Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro
With its high-rise Rally Pro sibling our 2020 Bike of the Year, the road-ready variant has a lot to live up to…
Acouple of issues back, in our knockout Bike of the Year competition, the Rally version of the new Triumph Tiger 900 defeated all comers. And it won not because of its wild performance, unexpected innovation or fresh new technology, but because it’s such a together, rounded, complete motorcycle. We prattled on about being ‘engulfed by its brilliance’, and Triumph’s top brass got royally bladdered at the glitzy award presentation. Or they would have done if we’d had one.
So now here’s the road-focused version of the reinvented Tiger 900, presented in trinkets-and-baubles GT Pro specification. And it’s a little bit ‘oh’ rather than ‘ooh’.
The regular 900’s three-cylinder engine, steel frame with aluminium subframe, cast swingarm and posh-looking Brembo calipers are the same as the Rally. The key differences are cast wheels rather than spoked (with a 19-inch front rather than a dirt-ready 21), less absorbent suspension with reduced travel, a lower ride height and narrower handlebars. The base model is £9500 with ABS, traction control, two modes and five-inch TFT dash; the GT adds cornering ABS and traction, heated grips, DRL, larger colour screen, cruise, fullyadjustable shock and two more modes for £11,100; and this GT Pro goes further with electronic rear suspension adjustment, quickshifter, heated seats, tyre monitoring, phone connectivity and another riding mode. Oh, and a centrestand. £12,800.
With 94bhp the new engine has the same power as the previous Tiger 800 – and the least here – but it’s delivered 750rpm earlier at 8750rpm. Triumph claim there’s nine percent more power wedged into the midrange, thanks to a 10% increase in torque. It’s certainly grunty and flexible. Livelier than the 800 was, the triple is more instantaneous than the Yamaha and doesn’t feel lacking next to the more powerful Ducati. Tightly packed gear ratios increase its willingness, though Triumph’s fondness for super-close gearing can make the Tiger seem frantic. This sensation is enhanced by the sound and feel of the triple fooling you into thinking it’s desperate for another gear while actually being in the midrange.
Maybe it’s to do with the T-plane crank with its one-three-two firing order and big-bang-like intervals. Triumph say the layout gives a ‘closer association to the throttle character, sound and feel of a twin’, for improved connection to the rear wheel on loose surfaces.
On the road we’re not sure the crank is an improvement. There’s a greater sense of the 900 triple working than with the three other bikes; at constant speed it grumbles through the footpegs, in exactly the way the 800 didn’t. ‘There are more vibes than I expect from a Triumph triple,’ says Bike subscriber Andy Gurski, who has previous experience of 675, 765 and 800cc motors. ‘It’s lost that smooth, surging feel that always made them feel so good.’
‘The GT Pro is good. However, in this company it lacks sparkle’
Slimmer and a few kilos lighter than previous Tigers, the 900 GT Pro is still sizeable. Space and comfort are great (two-height seat), though being perched further from the ’bars than on the Ducati and having limbs more splayed than by the compact BMW increases the sense of girth. Handling displays Triumph’s usual ability to mix accurate steering and easy turning with stability, though it doesn’t flick into corners as easily as the Yamaha. Corner bumps are most noticeable on the Tiger too. Riding round the same rippled turn repeatedly for photos, on all the bikes back-to-back, the Triumph is worst at masking the imperfections and its chassis gets the most unsettled. No disputing the 900’s extras though, even with some high-spec company. It bristles with must-have adornments. I’m not taken with any of the fussy eye-straining display options and wouldn’t ever need five riding modes, but heated bits, cruise and Bluetooth’d turn-to-turn navigation are all useful. So’s the adjustable screen, though it’s not as easy to alter as the BMW or Ducati.
The Tiger 900 GT Pro is a good bike. However, in this company it lacks sparkle. Worse, it’s somehow not as together and convincing as the Rally – it’s not got the same plush ride quality or feel-good presence. It feels like the knobblier version was Triumph’s priority.