Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro
Knobblies, snouty looks and a rumbling racket, but the top spec GT Pro is the British firm’s most road-focused Tiger 900. It’s also the most expensive bike here... so that means best, right?
Immediately I feel confident on the Tiger,’ reckons Chris after a brisk cross-county foray. ‘I adjusted to it really well, really quickly. I’m having more fun than on the BMW, and I’m happy throwing it through corners. And the brakes are good too.’
All of this is true, of course. Bikes are all about sensations, feel and confidence, and clearly the Triumph delivers something that he clicks with. And it’s his opinion, and so it’s right. But I’d like to put my hand up and disagree heartily.
Last time we tested the Tiger 900 GT we came away rather underwhelmed. Having recently enjoyed the supple ride and engaging character of the taller, plusher, dirtier, spoke-wheel Rally version, the road-biased cast-wheel GT seemed a bit ‘ah’ instead of ‘ooh’. Capable, well equipped, comfortable, all that, yes. But, in the presence of its accomplished peers (notably the previous-model Tracer 900) the GT’S handling, ride and engine lacked wow-factor. And it’s the same with this bike today. For me its brakes don’t have any bite, the suspension provides the worst mid-corner control, it’s easily the first of the three to grind away the footpeg blobs, and there’s nothing sparkly about how it behaves. It’s all a tad... normal. Maybe a little bit bland.
And then there’s the three-cylinder engine. Triumph have made the triple their own, their signature powerplant. And yet when boosting the Tiger 800 into the 900 they bizarrely saw the need to use a T-plane crank, sacrificing the creamy thrust, smoothness and sense-tingling wail of the 120˚ motors for a twin-alike rumble and lumpier feel. I’m sure the claims about throttle connection and finding grip off-road are true enough, but for road riders it’s a negative point.
Andy has ridden every Triumph triple from Daytona 675 and Street Triple to the Explorer 1200, and has just bought a late-model 995i Speed Triple. He finds the T-shape carry-on equally bemusing. ‘My 955 has more top-end power, but needs revs to deliver its potential where the Tiger just goes, regardless of what your right hand or left foot are doing. It’s really flexible. But it seems like the Tiger is trying to do what the Tracer and F900XR do and be a great all-round road bike, but while sounding and vibrating like a BMW GS – and I just don’t get it.’
Pro spec means the 900 has lots of widgets and gizmos to further entice tech-fiend Chris. Your £13,100 gets a large dash with colour and layout options, the ability to connect and control a phone or Gopro camera, heated grips and heated seats, electronic rear suspension adjustment, light-up switches, cruise, fog lights, cornering traction and ABS, tyre monitoring… you get the idea. It all seems to work splendidly, though some of the display options are a bit games console for our middle-aged eyes.
Practical touches aplenty too, including a pleasingly handy 20-litre fuel tank and a centrestand. As a pair of six-foot buffoons Andy and I both appreciate the Tiger’s spacious accommodation too – there’s more room than on the Tracer (or certainly the impression of extra space), a real sense of being ‘in’ the bike, and it doesn’t lock you into position like the scooped-out perch on the F900XR. Shame the screen height adjustment system appears to have been designed by Mr. H Robinson. Another hour of flicking, darting B-roads and it’s clear Chris enjoys the beaky Brit. He’s leaning further, carrying more speed through turns, but also taking smoother lines – the confidence he feels from the 900 shows in his riding. As a returning rider he’s attracted by the Tiger’s solid build, easy drive and reassuring feel – what Andy and I see as a lack of fizz and excitement, Chris interprets as the bike not being imposing or demanding. So it’s his favourite, right? Er, no. ‘The new Tracer 9 is just as practical and comfortable, creates just as much confidence, but also causes more smiles. Yamaha every time.’
‘It just goes, regardless of what your right hand or left foot are doing’
One bloke’s culinary masterpiece is another’s tasteless bowl of nondescript nosh. Or, in this case, the Tiger 900 GT Pro’s confidenceboosting handling and reassuring feel aren’t quite as tasty for everyone.
Fresh back to two wheels, guest jockey Chris is seriously taken with the Tiger’s dynamic and behaviour, but for Andy and I it hasn’t the engagement, pizzazz or hook of the other two. Sure, it handles well enough, doesn’t abuse your limbs or cheeks, and provides almost twist-and-go performance from its curious booming triple. But there’s no wow moment, USP or must-have feature. It’s not sporty enough and doesn’t deliver enough fun for this modern sports-tourer sector. Interestingly, Andy reckons if he was buying he’d take it over the BMW, but only because the bigger-boned Tiger suits his bigger-boned frame – he thinks the smaller BMW is actually the better bike. And I concur. Despite being something of a bitsa (derived from the F850GS) the F900XR feels like a very complete motorbike, and its low-speed agility and control, confidencegiving front end and oh-so-accessible handling are stand out features. It’s also comfortable, frugal, and dotted with useful touches like the easy-adjust two-height screen and proper, old fashioned, solid bungee points. But there’s something a bit too sensible about the XR: it’s too tour; not quite enough sport and lacks the zip of the triples. Yes, it’ll easily turn its hand to anything, but does so with a workman-like air. ‘Feels the most sanitised,’ reckons Chris. And so the new Yamaha Tracer 9 GT takes over where the departed Tracer 900 left off – at the top of the tree. Yamaha haven’t tried to reinvent anything here, and crucially haven’t spoilt what was already clearly a ruddy wonderful package (more than 50,000 happy customers says plenty). Instead, they’ve made the Tracer even easier to ride, more agile and connected at low speed, more accurate at high speed, gruntier, more comfortable, and noticeably better equipped. Improved for both distance and thrashes, it’s also the best value of the trio. Even the looks grow on you. It’s still the defining mid-size sports tourer.
‘Yamaha haven’t tried to reinvent anything here, and crucially haven’t spoilt what was already clearly a ruddy wonderful package’