Triumph Tiger 900 GT Test Ride Review

2021 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Review

Bike Tested: Triumph Tiger 900 GT; Road Test No. 1314; Test Location: Mumbai

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 16,38,521/-

The Tiger 900 GT is the road-biased adventure tourer motorcycle from the Tiger 900 lineup in India

Across the globe, Triumph is well-known for its Tiger lineup. The Tiger range of motorcycles is the sole reason for the craze and recognition the brand has in our country. So much so that it is the dream bike of many who aspire to travel to Ladakh. The 900 GT replaces the Tiger 800 XRx and does feel like a worthy successor. Recently, we got our hands on the Tiger 900 GT and we tested it to the core! From touring and off-roading to day-to-day city usage, we put it through all of it to see whether it is the Jack of all trades carrying all the multi-potentiality of the Tiger badge.

MotorQuest: The Triumph Tiger has a long history, its roots date back to more than 80 years! The first bike with the Tiger nametag was actually a classic motorbike, it was called the Tiger 70. However, the first ADV to bear the Tiger nametag were the Tiger 900 and 955i which was launched in 2001. The brand entered the Indian market in 2014 with its complete lineup. By 2018, 900 units of Tiger bikes were sold in India.

Styling – Like every other motorcycle from the Tiger lineup, this one too looks extremely robust and purposeful. It looks heavy and bulky and dominates the road with its awe-inspiring and daunting presence. The 900 GT gets Triumph’s signature bug-eyed LED headlamp with a unibrow DRL along with the chiselled beak gives it an intense growly look. The bronze tri-exhaust pipes merge into a single unit and form the trident structure which looks quite divine. Although the engine bash plate is small, it feels quite sturdy. Looking at it from the sides, the first thing to grab your attention is the skillfully crafted engine which is finished in matte ivory and matte black treatment.

The split radiator setup is a smart touch and looks extremely purposeful

Just above the engine sits the beautiful and simple tank. The subframe of the bike is finished in contrasting silver colour. Further on, the upswept exhaust looks pretty dope too. However, the poorly designed saree guard robs away the overall charm of this machine. The tail section is quite plain and boring, they could have been a little adventurous with the taillight design of the 900 GT. Triumph offers the Tiger 900 range in three colour options- Pure white, Sapphire black, and Korosi red. Overall, the bike looks very stunning and attracts a ton of attention wherever it goes.

Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – The Tiger 900 range gets a massive 7-inch coloured TFT display which is very well equipped with tech and features. It gets a sharp resolution and the font size makes it pretty easy to read. There is a slew of adjustability features too. You can change the display contrast, theme colour, and if you are multilingual, you can also change the language! Apart from the basic knick-knacks, it also packs a service reminder, engine temperature gauge, clock, etc. This cluster is Bluetooth ready, however, the Bluetooth module isn’t standard on the GT variant. And if you opt for it, you can control your music, manage your Bluetooth headset, GoPro and get turn-by-turn navigation via the My Triumph application.

With its mighty TFT instrument cluster, the Tiger 900 GT sets the benchmark for the competition to follow

The left switchgear is very busy with a total of 9 buttons! At the back, you have a traditional pass-light switch, heated seat control, headlamp on-off switch, high-low beam switch, just beside that is the cruise control switch and right below it sits the “m” button which toggles the riding modes, moving down you have an indicator switch and just underneath that is the horn button and a 5-way joystick. Not to forget, the button to control the heated grips is placed on the grip itself.

On the right switchgear, you have a hazard light switch at the top followed by an integrated engine kill switch with a starter button and right below that is the home button. The quality of the switchgear is too good! The buttons offer satisfying tactile clicks and brilliant feedback. With that said, the combination of the instrument cluster and the switchgear is perfect, to say the least. The Tiger 900 GT scores full marks in the instrument cluster and switchgear department.

Ergonomics – In the adventure bike segment, ergonomics are a crucial factor, and Triumph has made sure that the 900 GT ticks all the boxes. To start with, the 900 GT gets a two-step adjustable seat which lowers the seat height from 830 mm to 810 mm, making it accessible for short riders. Moreover, there is ample space for the rider as well as the pillion plus, the seat is very plush and comfortable. Moving on, the positioning of the footpegs and handlebar results in a very upright seating posture that gives a great sense of control and balance at all times. As the mirrors have a convenient oval shape, they offer a wide view of what’s behind. The grab rail for the pillion doubles up as a utilitarian top-box mount.

