[evilmessiah]

Tasteful purchase and loved your write-up as usual! Your pic locations are serious nostalgia triggers! Missing home badly.

While I love the Tiger 900, I would have struggled with this thing's size, weight and the heat generated in Cochin. Hats off to you in managing this hulk! Have you sold your Conti GT535, btw?

The Cochin Triumph dealership is the one at Syamadynamic (next to Yes Bank), right? I heard some mixed opinions about their service. Keep an eye out and let us know how their service quality is. Subbing to this thread and rating it 5 stars.

[Cyborg]

Lovely review Neil, thank you for taking us up close and personal with the Tiger 900.

I would stay away from this one solely due to the vibrations and heat generated. Like someone mentioned it would be interesting to know if these issues are only on the test ride bike, doubtful though. I wouldn’t want to spend so much money on a vibrating stove irrespective of the other positives.

It always surprises me how retailers don’t keep test ride vehicles in great shape as mostly their sales depend on making a positive impression when we take a test ride. “It’s a test ride bike/car Sir and has been abused” is a common statement by showrooms which sounds so lame and stupid.

Cheers

[Sebring]

Superb review Neil. I still recall the heat emanating from this beast is really intense. In fact I was riding one in Hyderabad, and the engine was already hot with my friend riding it all day. After few minutes I see that the glue holding my expensive Timberland shoes together, completely melted and gave way. You do need special clothing to tame it, right?

[StepUP!]

Thank you for your detailed and honest review of this beast! I must say I am quite surprised and saddened by the cons you mentioned. I thought they would improve Tiger in every way in this iteration.
Vibrations above 5000 rpm, emanating heat at all speeds, build quality and switchgear issues, lost exhaust rumble is sad.
To me it looks like they improved a little but lost too much in this iteration.
I ride Versys 650 and always drool over Tigers, GS, Multistradas, Africa Twins. And this Tiger 900 cons make me sad.

[CrazyStuff]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

-
- The heat generated from the motorcycle's twin fans accompanying the radiators is tremendous. The faster you ride the bike, the more the volume of hot air that gets dumped on your knees.

Attachment 2074317

Attachment 2074318

I too had tested the same bike last day and this is exactly the same experience I had with the engine heat.. I am 5.7 tall and it might be because of my height, two of my friends who tested the bike didn't had that much issue.. the bike was heating like an oven and unbearable at times.. we did a back-to-back with BMW F900XR and the couldn't felt any heat!

[TheVaas]

The Tiger 900 switchgears are the same as the outgoing 800 XRx/XCx/XCa versions. They do require some getting used to especially riding with gloves that aren't yet to break-in. I've selected the 'self-cancelling turn signal indicator' option in my XRx because I used to confuse the button with the 'joystick'. As Krishnaprasadgg mentioned, I'm still to master switching between the ODO meter display, coolant indicator and remaining fuel. (Tip: One can actually customize what needs to be displayed while riding in the Menu. The 900 might also have it).

The 900's dash, in person, is like an iPad mini. I'm assuming the designers were trying to give it a more 'immersive experience' with the graphics considering a lot of them are 3D-esque; but probably messed up the overall symmetry.

The heat is not restricted only for TD bikes. It's a design flaw IMHO with the twin fans directed straight at your knees/shin; could've directed it a bit more downwards or sideways like the Kawasaki system. City commutes or slow moving traffic - you do feel the heat throughout. This isn't the case with the 800s - the heat would be felt/collected at the knees during snail traffic, but it gets dissipated the moment you ride ahead.

The vibrations are subjective to individual riding styles but yes - it is present. It might be, as neil.jericho pointed out, due to the newer engine and firing order as it is barely there to non-existent in the outgoing 800.

I'm hoping the next iteration of the 900s would address the heat issue and also the vibrations mentioned by the OP and others here.

