Greetings Terry! New to Tiger from 10 years on GS and GSA. Just saw this video a few days ago and it made me say hmmm. Completely agreed with the mechanics of it, but was curious to see actual numbers, so... With full preload in the front, none on the rear, my 210 lbs (not full kit) sitting on it, and balanced upright, fork angle (corrected for slight slope in my garage) measures 27.2° on my digital protractor. Keeping full preload up front and cranking in the rear preload to max, yields a fork angle of 25°. Happy New Year! Cheers!
After riding my RP for 12,000 miles (a fair bit off-road) and never turning anything other than rear preload, I finally got out the book and turned the damn knobs today! Yay for Triumph. Thx for this video.
As a ‘21 900 Rally Pro owner, I can tell you the “Cox It Up” is in the manual under suspension set-up for off road. Anyone who complains about the handling hasn’t taken the time to read the manual. Waiting for someone to “tell you how” to set it up and hearing crickets, it’s their own fault. Big thick manual, but worth the read if you own one of these amazing bikes. Cheers, RD
Oh yes, I know it is in the manual. But with such a geometry change strategy for Road/Off-Road you would think this was something they would bring out and highlight or market as a main feature.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff I KNOW!!!! The change in off-road handling is eye opening, full soft on the rear and stiffer up front… I wonder what the resulting angle comes in at, 26deg?26.5 deg? Just makes a WORLD of difference.All they need to do is get this important information out there, the sales staff should highlight it during the presentation and delivery, they should be HYPING the true dual nature that these simple tweeks achieve. And what comes from Triumph? Crickets… I guess the best we can do is get that info out there as word of mouth. Cheers, RD
Yeah, it's there but without someone telling me why it should be set that way I thought it was a typo. Coming from dirt bikes where both ends are supposed to work together it is hard to make sense of setting the front as stiff as possible and the rear as soft as possible.
@@MrHercules222 it’s all about adjusting the “speed” of the handling. With a single purpose bike, no issues, you ride it for what it is… For a multi-purpose bike, concessions have to be made. What works for canyon carving on tarmac, steep angles and quick steering is horrid off road. For the dirt and mucky stuff, you want slow, slack angles, otherwise the front end twitches and dives at every bump or rock. Pretty brilliant to make such a simple work around. The soft rear lets the back sag, the stiff front keeps the nose up and viola! A slacker steering angle, perfect (well, way better) for off road. As T. O’keeffe says in the video EPIC FAIL on the part of Triumph failing to make it a huge selling point. Instead, they harp on their HORRID Bluetooth integration and their total garbage app that can’t even accept an off-road GPX file…
Absolutely spot on the on-road performance of the bike, I own the Rally Pro and the day I adjusted the suspension for “solo riding normal” as per the manual the bike’s handling on-road was superb, so nimble. Your point on how the front end reacts to off-road in the road suspension setup is correct as well, as I recently experienced it when I went riding off-road. I am currently nursing an ankle sprain from a fall during the same off-road adventure but once recovered will change the setup before I venture out off-road and see if that makes handling better, by technical logic it should. Also, any benefit I get from better handling for this 5’5” frame would be very much welcomed :-). To be honest the manual is easy to interpret and changing the setup isn’t that difficult, it’s just that I need to get my lazy ass to stop and change it before I go off-road and change it back on-road. It is practical to do if you ride to an off-road location and return back, otherwise changing it back and forth every time you tackle off-road would be completely not practical. Thanks for the video but the way.
This was the last in a series of three videos and I made a specific one about its ability to be a fantastic road bike with its superb range of adjustment, firm and sporty or soft and comfortable cruiser. As you say it is just down to bothering to do it. The user manual is a great guide but I suspect many just don’t bother with it. The bike’s price is much more justified when you realize just what the suspension can do for you. Have a speedy recovery and many thanks for your comments 👍.
I thought the 890A was a little more raked out at 26 degrees? It is a well known handler so I can't imagine it is twitchy. Mind you it only got adjustable damping last year in 2023. I don't think it makes as good a road traveller as the Tiger 900 mind. The point of the 900 suspension video though was to highlight the adjustment to take that twitchyness out of the front end by raking it out with that front preload and dumping preload at the rear. Both have strong merits.
Hey Terry Thanks for the video, i now finally understand the settings in the owners manual. Going to try this on the weekend. You were right about the total fail from triumph marketing. Tried to explain this to the sales people at the bike dealership. It was sort like talking to a fence post Lol !!!! FYI i adjusted the suspension to the off-road settings today and got just over 26 deg. rake on the front. Brilliant 😊
That’s brilliant Bruce, glad it helped. Thanks for the measurement on the rake too. Was that off bike? On bike I’d imagine that will run out further too with the rear weight bias. Enjoy the weekend! 👍
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Hi Terry It was measured off the bike, so your right it probably will stretch out a little more. After watching your video on compression and rebound I spent the day trying different settings. I was amazed at how much difference a small adjustment makes. For solo riding ( i weigh 175 lb.) I ended up with 5 clicks on the front forks and 1 turn on the rear shock rebound. This gives me a very smooth ride and the bike tracks like its on rails. Thank you for explaining how to do this properly. If our paths ever cross the beer is on me. Cheers 🍺😎
@@brucewinpenny5057 Cheers Bruce, it’s great to know you got something out of changing the suspension, as you say, the difference it can achieve is very satisfying. 🍻 and ride on!
Just stumbled upon your video, that was hilarious! Great video! Just a side note, Triumph actually mentioned changing the chassis geometry when going off road in the owners' handbooks: Front Suspension & Rear Suspension Setting Charts, Page 147 and Page 152 in the US (not sure about the UK version). I agree they should make it crystal clear like you did because c'mon who reads the handbooks :D :D
Oh yes, totally, it is in the owners manual alright but I think it is a poor reflection of Triumph Marketing not to highlight this fundamental feature to the press and off-road specialist moto vloggers, otherwise why have a Rally model? Glad you liked it, thanks for watching.
I read it in the manual and I immediately dismissed it as a misprint. It's just completely opposite from the way we set up suspension on a proper dirt bike.
Im an owner of a Tiger900 RP, could you do a video demonstrating how to adjust it for offroad, I know it should be pretty obvious, but some guys like me are more visual and need to see it to fully understanding, I would really appreciste it
@YouTubin thanks! And I understand on the offroad setting I shoud adjust the rear preload at its minimum according to the manual right? I used to use it like that but kept on bottoming out the suspension , do you think it will affect the bike geometry by adding 5 to 6 turns to the rear?
So, based on the specs I found for the 2023 Tiger Rally Pro, the rake is 24.4deg. Am I right in saying that a rake of 27.5deg is good for off-roading? If yes, we need to gain 3.1deg. Based on my calcs the bike has to be lowered by 84mm or 3.3" at the rear end in order to achieve 27.5deg. That would mean rear wheel travel goes down to 146mm/5.7". That's not so good I guess. The wheel base adopted for my calcs is 1551mm.
They do suggest dumping rear preload to min at the same time but that must be taken with a thought to any excess rear weight, e.g. heavy rider or luggage. In those circumstances I think I would be judicious. 27 or thereabouts is a popular figure but cannot be the only decider, trail distance could also be off-set at the headstock or axle position too and that value will also have a bearing. Triumph have given a base at least and it seems reasonable to try their suggestion and work from there. Better than not using the front preload off-road anyway. 👍Cheers
Thanks, Terry, I have watched both of your videos now, and that's great. I enjoyed them immensely. Cheers, I now know along with the manual how and what to do? You were dead right, no one from Triumph can explain how the suspension works.
And I thought content on TH-cam was getting boring....new sub here. I am picking up my new Rally Pro 900 today and you better believe I will show your video to my dealer.
