ADVENTURE awaits, with the go anywhere 2020 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro. Packed with features, this tourer is the perfect long-distance explorer, and features an upgraded aggressive design with improved ergonomics.
The modular frame is 9kg lighter than before, and includes a removeable subframe. Rider and passenger get heated seats, and there’s heated hand grips too. A new LED headlight with daytime running light, LED turn signals and tail lamp, and LED fog lights also feature.
Power has also increased, with the new 900cc liquid-cooled 12-valve DOHC in-line 3-cylinder triple engine providing a unique 1,3,2 firing order that gets your attention at idle. There’s something exciting about this bike, and its smooth and responsive power delivery.
Offering 70kW of power and 87Nm of torque, the 2020 2020 Tiger 900 GT Pro delivers right across the rev range, with enough torque to pull you out of corners, even without the need to drop down a gear or two.
The sound it produces could win a Grammy Award, it’s just that awesome. From a standstill, the traction control will help keep you under control in all road conditions, even with aggressive throttle inputs.
A great feature for us is that you can switch it over to sport mode and easily lift the front wheel or break traction if you choose too. The six speed transmission is smooth and features a quick shifter that is one of the best we have experienced.
The Tiger will happily shift at any engine rpm or throttle percentage, ultra fast and smooth. Equally impressive is the clutch-less down shifts, with an auto blip feature that not only aids in smooth down shifts at speed but also sounds great.
There’s a downside here though, in that the clutch at take off from a standstill has basically zero feeling to it. It takes a bit of getting used to. That said, the engine will raise revs automatically to prevent stalling.
The gearing is just how we like it too. First is short enough to creep in traffic with the clutch out and sixth gear is long enough to be comfortable at highway speeds. The brakes are excellent and come with the top spec Bremo Stylema high performance callipers.
The front has twin 320mm floating front discs, with 4 piston callipers and is backed up with a rear single 255mm disc and single piston calliper. Both feature ABS and stop the bike very quickly and with confidence, even on wet roads.
The front end is held up by high quality Marzocchi 45mm upside down forks with rebound and compression adjustment. The rear features a Marzocchi electronically controlled adjustable preload shock which can be easily adjusted while on the move.
It’s all controlled via the instrument display and handle bar controls, and the suspension is great overall. You can set it up nice and soft for the long touring rides and it will soak up all the bumps, or stiffen it up and attack the corners with confidence.
The Metzeler tyres provide plenty of grip and the tyre pressure monitoring system will alert the rider if there are any issues. Instrumentation is excellent, with a customisable full colour 7.0-inch TFT LCD display.
We like that you can choose what stats you want to see on the screen, or turn them all off and just show the main ones like speed and revs.
There are also five riding modes (Road, Rain, Sport, Off-Road and Rider Programable). Each mode alters the throttle response, ABS and traction control to help assist with the different riding conditions.
It also has Bluetooth, which you can pair with your smartphone to use with the My Triumph app, to enable phone calls and music operation, as well as displaying GPS navigation and GoPro controls.
The phone and music operation worked well but unfortunately, we were unable to get the GPS navigation to work. Some research tells us it’s a common issue. What’s missing is Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which really should be included in 2020.
The switch blocks on the handle bars are well placed and easy to use. They also illuminate at night, making it easy to see the individual switches. Storage does not come standard, but once fitted is a great optional extra that can be added or removed in seconds.
There is a small compartment under the pillion seat for a phone, which has foam padding and a cover to protect your device while it’s charging from the provided USB port. Two 12v sockets are also conveniently placed.
The average fuel consumption of 4.5-litres/100km during a 300km ride at predominately highway speeds is excellent, and if you’re behaving yourself, you could easily hit 400km out of the 20-Litre fuel capacity.
The seating position is comfortable, but it did get firm towards the end of the ride. The seat height can be easily changed between 810–830mm though. The adjustable windscreen works great at keeping the wind of the chest as well.
It didn’t create buffering on the helmet either. Add in the easy-to-use cruise control and it all makes for an enjoyable ride. We liked the centre stand as well, and it was surprisingly easy to use.
The 2020 Triumph Tiger GT Pro is great value at $24,150 ride away, and comes with a 2-year warranty. It’s available in Pure White, Sapphire Black, or Korosi Red (as tested).
Our test bike was supplied by Triumph Motorcycles Australia. To find out more about the 2020 Triumph Tiger GT Pro, contact your local Triumph Motorcycles dealer.
$21,500 ride away ? I can’t find it for less than $24,150. Have they put their price up due to COVID-19 losses?
Hi Peter – at time of testing which the price was correct however miss quoted this was the price before On Road Costs, we will get this amended. Keep an eye out though we should have a sneak peak of the new 850 tiger towards the vey end of the month.
Cheers