Those with a finger on motorcycling’s pulse know that the middleweight ADV segment is pumping, and more manufacturers are syncing to the market’s beat. That means potent competition, hence why Triumph is revisiting its feature-rich Tiger 900 platform four short years after its debut. Catering to riders across the ADV spectrum, the three-bike lineup returns with a 13-percent increase in power from its spicy T-Plane inline-triple, a new TFT dash borrowed from the Tiger 1200 range, and tweaked electronics.
Annually refreshing a range isn’t uncommon in the two and four-wheeled spaces, but where does one go when your Tigers are leaders in the pack? Looking past the technical updates, the Brits have also honed the Tiger 900 family to its most salient offerings. The GT and GT Pro handle Sport-Touring duties with cast-alloy wheels and road-leaning 19-inch fronts. Meanwhile, the Rally Pro lives up to its name, hangs a 21-incher up front, and has long-travel suspension ready to take a pounding off-road.
Since the Tigers pounded onto the scene, they’ve been some of the coolest cats in the concrete jungle, thanks to a well-appointed list of standard equipment. Heated grips and seats, bi-directional quickshifters for clutchless shifting, one-hand adjustable windscreens, centerstands, and multiple ride modes give the Tiger 900 range a leg-up against the competition at large, giving consumers what they want right out of the gate instead of nickel and diming them with options—lookin’ at you BMW and KTM. So, when Triumph staffers said that the Tigers had sunk their claws into 45,000 customers thus far, it didn’t come as a surprise.
That brings us to picturesque Malaga, Spain, where Triumph lets us unleash its updated GT Pro in the surrounding hilly country before taking us to the El Torcal de Antequera preserve to let the Rally Pro hunt in its natural habitat.
Sitting at the heart of each Tiger is the ultra-smooth, revamped 888cc triple-cylinder engine, featuring its ingenious uneven “T-Plane” firing order that’s bestowed it with luscious V-twin-like low to midrange grunt without skimping on high-revving hijinks we expect from 3-pot mills. This year, we’re seeing more punch starting halfway through the revs, continuing clear through the redline, notably around 7,500 where the prior unit lost most of its steam. The usual engineering tricks of the trade are put into play, updating the head, cams, pistons, and intake trumpets, resulting in a dyno chart netting a claimed 107 horsepower and 66.4 lb-ft of torque at the crank.
The Tiger charms with tractable power delivery that a wide swath of riders can bask in, making good use of its torque in low-grip dirt situations just as it does on asphalt. Suppose that isn’t enough; the standard Rain, Road, Sport, and Off-Road (rear ABS is disabled) ride modes offer sweetly tuned throttle maps and rider aid settings that are well-matched to their respective names. On that note, the Rally Pro goes farther with Off-Road Pro, disabling TC and ABS altogether. Even more, a more efficient exhaust system is said to be responsible for a 9-percent boost in fuel economy, giving it a theoretical 264-mile range out of the 5.3-gallon fuel tank. Those internal changes have raised the valve inspection interval to 18,000 miles, helping ease maintenance costs. Performance and practicality can live harmoniously, friends.
Their distinctions start to leap out between the Tigers when taking the reins. Yes, the new TFT display is the same: larger, far easier to read, and intuitive to navigate. Nor has the steel-trellis frame and aluminum swingarm changed, yet the GT Pro and Rally Pro have unique personalities between them.
Leaning into its Grand Tour namesake, the road-biased Tiger 900 GT Pro has Marzocchi units with 180mm front and 170mm rear travel. Notably, the non-adjustable fork is accompanied by an electronically adjustable shock—we don’t mean semi-active suspension that adjusts damping on the fly; it simply adjusts spring preload and damping via the dash. A quick menu fiddling can firm things up to compensate for taste, passengers, and luggage while keeping my paws off any tools.
The Italian suspenders keep the GT Pro in shape while winding through any number of Spanish bends and do it comfortably. The cast-alloy 19-inch wheel isn’t a compromise regarding road manners, either, as it transitions with exuberance, thriving on the edge of Metzeler Tourance rubber, where spirited riders will start touching down footpegs.
That does stand in contrast to the Rally Pro and its fully adjustable Showa suspension, providing 240mm and 230mm of trail-busting travel, front, and rear, respectively. Those with dirt under their fingernails will immediately rub their hands together in anticipation and slap chunky Michelin Anakee Wild OE-approved tires onto its 21-inch wire-spoke front wheel. Together, the Rally Pro gobbled up the sinewy fire roads for breakfast, blasted through rocky spots as a snack, and even feasted on the few jumps we had crossed our paths.
It took everything we could throw at it with a smile and oozes confidence off-road. It’d be easy to look at the lanky Rally Pro and assume it doesn’t have street chops, but for all its off-road prowess and when fitted with its standard Bridgestone Battlax Adventure rubber, it sacrifices surprisingly little against the GT Pro. Yes, yes, the turn-in rate is slower and slightly wigglier due to its higher COG, though it’s undeniably touring capable, slotting into that “tall-arounder,” category nicely.
So, why two models? Well, the GT is significantly shorter, and that has appeal for shorter riders or those who aren’t concerned with riding off-road. The redesigned, flatter, two-position seats stand at 820-840mm (GT Pro) and a seemingly towering 860-880mm (Rally Pro)—you’ll hear no complaints from me regarding ergonomics or comfort, as the Pro models have heated everything and came in handy during our chilly morning ride.
Moreover, the leggy Rally Pro doesn’t appear unwieldy, even at low speeds and when dealing with technical terrain, which I’d attribute to the well-thought-out rider triangle. Sure, offerings hailing from Austria might edge out a win when viewed through a narrow off-road scope, though that comes at the cost of road manners, and the Tiger Rally Pro makes no real compromise. Both bikes feature rubber-mounted handlebars, further negating bad vibes from the engine, while the Rally Pro draws its grips closer for greater comfort when standing.
Returning to the fold is the same top-shelf Brembo hardware as before for each model, and it performs as we expect: Quite well. What’s new for the Tigers is linked braking, which engages the rear brake in the road-focused modes as the rider uses the front. Additionally, the rear lighting also flashes under hard braking, signaling vehicles behind. We’ll also give a big nod to the Off-Road tuned ABS modes on the Rally Pro, which, along with the lenient TC, will help newer ADV riders find their footing in the dirt.
Where that leaves us is in a good place. The Triumph Tiger 900 family flexed its feature-rich muscles and leaves owners wanting for nothing. Triumph reached into its familiar bag of engineering tricks to tease more power out of the exhilarating 888cc triple-cylinder engine, and comfort is also given a second look with an even more refined package. The top-spec Rally Pro is as versatile as they come, ready for rough-and-tumble off-road work and chow down countless road miles in luxury on the same day. Meanwhile, the GT Pro runs with ADV styling and bakes it into a competent Sport-Touring package. Whatever set of keys you reach for is worth having in my book.
