I have had my 660 Tiger for a month. So far I agree with you on the first gear issue. Right now, I will live with it. I am 6ft 2in and this bike is really comfortable for me. Thanks for your review. Great intro, by the way.
@alastairtheduke I'm 6'5 with a 36" inseam. I did a 1700 mile 6 day trip recently (400 miles/day with 2 days of little riding) and didn't experience any leg issues. My main issue has been the seat. Since I'm tall, I sit pretty far back onto the slope of the seat, which puts pressure on the top of my butt causing lower back discomfort after an hour or so. Right now I'm on the fence trying to decide whether to trade the 660 in for a bike that'll be more comfortable for my height or get the seat redone locally giving it a flatter profile. I tried the Corbin seat and it was horrible. That said, I really do love the bike.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I agree with most of your comments. 1st gear is indeed useless. I installed a 17-tooth front sprocket and it helped a lot. Now 1st is usable. Plus the 17T sprocket lowered 6th gear rpms by 400, which also is an improvement. In fact, I'd like to see 6th gear rpms lowered another 500 or 600 rpms. I think the windshield isn't very good and I think the windshield adjusting mechanism is terribly designed. I added a clip-on to the windshield and the windshield won't stay in any raised position. It always drops back to the lowest setting due to the weight of the clip-on. I agree that the lack of cruise control is a big oversight by Triumph. However good news - MCCruise out of Australia is about to release electronic cruise control for the TS660. It will have the same functionality as the cruise in any car and the control mechanism mounts pretty discretely on the handlebars. It's pricey, but worth it on long highway trips.
I upgraded to a 17 tooth front sprocket. Excellent gearing upgrade. Try the Kaoke throttle lock. Works great when needed and looks stock. I don't take mine off road so I can't comment. The engine is amazing! Upgraded to EBC double sintered pads and front floating disk. Excellent brake upgrade with extra bite. Love the 660 Sport!
Excellent. That was a great video very well presented and produced. For someone who has 2.24k subscribers, you definitely deserve a lot more my friend. I've just subscribed. You are definitely one to look out for in the future. All the best from me 😊
MC Cruise makes a TBW cruise control for it. It integrates with the throttle by wire system, so it entirely electronic. Not cheap at $660, but if I end up with a Tiger Sport 660 as my next bike, it's on the list of first mods.
As a former 660 TS owner, the biggest issue is the budget suspension particularly the front end. The good front brakes overpower the forks and dive badly under braking that then upsets the whole bike when cornering hard. I quess that's why its a budget bike.
Agree with most of what you said. I bought one at a salvage auction last may and fixed it up. I'd come from a 1050 sport (and 1050, 955i, 855i, 900 steamer. I like my Tigers, see my channel). I found it to be a great bike for commuting , nimble and agile as you say, superb for inner city stuff, but I also found that with a loaded top-box you could def. feel it affecting the handling (especially when lane-splitting filtering) more than a bigger bike. It does feel a bit underpowered to me (but that's not surprising). Of all the tigers I've ridden it's def. the most planted. I wouldn't mind keeping it (but I've got 5 other tigers to choose from) so I'll be selling I think. Having fettled it , I really don't like the stupid plastic fasteners that Triumph use these days to hold bits of fairing on (but then this bike is built to a budget so I see why). Overall a cracking bike, I just don't see me doing any long distance (fully loaded) on it as I have other bikes better suited to that.
@@FatherOBlivion What a shame, that's terrible, the 1050 is a peach (it also has cruise control which is useful for those fully loaded 16+ hour one hit trips that I like doing). I feel for you 😟
I don’t understand why CC isn’t standard equipment on every motorcycle with throttle-by-wire. Even when Triumph does offer it, such as on the Street Triple, it is a $2,400 option.
