Triumph Tiger 900 Rally
breaking a sweat and, if the mood for mischief arises, the tiger 900 will rocket to well over 200 km/h without protest. With a whole lot of torque available at low revs, switching the traction control off and grabbing a handful of throttle sends the massive 21-inch front wheel skywards effortlessly, transforming this middleweight adventure bike into an absolute hooligan. the irregular firing order sends a pleasing thrum through the tank and handlebars, quite a contrast to the silky-smooth feel of the 800 motor, although if you insist on revving out each gear like on a sport bike, vibrations do become obvious. But that’s not how this bike was built to be ridden; this bike’s forte is munching miles at a steady pace, unbothered by all kinds of roads and terrain.
and speaking of challenging terrain, this is, after all, the off-road-biased version of the tiger 900 and i soon found a narrow trail leading off the highway towards lands unexplored. From loose gravel to slush and rocky sections, the tiger 900 rally devoured it all without a moment’s thought. the reworked weight distribution has worked wonders for this bike’s poise in the rough stuff and the riding position is comfortable whether sitting down or standing up on the pegs. While the outgoing bike felt somewhat clumsy in such conditions, demanding constant corrections and challenging your skills, the new tiger works with you, ploughing over or through everything in its path, while still seeming perfectly composed and ready for more.
the throttle feels directly connected to the rear wheel and it’s so easy to dial in just the right amount of gas, even at low speeds. that golden, fully adjustable showa Usd fork allows for 240 mm of wheel travel, while the showa monoshock at the rear gets preload and rebound damping adjustability and 230 mm of wheel travel. the suspension easily handled everything i could throw at it while always giving me a feel for what was happening at ground level, and i lost count of the number of times i felt the front tyre dig in and start to slide or get knocked off-centre by a boulder, only to right itself with a bit of body english and timely throttle application. the tiger finally feels truly dirtcapable and is surely going to appeal to our growing community of off-road riders.
Priced at rs 14.40 lakh (ex-showroom), the tiger 900 rally is positioned between the road-going tiger 900 gt at rs 13.80 lakh (ex-showroom) and the fully loaded tiger 900 rally Pro at rs 15.50 lakh. if your adventures are mostly tarmac-bound and you find the rally’s 850-mm seat height a bit of stretch, the gt is worth a look, while spending the additional rs 1.10 lakh for the tiger 900 rally Pro will net you two more riding modes, a bi-directional quickshifter, heated seats, led fog-lamps, tyre pressure monitoring, a centre stand, and engine and sump protection. look for a detailed review of the road-going tiger 900 gt in an upcoming issue of
Price: Rs 14.40 lakh (ex-showroom)
Configuration: Liquid-cooled, in-line triple Valve-train: DOHC, twelve valves Displacement: 888 cc
Bore x Stroke: 78.0 x 61.9 mm
Compression ratio: 11.27:1
Fuelling: Electronic fuel-injection
Maximum Power: 95.2 hp at 8,750 rpm Maximum Torque: 87 Nm at 7,250 rpm
Clutch: Wet, multiplate, slipper
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox, chain final drive
Type: Steel trellis frame with bolt-on subframe
Front Suspension: Showa 44-mm USD fork, 240-mm travel, fully adjustable
rear Suspension: Showa monoshock, 230-mm travel, adjustable preload and rebound damping
Front Brake: Twin 320-mm discs, Brembo Stylema four-piston monobloc calipers, cornering ABS rear Brake: 255-mm disc, Brembo single-piston caliper, Bosch cornering ABS
Front Wheel: 21-inch, cross-spoked rear wheel: 17-inch, cross-spoked
Front Tyre: 90/90-21 Bridgestone Battlax Adventure rear Tyre: 150/70 R17 Bridgestone Battlax Adventure rake/Trail: 24.4°/145.8 mm
Wheelbase: 1,551 mm
Seat Height: 850 - 870 mm ground Clearance: NA
Tank Capacity: 20 litres
Weight: 196 kg (dry)