That’s absolutely brilliant, congratulations on the new bike, it is a real peach. It also has one of the longest seat to peg distance on any motorcycle for superb comfort, you’re going to love owning it. Thanks for the comment 👍,
I have only seen one vid of a suspension set up for off road but it was for front end only , just ordered a rally pro and will be doing some green lanes around Lancashire and Yorkshire, great vid thanks for the info
😆brilliant Terry….Me: “Terry do you ever talk to yourself?” You: “Yes, when I need an expert opinion!” ….loved the off-road-garage floor mock-up😆 on a serious note though, great information for the new 900 owners and prospective buyers👍keep up the good work! JF
Haley Davidsons have about 31 degrees fork rake .. they will go down a gravel road nice and stable .. My Yamaha FZ-07 with 24 degree fork rake is very squirrely on gravel ..
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff My Yamaha FZ-07 was so squirrely I could not take both hands off from the handle bars at 60 MPH .. It got tank slappers at 90 MPH .. then I installed Ohlins Fork Cartridges now it is much much more stable .. My 1976 Yamaha 125 MX-C had 30 degrees fork rake and My 1978 Yamaha YZ-100-E has 28 degrees fork rake .. It does turn quicker but is less stable at high speeds.. They keep making fork angles steeper.. Some times I am happy to have the more raked out fork angle over a steeper angle with less Stability
Ohhh my gosh made me chuckle with the broom and "broomprompter" Seriously good and great info. I have an 850 sport that has no options for this. Probably why I dropped it last month on a heavy gravel corner. messed up my shin being flown off and the passenger peg tore into my shin. Anyway thank for sharing your brilliant thoughts!!!
Too kind Dan. Ooooouuch! 😬 hope your ankle heals quickly, that sounded painful. The 850 is a brilliant bike and the best value bike by far in the entire range. Enjoy !
To overcome the twitch in the front wheel, do what Honda did CBR 900 up the front wheel size ! Up it to a 21” instead of a 19” it will be better in the dirt
Thanks for this. Triumph really should follow your advice and make more public mention of the ability to change suspension geometry … it really is amazing what a few degrees in rake can do for off-road capability. My brand new Rally Pro is set up for Off-road now and I just installed MOTOZ Adventure tires… let’s rip this.
It seemed that a common refrain from respected moto journalists loved the 900 RP, but felt it was twitchy off road. Big surprise. Press bikes are usually stock set-up with stock tires. I don't recall anyone mentioning that they fiddled with suspension settings much less the effect of how doing so affects geometry. Big FAIL
Thanks I really enjoyed your Video I did watch Llel Pavey from Brake Magazine YT Channel change the front preload to stop the bike feeling floaty, but he didn't mention the rake angle
He would of been better adding a little extra damping for that floaty feel, extra preload would of done little in that respect. Glad you found it useful, cheers.
I’d say this is good info as long as by changing the preload on the front and rear, yiu don’t completely screw up your proper rider sag. If you’re a heavy guy and completely dump the preload in the rear, you’re gonna give up a lot. Thanks for sharing.
Triumph are throwing out those SAG targets for off road though, that is my point. They have given you so much travel and adjustable damping that you can take care of that. This feature is purposely exceeding the rear sag in favour of geometry.
Hello! That was really Helpful. Makes a lot of sense! Seeking Advice: I'm split between getting a pre-owned Tiger 900 Rally Pro (2021/5K kms) and a new Transalp XL750. I know spec-wise they are Oranges and Apples. FYI, My riding usage is city and long-distance touring; and my riding style is pretty Hooliganish. So, here in India we have no T7s, Tuaregs or KTM 790/890s, yet. Even the Honda AT comes in a lowered suspension model. So, the Tiger 900 Rally is the bike that checks all the boxes. The Maintainance and Spares Costs are the Only Red Flags. Also, heating in the city. Enter the Transalp: it's very light and nimble: with a super smooth engine: but really basic components. It can make for good rally build - rally seats, suspension upgrade and high exhaust, etc. Add to that, Honda's reliability and affordability. Also, it makes for a better daily Do-it-All. So, What would you say? P.S. Coming from my KTM 390 ADV (75K KMs); reliability and lower maintainance is a priority.
I like the idea of a Transalp for the reasons you mentioned except for the tubed tyres, they are an absolute no for me on the road. The Rally Pro is an awesome machine with a punchy strong engine and lots of comfort, I love it. It doesn’t bother me where I live but I would be worried about the engine heat in your climate.
Test rode the Tiger 900 RP today for 5 mins in light city traffic. Its been 3 hrs since and my inner thighs are still burning!🔥 That means, it'll have be a 2-Bike Garage: Keep my Duke 390 for city duties and 🐯 for Touring.
Woa finally someone notice this. I was thinking its brilliant, designed a bike and choosing a suspension so capable it works when maxed out preload (or should i say coxed out) for changing the bike geometries thus turning it into a new category of bike!
Yes, I think the quality suspension on this bike and what they have done with it makes this one of the most versatile on the market. It is a brilliantly simple solution too. 👍
This is dead easy Chris, no need for a video or to be mechanic trained, it's all in your owners manual. On the rear it is just backing off the rear preload completely with the black handle on the shock on the right hand side underneath the seat, it is exposed, no need to remove anything. On the front, immediately below the damping adjusters on top of each fork there is a nut. Get a socket to fit that with a ratchet head and rotate clockwise until it stops. No need to be hard with this, it will move freely and there is no need to do this tight or anything. That is it, that will raise the front and lower the rear for an off road geometry. Set the damping front and rear as suggested in the owners manual too depending on whether is it mild off-roading or harsher terrain.
Very interesting! I rarely go off-road at all on bigger bikes but this is great info! I've got the new AT Adventure Sport on loan from Honda at the moment and it handles great on road. I was actually surprised how well.
Yes, I believe other chassis changes have taken place on the AT since my 2016 launch model which have improved the road handling of it. Quite what I don’t know but it could include different headstock offsets or swing arm length/pivot points etc. loving your channel 👍.
I moved my forks down in the clamps so that they’re flush with the tops, and maxed out front preload, but man that rear spring is soft and I have a hard time not having the preload 70% of max in the rear. Im 6’2” at 228 pounds, that probably hurts my ability to get in that 30% of travel sag rating but since I offroad my Rally pro at least 4 times a week I should just keep my sag at the 40th percentile.
Yes, they have thrown that usual SAG target out and 40% would seem reasonable with extra rebound damping as they suggest. But because the rebound adjuster on the rear is so easy to get to you can experiment like mad and find the right level for you real quick. Thanks for watching 👍,
Loved it. Don't worry about reading from the paper on the broom. Our President here in the States has to read from a screen teleprompter, can't do it. You did a much better job.
very interesting, I just watched a review comparing this to another bike (I think it was the ktm) and they said they notices that the tiger front forks kept bottoming out, they need to watch this vid
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff I was referring to your antics in the video, I'll take it that was a way to spice up the video with a bit of humor while giving out good info. If you talking to your motorcycle is a sign of something else, then my apologies.
I laughed so hard and when I get home I will dial the suspension in for both on and off road riding every time I go out, great important information that was way overlooked!
Hello, my height is 5.8 feet ,inseam 32 and weight is 242 lbs. I looked through your interesting scientific work with pleasure. My dream bike is the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro, but my dimensions speak for themselves. In your opinion, is it possible to lower the rear part of the chassis by 2cm on the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally? In my opinion, it would not harm off-road driving, but the question remains as to how it will be on the road.
With such long rear travel on the Rally model I would say you could easily give up some of it, 2cm as you say, and still have a well handling bike. I suspect you could do that with the rear preload alone. I have a smaller leg than you and could manage the Rally very well with the seat in the low position. You still get a great seat to peg distance as it is massive on this bike. Good Luck!
I trust you know more than i do, but if its not said by triumph how do you know that they set the bike up that way? What lead you to believe thats how you should setup yhe suspension?
