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. That’s just what our editor Ross has done…
A relaxed 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 a bit more power and torque (as a result of a load of updates to the motor). 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’s never felt unsettled.
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With the roads beginning to dry, we got a good chance to push on, and I was incredibly impressed by how agile and nimble it felt despite its 21-inch front. It’s properly versatile, too, just as happy crawling through town as being thrown through twisties and manoeuvring switchback after switchback.
We also got the chance to take the trails around the Triumph Adventure Centre on the Rally Pro. It proved excellent on the road, but the big question is if it can hold its own in the dirt. In short. Yes. Yes it can.
It surprises me massively with just how capable it is. With the traction control and ABS switched off in the Off-Road Pro riding mode, it feels ready for almost anything. There have been a few minor tweaks to the model we rode on the road, including adding some off-road pegs, removing the centre stand, softening the suspension and rolling the bars forward. There’s also an excellent 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). There are also some different tyres. We’ve been running some Michelin Anakee Wilds, but you’ll get Bridgestone Battlax Adventures as standard.
We’d not tackled anything particularly technical, spending most of the time cutting around on fire trails, though there have been 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.
I’ve been properly impressed with the latest generation Tiger 900 Rally Pro. The GT Pro is an excellent road bike, but 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, it’s worth every single penny.
It’s been a couple of days exploring some of Andalucia’s finest roads and trails, and the Tiger has been the perfect companion. I’m already thinking about getting my hands on one back home. That speaks volumes.
