For 2024, Triumph has streamlined its Tiger model range, making the buying decision much more straightforward. The Tiger GT comes with a 19-inch front wheel, and is available in two variants, the GT and GT Pro. It's essentially a base model and a full-spec version of the same bike.
For those seeking more off-road potential, there is the Tiger Rally Pro, with a 21-inch front wheel and more off-road biased suspension. The Rally is only available as a high-spec Pro version. All three models benefit from the performance improvements and share the same peak power and torque.
Peak power has increased significantly for 2024, with a jump from 93.9bhp to 106.5bhp, along with a small boost in torque. Triumph has also expanded the 900's tech package, with improved rider aids and a new 7-inch TFT display with connectivity. But will more performance, a higher spec and fresh looks be enough to keep the Tiger 900 in front of the ever-improving competition? We headed to Malaga in Spain for two days of extensive testing on both the Tiger GT Pro and the Rally Pro.
Power is Up
What Triumph has done has to be applauded. The easiest way to increase power and performance is to add cubic capacity, often at the cost of added weight and reduced fuel consumption, but Triumph has kept the Tiger's capacity at 888cc, meaning no weight penalty, boosted engine performance and improved fuel economy.
Central to the power hike are new pistons and a higher compression ratio, up to 13.0:1 from 12.27.1. There's an all-new cylinder head, larger intake and exhaust ports, new camshafts and a new exhaust system that delivers an even more charismatic growl from the T-Plane triple.
Peak power now arrives higher up the rev range, at 9,500 rpm rather than 8,750 rpm, while torque peaks slightly lower in the rev range, at 7,250 rpm instead of 6,850 rpm. Meanwhile, Triumph claims that the new engine offers a 9 percent reduction in fuel consumption, giving a quoted tank range of 425km/264miles.
We rode both the GT Pro and Rally Pro on test in Spain, and while their overall focus differs somewhat, both machines have the same quoted power and torque and come with the Shift Assist quick shifter as standard which, incidentally, is a joy to use.
A 13ps/12.6bhp increase may not sound enormous and 3 Nm (about 2.2 pound-feet) more torque might not overly impress your buddies. But you can instantly feel the power hike over the previous Tiger 900, which wasn’t slow by any means.
Below 5,000 rpm, the Tiger still feels friendly, easy to ride, and very much like the old bike, complete with its near-faultless fuelling. But from that point upwards you start to notice the difference.
It's freer revving; there’s more shove, more grunt and more punch. Keep the throttle open and it hits its stride as the revs pass peak torque at 6,850 rpm. From 7,000 rpm to the redline it revs manifestly faster and harder than before, with peak power now at 9,500 rpm (up, as mentioned, from 8,750 rpm).
You could argue that adding revs and more top-end power is slightly missing the point on an adventure bike, but there's nothing wrong with having an extra dollop of horses on top should you need or want it. I, for one, loved, carving up mountain roads, dancing on the smooth Shift Assist, and watching the clear full-colour TFT digital rev counter bounce between 6,000 rpm and 10,000 rpm.
Not every Tiger rider will want to ride like this, of course, but that increase in zip will make overtakes easier and safer, and for those who ride two-up fully loaded with luggage, it will be especially useful.
In performance terms, the new Tiger is essentially two bikes: a friendly, usable Tiger that's more of a domesticated moggy below 5,000 rpm, and a Tiger with teeth that commands your attention above 5,000 rpm (and even more so above 7,000 rpm). It won't bite, of course, because there are a raft of sophisticated new rider aids working in the background should you get a little carried away, but it is a whole lot of fun to ride quickly.
Triumph provided us with a full day of off-road riding on the new Rally Pro. That allowed us to experiment with the two off-road modes, Off-Road and Off-Road Pro. Both maps have the same peak power and torque, but they change the rider aids accordingly. There's ABS on the front wheel only and non-lean sensitive traction control in the standard Off-Road mode, while in Off-Road Pro there are no active rider aids, not even ABS.