Thanks so much for this review! Had my Tiger Sport 660 delivered in early December and here is the northeast it was not riding weather (at least not for us who had motorcycles in the past but are getting back into riding after 10 years and who don't like cold weather 😂) After a few months of research I decided on this bike but with only 10 miles on it you can see I haven't had a chance to explore thoughts on my own yet. I also got the hand guards/clutch and throttle guards and was curious if you like them, or if they impede anything while you're riding? Thanks for a great review! Love your feedback and channel! Enjoy your bikes!! 🥰
You're gonna love it. Great bike. As far as the hand guards... If you're talking about the official triumph ones, they're pretty much useless for anything other then wind deflection. The plastic is not very durable and one cracked after i dropped the bike from a stand still... There are aftermarket ones that are much sturdier if you're looking for better protection.
@@VectorBurnOfficial thank you for your reply! I got the Barkbusters aluminum frame and black storm guard covers. I have to figure out how to install them but that's a project for this weekend! Do you find the bike feel weighty enough over 55 mph? My old bike, a buell blast 500 cc felt like I was going to take off over 50 mph and if there was even a slight wind it was worse! I'm 5'7" and not "tiny" but dang that is where I feel once I'm out riding I need to get lots of seat time to build up to over 50 mph or get on the highway! 😁🏍️
Oh those are nice! Yeah they'll protect you from wind and any debris or tree branches etc... As far as weight? It's 455lbs wet... Not insignificant. And it's about 55lbs heavier than the Buell Blast... I've not had any wind issues EXCEPT for when I was down in New Mexico and the wind was SUPER intense, blowing sideways. But that's rare. It is taller, and does have a windscreen, so you'll have SOME buffeting. But it's super stable on the highway, and I've gone a bit over the speed limit with no issues. Some other quirks to get used... if you're coming off a Buell, • The front brakes on this bike are really good. So good that you don't need to bite down hard. So test them out and get used to them. • During the break-in period (about 100-300 initial miles) the engine will feel a little sluggish and you may wonder what's wrong with it. After those initial miles, it'll flip a switch and you'll wonder if you accidentally bought a crotchrocket instead. That triple has some serious zip. • The rain mode is a great way to get used to the bike, without blowing your hair back. It slows down the throttle response so you don't get too crazy with it. Feel free to ask me any other questions. And I've got plenty of other videos on the channel for the bike. Ride safe!
Agree that first gear is useless and that the lack of cruise control is a bummer. Had to add a clip on wind screen to help get the wind of my face plate. The way the seat rises to the back is a bit of hassle when getting on and off. Still, I like the bike overall and will probabaly keep it unless something else really special comes along. I liked the video but the counter didn't update, even after a screen refresh...
As a fellow owner (9 months, 10k miles), I generally agree with your take. Great breakdown of pros/cons. Regarding the gearing: I did swap in a 17t front sprocket, and wouldn't recommend it. Negative impact on acceleration and ability to pull from any gear isn't worth it. Saps the fun out of that playful triple. Cruise control: MCCruise! Installed last week, total game changer. Not cheap, but worth it for anyone using this bike for longer trips. Interesting to hear your comments on the brakes. They really don't look very impressive on paper, but I agree, they are quite competent in actual use.
Thanks for watching. I remember having to engage the front brakes for the first time in earnest and being quite surprised at how powerful they were compared the single roter ones I was used to on my Bonnie... For cruise control I just got an Atlas... But I'm curious about MCCruise and will look into it.
Hey thanks for the feedback on 17t sprocket... I was hesitant and now I''m certain to leave it alone. The MCCruise will be a worthy addition as I'm mostly road touring, and "old" I can attest the front brakes are phenomenal... it is confidence inspiring when I practice emergency braking. Ya can't ride fast until ya can stop fast.... so true
Dropping 3 teeth on the back is similar to adding 1 on the front. Will make the bike slightly longer too so, should be more stable - less excitable (in a good way) if you know what I mean 👍.
Love your vids man! I've subbed and liked... will be following your progression on the beloved TS660. I'm more road biased but would like to know your take on more aggressive tires for rare/occ.trail rides?
Have the same bike and I mostly agree. 1st gear is too short. I got a lot of buffeting from the windscreen but I am taller than you so that might be part of my problem. A shorter Puig screen helped me. Triumph should have sold it with cruise control and a USB/power outlet. The only other gripe is the seat or rear end. A commuter/sport tourer should have a better pillion seat. I think the stubby rear end styling could have been toned down to give us a slightly bigger pillion seat and perhaps enough under-seat storage for a mini tool and tyre repair kit. My ZX6R sport bike is more pillion friendly and has a little storage.
