Triumph’s Tiger 900 is different. It shouldn’t be, it is a Triumph triple, and they have been around for ages. The Tiger 900 whistles like a Triumph, and the fuel gauge takes a minute to register the fuel you have just added. All the things we expect a Triumph Tiger to do.
What makes it different is the T-Plane crank, and the difference is very noticeable. So, does that make it a better Triumph triple, or is this an evolutionary step that nature will cancel out?
I haven’t ridden one enough to answer that question, but it is certainly different.
Triumph’s T-Plane Crankshaft
It is all about traction. The 1-3-2 firing order has a prolonged gap between cylinders three and two firing. The gap removes drive to the rear wheel, allowing it to grip the surface before cylinder one comes along, and we begin the cycle again.
The word “gap” is a relative term. For example, with the Triumph triple running at a mid-range RPM, the gap is measured in thousands of a second. Yet the unequally spaced firing sequence gives T-Plane crankshaft motorcycles a unique character.
The best explanation I’ve heard centres around a spinning tyre. Once spinning, keeping the power smooth and constant, or even adding more power will only keep the tyre spinning.
Close the throttle and then open it again, and you get a “kick” caused by the tyre gripping as the power is reintroduced.
That is what Triumph’s T-Plane crankshaft is doing, but many times a second, giving the Triumph extra traction.
There is a wonderful video representation of the firing order by William Moser on Youtube that you can find below. It shows how the gap in the firing sequence works and how it modulates the delivery of power to the rear wheel.
Facts, Figures and Seats
When I first climbed on the Tiger 900, I was surprised that both of my feet were flat on the floor and once riding, just how bent my legs were. The Tiger is an adventure bike, and my six-foot frame usually finds adventure bikes much taller than this.
A quick look under the saddle showed me that the seat was in the low – 820mm/32inches – position, which still doesn’t make sense to me as my inside leg measurement is 31 inches. Nonetheless, my feet are flat on the ground.
Changing the seat to the high position is a simple task. Under the seat, there are two stretchable rubber bands attached to two metal bars. Pull the metal bar at the front and rear of the rider’s seat into the high position and push them into the indents to hold them secure. Congratulations, you have just changed the seat height in less than three minutes.
With the seat in the high position, I’m still almost flat-footed, and my legs are comfortably less bent when riding.
As I’m riding the Pro version of the Tiger 900, I have Marzocchi 45 mm upside-down forks on the front that are manually adjustable for rebound and compression damping.
Controlling the rear is a Marzocchi unit, electronically adjustable for damping and preload, which you control through Triumph’s integrated dash.
Cruise control comes as standard on the Pro version, which necessitates an electronic throttle to control the 93.9 HP (70 kW) and 64 LB-FT of torque produced by the 888cc triple.
As expected, the Tiger 900 hides its – roughly – 230 kgs ready-to-ride weight well. In addition, the side stand, which deploys with a resounding clunk, by the way, is the perfect balance between lean angle for security without asking you to strain to get the weight upright.
Tiger 900 – The Ride
As my time on the Tiger 900 was limited, I didn’t have the opportunity to adjust the suspension to my liking or discover how to ride the Tiger to get the most from it. Consequently, you may wish to take some of my comments with the proverbial pinch of salt.
For example, as Webbs of Lincoln kindly loaned me their demonstrator for the day, the Tiger was running the standard OE (fake) tyres that motorcycle manufacturers seem to think is a good idea to put on their brand-new motorcycles.
So, when I say that the Tiger has a bad habit of falling into corners, something the previous generation Kawasaki Z1000SX also did on OE tyres, I have my suspicions that replacing the OE Metzlers with a set of Dunlop Trailmax Meridians would revolutionise the handling.
Why manufacturers penny pinch on tyres is beyond me. It is just dumb. Even on press fleet bikes, the OE tyres are often swapped out for genuine rubber.
The other stand-out characteristic of the Tiger 900 was the amount of counter-steer required to hold a line through a corner. According to the electronic tyre pressure system fitted to the Tiger, the pressures were correct, yet it felt as if the front was soft.
Stable in a straight line, the amount of pressure required on the bars to change direction was noticeable. The longer the corner, the longer the pressure needed to be applied to keep the Tiger on the prescribed line.
Another consideration is that I’ve been riding a lot of motorcycles with 17-inch front wheels compared to the 19-inch on the Tiger Pro. There will be more of a gyroscopic effect from the larger wheel, but it isn’t something I’ve ever noticed so pronouncedly on other adventure bikes.
The Tiger 900’s front tyre profile is a 100/90, whereas the V-Strom uses a 110/80 and the KTM 1290 a 120/70. As the first figure is the tyre’s width in millimetres and the second is the tyre’s height expressed as a percentage of the width [See Tyre Alphabet Soup], the tyre heights are 90mm, 88mm and 84mm, respectively.
This gives the Tiger the sharpest front profile of the three bikes, but I’d argue it has the slowest steering.
Again, in the Tiger’s defence, all of this is based on a 100-mile ride, and as Triumph makes excellent motorcycles, I’m more confused than I am complaining.
Different Vibrations
The T-Plane crank gives the Tiger a very different feel. The 900 isn’t an updated silky-smooth Tiger 1050.
Neither is the T-Plane Tiger lumpy. Instead, it is a very different riding experience that shows the scale of the engineering feat that Triumph has achieved.
There is a distinct V-Twin feel to the T-Plane crank triple, and if you have ever ridden a V-Twin, you will know that they vibrate, normally in a good way, but vibrate is what V-Twins do. Heck, I’ve ridden highly strung four-pot motors that made my teeth vibrate. It is the type of vibration that matters.
The Tiger 900 vibrates more than normal triples, but not intrusively. The mirrors were clear, and there were no annoying buzzes through the bars or the foot pegs.
The vibrations match the engine’s character, and I never found them a negative. Perhaps they were more obvious because I was looking for them to be annoying – which they weren’t.
What Did I Think?
As normal for a Triumph, the Tiger 900 GT Pro is a beautifully put-together, well-finished motorcycle, but it is different from what you might expect.
If you are familiar with Triumph triples, then appreciating the T-Plane crank may need longer than a typical test ride allows for.
Webb’s in Lincoln were outstanding people for lending me their GT Pro, but I need to twist Triumph’s arm and get one for longer. There is so much more to discover.