Performance – Thrusting the Triumph Tiger 900 GT is a brand-new 888cc triple-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor that churns out 95.2 PS of power at 8750 RPM and 87 Nm of torque at 7250 RPM. This motor gets a unique 1-3-2 firing order which has resulted in improved engine feedback and tractability however, due to this, the signature triple-cylinder symphony has vanished. The power delivery is quite linear, and it builds in sync with the RPMs, the bike doesn’t particularly feel bland at any point. The gearbox on the 900 GT is a 6-speed unit with a slip-and-assist clutch that ensures fussless shifts every time. This bike hits the ton in under 4 seconds and achieves the top speed of 200 km/hr with still some breath to go.

Though the signature whistle and symphony of the engine have taken a hit, the throttle response has drastically improved

For the most part, this engine is very smooth but when you start pushing it hard and fast, some vibrations find their way to the handlebar and footpegs but, it’s nothing too much to worry about. The GT variant gets four riding modes – rain, road, sport and off-road which alter the power delivery, ABS sensitivity and throttle response. The new split radiator liquid-cooling system is more efficient than before but still, the engine does heat up quite a lot in stop-go traffic conditions. On our test, the Tiger 900 GT managed to return an average fuel economy of 19-21 km/l and from a 20-litre fuel tank, expect it to take you on for 400 km.

Riding Dynamics – Upfront, the 900 GT gets a manually adjustable rebound and compression dampening USD setup and an adjustable mono-shock at the rear. This setup is very versatile, it absorbs the worst of bumps and potholes without any issue, offers excellent straight-line stability and brilliant balance while cornering. The new tubular steel frame chassis offers decent flex and grants abundant feedback while cornering too. The handlebar feels very direct offering exact precision and control. Despite weighing 194 kg, it changes its direction on-demand and it doesn’t let you feel its dimensions while filtering through the city.

The Tiger 900 GT is an effortless mile-munching machine, it’s more of a semi faired streetfighter with long-travel suspension!

The Metzeler Tourance tyres are more biased towards comfortable high-speed cruising and handling broken roads but are prone to losing traction on muddy and loose gravel surfaces. However, if you happen to find yourself in challenging terrain, the switchable ABS does come in handy. Triumph doesn’t reveal the exact ground clearance but we suspect it to be close to 200 mm which is more than enough. The Tiger 900 GT is backed by the industry-leading Brembo Stylema brakes. It packs dual 320 mm discs and a 255 mm disc at the rear. In conclusion, if your primary focus is effortless cruising and mediocre off-roading you should get the 900 GT, however, if you want to all-in hardcore offroading, you should look at the Rally Pro variant.

Verdict – At Rs. 16,38,521/- (on-road, Mumbai) the Triumph 900 GT is your entry ticket to join the heritage-rich legacy of the Triumph Tiger. It directly competes with the BMW F 900 XR and the price difference between the two is a whopping Rs. 2,00,000/-. However, we would have liked the pricing to be more aggressive, as seen with the Trident 660. Nevertheless, the 900 GT is an excellent package that excels in various aspects. It is a very capable tourer and that wouldn’t hesitate to do anything you ask for. The 900 GT indeed carries the multi-potentiality of the Tiger badge and you should definitely consider buying it.

What’s Cool

* Best-in-class instrument cluster
* Vastly customizable with 66 dedicated accessories
* Excellent ride and handling balance with comfortable ergonomics

What’s Not So Cool

* Bluetooth connectivity isn’t offered as standard
* Stock setup isn’t great in off-road riding conditions
* Has various lifestyle features but lacks a centre stand

2021 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Specifications

* Engine: 888cc, Triple-Cylinder, Liquid-Cooled
* Power: 95.2 PS @ 8750 RPM
* Torque: 87 Nm @ 7250 RPM
* Fuel Type: Petrol
* Fuel Consumption: 20-22 km/l
* Frame: Split-tubular steel frame
* Gearbox: 6-Speed
* Tyres: 110/80/19 (Front), 150/70/17 (Rear)
* Suspension: USD forks (Front), Monoshock (Rear); Marzocchi
* Brakes: Dual 320 mm Discs (Front), 255 mm Disc (Rear); Dual-Channel ABS

2021 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Dimensions

* Width x Height: 930 mm x 1460 mm
* Wheelbase: 1556 mm
* Seat Height: 810-830 mm (Adjustable)
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 20-litres
* Kerb weight: 194 Kgs