7,250 rpm. The same engine is shared with the GT, Rally and Rally Pro variants. Although maximum power output remains more or less the same, the Tiger 900's engine delivers more power across the rev range.
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The Triumph Tiger 900 range misses out on the base model Tiger 900 equivalent to the Tiger 800 XR
The Tiger 900 also gets a new lightweight modular frame, with a removable bolted-on sub-frame, higher specification suspension, premium Brembo brakes, a larger 20-litre fuel tank, a new adjustable windscreen delivering more wind protection, and an all-new, full-colour instrument console, along with new cornering ABS and traction control, enabled by an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and up to 6 riding modes on the Rally Pro variant and an integrated MyTriumph connectivity system with turn-by-turn navigation, and GoPro control on the Rally Pro. The GT and Rally variants get four riding modes.
Peak power is same, but more power offered across the rev range
In the Tiger 800 family, four variants were offered on sale in India, the base Tiger 800 XR, Tiger 800 XRx, the Tiger 800 XCx and the top-spec, fully-loaded Tiger 800 XCa. For the Triumph Tiger 900, Triumph India has decided to do away with the base Tiger 900, and only one variant of the road-going GT will be offered on sale in India, and two variants of the more off-road capable Rally range, the standard Tiger 900 Rally and the Tiger 900 Rally Pro. Globally, the Tiger 900 has several more variants - the base no-frills Tiger 900, Tiger 900 GT, Tiger 900 GT Low, and the Tiger 900 GT Pro. On the Rally family, even globally, there are just two variants on sale, the Tiger 900 Rally and the top-spec Tiger 900 Rally Pro.
The 2020 Triumph Tiger 900 GT is the road-oriented touring model. The GT Pro with electronic suspension is under consideration for launch later
This is the new base entry-level model of the Tiger 900 available in India. The base Tiger 900 available abroad is not offered on sale, considering the low sales numbers of the corresponding Tiger 800 XR. The Tiger 900 GT is recommended for those looking for a new Triumph Tiger, but will be looking at primarily highway use, and the occasional gravel or broken road.
Price
Rs. 13.70 lakh (Ex-showroom) Approximately Rs. 16.60 lakh (On-Road)
Features
The Tiger 900 GT comes with a 7-inch full-colour TFT instrument panel, all-LED lighting, and top-spec Brembo Stylema brakes, which are said to be lightweight, compact and high performance calipers. Switchable cornering ABS and traction control are standard, as is electronic cruise control, heated grips, and comes with four riding modes - Road, Rain, Sport and Off-Road.
The Triumph Tiger 900 GT gets Marzocchi suspension with manual adjustabiity
The cast alloy wheels (19-inch front, 17-inch rear) shod with Metzeler Tourance tubeless tyres are designed for long distance road-focussed riding, and suspension is from Marzocchi, with a manually adjustable 45 mm USD cartridge forks with 180 mm travel, and manually adjustable Marzocchi rear suspension unit with 170 mm of travel. A slip and assist clutch provides a light feel on the clutch lever, ideal for both long journeys and stop-start riding in traffic.
The new Triumph Tiger 900 has a 888 cc, inline triple cylinder engine with a broader power spread and more torque
Verdict
The Triumph Tiger 900 GT is the new entry-level model available in India into the Triumph Tiger family, and focused primarily on road-focussed long distance touring. It has off-road capability all right, but has limited suspension travel than the Rally variants for serious off-road work. But it can handle basic broken roads, gravel roads and slush and sand with the correct aftermarket off-road oriented tyres. The top-spec GT Pro is the only variant with electronic suspension but has not been launched in India. Triumph is considering the possibility of launching the GT Pro at a later date if there's demand in India.
