Triumph Tiger 850 Sport tested
Triumph’s new middleweight Tiger 850 Sport has its sights set on tarmac huggers
Triumph are billing their new Tiger 850 Sport as a ‘road-focused adventure bike’, which means that despite its styling, the chassis and electronics have been designed with far less emphasis on the rough stuff. But there is another string to the Sport’s bow and that’s its price. Lacking a few of the Tiger 900’s bells and whistles, the Tiger 850 Sport costs £9300, which is £2100 less than the cheapest Tiger 900 model, the GT. So does this change in attitude make the Tiger 850 Sport a better buy for pure road riders?
Is it really an 850?
No, the three-cylinder engine has the same 888cc capacity as the Tiger 900, it just has a different tune. Where the 900s make 93.9bhp and 64.2lb. ft of torque, the 850 produces 84bhp with 60lb.ft (both can be made A2legal) while the bulk of the drive is moved lower in the rev range. On the road you don’t spot that it’s down on power and the triple is smooth with a fluid throttle connection and strong midrange. At a constant throttle it seems to have less of the 900 model’s slightly vibey buzz, yet when you explore the higher rev range you get that lovely new off-beat triple feel and character that the revised firing order which arrived with the 900 brings. As a road engine, it’s really very hard to fault and feels anything but a compromise in anything aside from its name.
Conventional suspension
With no adjustability at the front and only preload to alter at the rear (via a remote adjuster), the Sport’s Marzocchi suspension is fairly basic. Naturally, there is nothing wrong with that if it is done well and in the case of the Sport it is done very well. As the bike has no off-road pretensions the suspension is set slightly firmer than you would expect on an adventure bike, something that gives it more poise in the corners and less pitching on brakes or acceleration. The 19in front with its fairly wide 100/90 tyre is assured and the Brembo brakes, as you would expect from a set-up usually found on a Panigale, are more than up to the job. Not overkill but certainly capable of delivering lots of bite if requested and braided lines are standard fitment. The fact there is a remote preload adjuster is a neat feature as it allows you to add a bit of extra support should you wish to accommodate a pillion and/ or luggage, something that is fairly likely on a bike such as this.
Lower spec tech
Although the Sport boasts a smart TFT dash, it lacks connectivity and you only have two rider modes (Rain and Sport) while the ABS and traction control systems (which can both be turned off) lack angle-sensitivity. Does this matter for road riders? Before we all became IMU-obsessed this setup was considered enough and aside from extreme situations, the ABS and TC systems certainly suffice and were in no way intrusive to the ride. It’s slightly disappointing there is no cruise control (or option for it) on a bike aimed at road riders, which would arguably be more use than power modes as the user-friendly triple means that Rain is slightly surplus to requirements. That said, you do get a 12V socket as standard and the option of adding more electrical creature comforts through the extras list.
A comfortable ride
Pleasingly, the Sport comes with two seat height options as well as an adjustable screen and even variable-position bars. A really easy bike for cruising around on, the Sport is very comfortable but the screen doesn’t offer much in the way of weather protection, even on its highest setting, and brush guards are an optional extra. Some may view the ‘smaller’ Tiger model as an inferior bike for covering miles when compared to the 900 GT, but it would make for an excellent weekend away machine and its 20-litre tank should be good enough for close to 250 miles between fill-ups.
Bolt-on extras
Triumph haven’t skimped on the accessories, meaning that if you want to extend the possibilities on the Sport you can add luggage, heated grips, comfort seats, a taller screen, hand guards, crash protection, a centre stand (why isn’t this standard?) and more. There are a total of 60 accessories, so the world is your oyster.
‘On the road you don’t spot the triple is at all down in power’
‘Firmer suspension gives plenty of poise’