But epic observations for what I'd say 'A buyer's guide for Tiger 900' topic

[F1 Freak]

As amazing as the new Triumph Tiger 900 is, my choice would always be the Honda Africa Twin and especially now that it comes with a manual. Triumph might be a really good tourer, but personally, the wilderness is what has always attracted me. and that is where the Africa Twin shines. It is merely better than the Tiger in the offroading part. Some other reasons are
1. It's a Honda, definitely more reliable than the Tiger.

2. It has better heat management, this is something that I concluded after I watched lots of reviews and experiences.

3. And last but not the least, the way it looks. Just droolworthy. And looks like it is ready to take on the DAKAR.

[mohansrides]

@Neil,

Thanks for taking the time. A comprehensive assessment indeed.

I must say that the Triumph sales teams keep upping the game compared to other brands. Good on them to have allowed you to get leisurely comfortable with the bikes. That said, I don’t think that we can imagine keeping test or loaner bikes for a few days here in Mumbai.

Coming back to the bikes themselves; I too took a couple of test rides of the new Tigers. The first time around, I rode both the GT and the Rally Pro; then after a month or so, I rode the GT again.

Of the two the GT definitely felt more accessible to me. The Rally just felt uncomfortably tall and top heavy. I could flat-foot the GT easily; and you are right about the 900s enjoying a lower CG than the 800s. I noticed that straightaway. They got that right. Moving on, I didn’t happen to notice what mode it was in. But power was good and all functions were par for the course. Overall the bike felt good; but not great. Certainly not enough to sway me to write a cheque immediately. Here’s why.

Oddly, the problem that I have with the bike is the opposite of what your perceptions were. The GT felt positively small to me. And I am not a tall guy. The ride felt so light that it was almost commuter-ish. While lightness may be a virtue in the long run, I felt like I needed the bike to just occupy more visual space. If I am to pay 16.5 lacs for a bike, I want to look it. Sorry, I know that that sounds horribly shallow. But hey, I have never claimed to have much depth. Owing a big bike for me means exactly that - owning a BIG FREAKING BIKE. All in all, the road presence that I sought was sorely missing on the GT. The Rally, though, had that element present. Still, it too is not the bike for me.

The other issue was that while the new 1-3-2 firing order sounds innovative on paper, I really didn’t like the bike sounding like a twin lower in the revs. I mean, if I wanted a twin, I’d buy a twin. Why would I buy a triple to have it sound like a twin?** I think that they screwed up by taking out that distinctive triple roar until one really starts flogging the bike higher in the revs; and how often does one get to do that on our roads? It’s all low and mid range most of the time in the real world.

Surprisingly, the engine didn’t get too hot on me. Of course I rode it for far less time than you did.

Overall, I came away believing that Triumph are going to have to bring out the next iteration of the 900s pretty soon. This batch feels like a bit of first draft.


P. S.

**Before anyone starts yelling at me that the new firing order has more to do with the way the power and torque are delivered and less to do with the sound, let me say that I understand that fully. But most of us amateurs are not skilled enough or knowledgeable enough to really discern the differences in the dyno outputs. I have been riding for 30 years; and yet, all I do is swing a leg over, start the engine and get going. The only things that I have the ability to appreciate are how the bike sounds; how the machine’s weight feels on the road; and how I think I look on the bike. That’s it.

[bigron]

The 900 has massive shoes to fill. The 800 was a great almost 'full size' starter adventure tourer that ticked more correct boxes then the wrong ones. It was a bike that introduced the amazing world of adventure touring to a lot of first time riders and riders who were new to the genera.

I ve had extensive experience of riding the 800 over multiple off road and mountainous terrains and the bike rarely let me down. I preferred it to the Ducati Multistrada, which was supremely uncomfortable with pathetic ergonomics and the full size GSA which was unreliable and a hand full. Even though it was a category below the full size Adv Tourers, it could keep up with the big boys on most all occasions.

Coming to the 900, when I took it for a longish test ride I felt the bike has taken few steps forward and few backwards. The new engine feels completely different from the 800. It pulls better than before but still has a linear power curve. Since the power (bhp) mostly remains the same the engine is easier to ride then before due to that crucial usable increased torque. I liked how the engine pulled and it was very noticeable compared to the 800. But there were vibes, and enough to take away from the fun. It came in around the 5500-6500 range and just stayed after that. It left my arms and hands buzzy and was a major downer.