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff ok sorry, I misunderstood. I was watching the part where you were watching the video and he didn't mention it. I thought you were saying they forgot to tell people. I just figured you were a badass and knew from experience
I know it comes down to money in the final analysis, but when Triumph are charging a premium price for a premium bike, a part of that retail price should include an 'orientation day', where new owners get to spend some time with a Triumph technician, and go through all the various modes and settings, for different scenarios. Yes, you can spend hours pouring over the owners' manual and watch online tutorials, but a dedicated 'induction' event would be a great addition to triumph's after sales/marketing service. Events could be held every few month's at dealerships around the country. Owners get to meet up, have a brew. share info and gain some knowledge...maybe some manufacturers already do something similar, but I'm guessing it's in addition to the sale price
I agree Billy. Every manufacturer is the same and they all do the same marketing and sales. Someone could stand out from the crowd and do something different. They could have a roving event going round the dealers or at the minimum they could have a series of video features on each bike going through the technology and how it might be used.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Thanks for getting back Terrence. Many owners don't like messing with their new bike, aside from adorning it with bling (we all like a bit of bling). They're working on the premise that 'factory' settings must be correct, but I wonder how many adv owners take their bike out on the gravel for the first time and think it's a crock of shit, or they're a crock of shit, because they're on full PSI and road settings? There's a reason manufacturers put knobs on their bikes (apart from the rider) and that's so you (the owner) can twiddle with them....I've not had a close look at the preload adjuster on the Rally Pro, but if it means getting a spanner out, triumph have missed a trick. The other issue is not being able to switch ABS/TC on and off, on the fly. I'm guessing it works off the wheel position sensors, but this would be a bonus upgrade on a new model. Given that the tech's available it makes sense....otherwise it looks like Triumph have smashed it out of the park for a 200kg all-rounder. Can imagine Honda are smarting a bit...the new Transalp looks a bit lame in comparison.
Hi Terry! greatly enjoying your videos, very informative and entertaining!! I wanted to ask... I recently got a 900 Rally Pro as well as a friend of mine, and he is a bit overweight weighing upwards of 280lbs. He tells me when he brakes the front dives hard, and I have sometimes felt the front suspension to be too soft at times. Both bikes are in their stock set ups. What do you recommend we should do to reduce the front end dive? Im guessing with his weight he should also increase the preload on his rear suspension a bit correct? Does preload affect the stiffness of the spring or is that impossible to change without replacing the spring? Sorry for the really basic questions but I am really new to manually adjusting suspension. (I used to have a 1200XRT and now that Ive seen your videos I understand why the off road setting worked WONDERS and made the bike feel like another)
Thanks for the kind words. To my mind, on any new or new to you bike make sure the suspension is set to the factory default settings first. Assuming that is where you are starting from ANY heavy rider, myself included, will immediately need to increase the rear preload on this bike for everyday usage. I would totally focus on this rear preload and ignore any damping considerations at this time. The stock position is 10.5 turns clockwise from minimum preload which is fully anti-clockwise. If your buddy is riding solo I would suggest he could do with much more rear preload and go a fully four to six turns in (clockwise) on the rear, this will claim back some of his compression stroke by reducing the excessive SAG. Getting rid of the excessive SAG is the primary purpose of preload but It will also restore some of the road based geometry Triumph designed for this bike. Ride around on the road taking in plenty of varied bends and curves and keep adding rear preload until you find the optimal handling that you prefer. This could be four extra turns on the rear preload or it could be seven or eight. Once satisfied turn your attention to the damping. You no longer need to change your rear preload again except if 1) you load up with a pile of luggage or pillion, if you do max out your rear preload or 2) you decide to change the preload on the bike to the "off-road" geometry. If the weight is heavier generally you need more damping to control that weight. Personally I would set the damping to absolute minimum front and back, ride the bike for 5 minutes, see the effect, then set the damping to maximum both front and back and see what the bike can do at the other end of the scale. This will tell you in 10 minutes what this bike is capable of and give you a rough idea of where you want to be. I do just this in my part 1 video of the three I made on the Tiger 900 Rally suspension th-cam.com/video/TXCe7mRzYE8/w-d-xo.html Part 2 here too th-cam.com/video/oAavA-6YaUs/w-d-xo.html As he is suffering from too much front end dive he will definitely want extra damping up front, a 30 second fix. Wind both fork compression and rebound damping adjusters fully in clockwise, back of three full turns and see how he likes it. Too firm, stop and back off a full turn on each and ride another 5 minutes, keep backing off until he likes it. As per Triumphs recommendation match compression/rebound values on each leg, i.e. five turns on one leg should be matched with five turns on the other. (differing advice from Triumph for off-road damping adjustment) On the rear he might also like to add more damping on the rebound adjuster, again a 10 second adjust, nearer the 0.75 to 1 turns out from fully closed in. But do try the full damping and minimum damping exercise so you know what you have to play with. Best of luck, I guarantee he will be able to set up the suspension on this bike to exactly how he likes it.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff wow thanks so much for the extended response! Will definitely take your advice. I will surely start with your recommendations but also experiment a bit with both ends of the spectrum. It calls to my attention that you have not recommended increasing a bit of the front preload (it would have been my first assumption) Im guessing the rear preload is more important and dampening by itself will take care of the front dive. I know all bikes except telelever gs experience it, but i have felt the front dive to be considerable on this bike
@@winterkraul3716 Triumph recommend leaving the front preload “as is” for the road and only fully maximising it in for off-road for this geometry change. It will be the damping adjustment up front that will mitigate the dive, not the preload.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Just to follow up, I was out at 5am to travel to Lancashire and meet up with some adventure bikes. Once there I adjusted preload as per the manual (zero rear, max front). It certainly seemed to make the bike more stable off road ! More testing to be done, but think I'm sold (and why wouldn't I be, its in the manual). Brilliant to be able to ride 370 miles in a day in total comfort and a range of temps from 3 degrees to 14 and the off road bit was a breeze for the bike. Only comment is there are a significant number of turns on the front preload to change it from min to max, seemed to take ages (and everyone else wonders what your messing about with).
@@rainbow-walker Cheers, great to see you making the very most of this brilliant bike. Yes, when I was looking at the preload I thought it was going to be a bit of a chore with a spanner. A little 1/4” socket with a flexible shaft would probably work out well. Good going, enjoy the testing and thanks for the feedback 👍.
Hey Terry I’d love to buy a Tiger 900 But can’t decide on a version I’m 6ft 1 and never go off-road For me Goldilocks seat height is 850mm Like you, I really do prefer the styling of the rally but the 21inch front wheel makes me think that I should get the GT Is the Road performance of both bikes very similar or are they miles apart Your thoughts would be helpful and appreciated I love your content You really are a funny guy 😂
Ta very much Sean 👍😁. The styling of the GT range in the 900’s is very conservative to my mind making it quite an anonymous bike. They are hugely competent of course but lack the desirability of the Rally range. I would definitely run with the Rally or Rally Pro in that regard and it can run really well as a typical road bike once you increase the damping (see my other video on that “Sportsbike or Cruiser”. The road bike geometry on this bike as standard make it fab on a country lane. Test ride is king of course to satisfy yourself. Stock damping is very soft though. Increase the damping front and rear before that test ride. It is important to add rear preload too if you are heavier than average as it does have a good effect on nice turn it. New bike time for you, can’t be beaten, enjoy!
Cheers Your feedback is appreciated and useful to me It’s just the directional shove that I needed I’ll be watching out for more vids from you Have a great day Thanks again
Yes, definitely. Check out one of my other videos about the suspension on this bike. It takes 60 seconds to firm it up and it makes it a brilliant road bike, absolutely brilliant. th-cam.com/video/TXCe7mRzYE8/w-d-xo.html
Feeling like the old grumpy guy (I am though). If I was 40 years younger I’d figure this out on my own. Now in my late 60’s I don’t give a rip. I love riding my Rally Pro always on road. In late 2020 it was the only Tiger on the floor. So I grabbed it.
Brilliant, great choice. I don’t know why all the old fellas, myself included, want to scoot around on Royal Enfield 650’s & 350’s, Honda CB1100’s (me) and a host of other nostalgic bikes with limited suspension when bikes like the Rally Pro provide the perfect ergonomics for ageing bones. Large seat to peg ratio and loads of suspension travel can’t be beaten. I see a Rally Pro in my future. 👍
Update: Sold the Triumph last year. The combination of progressive lenses, hearing aides, very stiff knees and various little aches and pains, situational awareness declining... faced reality. But I did buy a new Subaru Outback with the funds!@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff
nice try, but sorry I'm not gonna stop and change geometry whenever I find myself off-road. ADV bike should handle well any road. Somehow T7 and AT1100 ride perfectly on road as off-road as well so not,. not buying this.