The throttle delivery is easier in the dedicated off-road modes, but with the full stable of 106.6 bhp on tap, the new 900 can be playful and lively with the traction control (TC) turned off.
The dedicated off-road TC works well, smoothly reducing and re-introducing power when it senses the rear wheel spinning faster than the front. Once you’re familiar with it, you can trust and lean on the TC to hold a slide, which is ideal for those less experienced on the dirt.
In Off-Road Pro (with no TC), the Tiger wags its tail like a happy dog. Power slides are flatteringly effortless. There is also a Rider mode on the Rally Pro and GT pro, which allows you to create your own custom mode, for either on or off-road.
Depending on where you ride, you might not easily notice the new Tiger's improved engine performance off-road, such as if your trail riding is relatively slow and requires small throttle openings.
The upgraded engine is similarly tractable as the older one at low rpm and to feel the difference you need to be higher up in the rev range on fast open trails – like we encountered in southern Spain, where it was brilliant. The only downside is that you can’t change riding modes on the move from on road to off-road. Having to stop to make the change is a bit of pain.
On and Off Road
The 19-inch front wheel GT and GT Pro use the same 45mm inverted forks on up front, while the Pro gets a rear shock with electronically controlled spring preload adjustment and the base GT has a convectional manually adjustable shock. Suspension travel is 180mm (about 7.0 inches) front and 170mm (about 6.69 inches) rear. The Rally Pro, with a 21-inch front wheel, gets conventional Showa suspension units front and rear, with 240mm (about 9.45 inches) and 230mm (about 9 inches) of travel front and rear.
The new, comfier seat is a quoted at 860mm to 880mm (about 33.85 to 34.64 inches) high on the Rally compared to 820mm to 840mm (about 32.28 to 33.0 inches) on the GT, which also has available a lowering kit of -20mm that means the GT can drop to 800mm (about 31.5 inches). That’s low for an adventure bike. Despite being short (172cm, or about 5 feet, 6.5 inches tall), I didn't find the Rally Pro unwieldy or overly tall. It’s relatively narrow, and although I had to plan where I was going to plant my feet, particularly when riding off-road, it wasn’t at all daunting.
At 228kg (about 502.65 pounds), the Rally Pro is by no means light and carries its kilos possibly higher in the chassis compared to some of the competition. However, it remains manageable for experienced and short riders alike, while the turning circle at low speeds is reassuringly tight.
In terms of suspension, there is a clear discrepancy between the Rally Pro and GT Pro. The Rally Pro has more suspension travel, while the large-diameter 21-inch front wheel slows the steering down compared to the more road focused GT Pro. The Showa suspension units are controlled, quality items.
At my weight and height, I didn’t feel the need to adjust the suspension, and the Rally took on everything I could throw at it. Despite its off-road focus, it took on mountain roads with unfussed ease and gave good feel in corners despite its Bridgestone's distant contact patches.
Unsurprisingly, though, I felt more comfortable to commit to a fast corner on the lower, more road focused 19-inch front wheel GT Pro. In comparison, the GT felt lighter, easier to flow and enjoy the great roads of southern Spain.
On paper, it’s only 6kg (about 13.2 pounds) lighter than the Rally Pro but it feels like it’s more. That’s possibly because of that smaller-diameter front wheel. It's no sports bike, of course, but with less suspension movement and a lighter feel, I could attack roads with confidence and speed. However, I did scrape the pegs from time to time due to the lack of ground clearance compared to the Rally Pro.
The Brembo Stylema stoppers are carried over from the previous model and, to be frank, didn’t need upgrading given that they are quality race spec brakes. The automatic adding of a touch of rear brake isn’t in any way dramatic, just a small helping nudge that new riders or inexperienced riders will appreciate.
For those who like their rear wheels free of ABS intervention, the standard off-road mode deactivates the ABS on the rear, leaving just conventional ABS on the front.
