Triumph has introduced six new motorcycles that'll be part of its new 2020 Tiger 900 line-up. The models include the Tiger 900, Tiger 900 GT, 900 GT Low, 900 GT Pro, 900 Rally, and the 900 Rally Pro. The Tiger 900 will be the base offering, and as the suffixes suggest, the GT and GT Pro will be the touring-biased iterations, while the Rally and Rally Pro are better equipped for use off-road. The new line-up will replace the existing Tiger 800 range of bikes, so let's take a look at what's new.
For starters, the Tiger 900 bikes now get more aggressive styling that's most prominent at the front thanks to the new LED headlights – a visual update similar to the one the Street Triple RS got. The cosmetic changes have also resulted in the Tiger 900 range looking more adventure-oriented.
The entire line-up is powered by a new 888cc triple that produces 9 percent more power in the mid-range with a peak figure of 95hp coming in at 8,750rpm. Peak torque has also gone up by 10 percent when compared to the Tiger 800 models, and is now at 87Nm at 7,250rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox paired to a slip and assist clutch.
The GT Pro and Rally Pro also feature a bi-directional quickshifter. The duo also get heated seats and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
The engine sits inside a new steel trellis frame that's lighter thanks to an aluminium bolt-on subframe. Suspension duties, meanwhile, are handled by a 45mm non-adjustable USD fork and a preload-adjustable monoshock at the rear, on the base 900. The GT and GT Pro, on the other hand, feature a 45mm USD fork with compression and rebound damping, and a rear monoshock with preload and rebound adjustability. All of the aforementioned bikes offer 180mm of wheel travel at the front and 170mm at the rear. The Rally and Rally Pro get their suspension hardware from Showa with a fully adjustable 45mm USD fork and monoshock, offering 240mm and 230mm of wheel travel, respectively. The bikes also feature top-end Brembo Stylema brakes with four four-piston calipers and 320mm discs at the front, and a single-piston caliper with a 255mm disc at the back.
The GT and Rally versions receive the same setup but with the addition of optimised cornering ABS. The road-biased bikes feature a 19-inch front and a 17-inch rear, while the Rally and Rally Pro get 21-inch front spoked wheels. Also aiding their touring capabilities are the larger 20-litre fuel tank.
A comprehensive electronics package includes up to six riding modes, with the base Tiger 900 getting only two – Rain and Road. The top-end 900 Rally Pro offers Rain, Road, Sport, Off-road, Off-road Pro and a rider configurable mode. The Off-road and Off-road Pro modes also have an anti-stall feature that increases idle revs to prevent stalling.
At the moment, only the base Tiger 900's price has been revealed, and it costs at £9,500 (Rs 8.85 lakh), which is just £300 more than the base Tiger 800. What remains to be seen is how the bike will be priced in India.
Azaman Chothia