Heat from the radiator was prevalent but not enough for me to be to bothered with it. May be due to me riding faired bikes has exposed me to having my legs/thighs roasted in city regularly.

I particularly appreciate the relocation of the air filter, now underneath the seat. The convivence this will bring is immense.

The shift to the Brembo Brake set up over the old Nissin is a very welcome addition. The brake feel and performance has improved considerably.

The electronic set up looked very elaborate specially on the Rally/Pro version and it came with all the nice bells and whistles, heated everything, TPS, Quick shifter etc etc. I did not fiddle or played with the menus and configurations etc.

I did not like the new TFT screen, it looked busy with information all over the place. It was also hard to read on the go.

The GT with it seat set to the lowest setting would not be a problem for shorter riders to flat foot. Good thing for people thinking of getting one but worried about flat footing.

I feel the off road centric Rally would be a better bike than the road centric GT.

Lets see how this one fares.

[imranstael]

It is pretty clear that all of the decisions Triumph made when designing this bike were to increase it's performance offroad.
The differences between the Tiger 800 and 900 ON ROAD are minimal and potentially polarizing as seen from the responses in this thread as well as some reviewers opinions.
But the difference between the 800 and 900 OFF ROAD is staggering. The engine, the ergonomics, the suspension (almost nobody mentioned this) the weight distribution etc make it a complete game changer offroad

The small niggles everyone has pointed out were not mistakes made by Triumph but byproducts of intentional changes geared for a singular offroad purpose:

1. Radiator fan heat: Due to split radiator which was done to accommodate a forward angled engine to lower center of gravity aka an offroad focused change. Split radiator is also naturally resistant to mud caking when riding offroad which clogs up most radiators.

2. The exhaust note/vibrations at high RPM: Firing order change to increase low RPM torque to improve offroad tractability).

3. Smaller visual presence: Bike was intentionally made less bulky to improve vision, and confidence when riding offroad helping riders better place the front end, choose lines, navigate obstacles. Also the bike is around 15 KG lighter than the Tiger 800 which is incredibly useful offroad.


For road focused riders and tourers I can understand how the 900 might seem like a side step or a let down. Or that a comparison can even be made to the Africa Twin or Tiger 800.
But if going offroad is your focus, then the 900 is the clear and unquestioned winner here. It annihilates most of the competition save for the KTM 790/890 or Yamaha Tenere 700, neither of which are available in India.

[k_ajay]

Hey Neil,

What a fantastic write-up. Perhaps one of the most comprehensive review/ impressions I've seen, on the Tiger 900 GT.

Thought I'm not interested in or a prospect of this motorcycle, I still took the time to read the entire write-up. It was that good.

Thanks!

[neil.jericho]

Folks, thanks a lot for all your words of appreciation. I know that I am a few days late in replying but I needed to have some major Triumph detox with everything else that was happening with my Street Triple 675

Anyways, back to the Tiger GT posts and my plans for some feedback on the Rally Pro. I will put up some pictures and feedback on the Rally Pro as well as some thoughts from a friend who owns a Tiger 800, and swapped bikes with me for some time.

Originally Posted by KarthikK

What a fantastic and well written review thread highlighting the pros and cons so candidly! This one can almost be termed an official review or a one stop reference thread for prospects. If this thread is just a ‘Closer look’, I wonder what is in store once you get your hands on the other variants and write your views after returning the bike

High praise indeed, thank you so much. After all that has transpired, I dont know how willing the Triumph dealership team will be to lend me bikes in future. Nonetheless, if they or any other local company dealership is willing to lend me a motorcycle for a few days, I am more than happy to share my views!

Originally Posted by KarthikK

It was interesting to read about the ridiculous console layout and switchgear. With some thick gloves on, those switches look even more cumbersome to operate.