What seat did you purchase, I’m taking possession of mine next month, I’m a shorter rider and the seat seems ok but I might want to sit a little lower .
@@VectorBurnOfficial naw...i see a few xo an just keep it up. I found ya! You started the vlog...you have continued it... 99% people talk about it. Give your self credit!
I have had my 660 Tiger for a month. So far I agree with you on the first gear issue. Right now, I will live with it. I am 6ft 2in and this bike is really comfortable for me. Thanks for your review. Great intro, by the way.
Go to the 17 tooth front sprocket. Big difference.
I'm your height, do you legs feel cramped after , say 2 hours?
@alastairtheduke I'm 6'5 with a 36" inseam. I did a 1700 mile 6 day trip recently (400 miles/day with 2 days of little riding) and didn't experience any leg issues. My main issue has been the seat. Since I'm tall, I sit pretty far back onto the slope of the seat, which puts pressure on the top of my butt causing lower back discomfort after an hour or so. Right now I'm on the fence trying to decide whether to trade the 660 in for a bike that'll be more comfortable for my height or get the seat redone locally giving it a flatter profile. I tried the Corbin seat and it was horrible.
That said, I really do love the bike.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I agree with most of your comments. 1st gear is indeed useless. I installed a 17-tooth front sprocket and it helped a lot. Now 1st is usable. Plus the 17T sprocket lowered 6th gear rpms by 400, which also is an improvement. In fact, I'd like to see 6th gear rpms lowered another 500 or 600 rpms. I think the windshield isn't very good and I think the windshield adjusting mechanism is terribly designed. I added a clip-on to the windshield and the windshield won't stay in any raised position. It always drops back to the lowest setting due to the weight of the clip-on. I agree that the lack of cruise control is a big oversight by Triumph. However good news - MCCruise out of Australia is about to release electronic cruise control for the TS660. It will have the same functionality as the cruise in any car and the control mechanism mounts pretty discretely on the handlebars. It's pricey, but worth it on long highway trips.
is the lowered gearing worth trading for highway cruising?
is the lowered gearing worth trading for highway cruising?
@@701SUMO it will reduce top speed over all
I upgraded to a 17 tooth front sprocket. Excellent gearing upgrade. Try the Kaoke throttle lock. Works great when needed and looks stock. I don't take mine off road so I can't comment. The engine is amazing! Upgraded to EBC double sintered pads and front floating disk. Excellent brake upgrade with extra bite. Love the 660 Sport!
Excellent. That was a great video very well presented and produced. For someone who has 2.24k subscribers, you definitely deserve a lot more my friend. I've just subscribed. You are definitely one to look out for in the future. All the best from me 😊
Appreciate that
MC Cruise makes a TBW cruise control for it. It integrates with the throttle by wire system, so it entirely electronic. Not cheap at $660, but if I end up with a Tiger Sport 660 as my next bike, it's on the list of first mods.
FYI: MCCruise has just released an electronic cruise control for the Tiger Sport 660. I have one and it’s an absolute game changer.
Top much money
Can you install it yourself?
That intro is way Cool!
As a former 660 TS owner, the biggest issue is the budget suspension particularly the front end.
The good front brakes overpower the forks and dive badly under braking that then upsets the whole bike when cornering hard.
I quess that's why its a budget bike.
We love our Atlas throttle locks. Very easy to use without looking.
Interested with your comments on Gear 1, I do a lot of City riding and am in 1st a lot - especially slow manoeuvring. It's never been an issue
Agree with most of what you said. I bought one at a salvage auction last may and fixed it up. I'd come from a 1050 sport (and 1050, 955i, 855i, 900 steamer. I like my Tigers, see my channel). I found it to be a great bike for commuting , nimble and agile as you say, superb for inner city stuff, but I also found that with a loaded top-box you could def. feel it affecting the handling (especially when lane-splitting filtering) more than a bigger bike. It does feel a bit underpowered to me (but that's not surprising). Of all the tigers I've ridden it's def. the most planted. I wouldn't mind keeping it (but I've got 5 other tigers to choose from) so I'll be selling I think. Having fettled it , I really don't like the stupid plastic fasteners that Triumph use these days to hold bits of fairing on (but then this bike is built to a budget so I see why). Overall a cracking bike, I just don't see me doing any long distance (fully loaded) on it as I have other bikes better suited to that.