The dedicated Off-Road ABS (which isn't lean sensitive, of course) works well at stopping nearly 230kg (about 507 pounds) on a dodgy, untrustworthy surface, especially for inexperienced riders. I was impressed by the system and enjoyed riding the trails of southern Spain with such an excellent safety net. The off-road riding was mild by some press launch standards and only those pushing the limits would fault the offroad ABS. Again, there is always the option to turn off the ABS completely on the Rally Pro.
More Refined Than Ever
As mentioned, Triumph has redesigned both the seat and the pillion perch to offer more comfort, with both now heated as standard. There’s also a new rubber mounting system to reduce the vibrations that some Tiger 900 owners have highlighted.
I didn’t feel that Triumph had to make excessive steps in terms of comfort over the now old Tiger 900, but the factory has added a flatter, more comfortable seat. They say that it’s 10mm (about 0.3 inches) thicker, but without increasing seat height. I had two full days in the saddle without any complaints and loved the roomy riding position and the way every control felt natural to operate.
Yes, the windscreen is manually adjustable via five positions across 50mm (about 1.96 inches) of travel, but it’s simple to operate on the move and there’s a distinctive difference between the low and upper levels.
We didn’t get a long motorway stint to test comfort at touring speeds. But on short blasts, both Tigers were smooth with fewer vibrations, possibly down to the new handlebar damping or possibly because the motor has more power and is therefore working less. Certainly, the new Tiger feels more refined and smoother than before, but we will have to wait for a back-to-back to test to confirm by how much.
The spec is impressive for touring, with a heated seat for both rider and pillion, cruise control, handguards, and even a center stand on the GT Pro.
Triumph even claims improved fuel economy and an impressive 425km/264miles between fill-ups. I only managed 46mpg (UK) on test, but this was a mix of on and off-road riding. To say that I was heavy with the throttle would be an understatement. Over 50mpg even with brisk riding should be easily achievable and the claimed 60mpg well do-able at legal speeds.
It's Not All Praise...
There is no denying that Triumph has delivered a premium Tiger 900 for 2024, complete with a high level of spec for the price and a classy finish. The Pro models even get a tyre pressure monitoring system as standard. There’s also a neat USB-C port on the side of the new dash, plus a USB-A under the seat along with an old-school 12v socket.
The dash on the old Tiger was a little controversial as some liked it and others didn’t, and the new seven inch full-color upgrade (with connectivity), which is a lift from the Tiger 1200, is certainly a visual improvement.
But while it is smart, very clear, simple to read and navigate the new dash is also a little slow in operation, with a slight delay when you switch on the ignition and when flicking between modes. Also, the symbol for each mode is small and the display doesn't differ between modes as it does on some of the competition.
Verdict
Triumph hasn’t made an enormous jump forward with the new Tiger 900, but it has tweaked and evolved its popular adventurer to make it both more flexible and fun. The 888cc triple is now a more complete engine; with more top end power and more midrange grunt, it will thrive in a wider range of riding scenarios. Chassis-wise, both variants are very similar to the previous model, so too their handling, neither of which should be seen as an adverse statement.
Its technological package takes a step up with a new 7-inch dash and connectivity. There are improved rider aids and Shift Assist as standard. But the main area of improvement is performance: A 13ps/12.6bhp increase in power, which makes it the most powerful bike in this segment (if still down on torque compared to the twin-cylinder competition).
There’s no disagreeing that you get a lot of bike for your money, along with a high level of finish and spec. With a more refined engine and more comfortable ride – plus cruise control, heated seats for rider and pillion and improved fuel economy – the new Tiger should be able to eat up the miles with even more nonchalance. And thankfully, we now only have three models to choose from and not what seemed like an endless list before.
But has Triumph done enough to stay ahead of increasingly numerous and capable competition? Can it match the KTM and Husqvarna off-road? Is it as appealing as Ducati’s DesertX? And with a new BMW F900 GS and Honda Africa Twin around the corner, can it retain its popularity in such a tough battleground?
Gallery: 2024 Triumph Tiger 900 Range - First Ride Review