I had an Africa Twin and I thought it’s road handling was “OKAY”. And that was its problem, a little dull. The T7, I have never ridden, but is my type of bike, simple, clean and purposeful. Just not quite enough for the higher speed roads for me though. I do admit I’m no hardcore off roader.
This is not a big deal. Just minor adjustments that we all typically make to our bikes at one time or another. Carry a passenger? Take a two week camping trip? You change your geometry. My GSA does all that with the push of a couple buttons, but my 06 GS and now my Tiger require that I turn a couple knobs depending on the application. Or you can leave it in the same settings and enjoy the hell out of as you wish.
That question can’t be answered as it all depends on your weight. If you were heavier than average you would need more preload to offset the extra sag. So in that case ride height would increase. But if you were very light the opposite would be the case. BUT, assuming you are aiming for 30% sag regardless of weight both of those riders will end up with the same laden seat height even though they have different preload settings.
Too expensive yes, but if you have lots of money? (not me!). I mucked about a little when I was much younger 200-250cc suited me just fine off road, the older the better.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Yeah same here. No way I'm risking a AUD$30k+ motorbike in the dirt with my skill levels lol. You want something that you can drop and not cry about it for a fortnight afterwards.
🤣🤣🤣 You barmy 8@$tard 😂😂😂, keep taking the meds! Had me chuckling at your delivery 😂👍. Thanks for your thoughts on the ‘off road’ preload settings, I’ll give it a go and see how it feels 👍. Bought my T9 mainly for road use, but I’ve done some gravel roads so far. Love your T12, but went for the 9RP as it’s light enough to hoon around tiny lanes here in Lincolnshire, England like a dirt bike, but fast enough on the open roads with the throttle held wide open and the quick shifter snicking away 👍. I had a T8 (roadie) in 2011 and it was the closest I had come to throwing a dirt bike around on the road since my RMX250. Turbine whistle and loads of popping and banging on overrun 😂😘, sadly lacking on the modern euro emissions compliant / T Plane cranked motor 😡, but the exhaust has a nice bark due to the oddball firing sequence. Great brakes, sound electronics setup & the QS / Blipper is a dream. Ridiculous light clutch (👍) when needed, and a heated arse 🥸
Cheers Alexander, looks like you are getting maximum use out of the T9 in Lincolnshire. I lived in Swinderby for a few years and picked potatoes on a farm as a young teenager. I've still got the bad back to prove it! I love the T9, the Rally Pro in particular, it is such a hoot to ride and sooo light. I can definitely see one in my future after I have finished with two up work. It is a perfect mixed usage bike, I met a fella on a Yamaha T7 and he loved it but did say it wasn't the best on the fast open road and kept his Super Tenere 1200 for longer trips. Take it easy and thanks for watching 👍.
T, Potato picking as a kid 😂👍, yea me too, but in Yorkshire. I can still remember the pain in my back vividly after a week or two of it 🙈. Swinderby, not too far from us. Have you family links with the RAF? I looked long and hard at the Yam T7, I do like ‘em. There’s always a compromise to be made choosing bikes, as with life! Purely from my point of view, I recon I would be a better rider off road on the T7 than the T9RP. Loads of reasons, but it looks the more capable off roader! I don’t doubt the T7 wouldn’t do exactly what the T9RP does round the bumpy A & B roads round here (with the same manic grin). But the tiger seemed the better choice ‘for me’ just because of its better fast road work / motorways & UK touring comfort, and the Gucci electronics 🤔. The T9 (and my old Tig8roadie) just seem to suit me in a way most other bikes don’t 🤔. (Triumph fanboy 😂). I run a late model Gixxer750 in summer too, I bloody hate it 😂🙈. No ABS, no TCC, no anti wheelie, no absolutely f… all !! 130 mph everywhere and fearing for my licence, I’m getting too old for this $hit 🤣.
@@alexandercavendishsimson3962 yes, you sussed it. RAF, my father, he was the camp Dr. There is a compromise on every bike isn’t there? I have an old 1995 Daytona 1200 and I have to go for hip surgery after a days ride on that thing but I can’t bring myself to sell it. The complete lack of electronics, like on your Gixxer, are a feature on that bike too. They utterly hone your riding skills in the wet I will say. 👍
The most entertaining suspension nerd-out rant I’ve ever seen! Great video Terry!
Ta very much! 👍
Greetings Terry! New to Tiger from 10 years on GS and GSA. Just saw this video a few days ago and it made me say hmmm. Completely agreed with the mechanics of it, but was curious to see actual numbers, so...
With full preload in the front, none on the rear, my 210 lbs (not full kit) sitting on it, and balanced upright, fork angle (corrected for slight slope in my garage) measures 27.2° on my digital protractor. Keeping full preload up front and cranking in the rear preload to max, yields a fork angle of 25°.
Happy New Year! Cheers!
Great numbers & brilliant info orangellon03 - thankyou!.
After riding my RP for 12,000 miles (a fair bit off-road) and never turning anything other than rear preload, I finally got out the book and turned the damn knobs today! Yay for Triumph. Thx for this video.
Excellent! So many don’t touch it and it’s part of the premium experience of this bike. 👍
As a ‘21 900 Rally Pro owner, I can tell you the “Cox It Up” is in the manual under suspension set-up for off road. Anyone who complains about the handling hasn’t taken the time to read the manual. Waiting for someone to “tell you how” to set it up and hearing crickets, it’s their own fault. Big thick manual, but worth the read if you own one of these amazing bikes. Cheers, RD
Oh yes, I know it is in the manual. But with such a geometry change strategy for Road/Off-Road you would think this was something they would bring out and highlight or market as a main feature.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff I KNOW!!!! The change in off-road handling is eye opening, full soft on the rear and stiffer up front… I wonder what the resulting angle comes in at, 26deg?26.5 deg? Just makes a WORLD of difference.All they need to do is get this important information out there, the sales staff should highlight it during the presentation and delivery, they should be HYPING the true dual nature that these simple tweeks achieve. And what comes from Triumph? Crickets… I guess the best we can do is get that info out there as word of mouth. Cheers, RD
Yeah, it's there but without someone telling me why it should be set that way I thought it was a typo. Coming from dirt bikes where both ends are supposed to work together it is hard to make sense of setting the front as stiff as possible and the rear as soft as possible.
@@MrHercules222 it’s all about adjusting the “speed” of the handling. With a single purpose bike, no issues, you ride it for what it is… For a multi-purpose bike, concessions have to be made. What works for canyon carving on tarmac, steep angles and quick steering is horrid off road. For the dirt and mucky stuff, you want slow, slack angles, otherwise the front end twitches and dives at every bump or rock. Pretty brilliant to make such a simple work around. The soft rear lets the back sag, the stiff front keeps the nose up and viola! A slacker steering angle, perfect (well, way better) for off road. As T. O’keeffe says in the video EPIC FAIL on the part of Triumph failing to make it a huge selling point. Instead, they harp on their HORRID Bluetooth integration and their total garbage app that can’t even accept an off-road GPX file…
Absolutely spot on the on-road performance of the bike, I own the Rally Pro and the day I adjusted the suspension for “solo riding normal” as per the manual the bike’s handling on-road was superb, so nimble. Your point on how the front end reacts to off-road in the road suspension setup is correct as well, as I recently experienced it when I went riding off-road. I am currently nursing an ankle sprain from a fall during the same off-road adventure but once recovered will change the setup before I venture out off-road and see if that makes handling better, by technical logic it should. Also, any benefit I get from better handling for this 5’5” frame would be very much welcomed :-). To be honest the manual is easy to interpret and changing the setup isn’t that difficult, it’s just that I need to get my lazy ass to stop and change it before I go off-road and change it back on-road. It is practical to do if you ride to an off-road location and return back, otherwise changing it back and forth every time you tackle off-road would be completely not practical. Thanks for the video but the way.