Absolutely! I think riders with big hands are going to struggle for the first few months and then eventually muscle memory should set in. I rode a Tiger 800 for a short duration while I had the Tiger 900 Rally Pro as a loaner, and my mind was so much at ease using switchgear that was designed by people who actually ride bikes! Its hard to believe that with regard to the switchgear, the Tiger 900 is something out of Triumph's factories.

Originally Posted by KarthikK

How was the headlight effectiveness in the dark? I understand most buyers of these big Adv bikes will be fitting big daddy aux lights anyway, but was just curious on the stock lights’ light throw and reach.

I had planned to share details on this when I posted about the Rally Pro. I didnt get to check the headlights since I had the Tiger 900 GT with me just for a day, but I got to sample the Rally Pro in the night. And the headlights are easily the best that I have encountered on a production bike. They are intense and have a good spread and are everything that our local Indian bikes with LED headlights, are not.

If I owned either Tiger 900, I dont see myself needing aux lights. And I say this despite being a strong aux light person, I just loved the confidence that I had with the aux lights on my Royal Enfield Continental GT 535.

Originally Posted by aargee

@Neil - Pls pardon to hijack share a video that's relevant to the title.
For exhaust note comparison between Tiger 800 & 900, this is THE BEST video I've come across

Aargee, thanks for sharing that very useful video. Folks, if you jump ahead to a few minutes into this, you can see the absolutely useless tachometer in action. I dislike it so much that I skipped ahead till the rider blurred out the dash It looks like a pointless WinAmp visualization.

Originally Posted by DharmeshGohil

Fantastic review @Neil.

The Tiger always had a place in my mind before I went out shopping. Even a 2016 model was way out of my budget and finally settled for the VulcanS.

I loved the tiny details captured as part of your review.

I'd love to get an adventure tourer - Someday..!

Thanks DharmeshGohil. The Vulcan certainly is a wonderful bike and someday an adventure tourer should find its way into your garage.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Awesome review Neil.
This will definitely a thread to read before anyone thinks of getting into the Tiger 900.

Ergonomics and ease of use is something that cannot be stressed enough when building a product. Holds true for almost any discipline.

And it looked like they had it covered with the Analogue+ Digital dash mix but with the TFT screen, it has somehow lost itself. While I love the TFT on the 800 and absolutely adore the one on the 900(I have only seen them in video s and pics, haven't used one yet), it took me a really long time on the 800 to get used to how to navigate and use certain options available while on the go to a point where I couldn't concentrate enough on the riding part was becoming a safety hazard on the road.

Handling the switchgear was one another issue, you had to jump between the left and right switchgear just to go to the home menu. But by now with almost a year of using the bike I know where everything is(almost) it still has massive room for improvement which from what you have explained is a shot they missed by a huge margin this time too.

Thanks for your feedback krishnaprasadgg. Honestly, I havent used the switchgear and control system that you described, but using two hands to get to the home menu seems ridiculous. So Triumph at least seem to have fixed that aspect with the Tiger 900. But then they left a lot of things to be fixed with the rest of the interface!

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

I still can't digest the fact that the ODO meter doesn't show up on the screen unless you are toggling the key. It is very tough to find it on the 800 but at least it is there. What's the deal with it not being there on the 900. That's kind of weird.

I think I saw on the Tiger 900 thread over at the Adv Rider forum, that the odometer might be visible in one of the four interfaces and it takes some digging to get it. By the time I saw this, the bike was back at the local Triumph dealership, so I couldnt validate this piece of information. But if it is there, you need to be a rocket scientist to unearth it.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Also the heating issue and random creaks and sounds. I wonder if it's just a TD bike issue or other owners feel the same way, would be great if some 900 owners could comment on this.

I intend to do a TD on the 900 when I plan on doing the yearly service on the 800. Should be an interesting day I hope.

Good question. Now this is my feedback on the 2 test ride bikes available at the Cochin dealership, for those reading this in other cities and heading to your local dealership, please remember your mileage may vary (YMMV)! The Rally Pro didnt creak as much as the GT. And amazingly, the Rally Pro did not run as hot as the GT. I repeat, the Rally Pro was a lot cooler than the GT, I am baffled that the dealership folks havent spotted this difference.