I'm jealous of your 1050! I wish they still sold those in the states. Love the 660, but a little more grunt would be appreciated at times.
@@FatherOBlivion What a shame, that's terrible, the 1050 is a peach (it also has cruise control which is useful for those fully loaded 16+ hour one hit trips that I like doing). I feel for you 😟
I don’t understand why CC isn’t standard equipment on every motorcycle with throttle-by-wire. Even when Triumph does offer it, such as on the Street Triple, it is a $2,400 option.
Thanks so much for this review! Had my Tiger Sport 660 delivered in early December and here is the northeast it was not riding weather (at least not for us who had motorcycles in the past but are getting back into riding after 10 years and who don't like cold weather 😂)
After a few months of research I decided on this bike but with only 10 miles on it you can see I haven't had a chance to explore thoughts on my own yet. I also got the hand guards/clutch and throttle guards and was curious if you like them, or if they impede anything while you're riding?
Thanks for a great review! Love your feedback and channel! Enjoy your bikes!! 🥰
You're gonna love it. Great bike. As far as the hand guards... If you're talking about the official triumph ones, they're pretty much useless for anything other then wind deflection. The plastic is not very durable and one cracked after i dropped the bike from a stand still... There are aftermarket ones that are much sturdier if you're looking for better protection.
@@VectorBurnOfficial thank you for your reply! I got the Barkbusters aluminum frame and black storm guard covers. I have to figure out how to install them but that's a project for this weekend! Do you find the bike feel weighty enough over 55 mph? My old bike, a buell blast 500 cc felt like I was going to take off over 50 mph and if there was even a slight wind it was worse! I'm 5'7" and not "tiny" but dang that is where I feel once I'm out riding I need to get lots of seat time to build up to over 50 mph or get on the highway! 😁🏍️
Oh those are nice! Yeah they'll protect you from wind and any debris or tree branches etc...
As far as weight? It's 455lbs wet... Not insignificant. And it's about 55lbs heavier than the Buell Blast... I've not had any wind issues EXCEPT for when I was down in New Mexico and the wind was SUPER intense, blowing sideways. But that's rare. It is taller, and does have a windscreen, so you'll have SOME buffeting. But it's super stable on the highway, and I've gone a bit over the speed limit with no issues.
Some other quirks to get used... if you're coming off a Buell,
• The front brakes on this bike are really good. So good that you don't need to bite down hard. So test them out and get used to them.
• During the break-in period (about 100-300 initial miles) the engine will feel a little sluggish and you may wonder what's wrong with it. After those initial miles, it'll flip a switch and you'll wonder if you accidentally bought a crotchrocket instead. That triple has some serious zip.
• The rain mode is a great way to get used to the bike, without blowing your hair back. It slows down the throttle response so you don't get too crazy with it.
Feel free to ask me any other questions. And I've got plenty of other videos on the channel for the bike. Ride safe!
Nice video! I think the groundhog saw its shadow...more snow coming.
Booooooooo
I've test ridden one, a great bike for an individual rider. But it's absolutely pants for taking a pillion!
Agree that first gear is useless and that the lack of cruise control is a bummer. Had to add a clip on wind screen to help get the wind of my face plate. The way the seat rises to the back is a bit of hassle when getting on and off. Still, I like the bike overall and will probabaly keep it unless something else really special comes along.
I liked the video but the counter didn't update, even after a screen refresh...
from personal xp, tighten the screws for your windshield, mine vibrated off on one of them.
First thing I did when I got it 😆
Check mine frequently
As a fellow owner (9 months, 10k miles), I generally agree with your take. Great breakdown of pros/cons.