This was the last in a series of three videos and I made a specific one about its ability to be a fantastic road bike with its superb range of adjustment, firm and sporty or soft and comfortable cruiser. As you say it is just down to bothering to do it. The user manual is a great guide but I suspect many just don’t bother with it. The bike’s price is much more justified when you realize just what the suspension can do for you. Have a speedy recovery and many thanks for your comments 👍.
Learned a ton from this vid!! Picking up my 900 Rally Pro next week and appreciate the education!!🙏
Excellent, enjoy! 👍
Hi Terry, great video. KTM 890 also has a 24° rake. Does it have the same twitchy behavior as the Tiger 900?
I thought the 890A was a little more raked out at 26 degrees? It is a well known handler so I can't imagine it is twitchy. Mind you it only got adjustable damping last year in 2023. I don't think it makes as good a road traveller as the Tiger 900 mind. The point of the 900 suspension video though was to highlight the adjustment to take that twitchyness out of the front end by raking it out with that front preload and dumping preload at the rear. Both have strong merits.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Sure 26 degrees...I got it wrong!
Hey Terry Thanks for the video, i now finally understand the settings in the owners manual. Going to try this on the weekend. You were right about the total fail from triumph marketing. Tried to explain this to the sales people at the bike dealership. It was sort like talking to a fence post Lol !!!! FYI i adjusted the suspension to the off-road settings today and got just over 26 deg. rake on the front. Brilliant 😊
That’s brilliant Bruce, glad it helped. Thanks for the measurement on the rake too. Was that off bike? On bike I’d imagine that will run out further too with the rear weight bias. Enjoy the weekend! 👍
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Hi Terry It was measured off the bike, so your right it probably will stretch out a little more. After watching your video on compression and rebound I spent the day trying different settings. I was amazed at how much difference a small adjustment makes. For solo riding ( i weigh 175 lb.) I ended up with 5 clicks on the front forks and 1 turn on the rear shock rebound. This gives me a very smooth ride and the bike tracks like its on rails. Thank you for explaining how to do this properly. If our paths ever cross the beer is on me.
Cheers 🍺😎
@@brucewinpenny5057 Cheers Bruce, it’s great to know you got something out of changing the suspension, as you say, the difference it can achieve is very satisfying. 🍻 and ride on!
Just stumbled upon your video, that was hilarious! Great video! Just a side note, Triumph actually mentioned changing the chassis geometry when going off road in the owners' handbooks: Front Suspension & Rear Suspension Setting Charts, Page 147 and Page 152 in the US (not sure about the UK version). I agree they should make it crystal clear like you did because c'mon who reads the handbooks :D :D
Oh yes, totally, it is in the owners manual alright but I think it is a poor reflection of Triumph Marketing not to highlight this fundamental feature to the press and off-road specialist moto vloggers, otherwise why have a Rally model? Glad you liked it, thanks for watching.
I read it in the manual and I immediately dismissed it as a misprint. It's just completely opposite from the way we set up suspension on a proper dirt bike.
Im an owner of a Tiger900 RP, could you do a video demonstrating how to adjust it for offroad, I know it should be pretty obvious, but some guys like me are more visual and need to see it to fully understanding, I would really appreciste it
@YouTubin thanks! And I understand on the offroad setting I shoud adjust the rear preload at its minimum according to the manual right? I used to use it like that but kept on bottoming out the suspension , do you think it will affect the bike geometry by adding 5 to 6 turns to the rear?
That is exactly what I would do.
So, based on the specs I found for the 2023 Tiger Rally Pro, the rake is 24.4deg. Am I right in saying that a rake of 27.5deg is good for off-roading? If yes, we need to gain 3.1deg. Based on my calcs the bike has to be lowered by 84mm or 3.3" at the rear end in order to achieve 27.5deg. That would mean rear wheel travel goes down to 146mm/5.7". That's not so good I guess. The wheel base adopted for my calcs is 1551mm.
They do suggest dumping rear preload to min at the same time but that must be taken with a thought to any excess rear weight, e.g. heavy rider or luggage. In those circumstances I think I would be judicious. 27 or thereabouts is a popular figure but cannot be the only decider, trail distance could also be off-set at the headstock or axle position too and that value will also have a bearing. Triumph have given a base at least and it seems reasonable to try their suggestion and work from there. Better than not using the front preload off-road anyway. 👍Cheers
Thanks, Terry, I have watched both of your videos now, and that's great. I enjoyed them immensely. Cheers, I now know along with the manual how and what to do? You were dead right, no one from Triumph can explain how the suspension works.
Brilliant, glad it was of some value and you have now got to grips with it. It really is a premium setup that is highly underutilised. Cheers Alan.
And I thought content on TH-cam was getting boring....new sub here. I am picking up my new Rally Pro 900 today and you better believe I will show your video to my dealer.
That’s absolutely brilliant, congratulations on the new bike, it is a real peach. It also has one of the longest seat to peg distance on any motorcycle for superb comfort, you’re going to love owning it. Thanks for the comment 👍,
Best suspension lesson and most entertaining one I’ve watched. Can only imagine if you n the 44 teeth guys collaborated
Thankyou for your kinds words Paul. Ah yes, classy bunch those 44 Teeth fellas, great to watch. Cheers
I have only seen one vid of a suspension set up for off road but it was for front end only , just ordered a rally pro and will be doing some green lanes around Lancashire and Yorkshire, great vid thanks for the info
No problem, thanks for the comment. Dead jealous, they seem to be selling every Rally Pro they make, its popularity is gaining all the time.
Ive noticed that myself none of them mention the adjustment, max preload om the front zero on the back. Or you adjust it untill the rear feels right
Yup, if there is some extra weight on the back a little more preload on the rear might be wise. As you say, adjust until it feels right. 👍
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff was a good video mate, i was a having a laugh at your jokes
@@philiphiggins4822 cheers 🍻
Love it when someone who knows what they're talking about makes a video!
Too kind, thanking you 👍.
😆brilliant Terry….Me: “Terry do you ever talk to yourself?” You: “Yes, when I need an expert opinion!”
….loved the off-road-garage floor mock-up😆 on a serious note though, great information for the new 900 owners and prospective buyers👍keep up the good work! JF
Cheers John, yes all the TV studios will be looking to book my set in future 🤪. Keep Well.
Haley Davidsons have about 31 degrees fork rake .. they will go down a gravel road nice and stable .. My Yamaha FZ-07 with 24 degree fork rake is very squirrely on gravel ..
Those Harleys are raked out for a big American Cruise, perfect 😀.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff My Yamaha FZ-07 was so squirrely I could not take both hands off from the handle bars at 60 MPH .. It got tank slappers at 90 MPH .. then I installed Ohlins Fork Cartridges now it is much much more stable ..
My 1976 Yamaha 125 MX-C had 30 degrees fork rake and My 1978 Yamaha YZ-100-E has 28 degrees fork rake .. It does turn quicker but is less stable at high speeds.. They keep making fork angles steeper.. Some times I am happy to have the more raked out fork angle over a steeper angle with less Stability
Great video! Triumph screwed up with the manual big time in general. Try finding what “off-road ABS” is exactly in the manual
That is a classic, same on my Tiger 1200, no explanation whatsoever.
Ohhh my gosh made me chuckle with the broom and "broomprompter" Seriously good and great info. I have an 850 sport that has no options for this. Probably why I dropped it last month on a heavy gravel corner. messed up my shin being flown off and the passenger peg tore into my shin. Anyway thank for sharing your brilliant thoughts!!!
Too kind Dan. Ooooouuch! 😬 hope your ankle heals quickly, that sounded painful. The 850 is a brilliant bike and the best value bike by far in the entire range. Enjoy !
Just traded my 800xcx in on the 900 (getting it on Friday) and as someone that loves taking it off road glad came across this video.
Excellent, I hope you enjoy the experimentation. The suspension on this bike is incredible.
To overcome the twitch in the front wheel, do what Honda did CBR 900 up the front wheel size ! Up it to a 21” instead of a 19” it will be better in the dirt
It is a 21” up front on the Rally models.
