A CHANGE, they say, is as good as a rest. But with the latest Triumph Tiger, that’s simply not the case. Massively overhauled and unleashed on the public last year, the big triple has proved a huge sales success. It’s tall, it’s sleek and it’s hugely capable. Fortunately it hasn’t changed a jot for 2008.

The latter-day Tiger was originally designed as an adventure tourer, suited as much to Cabot Circus as crossing the Alps. But Triumph realised that, despite its off-road styling, Tiger owners were rarely heading off the beaten track. So come the inevitable revamp, out went the distinctive traillie look of round headlights, handlebar protectors and knobbly tyres, and in came a much more aggressive machine with a definite road bias.

The Tiger mutated into a sharp, urban sports tourer, featuring modern slit headlamps, a muscular tank, a beautifully upswept tail and the same bombproof engine as seen in the Speed Triple and the Sprint ST. A revised chassis, smaller wheels and a reinforced swingarm helped the portly Tiger shed a not-inconsiderable 17 kilos, while an extra 10bhp gave the new bike a real sporting element. As such, Triumph haven’t seen fit to mess with it for this year. Besides, they’ve probably been too busy sorting the new fuel injection systems for their remaining carb-fed models.

I last rode a Tiger on the launch in late 2006 and remember being impressed with its versatility, but not exactly smitten. Could the chance to spend a week with one spark more of a bond? Fortunately, given the poor state of the roads this February, Fowlers furnished me with an ABS model which costs just £600 more than the standard. I’m not a fan of ABS on summer days on decent roads, but on greasy, part-flooded roads with the glare from a low sun it can certainly have its uses.

There’s certainly no question marks over the Tiger’s appearance. It looks magnificent in jet black with gold upside-down forks, braided hoses, chrome high-level exhaust and shiny black engine casing. But it’s out on the open road that it really comes into its own. The 1050cc triple is a blast throughout the rev range. Not only does it do everything you ask of it, it does it all so well. Low down torque combines with useful wide bars for zipping through the traffic; effortless mid-range grunt makes tricky back roads a joy; and with 114bhp on tap and a lazy top gear, it‘s a relaxed cruiser on the motorways.

Comfort-wise too, there are no complaints. At six-foot tall, I’m still tiptoes on the floor, but the added height allows for a commanding view over cars and hedgerows for some proper forward planning and, therefore, increased average speed. Even giving the Tiger some beans over the week saw a pretty fair return of 50mpg, and that’s not bad for a muscular bike like this.

High quality Nissin radial callipers and floating discs ensure the Tiger can slow down quickly too. My only niggle was a rather notchy gearbox which took some effort to get back down to first for the lights, but I dare say with a few more miles on the clock it should smooth itself out. On the upside though, rolling off the throttle with a dipped clutch adds a lovely crackling soundtrack to your ride. And with more suspension travel than on a sports bike, the Tiger just soaks up the bumps, while its 5.2 gallon tank will see at least 250 miles between stops.

With its all-round practicality and strong sporting performance this really is a bike for all occasions. There are very few genuine all-round motorcycles in existence, but the Tiger is most certainly one of them.

Article written: Feb 07, 2008

The Triumph Tiger 1050 was kindly loaned by Fowlers Motorcycles of Bath Road, Bristol. For more information about test rides, call Fowlers on 0117 977 0466.

Price: £7,999 (@ Jan 2009) 

Engine: 1050cc, in-line triple

Power: 114 bhp at 9,400rpm

Torque: 74lb.ft at 6,250rpm

Transmission: six-speed

Weight: 198kg

Fuel capacity: 20 litres

Top speed: 145 mph (est)

Seat height: 835mm

by Jon Bennett