TRIUMPH TIGER RALLY PRO
The middleweight adventure bike market is seriously competitive at the moment. Triumph’s Tiger 900 has never really been the go-to choice for those who like riding on the rough stuff, with other, more stripped-back machines getting the headlines. But maybe it deserves a closer look…
Arelaxed ride up into the hills above Malaga was the perfect introduction to Triumph’s tweaked Rally Pro. Despite the greasy, slightly damp roads, the bike shone. Its silky-smooth triple motor and gearbox are highlights, but everything from the brakes to the dash are bang on. It looks trick, too, laden with all the necessary adventure goodies, including spoked wheels and a bash plate.
I’ve not ridden the Tiger for a few years, but I immediately felt at home. It’s a very, very well-put-together motorcycle. Although it looks essentially the same as the previous generation Tiger, there have been some key changes to make an already great bike even better. There’s that increase in power and torque – and to take the speed off, there’s also a new ‘advanced braking system’ which automatically applies the back brake alongside the front. It sounds like an unnecessary addition, but in practice it works well, offering plenty of stopping power and feel when paired with the Brembo Styleemas. The Showa springs are top, too, offering a nice balance of comfort and performance, and although the long travel springs dive a bit under heavy braking, it never felt unsettled even when pushed.
With the roads beginning to dry, we got a good chance to push on, and I was incredibly impressed by how agile and nimble the Rally Pro felt despite its 21-inch front. That’s not always the case with these longlegged adventure bikes. It’s properly versatile, too, just as happy crawling through town as being thrown through twisties and manoeuvring switchback after switchback.
We also got a very good chunk of time on the trails around the Triumph Adventure Centre. While it proved itself excellent on the road, I was dubious about how well it’d hold its own in the dirt. But lo-andbehold, it massively surprised me.
I’ve ridden my share of the current crop of dirt-friendly middleweights, and while some of the other options might be up for tackling terrain more hardcore than the Tiger in the hands of a more capable rider, I reckon that with the traction control and ABS switched off in the Off-Road Pro riding mode it feels ready for almost anything.
There had been a few minor tweaks to the model we rode on the road to help its off-road ability, including the addition of some off-road pegs; the removal of the
centre stand; softening up of the suspension; and rolling the bars slightly forward. We also got some different tyres. We were running Michelin Anakee Wilds, but you’ll get slightly more road-leaning Bridgestone Battlax Adventures as standard. There’s also a clever feature on the back brake lever, which allows you to spin it and make it higher (and more accessible to access when you’re stood up on the pegs). I actually found the riding position pretty perfect, too. I’m 6ft 1in with long limbs, and it’s not always easy to get comfortable when stood up on the pegs. No such issues with the Rally Pro, thanks to those rolled bars.
We didn’t tackle anything seriously technical, spending most of the time cutting around on bone-dry, wide-open fire trails, though there were plenty of tight turns to help highlight how agile it is for a relatively big bike. It’s playful, too, with the triple motor offering a healthy whack of low-down torque, which allows you to light up the back end on command.
As you can probably surmise, I was properly impressed with the latest generation Tiger 900. While there’s no doubt that the GT Pro is an excellent road bike, I value the versatility of the Rally Pro. I would be perfectly happy to compromise a bit of on-road manners in return for the ability to blast about the rough stuff. I reckon it looks better, too.
With a £14,495 price tag, the Rally Pro is not a cheap option in the increasingly competitive middleweight adventure bike market, but in my mind (and considering all the goodies you get as standard) it’s worth every single penny. Exploring some of Andalucia’s finest roads and trails, the Tiger has been the perfect companion. I’m already thinking about getting my hands on one back home. That speaks volumes.