Thanks for this. Triumph really should follow your advice and make more public mention of the ability to change suspension geometry … it really is amazing what a few degrees in rake can do for off-road capability. My brand new Rally Pro is set up for Off-road now and I just installed MOTOZ Adventure tires… let’s rip this.
Excellent, enjoy!
It seemed that a common refrain from respected moto journalists loved the 900 RP, but felt it was twitchy off road. Big surprise. Press bikes are usually stock set-up with stock tires. I don't recall anyone mentioning that they fiddled with suspension settings much less the effect of how doing so affects geometry.
Big FAIL
I think that is exactly the case. Marketing guys out on the press launch totally oblivious to the whole setup. 👍
Big rock moto actually did mention this. They read the manual and made the adjustments in their testing.
I had seen his video and I think he half eluded to it but never brought out the feature or why it was there. I think he was the closest. 👍
Thanks I really enjoyed your Video
I did watch Llel Pavey from Brake Magazine YT Channel change the front preload to stop the bike feeling floaty, but he didn't mention the rake angle
He would of been better adding a little extra damping for that floaty feel, extra preload would of done little in that respect. Glad you found it useful, cheers.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff It may well have been damping after all!
I’d say this is good info as long as by changing the preload on the front and rear, yiu don’t completely screw up your proper rider sag. If you’re a heavy guy and completely dump the preload in the rear, you’re gonna give up a lot. Thanks for sharing.
Triumph are throwing out those SAG targets for off road though, that is my point. They have given you so much travel and adjustable damping that you can take care of that. This feature is purposely exceeding the rear sag in favour of geometry.
Hello! That was really Helpful. Makes a lot of sense!
Seeking Advice: I'm split between getting a pre-owned Tiger 900 Rally Pro (2021/5K kms) and a new Transalp XL750. I know spec-wise they are Oranges and Apples.
FYI, My riding usage is city and long-distance touring; and my riding style is pretty Hooliganish.
So, here in India we have no T7s, Tuaregs or KTM 790/890s, yet. Even the Honda AT comes in a lowered suspension model. So, the Tiger 900 Rally is the bike that checks all the boxes. The Maintainance and Spares Costs are the Only Red Flags. Also, heating in the city.
Enter the Transalp: it's very light and nimble: with a super smooth engine: but really basic components. It can make for good rally build - rally seats, suspension upgrade and high exhaust, etc. Add to that, Honda's reliability and affordability. Also, it makes for a better daily Do-it-All.
So, What would you say?
P.S. Coming from my KTM 390 ADV (75K KMs); reliability and lower maintainance is a priority.
I like the idea of a Transalp for the reasons you mentioned except for the tubed tyres, they are an absolute no for me on the road. The Rally Pro is an awesome machine with a punchy strong engine and lots of comfort, I love it. It doesn’t bother me where I live but I would be worried about the engine heat in your climate.
Test rode the Tiger 900 RP today for 5 mins in light city traffic. Its been 3 hrs since and my inner thighs are still burning!🔥
That means, it'll have be a 2-Bike Garage: Keep my Duke 390 for city duties and 🐯 for Touring.
Boano Transalp XL 750
th-cam.com/video/2HJaAp2o8cA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ptnyNWILne4yy84U
@@2-WheelsMoveTheSoul 🤣 oh no, two bikes, whatever will you do! 😲😀 Result!
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff
Actually 3: Have a Z650 as well 🙈
Woa finally someone notice this. I was thinking its brilliant, designed a bike and choosing a suspension so capable it works when maxed out preload (or should i say coxed out) for changing the bike geometries thus turning it into a new category of bike!
Yes, I think the quality suspension on this bike and what they have done with it makes this one of the most versatile on the market. It is a brilliantly simple solution too. 👍
Great video to find a week before I get my Tiger. Thanks!
Excellent! Enjoy, brilliant bike 👍
Show me how to change this while away from the garage?
Perth OZ Tiger 900 Rally Pro owner and not a mechanic!
This is dead easy Chris, no need for a video or to be mechanic trained, it's all in your owners manual. On the rear it is just backing off the rear preload completely with the black handle on the shock on the right hand side underneath the seat, it is exposed, no need to remove anything. On the front, immediately below the damping adjusters on top of each fork there is a nut. Get a socket to fit that with a ratchet head and rotate clockwise until it stops. No need to be hard with this, it will move freely and there is no need to do this tight or anything. That is it, that will raise the front and lower the rear for an off road geometry. Set the damping front and rear as suggested in the owners manual too depending on whether is it mild off-roading or harsher terrain.
Absolutely loved the presentation!!
Thankyou my friend 👍😁
Awesome...hilarious and helpful too. Thanks!
Excellent, glad you found it useful. 👍
Very interesting! I rarely go off-road at all on bigger bikes but this is great info! I've got the new AT Adventure Sport on loan from Honda at the moment and it handles great on road. I was actually surprised how well.
Yes, I believe other chassis changes have taken place on the AT since my 2016 launch model which have improved the road handling of it. Quite what I don’t know but it could include different headstock offsets or swing arm length/pivot points etc. loving your channel 👍.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Thanks Terry, I will be taking the new Tiger 1200 for a spin soon. I'll have to Cox it up!! :D
@@Englishbikerdan 👍🤪
I moved my forks down in the clamps so that they’re flush with the tops, and maxed out front preload, but man that rear spring is soft and I have a hard time not having the preload 70% of max in the rear. Im 6’2” at 228 pounds, that probably hurts my ability to get in that 30% of travel sag rating but since I offroad my Rally pro at least 4 times a week I should just keep my sag at the 40th percentile.
Yes, they have thrown that usual SAG target out and 40% would seem reasonable with extra rebound damping as they suggest. But because the rebound adjuster on the rear is so easy to get to you can experiment like mad and find the right level for you real quick. Thanks for watching 👍,
Loved it. Don't worry about reading from the paper on the broom. Our President here in the States has to read from a screen teleprompter, can't do it. You did a much better job.
Ha ha, yes I had noticed, he’s real car crash material! Thanks for watching Phillip.👍
I was wondering why everyone was raving about its great road handling. Good stuff!
Cheers Helixx 👍
very interesting, I just watched a review comparing this to another bike (I think it was the ktm) and they said they notices that the tiger front forks kept bottoming out, they need to watch this vid
Absolutely, preload to off-road and a bit more damping. It would of taken them 5 minutes.
6:25 - I love the way you severed the front brake lines :)
Yes, as you can see my Graphics skills know no bounds 😬!
Dude, your mental 😂. Thanks for the laughs and the good information. Gonna try this out
I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you 😁. Excellent, delighted it was of some use and you are going to try this out. Good luck 👍
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff I was referring to your antics in the video, I'll take it that was a way to spice up the video with a bit of humor while giving out good info. If you talking to your motorcycle is a sign of something else, then my apologies.
I laughed so hard and when I get home I will dial the suspension in for both on and off road riding every time I go out, great important information that was way overlooked!
Cheers Joe, glad you liked it and thanks for watching. It’s a man thing, we don’t read enough manuals! 😁👍
Hello, my height is 5.8 feet ,inseam 32 and weight is 242 lbs. I looked through your interesting scientific work with pleasure. My dream bike is the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro, but my dimensions speak for themselves. In your opinion, is it possible to lower the rear part of the chassis by 2cm on the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally? In my opinion, it would not harm off-road driving, but the question remains as to how it will be on the road.
With such long rear travel on the Rally model I would say you could easily give up some of it, 2cm as you say, and still have a well handling bike. I suspect you could do that with the rear preload alone. I have a smaller leg than you and could manage the Rally very well with the seat in the low position. You still get a great seat to peg distance as it is massive on this bike. Good Luck!
Tractive suspension offers a -20 mm shock setup. I'm thinking harbor about getting it but 3k for front and rear is a lot.
I trust you know more than i do, but if its not said by triumph how do you know that they set the bike up that way? What lead you to believe thats how you should setup yhe suspension?
