AT a glance the new Triumph Tiger 900 looks similar to the popular Triumph Tiger 800.
The new Tiger 900 comes in five different variants which are Tiger 900, GT and GT Pro are for the serious adventure touring folks.
Meanwhile, the Rally and Rally Pro variants are specially designed for the off-road purist and of course these variants can do tarmac riding too.
The minute I sat on the bike and rode for a good one hour on the highway, I realised the bike felt lighter and more nimble than the Tiger 800.
From the front view, the bike is definitely slimmer compared with the Tiger 800.
However, the Tiger 900 GT is taller and has a longer wheelbase but it does not feel that way.
The weight distribution of this bike is simply amazing.
The switch controls are placed on the leftside of the handlebar and are simple and easy to use.
The joystick allows one to navigate through the menus and at the same time allowed me to choose the different rider modes.
The cluster of switches can be easily reached by the thumb and I did not have to struggle.
A must mention here is the 7-inch TFT full colour screen which does not have any reflective layer underneath and thus giving a clearer view in any weather conditions.
At night riding, the ambient-light sensor would automatically shift from daytime screen to night-friendly screen featuring a black background while keeping all information visible.
All basic information that a rider needs is here such as speed, tachometer reading, gear position, clock, fuel level and trip meters plus various screen background to choose from.
Also available are menus to set riding modes, suspension, multimedia and GoPro connectivity.
It did take me a good 15 minutes to understand and familiarise myself with what was available.
It was complicated for me in the beginning but became easy later on.
The Tiger 900 GT is equipped with four riding modes which are rain, sports, road and off-road.
Every time I twist the throttle on the highway, the bike accelerates effortless.
The bike felt more alive as soon as its engine went above 2,900rpm.
This bike is fun to ride and its torquey engine allowed me to “taunt” my two riding mates who were on the Vespa 300 and BMW GS 800.
I was able to slow down to accompany the Vespa and the next minute catching up with the BMW.
The bike handled great on the road and has cruise control which I liked very much.
On the open road, I could feel the power coming in fast without lag.
Its 888cc engine deliver more power across the entire rev range, with a high-peak power of 94hp at 8,750 rpm which is 9% more than the previous generation in the mid-range.
Torque is also significantly increased, peaking at 87Nm at 7,250 rpm, which is 10% more.
I also liked the windshield which is adjustable in five different height settings.
One of my biggest problems is facing wind blast whenever I am going very fast.
My neck muscles are not strong enough to take the wind blast unless the windshield is tall enough to deflect most of it.
The windshield on the Tiger 900 GT is perfect.
However, sliding the windshield up and down while riding can be bit tricky.
It is best to adjust the windshield when the bike is stationary.
On the backroads of Kuala Selangor, I rode some 30km on gravel, loose sand plus mud and water-logged potholes.
The advanced suspension setup was able to handle all the rough surfaces that I had encountered.
The Tiger 900 GT is equipped with a Marzocchi suspension featuring 45mm upside down cartridge forks that have manually adjustable compression and rebound damping with 180mm travel at the front.
At the rear uses a manual preload and rebound damping adjustment with 170mm wheel travel.
The suspension system performed very well and exceeded my expectation.
Even though I did not ride the bike off-road very much, my brief mini off-road adventures in Kuala Selangor made me understood that this bike thrives well in an off-road environment.
The extra bumpy roads made me stood up while riding.
The standing position was comfortable, and I was able to reach the handlebar without any difficulty.
The Tiger 900 GT, priced at RM72,900, was able to tackle any technical corners easily.
While going through the twisties in Sports mode, the bike held the riding line perfectly.
The agility and the nimbleness of the bike allowed me to dig deep into the corners without any hesitation.
The gearshift was smooth and coupled with the clutch, which was light on the fingers, made the riding experience around the corners and twisties very memorable.
SPECIFICATIONS
Triumph Tiger 900 GT
Engine: 888cc, liquid-cooled DOHC inline-three
Maximum power: 93.9hp at 8,750rpm
Maximum torque: 87Nm at 7,250 rpm
Transmission: Six-speed
Front suspension: Marzocchi 45mm inverted fork, rebound and compression damping adjustable with 18cm travel
Rear suspension: Marzocchi Preload adjustable with 17cm travel
Front braking system: Twin 32cm floating discs, Brembo Stylema 4-piston callipers, cornering ABS
Rear braking system: Single 25cm disc, Brembo single-piston calliper, cornering ABS
Features: Four riding modes, full colour TFT screen, cruise control, cornering ABS, traction control
Fuel capacity: 20 litres
Weight: 194 kg
Price: RM72,900 (without insurance, road tax and registration)
Keyword: Triumph Tiger 900 GT: Adventure and speed