MoreBikes editor Ross is over in Spain at the launch testing of Triumph’s Tiger 900 GT and Rally Pro. Here are his first impressions:
Kicked off the day with a relaxed ride up into the hills above Malaga on the Rally Pro. Despite the greasy, slightly damp roads, the bike has shone. Its silky smooth triple motor and gearbox are highlights, but everything from the brakes to the dash is bang on.
It looks trick, too, laden with all the necessary adventure goodies, including spoked wheels and a bash plate. Though sadly the new aftermarket Akropovic exhaust wasn’t fitted (though thankfully, it sounds fruity enough as standard).
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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 Styleema’s.
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.
With the roads beginning to dry, we’ve had a chance to push on, and I’ve been incredibly impressed by how agile and nimble it feels. It’s properly versatile, too – just as happy crawling through town as being thrown through twisties and manoeuvring switchback after switchback.
With a £14495 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 (though I’ll save my final judgement for tomorrow, after spending the day blasting about off-road at the Triumph Adventure Centre).
This afternoon, I’m handing over the keys for the Rally Pro and jumping on the more road-focused GT Pro. Sit tight if you’re keen to hear how that fares, as we’ll be back with our first impressions later.
Update!! Ross has sent more words…
Yesterday afternoon gave us the chance to put the GT Pro to the test. Apologies if you were waiting for our first impressions – the internet up in the hills hasn’t been the most reliable.
With a slightly lower seat (which is adjustable between 820-840mm) and the handlebars slighter further away, it feels different to the Rally – though it’s still plenty roomy for my 6ft 1″ frame, with good wind protection from its big screen too.
I sang the praises of the Rally Pro on the road, but in some ways, the GT is better. That probably doesn’t come as a great surprise. The smaller 19-inch front wheel and more compact Marzocchi suspension are the big differences, making it sharper turning and more settled when pushing on.
Other than that, it’s essentially the same as the Rally Pro. It does everything well – and remains an excellent option if you’re after a top adventure bike for the road. Its £13895 price tag might feel steep, but when you factor in its heated grips and centre stand, it’s pretty much bang on the money when it comes to the competition.
Today, we’re out on the trails with the Rally Pro. Check back in later today if you want to hear how it goes! (Now in! See below)
Update number two!
We’ve been out on the trails near 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.
The middleweight adventure bike market is seriously competitive at the moment. The Triumph’s 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.
That said, it’s massively surprised me 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 yesterday, 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 a standard.
We’ve 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 massively impressed with the latest generation of Tiger 900s. Undoubtedly, 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.
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, I reckon…
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