It’s written in the owners manual 😀👍.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff ok sorry, I misunderstood. I was watching the part where you were watching the video and he didn't mention it. I thought you were saying they forgot to tell people. I just figured you were a badass and knew from experience
So, do we follow the manual? or no?
Yes, absolutely, the manual is spot on.. My point was everyone had done a really poor job in bringing out the best of this suspension. Cheers. 👍
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Thanks!
I know it comes down to money in the final analysis, but when Triumph are charging a premium price for a premium bike, a part of that retail price should include an 'orientation day', where new owners get to spend some time with a Triumph technician, and go through all the various modes and settings, for different scenarios. Yes, you can spend hours pouring over the owners' manual and watch online tutorials, but a dedicated 'induction' event would be a great addition to triumph's after sales/marketing service. Events could be held every few month's at dealerships around the country. Owners get to meet up, have a brew. share info and gain some knowledge...maybe some manufacturers already do something similar, but I'm guessing it's in addition to the sale price
I agree Billy. Every manufacturer is the same and they all do the same marketing and sales. Someone could stand out from the crowd and do something different. They could have a roving event going round the dealers or at the minimum they could have a series of video features on each bike going through the technology and how it might be used.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Thanks for getting back Terrence. Many owners don't like messing with their new bike, aside from adorning it with bling (we all like a bit of bling). They're working on the premise that 'factory' settings must be correct, but I wonder how many adv owners take their bike out on the gravel for the first time and think it's a crock of shit, or they're a crock of shit, because they're on full PSI and road settings? There's a reason manufacturers put knobs on their bikes (apart from the rider) and that's so you (the owner) can twiddle with them....I've not had a close look at the preload adjuster on the Rally Pro, but if it means getting a spanner out, triumph have missed a trick. The other issue is not being able to switch ABS/TC on and off, on the fly. I'm guessing it works off the wheel position sensors, but this would be a bonus upgrade on a new model. Given that the tech's available it makes sense....otherwise it looks like Triumph have smashed it out of the park for a 200kg all-rounder. Can imagine Honda are smarting a bit...the new Transalp looks a bit lame in comparison.
Hi Terry! greatly enjoying your videos, very informative and entertaining!! I wanted to ask... I recently got a 900 Rally Pro as well as a friend of mine, and he is a bit overweight weighing upwards of 280lbs. He tells me when he brakes the front dives hard, and I have sometimes felt the front suspension to be too soft at times. Both bikes are in their stock set ups. What do you recommend we should do to reduce the front end dive? Im guessing with his weight he should also increase the preload on his rear suspension a bit correct? Does preload affect the stiffness of the spring or is that impossible to change without replacing the spring? Sorry for the really basic questions but I am really new to manually adjusting suspension. (I used to have a 1200XRT and now that Ive seen your videos I understand why the off road setting worked WONDERS and made the bike feel like another)
Thanks for the kind words. To my mind, on any new or new to you bike make sure the suspension is set to the factory default settings first. Assuming that is where you are starting from ANY heavy rider, myself included, will immediately need to increase the rear preload on this bike for everyday usage. I would totally focus on this rear preload and ignore any damping considerations at this time. The stock position is 10.5 turns clockwise from minimum preload which is fully anti-clockwise. If your buddy is riding solo I would suggest he could do with much more rear preload and go a fully four to six turns in (clockwise) on the rear, this will claim back some of his compression stroke by reducing the excessive SAG. Getting rid of the excessive SAG is the primary purpose of preload but It will also restore some of the road based geometry Triumph designed for this bike. Ride around on the road taking in plenty of varied bends and curves and keep adding rear preload until you find the optimal handling that you prefer. This could be four extra turns on the rear preload or it could be seven or eight. Once satisfied turn your attention to the damping. You no longer need to change your rear preload again except if 1) you load up with a pile of luggage or pillion, if you do max out your rear preload or 2) you decide to change the preload on the bike to the "off-road" geometry. If the weight is heavier generally you need more damping to control that weight. Personally I would set the damping to absolute minimum front and back, ride the bike for 5 minutes, see the effect, then set the damping to maximum both front and back and see what the bike can do at the other end of the scale. This will tell you in 10 minutes what this bike is capable of and give you a rough idea of where you want to be. I do just this in my part 1 video of the three I made on the Tiger 900 Rally suspension th-cam.com/video/TXCe7mRzYE8/w-d-xo.html Part 2 here too th-cam.com/video/oAavA-6YaUs/w-d-xo.html As he is suffering from too much front end dive he will definitely want extra damping up front, a 30 second fix. Wind both fork compression and rebound damping adjusters fully in clockwise, back of three full turns and see how he likes it. Too firm, stop and back off a full turn on each and ride another 5 minutes, keep backing off until he likes it. As per Triumphs recommendation match compression/rebound values on each leg, i.e. five turns on one leg should be matched with five turns on the other. (differing advice from Triumph for off-road damping adjustment) On the rear he might also like to add more damping on the rebound adjuster, again a 10 second adjust, nearer the 0.75 to 1 turns out from fully closed in. But do try the full damping and minimum damping exercise so you know what you have to play with. Best of luck, I guarantee he will be able to set up the suspension on this bike to exactly how he likes it.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff wow thanks so much for the extended response! Will definitely take your advice. I will surely start with your recommendations but also experiment a bit with both ends of the spectrum. It calls to my attention that you have not recommended increasing a bit of the front preload (it would have been my first assumption) Im guessing the rear preload is more important and dampening by itself will take care of the front dive. I know all bikes except telelever gs experience it, but i have felt the front dive to be considerable on this bike
@@winterkraul3716 Triumph recommend leaving the front preload “as is” for the road and only fully maximising it in for off-road for this geometry change. It will be the damping adjustment up front that will mitigate the dive, not the preload.
Excellent information. Watching in Australia.
Thankyou Sir!
Really insightful, I'm loving my Tiger 900 RP and enjoy taking it off road. I'll be changing the suspension settings now !
Brilliant, I hope you get the best out of it now. 👍.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Just to follow up, I was out at 5am to travel to Lancashire and meet up with some adventure bikes. Once there I adjusted preload as per the manual (zero rear, max front). It certainly seemed to make the bike more stable off road ! More testing to be done, but think I'm sold (and why wouldn't I be, its in the manual). Brilliant to be able to ride 370 miles in a day in total comfort and a range of temps from 3 degrees to 14 and the off road bit was a breeze for the bike. Only comment is there are a significant number of turns on the front preload to change it from min to max, seemed to take ages (and everyone else wonders what your messing about with).
@@rainbow-walker Cheers, great to see you making the very most of this brilliant bike. Yes, when I was looking at the preload I thought it was going to be a bit of a chore with a spanner. A little 1/4” socket with a flexible shaft would probably work out well. Good going, enjoy the testing and thanks for the feedback 👍.
It’s 21 full turns from min to max preload. I counted.
@@nicholaspellegrino7908 Cheers Nicholas.
Informative AND entertaining. Thumbs up.
Thankyou 👍.
Hey Terry
I’d love to buy a Tiger 900
But can’t decide on a version
I’m 6ft 1 and never go off-road
For me Goldilocks seat height is 850mm
Like you, I really do prefer the styling of the rally but the 21inch front wheel makes me think that I should get the GT
Is the Road performance of both bikes very similar or are they miles apart
Your thoughts would be helpful and appreciated
I love your content
You really are a funny guy 😂
Ta very much Sean 👍😁. The styling of the GT range in the 900’s is very conservative to my mind making it quite an anonymous bike. They are hugely competent of course but lack the desirability of the Rally range. I would definitely run with the Rally or Rally Pro in that regard and it can run really well as a typical road bike once you increase the damping (see my other video on that “Sportsbike or Cruiser”. The road bike geometry on this bike as standard make it fab on a country lane. Test ride is king of course to satisfy yourself. Stock damping is very soft though. Increase the damping front and rear before that test ride. It is important to add rear preload too if you are heavier than average as it does have a good effect on nice turn it. New bike time for you, can’t be beaten, enjoy!
Cheers
Your feedback is appreciated and useful to me
It’s just the directional shove that I needed
I’ll be watching out for more vids from you
Have a great day
Thanks again
I have my eyes on a Rally Pro but I never to off-road and would like the suspension to be a bit firmer like my 800XRT. Is that possible?
