Triumph Tiger 955i review

A great bike to live with day in, day out and manages to out-bat the Honda on all fronts. Hurrah for Blighty!
The Tiger gets on with transporting humans and luggage efficiently, but puts a lot more heart and soul into the effort
British built and awesome value
Shouldn’t tackle anything more off-road than the occasional gravel drive

The Tiger felt dense, solid and... slightly top heavy. It’s super-comfy, with a perfectly natural riding position. Triumph gave it a quiet update early this year with lower, tauter suspension and sharper steering which has made it more manageable but there’s no getting away from the fact the basic design’s been around a while.

That said, it’s still a strong seller and I can see why. It’s that 955cc triple motor it’s packing. The Tiger’s engine produces a thermo-nuclear core of motive power, with a creamy delivery from zero rpm which means rolling on and off the throttle and punching a constant 100mph hole in the air is an effortless task. Even fully loaded with topbox and panniers it’ll batter its way on relentlessly. It does get a bit light on its suspension at speed though, with a gentle weave creeping in on fast sweepers.

Nothing dramatic, just a lot of mass and kinetic energy starting to go to work on springs and damping rates set for comfort over high-speed control. The Tiger gets on with transporting humans and luggage efficiently, but puts a lot more heart and soul into the effort. It may be feeling (and looking) its age, but proves a trusty travelling companion nevertheless.

The Tiger felt dense, solid and... slightly top heavy. It’s super-comfy, with a perfectly natural riding position. Triumph gave it a quiet update early this year with lower, tauter suspension and sharper steering which has made it more manageable but there’s no getting away from the fact the basic design’s been around a while.

That said, it’s still a strong seller and I can see why. It’s that 955cc triple motor it’s packing. The Tiger’s engine produces a thermo-nuclear core of motive power, with a creamy delivery from zero rpm which means rolling on and off the throttle and punching a constant 100mph hole in the air is an effortless task. Even fully loaded with topbox and panniers it’ll batter its way on relentlessly. It does get a bit light on its suspension at speed though, with a gentle weave creeping in on fast sweepers.

Nothing dramatic, just a lot of mass and kinetic energy starting to go to work on springs and damping rates set for comfort over high-speed control. The Tiger gets on with transporting humans and luggage efficiently, but puts a lot more heart and soul into the effort. It may be feeling (and looking) its age, but proves a trusty travelling companion nevertheless.

The Tiger felt dense, solid and... slightly top heavy. It’s super-comfy, with a perfectly natural riding position. Triumph gave it a quiet update early this year with lower, tauter suspension and sharper steering which has made it more manageable but there’s no getting away from the fact the basic design’s been around a while.

That said, it’s still a strong seller and I can see why. It’s that 955cc triple motor it’s packing. The Tiger’s engine produces a thermo-nuclear core of motive power, with a creamy delivery from zero rpm which means rolling on and off the throttle and punching a constant 100mph hole in the air is an effortless task. Even fully loaded with topbox and panniers it’ll batter its way on relentlessly. It does get a bit light on its suspension at speed though, with a gentle weave creeping in on fast sweepers.

Nothing dramatic, just a lot of mass and kinetic energy starting to go to work on springs and damping rates set for comfort over high-speed control. The Tiger gets on with transporting humans and luggage efficiently, but puts a lot more heart and soul into the effort. It may be feeling (and looking) its age, but proves a trusty travelling companion nevertheless.

Length (mm)2250
Width (mm)860
Height (mm)1370
Dryweight (kg)215
Seats0
Seat Height (mm)860
Suspension Front43mm forks with triple rate springs
Suspension RearMonoshock remotely adjustable preload and rebound damping
Adjustability RearRemotely adjustable preload and rebound damping
Wheels Front19 x 2.5in
Wheels Rear17 x 4.25in
Tyres Front110/80 R 19
Tyres Rear150/70 R 17
Brakes FrontTwin 310mm discs, 2 piston calipers
Brakes RearSingle 285mm disc, 2 piston caliper
Tank Capacity (litres)24
Wheelbase (mm)1515
Trail (mm)92
ChassisTubular steel perimeter
Length (mm)2250
Width (mm)860
Height (mm)1370
Dryweight (kg)215
Seats0
Seat Height (mm)860
Suspension Front43mm forks with triple rate springs
Suspension RearMonoshock remotely adjustable preload and rebound damping
Adjustability RearRemotely adjustable preload and rebound damping
Wheels Front19 x 2.5in
Wheels Rear17 x 4.25in
Tyres Front110/80 R 19
Tyres Rear150/70 R 17
Brakes FrontTwin 310mm discs, 2 piston calipers
Brakes RearSingle 285mm disc, 2 piston caliper
Tank Capacity (litres)24
Wheelbase (mm)1515
Trail (mm)92
ChassisTubular steel perimeter
Cubic Capacity (cc)955
Max Power (bhp)104
Max Power Peak (rpm)9500
Torque (ft/lb)67
Torque Peak (rpm)4400
Bore (mm)79
Stroke (mm)65
Valve GearDOHC
Compression Ratio11.65
IgnitionDigital - inductive type
CoolingLiquid cooled
Fuel DeliveryMultipoint sequential electronic injection
Stroke TypeFour Stroke
DriveChain
Cubic Capacity (cc)955
Max Power (bhp)104
Max Power Peak (rpm)9500
Torque (ft/lb)67
Torque Peak (rpm)4400
Bore (mm)79
Stroke (mm)65
Valve GearDOHC
Compression Ratio11.65
IgnitionDigital - inductive type
CoolingLiquid cooled
Fuel DeliveryMultipoint sequential electronic injection
Stroke TypeFour Stroke
DriveChain