The new Tiger 900 is up to 5 kg lighter, has better weight distribution and lighter front end
The Triumph Tiger 900 Rally variant offers a variant in the new Tiger 900 family, particularly for riders who do not want to compromise on 'go anywhere' off-road capability and the convenience of a genuine all-rounder. It's also no-frills in terms of engine protection and underbelly protection, so it's a canvas waiting for owners to spruce up with aftermarket protection, instead of spending around Rs. 1 lakh premium for the top-spec Rally Pro with more features and riding modes.
Price
Rs. 14.35 lakh (Ex-showroom), approximately Rs. 17.40 lakh (On-Road)
The Tiger 900 Rally gets Showa suspension with full manual adjustability. The equivalent Tiger 800 XCx came with WP suspension.
Features
The Triumph Tiger 900 Rally also gets the 7-inch full-colour instrument console, along with full-LED lighting, switchable cornering ABS, cornering traction control, top-spec Brembo Stylema brakes, heated grips, and four riding modes - Road, Rain, Sport and Off-Road. Cruise control is standard, along with a slip and assist clutch. The Tiger 900 Rally comes with wire spoke wheels (with a bigger 21-inch front wheel than the 900 GT) and the big and pertinent change is the introduction of tubeless tyres, for the first time on the off-road spec Tiger. Unlike the Tiger 900 GT, the 900 Rally gets Showa 45 mm upside down forks, with full manual adjustability for preload, rebound damping and compression damping adjustment with 240 mm travel.
The instrument console is a full-colour TFT panel across all variants and offers a crisp, clear view. The Rally variant misses out on the Rider and Off-Road Pro riding modes, but gets four standard modes
Verdict
The Tiger 900 Rally is superb value, as an off-road capable middleweight adventure bike. It gets all the standard features and electronic gizmos for an ADV in its price segment, and now gets tubeless tyres which will make it convenient to repair punctures on the trail, compared to the tubed tyres available on the Tiger 800 XC models so far. However, the Tiger 900 Rally misses out on some basic protection like engine crash guards and a more robust sump guard, which are standard fitments on the top-spec Rally Pro.
If getting aftermarket accessories is what an owner has in mind, and no real need for fully customisable additional riding modes (Rider and Off-Road Pro), the 900 Rally is good enough. But stretching the budget by a lakh or so gets even more kit and features available as standard on the Tiger 900 Rally Pro. And just over one lakh price difference between the Rally and Rally Pro may not seem much of a difference to discernible buyers who require the added features.
The Tiger Rally Pro gets the most number of riding modes, including an Off-Road Pro mode
The top-spec Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro is the top-spec, loaded to the gills variant with true-blue off-road ability, as well as additional features which are both a novelty as well as good value.
Features
In addition to the features of the Tiger 900 Rally, there are two additional riding modes, fully programmable Rider mode, as well as an Off-Road Pro mode, allowing even more personlisation, in throttle response, ABS and traction control settings offer more versatility in setting up the electronic rider aids, according to riding preferences, terrain, and weather conditions. Also for just over one lakh more, the Tiger 900 Rally Pro offers added features including heated rider and passenger seats, tyre pressure monitoring system, as well as Triumph's up/down quickshifter and the revolutionary MyTriumph connectivity system which offers Bluetooth connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation and GoPro controls from the handlebar.
One of the most significant and useful updates is the introduction of tubeless tyres on spoked wheels, a first on the off-road spec Tiger
Price
Rs. 15.50 lakh (Ex-showroom) approximately Rs. 18.40 lakh (on-road)
Verdict
The Tiger 900 Rally Pro is the real deal, if a middleweight adventure bike is what you're looking for in the Tiger family. If the additional cost (of over Rs. 1 lakh) is not a concern, the top-spec Rally Pro offers even more kit, including two more programmable riding modes, as well as the MyTriumph connectivity system which offers Bluetooth connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation as well as GoPro control, all accessible via the joystick switchcubes with TFT screen displays. For the price, the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro is certainly not on the affordable scale, but now offers superb value as a true-blue ADV, capable of munching hundreds of kilometres in comfort on the highway, and tackling all kinds of off-road obstacles.
