Thread: Truiumph Tiger 655i Adventure Bike

A Couple of hundred words and an hour or two ago I made a mistake. said the BMW RnooGS, launched in 1994, undeniably spawned the modern adventure sports bike market. Now, as I sit and contemplate Triumph's Tiger 955i, I realise I was undeniably mistaken. The Tiger was launched in 1992 and on sale in 1993, which beats Germany by a whole year (although we could then start arguing about BMW's 1986 RrooGS, which is so air-cooled it hardly counts as moder and so on).

Anyway, the Tiger is one of Hinckley's most successful and enduring models. The 1993 bike came with a 78PS version of their 88scc triple that also supplied power to the original Trophy, Trident, Sprint et al. Lovely engine, that one. Massive chunk of fairly rudimentary engineering, but fairly seething with charisma too. The first Tiger also had terrific, blunt, obvious off-road¬esque styling and a pair of round, flat-faced headlamps which, as anyone knows, are what a bike should have up front and are better than any modern slanty rubbish.

I remember taking a pillar-box red Tiger to an early trackday they hadn't been long invented either at Cadwell Park. It was hopeless, but that was okay because so was 1. On the way home I found a blindingly yellow rape field and rode through it. The conjunction of two opposing primary colours made the Tiger the most beautiful bike in the world. We fell in love right there. Two years later I rode a blue one round Cornwall and it was just as much fun. Big, tall gangly thing, loaded with a hearty, chundering engine that had precisely one cylinder more than any old GS and immediately elevated the Tiger to the status of 'proper motorcycle'. It even had a half-hearted go at off-road ability. Bike columnist Rupert Paul gave me a lift home one night in 1995 on a Tiger, and tried a scenic route; a trackway that began in a farmyard. The bike toppled over two yards inside the gate and sent us both sprawling in the soft mud. We decided to take the road instead.

In 1998 the Tiger got bulbous new Euro styling (headlights bulging from the fairing like it was being strangled round the headstock), ditched the old up-and-over steel spine frame in favour of an anonymous tangle of tubes, and got an updated, fuel injected, more powerful motor. In 2001 it was revamped again; same sryling bur with a retuned 955i motor from the Daytona sportsbike, cast instead of spoked wheels, and subtle steering geometry changes.

This is the bike we have here. It's a 2005 model, the first year panniers were offered as standard fitment. Widely, er, panniered by owners for failing to prevent the ingress of rain, they nonetheless look a darn site tougher and more securely mounted than the current items (which, since the roso Tiger, aren't standard fitment; that's progress). This bike also has a pair of Triumph's own heated grips, a Scottoiler, and an aftermarket gear lever with foldable tip and a neat knurled alloy rear brake lever. Nice touch.



Obviously the bike is mint it's that adventure sports effect again although there's something less integrated about the Tiger's looks that threaten to get tatty if neglected. The BMW won't rot over time, it just acquires a patina of dulled alloy. Similarly the Varadero's paint and bodywork is so chunky that even if the bike's falling apart beneath it, itll still gleam like new. The Tiger hasn't got the quality finish and, panniers aside, looks first in line to grow fur if used in the winter.
Still, it rides like it's new. Old Tigers aren't the most surefooted bikes in the world - losing the front by trailing the ftont brake into comers is a common pilot error.

Triumph fiddled with the Tiger's steering geometry with every model revamp and made it closer and closer to a road bike's; this version has a good level of agility and grip, although the Kayaba suspension isn't in the same league as the Honda Varadero's Showa units. Ridden with some vim the Honda wallows and weaves but feels like it's gripping; the Triumph steers more accurately but feels choppier and less secure over bumps. In cruise mode, both bikes have excellent ride quality - but, compared to the silky Varadero, the Tiger has some tingling engine vibration at M -way speeds that could deaden fingers over distance.

The Tiger's 955i engine is at a lovely point in its evolution - making a lowly 8SPS, it has none of the later 1050's high-revving nature; instead it keeps the original, noisy, slightly breathless and strained character of the early Hinckley triples. It also keeps the familiar half second turnover when you press the starter button, while the engine's ECU wakes up. It's comedy; every single time you just get to the point where you think it's knackered and won't start and then, oh, there it goes.

The Tiger's riding position is comfy it's too tall and spread out not to be and the screen is effective, but the seat is wide and makes it a tip toes effort for 6ft me. Anyone shorter might be seriously deterred. Bur everything else is present; great mirrors, old skool clocks with big, cream dials. And you get a centrestand, which is more than you do on the Honda.