Regarding the gearing: I did swap in a 17t front sprocket, and wouldn't recommend it. Negative impact on acceleration and ability to pull from any gear isn't worth it. Saps the fun out of that playful triple.
Cruise control: MCCruise! Installed last week, total game changer. Not cheap, but worth it for anyone using this bike for longer trips.
Interesting to hear your comments on the brakes. They really don't look very impressive on paper, but I agree, they are quite competent in actual use.
Thanks for watching. I remember having to engage the front brakes for the first time in earnest and being quite surprised at how powerful they were compared the single roter ones I was used to on my Bonnie...
For cruise control I just got an Atlas... But I'm curious about MCCruise and will look into it.
Hey thanks for the feedback on 17t sprocket... I was hesitant and now I''m certain to leave it alone. The MCCruise will be a worthy addition as I'm mostly road touring, and "old" I can attest the front brakes are phenomenal... it is confidence inspiring when I practice emergency braking. Ya can't ride fast until ya can stop fast.... so true
You can swap out the back wheel sprocket so that the ratio doesn't change as abruptly
Dropping 3 teeth on the back is similar to adding 1 on the front. Will make the bike slightly longer too so, should be more stable - less excitable (in a good way) if you know what I mean 👍.
Love your vids man! I've subbed and liked... will be following your progression on the beloved TS660. I'm more road biased but would like to know your take on more aggressive tires for rare/occ.trail rides?
Appreciate it! I have a real test coming up in March. Stay tuned.
Thanks for the vid ! Really nice bike ! I saw one on the street last time, it looks like the paint doesn't really age well. How do you feel about it ?
Thanks for watching... I've had zero issues with paint.
Have the same bike and I mostly agree. 1st gear is too short. I got a lot of buffeting from the windscreen but I am taller than you so that might be part of my problem. A shorter Puig screen helped me. Triumph should have sold it with cruise control and a USB/power outlet. The only other gripe is the seat or rear end. A commuter/sport tourer should have a better pillion seat. I think the stubby rear end styling could have been toned down to give us a slightly bigger pillion seat and perhaps enough under-seat storage for a mini tool and tyre repair kit. My ZX6R sport bike is more pillion friendly and has a little storage.
Thank you!!!
OMG that engine bar is amazing, where did you get it from? :D I need it :D
Check out the rest of the videos on this bike. I go through the process of installing it.
@@VectorBurnOfficial I sure will :D thanks!
Does anyone know approximately how much a valve check service would cost for the Tiger 660?
I've read that Triumphs can be expensive.
What seat did you purchase, I’m taking possession of mine next month, I’m a shorter rider and the seat seems ok but I might want to sit a little lower .
I got the OEM low comfort seat. It's supposedly lowers you by an inch... I honestly don't feel that much of a difference.
I'm looking at a new 202,3 it will come with side bags. Have you had any problems with oil consumption?
Me personally... No problems with oil. Even after a 3000 mile trip.
Thats good to here. Thanks@@VectorBurnOfficial
A minute long intro bro? Seriously??? For a 6.58 min video!
The next video will be ALL intro and no content.
@@VectorBurnOfficial lol man go for it. We all will learn some B rolling then. 🤪😂🤪😅
HI what kind of brake lever did you put on it? Where could i buy them?
They're off eBay. Just search for triumph tiger sport 660 brake clutch levers you'll see tons of them.
Could you please tell me how comfortable it is for a partner behind? Thank you!
It's not.
Thanks.
Yeah. No CC. No sale. Too bad. Otherwise it's a good downsize for me.
LoL. 5.30 mark! Right in my hunting n hiking area. 😂 I'm watching an like Wait wtf?
Wow... That's cool. This was on 550, east of the Coal Bank Pass...
@@VectorBurnOfficial .. yep..called in bulls right below there... pssst. I wss trying keep secret ..lol
Haha don't worry... Nobody watches my stuff. Your secret is safe. 🤭
@@VectorBurnOfficial naw...i see a few xo an just keep it up. I found ya! You started the vlog...you have continued it... 99% people talk about it. Give your self credit!