2020 TRIUMPH TIGER 900

Bigger & Badder With More Bite

- Dan DiMaio

The Triumph Tiger has been a favorite bike of mine since the day I threw a leg over the Gen 1 model back in 2012. Since its debut the folks at Triumph have continually made updates to the bike, most recently the 2018 model that we rode in the beautiful backdrop of the Moroccan landscapes. The 2018 model added some long-awaited updates in the suspension department as well as aesthetics like the TFT display and streamlined bodywork.

Enter the Year of the Tiger 900 (even though it’s the Year of the Rat). The 2020 model is all-new, not a rebadged Tiger 800. Visually the bike looks similar to the outgoing 800 model. For 2020, Triumph simplified the line-up, getting rid of all those Xes. Now the line-up consists of the Tiger 900, GT, GT Pro for the adventure touring crowd, and the Rally and Rally Pro models which are designed for riders who want to get a little more off-pavement.

ENGINE & PERFORMANCE

Obviously, we’ve seen an increase in displacement, 88cc to be exact. This isn’t a bored-out 800, but a completely new, innovative and more compact engine configuration which weighs 5.5 lb. less than the 800 mill. The new power plant uses a unique new T-Plan crank with the crankpins set at 90 degrees apart. This places the ignition interval at 180 and 270 degrees with an all-new 1-3-2 firing order that gives the new engine a more parallel-twin tone and power characteristics in the lower rpm range. The new