LIVINGWITH...
with satisfyingly pointy steering. Yes, there’s a bit of weight transfer if you’re greedy with the controls, but it’s a good thing – it increases grip and feel, and reminds you that you’re on an adventure bike. And at no point does it feel baggy or, in any way, disconnected.’
The front end gets a full range of adjustability, and backing off the damping makes the bike more compliant. At the rear you can adjust rebound damping and preload, the latter via a big knob.
Electronics
The seven inch screen on the Tiger provoked unseemly indignation in Mike Armitage; ‘I hate the fussy dash with its stupidly small info, annoying colour options and four equally duff layouts,’ he raged. Which seems quite harsh. Yes, my old eyes struggled with some of the info, and yes, I really miss old style analogue, push button trip meters rather than having to disappear into sub-menus just to re-set after refuelling, but I liked the scale of the new screen and the engine’s flexibility means the strange rev counter graphic is almost irrelevant.
Scrolling through modes and menus is done using Triumph’s joystick control on the left switchgear. I used to prefer the BMW turnwheel system, but after 1500 miles using joystick control I’ve become a convert. It’s logical and easy to use.
The Rally version of the Tiger comes with four riding modes. With no dirt encounters I never used Off-road (reduced TC and ABS intervention) which leaves Rain, Road and Sport. But with excellent low speed throttle response and lean sensitive traction control as a safety net I was never tempted to switch from Sport mode, even when riding in a torrential downpour. The Rally Pro version gets two extra modes, a programmable Rider mode and a ‘no safety nets’ Off-road Pro for those with genuine talent or a taste for hospital food.
Other electrical gadgets include heated grips and an intuitive cruise control as standard. I used to sneer at CC, but I’m getting increasingly reliant on it to save my licence on speed restricted Smart Motorways.
The Rally Pro also gets heated seats, fog lights and tyre pressure monitoring, all of which I can take or leave, though I’d definitely like the centre stand that’s also standard on the Pro model.
‘The detailing is excellent. Things such as the brake pedal are really nicely made in alloy… This is a bike you can take a lot of pride in’
Comfortandpracticality
The Rally is tall and despite its waisted middle the upper seat height is 870mm which had me, at 5ft 10in, tottering while manoeuvring on slopes and practicing my can-can steps to climb aboard. Dropping the seat to the lower 850mm setting improved matters, but even that may put the bike beyond the reach of shorter riders. The GT has a more modest 810-830 seat height, with a lower option at 760-780mm.
The wide barred, low peg riding stance is good for both comfort and control and the adjustable screen (which can be shifted on the move) provides decent wind protection without being excessively noisy.
After a short ride on the pillion, hard to please Mrs W pronounced that it was acceptably comfortable and agreed to a gruelling 350-mile day on the back seat. We were both fidgeting by the last 100 miles, but she still was able to praise the accommodation and the big grab handles. Only the scale of the climb onto the seat merited a moan. Solo or two-up, ergonomically it works.
The natural beauty of an adventure bike is that they are practical; good for Tunisia, good for Tesco too. The Tiger Rally is a great daily rider, as long as your inside leg is long enough. There’s a small rack, grab rails have bungee hooks, and there’s all that trellis work on which to attach bungees too.
20 litre fuel capacity and 50mpg economy give a range of over 200 miles. Heated grips are standard. Yes, its a commendably usable daily rider.
Qualityandfinish
1500 miles, two jet washes and three summer weeks, even with the weird weather we’ve had this year, aren’t enough to make a judgement about the long term quality of the Triumph’s finish and build. But all the indicators suggest that this is a very well put together bike.
The detailing is excellent. Things such as the brake pedal are really nicely made in alloy, paint finishes – the slightly Hammerite effect on the frame – and plastics are good. The components – Brembo brakes, Showa forks, alloy wheel rims – are really nicely made too. This is a bike you can take a lot of pride in.
We love the white painted frame too, though that upper headstock above the front wheel is going to get seriously mucky in the winter and the stainless pipes require elbow grease to keep them shining. And failure to kick your leg high enough when climbing aboard puts scuffs on the seat cover.
‘… the T-plane crank is agimmick.whymakea triple try to behave like a twin, and lose a compelling USP in the process?’
This is a great bike. Engaging and capable, it can raise a smile and demolish distances. Maybe there’s no one standout feature, but it’s a brilliantly balanced package; comfortable, but dynamic and with a great power/weight/ stability/agility ratio. The BMW R1250GS is still the overall class leader, but in the 800-1100 ‘middleweight’ (did we really say that?) class we think this is the best bike. Which version is largely a question of inside leg measurement and wallet depth. The steering quality on the 21-inch front wheel means that, even if you never venture up a trail, the Rally versions are our favourite. If you love a gadget, the Pro is the pick of the bunch. Honestly though, we reckon the T-plane crank is a gimmick. Why make a triple try to behave like a twin, and lose a compelling USP in the process? Sure, it might perform better off-road, but on tarmac its lost the silky whoosh that has been such a vital part of the character of Triumph’s previous three cylinder engines. And by supplying the bike (quite reasonably) on tarmac only tyres Triumph seem to be admitting what the bike’s key role is. Can we have the same bike with a 120° crankshaft please? Spending time with it also reminded us how good the Tiger 800 is, and sent us looking at used options; £5000 for older bikes with under 20,000 miles looks like very good value for a really usable machine.
‘This is a great bike. Engaging and capable, it can raise a smile and demolish distances… it’s a brilliantly balanced package’