Yes, definitely. Check out one of my other videos about the suspension on this bike. It takes 60 seconds to firm it up and it makes it a brilliant road bike, absolutely brilliant. th-cam.com/video/TXCe7mRzYE8/w-d-xo.html
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Brilliant. Thank you so much
As they say "knowledge will set you free"
it will it will.
Thanks for the information on that makes sense why my bike didn't act right off road. I laughed how you made fun off them 🤣
Glad you liked it, thanks for watching 👍
A non adjustable rear shock sucks on or off road
Yes, at least you have rebound on the Tiger 900.
제가 오프로드를 탈 때 모래나 부드러운 흙에서 핸들이 털리는것은 설계 때문이었나요? 꽤 열심히 오프로드를 탔는데 실력이 문제인지 알았는데 새로운 사실입니다. 진짜입니까?
전방 예압을 최대로 높이고 후방 예압을 최소로 높이면(Triumph의 지정된 오프로드 전용 설정) 바이크를 긁어모아 오프로드를 더 쉽게 다룰 수 있습니다. 오프로드 전륜 안정성이 향상됩니다. 직접 해보시면 아주 쉽습니다.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff 테리콕스 감사합니다!! 남한에서
Great video now you got me thinking.
Glad you liked it 👍.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff looking at getting back in to bikes, so very helpfull
Feeling like the old grumpy guy (I am though). If I was 40 years younger I’d figure this out on my own. Now in my late 60’s I don’t give a rip. I love riding my Rally Pro always on road. In late 2020 it was the only Tiger on the floor. So I grabbed it.
Brilliant, great choice. I don’t know why all the old fellas, myself included, want to scoot around on Royal Enfield 650’s & 350’s, Honda CB1100’s (me) and a host of other nostalgic bikes with limited suspension when bikes like the Rally Pro provide the perfect ergonomics for ageing bones. Large seat to peg ratio and loads of suspension travel can’t be beaten. I see a Rally Pro in my future. 👍
Update: Sold the Triumph last year. The combination of progressive lenses, hearing aides, very stiff knees and various little aches and pains, situational awareness declining... faced reality. But I did buy a new Subaru Outback with the funds!@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff
Highly entertaining and informative at the same time 👍😀
Thanks John 👍
Really love the explanation with the toy bike.🤣
Quality props 😬😳😀👍
needs a knobby on the front and rear
For true off road yes, agree.
This was hilarious, thanks for the video
You are very welcome 👍
Enjoyed it brother.
Too kind, cheers 👍
nice try, but sorry I'm not gonna stop and change geometry whenever I find myself off-road. ADV bike should handle well any road. Somehow T7 and AT1100 ride perfectly on road as off-road as well so not,. not buying this.
I had an Africa Twin and I thought it’s road handling was “OKAY”. And that was its problem, a little dull. The T7, I have never ridden, but is my type of bike, simple, clean and purposeful. Just not quite enough for the higher speed roads for me though. I do admit I’m no hardcore off roader.
This is not a big deal. Just minor adjustments that we all typically make to our bikes at one time or another. Carry a passenger? Take a two week camping trip? You change your geometry. My GSA does all that with the push of a couple buttons, but my 06 GS and now my Tiger require that I turn a couple knobs depending on the application. Or you can leave it in the same settings and enjoy the hell out of as you wish.
Question, when the rear is set with proper sag does it lower the seat height?
That question can’t be answered as it all depends on your weight. If you were heavier than average you would need more preload to offset the extra sag. So in that case ride height would increase. But if you were very light the opposite would be the case. BUT, assuming you are aiming for 30% sag regardless of weight both of those riders will end up with the same laden seat height even though they have different preload settings.
Loved this video
Ta very much 👍
These bikes are too expensive to go off road lol. You want a beat up 400 for that.
Too expensive yes, but if you have lots of money? (not me!). I mucked about a little when I was much younger 200-250cc suited me just fine off road, the older the better.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Yeah same here. No way I'm risking a AUD$30k+ motorbike in the dirt with my skill levels lol. You want something that you can drop and not cry about it for a fortnight afterwards.
Great video- thx!
🍻 Casey
So very true.
Best one yet!
Ta very much.
Loved it... 😍 😍
Excellent, I’ve done my job then.👍
😂 ti adoriamo, io e la mia Tiger 900 rally pro ❤. Thanks
Cheers!
🤣🤣🤣 You barmy 8@$tard 😂😂😂, keep taking the meds! Had me chuckling at your delivery 😂👍. Thanks for your thoughts on the ‘off road’ preload settings, I’ll give it a go and see how it feels 👍. Bought my T9 mainly for road use, but I’ve done some gravel roads so far. Love your T12, but went for the 9RP as it’s light enough to hoon around tiny lanes here in Lincolnshire, England like a dirt bike, but fast enough on the open roads with the throttle held wide open and the quick shifter snicking away 👍. I had a T8 (roadie) in 2011 and it was the closest I had come to throwing a dirt bike around on the road since my RMX250. Turbine whistle and loads of popping and banging on overrun 😂😘, sadly lacking on the modern euro emissions compliant / T Plane cranked motor 😡, but the exhaust has a nice bark due to the oddball firing sequence. Great brakes, sound electronics setup & the QS / Blipper is a dream. Ridiculous light clutch (👍) when needed, and a heated arse 🥸
Cheers Alexander, looks like you are getting maximum use out of the T9 in Lincolnshire. I lived in Swinderby for a few years and picked potatoes on a farm as a young teenager. I've still got the bad back to prove it! I love the T9, the Rally Pro in particular, it is such a hoot to ride and sooo light. I can definitely see one in my future after I have finished with two up work. It is a perfect mixed usage bike, I met a fella on a Yamaha T7 and he loved it but did say it wasn't the best on the fast open road and kept his Super Tenere 1200 for longer trips. Take it easy and thanks for watching 👍.
T, Potato picking as a kid 😂👍, yea me too, but in Yorkshire. I can still remember the pain in my back vividly after a week or two of it 🙈.
Swinderby, not too far from us. Have you family links with the RAF?
I looked long and hard at the Yam T7, I do like ‘em.
There’s always a compromise to be made choosing bikes, as with life!
Purely from my point of view, I recon I would be a better rider off road on the T7 than the T9RP. Loads of reasons, but it looks the more capable off roader! I don’t doubt the T7 wouldn’t do exactly what the T9RP does round the bumpy A & B roads round here (with the same manic grin). But the tiger seemed the better choice ‘for me’ just because of its better fast road work / motorways & UK touring comfort, and the Gucci electronics 🤔. The T9 (and my old Tig8roadie) just seem to suit me in a way most other bikes don’t 🤔. (Triumph fanboy 😂). I run a late model Gixxer750 in summer too, I bloody hate it 😂🙈. No ABS, no TCC, no anti wheelie, no absolutely f… all !! 130 mph everywhere and fearing for my licence, I’m getting too old for this $hit 🤣.
@@alexandercavendishsimson3962 yes, you sussed it. RAF, my father, he was the camp Dr. There is a compromise on every bike isn’t there? I have an old 1995 Daytona 1200 and I have to go for hip surgery after a days ride on that thing but I can’t bring myself to sell it. The complete lack of electronics, like on your Gixxer, are a feature on that bike too. They utterly hone your riding skills in the wet I will say. 👍
Brilliant 😁
Cheers Tony
Subscribed
my head hurts
😮😬😲😀
Hahaha, brilliant :D
🤪😁
Bahahahaha!!! Awesome!
Cheers Bob 👍!
Very good! 😂
Thankyou 👍
RTFM 😆
Also that's not Neill, it's the SINGLE picture of my triumphant Tiger kill on that trip ;P
@@anto687 Aah, it was him in spirit!
Exactly, very unmanly reading the manual though 🤪.
@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff my one moment of glory... Gone!
@@NeillBrook I really thought that was you Neill, aahh, my eyesight! 😅
Huh?
what? :-)
😂 hilarious
cheers