But overall the Rally Pro test ride bike was a lot more gruff than the GT so once the Rally Pro gets into the vibey end of business, it doesnt feel too bad because the low end is also not smooth.

I shared this feedback with the dealership team multiple times, telling them that they would lose sales if they dont take care of the test ride bikes. Even when they were upset with my thread on the issues that I faced with them, and came to meet me, I reminded them about this.

As for the earlier responses that I got from the dealership team, on the condition of the bikes
- GT : One person told me it was serviced but the date was set wrongly (it was something in the year 2000 or so) and hence the service light warning icon was blinking. The other person separately told me that the bike was not serviced and hence the service light warning icon was blinking. I believe what the first person told me was correct. Either way, the dealership hasnt caught the tremendous heat (I get nightmares about this after what my bike has been through ....) being emanated from the GT.
- Rally Pro : This has seen a lot more kilometers and most of it has been off road and hard usage. So they admit that the bike is running a lot more gruff than expected and this is very noticeable to a customer when compared to the GT. Why it is running less hot, is something that will never be solved.

Im interested if the bikes are still in the same condition when you go for your test ride.

Originally Posted by evilmessiah

Tasteful purchase and loved your write-up as usual! Your pic locations are serious nostalgia triggers! Missing home badly.

While I love the Tiger 900, I would have struggled with this thing's size, weight and the heat generated in Cochin. Hats off to you in managing this hulk! Have you sold your Conti GT535, btw?

The Cochin Triumph dealership is the one at Syamadynamic (next to Yes Bank), right? I heard some mixed opinions about their service. Keep an eye out and let us know how their service quality is. Subbing to this thread and rating it 5 stars.

Nice to find a fellow Cochin-ite. I havent pulled the trigger yet, I just got the Tiger 900 GT and then the Tiger 900 Rally Pro while the dealership was trying to fix some heat management issues that they introduced on my bike. Eventually they gave up trying and left it to me to fix it, so their iffy service reputation is well deserved.

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Lovely review Neil, thank you for taking us up close and personal with the Tiger 900.

I would stay away from this one solely due to the vibrations and heat generated. Like someone mentioned it would be interesting to know if these issues are only on the test ride bike, doubtful though. I wouldn’t want to spend so much money on a vibrating stove irrespective of the other positives.

It always surprises me how retailers don’t keep test ride vehicles in great shape as mostly their sales depend on making a positive impression when we take a test ride. “It’s a test ride bike/car Sir and has been abused” is a common statement by showrooms which sounds so lame and stupid.

Cheers

Thanks for your words of appreciation Cyborg. The heat issue seems to be restricted to the GT test ride bike here but the Rally Pro has more vibes everywhere. So the worst of both worlds, when it comes to the test ride bikes.

But after handing the Rally Pro back, I rode my Triumph Street Triple on the exact same route as what I did with that bike, despite the fan running continuously issue on my Street Triple, I was more comfortable door to door on my 675 than the Tiger 900. The vibes on the Tiger 900 end up tiring you out like anything, especially if you ride for a few hours.

Originally Posted by Sebring

Superb review Neil. I still recall the heat emanating from this beast is really intense. In fact I was riding one in Hyderabad, and the engine was already hot with my friend riding it all day. After few minutes I see that the glue holding my expensive Timberland shoes together, completely melted and gave way. You do need special clothing to tame it, right?

Thanks for your feedback, Sebring. My eyes nearly popped when I saw your shoes!!! Fortunately my riding gear was safe from this.

Originally Posted by StepUP!

Thank you for your detailed and honest review of this beast! I must say I am quite surprised and saddened by the cons you mentioned. I thought they would improve Tiger in every way in this iteration.
Vibrations above 5000 rpm, emanating heat at all speeds, build quality and switchgear issues, lost exhaust rumble is sad.
To me it looks like they improved a little but lost too much in this iteration.
I ride Versys 650 and always drool over Tigers, GS, Multistradas, Africa Twins. And this Tiger 900 cons make me sad.

