THE RIGHT STUFF
This is a somewhat frustrating tale. It’s one of excitement and of great promise, ultimately dampened by a single, yet very important, factor. There are many moments of redemption, but I know full well there is more to this story than I can convey.
This is a bike I truly lusted to test ride — more so than even the Ténéré 700, which arrived at a point when I’d contracted Sneak Peek Fatigue from three years of Yamaha’s teasing. The 900's new look clearly follows the lead set by its 1200cc brother, but the aesthetics represent just a fraction of what Triumph is offering. This is a very different approach by the company and they haven’t done this by halves.
The ‘Tiger’ moniker actually dates back well before 2010, with straight dirtbike models being produced and competing in the International Six Day Enduro way back in 1936. In a full circle recall, Triumph last produced a Tiger 900 in 1993, a model that would represent the first adventure model. The company then released the well-known 800 in 2010 and while it’s always had an amazing engine, I’ve never gelled with the front-end offroad. But the 800