Thanks StepUP! I believe that you have summed it up perfectly with this one line. After quite a few hundred kilometers with both Tiger 900 test bikes under my belt, I am left thinking of how much better the bikes could have been engineered, instead of marvelling at how well they have actually been manufactured.

Originally Posted by CrazyStuff

I too had tested the same bike last day and this is exactly the same experience I had with the engine heat.. I am 5.7 tall and it might be because of my height, two of my friends who tested the bike didn't had that much issue.. the bike was heating like an oven and unbearable at times.. we did a back-to-back with BMW F900XR and the couldn't felt any heat!

CrazyStuff, I wonder when the dealership team will fix their test ride bikes! I am yet to check out the BMW bike, but as you said, back to back with the 900XR, the heat seems to be unmissable.

Originally Posted by TheVaas

The 900's dash, in person, is like an iPad mini. I'm assuming the designers were trying to give it a more 'immersive experience' with the graphics considering a lot of them are 3D-esque; but probably messed up the overall symmetry.

You are probably right about the immersive experience angle, TheVaas. But on the go, what a rider does not need is a dash that is immersive! A quick glance to see the required information is all that we ask for!

Originally Posted by TheVaas

But epic observations for what I'd say 'A buyer's guide for Tiger 900' topic

I agree with your points. Thanks for the appreciation!

Originally Posted by mohansrides

@Neil,

Thanks for taking the time. A comprehensive assessment indeed.

Thanks for the compliment!

Originally Posted by mohansrides

I must say that the Triumph sales teams keep upping the game compared to other brands. Good on them to have allowed you to get leisurely comfortable with the bikes. That said, I don’t think that we can imagine keeping test or loaner bikes for a few days here in Mumbai.

The reason that I got it for so long was because they messed up with my earlier service and got caught for some coverups and false claims.

I dont think that they would have given me the test ride bikes for more than an hour or two, had I been a regular prospective customer, despite being a Triumph owner. I do remember asking them for test rides of a couple of bikes earlier and these never materialized and I never chased them also.

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Coming back to the bikes themselves; I too took a couple of test rides of the new Tigers. The first time around, I rode both the GT and the Rally Pro; then after a month or so, I rode the GT again.

That was quite interesting. I felt that visually, and I mean specifically in terms of size, it ticked the right boxes for me. Of course, there is no right or wrong answer here. It differs from rider to rider.

Originally Posted by imranstael

But the difference between the 800 and 900 OFF ROAD is staggering. The engine, the ergonomics, the suspension (almost nobody mentioned this) the weight distribution etc make it a complete game changer offroad

Valid points imranstael, I cant argue with any of them. Im not an offroad guy, so the Tiger 900 Rally Pro just did not tug at my heart.

Originally Posted by k_ajay

Hey Neil,

What a fantastic write-up. Perhaps one of the most comprehensive review/ impressions I've seen, on the Tiger 900 GT.

Thought I'm not interested in or a prospect of this motorcycle, I still took the time to read the entire write-up. It was that good.

Thanks!

Thanks k_ajay!

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Superb review Neil. I still recall the heat emanating from this beast is really intense. In fact I was riding one in Hyderabad, and the engine was already hot with my friend riding it all day. After few minutes I see that the glue holding my expensive Timberland shoes together, completely melted and gave way. You do need special clothing to tame it, right?

The fans direct heat on your shoes?

Something not quite right, bro.

[Sebring]

Did I say fans, bro? It's just the radiating heat

Originally Posted by Otto

The fans direct heat on your shoes? Something not quite right, bro.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Did I say fans, bro? It's just the radiating heat

not quite the point - the engine and chassis on the 900 GT have never been reported to get hot at all.

The only issue I see from this review are the radiator and fans.

My own test drive didn't reveal this issues at all and that TD bike was abused.

I do discount that it was winters (in mumbai) and therefore I didn't feel any heat, for sure as hell (pun intended) not on my shoes.


So, my real question is - are we still talking about the 900 or the 800 where this problem was ubiquitous?