Owning one, the only downside I ever really found is that these bikes have a ton of sticky-outty-bits. Dropping it can be incredibly expensive. I once broke the beak mount, beak cover, horn, left aux light, wind screen center runner and rear reflector mount in a simple drop. All because they stick out from the silhouette of the bike, which is a major design oversight for an adventure bike. Take a look at the Norden 901, the VStrom 800DE, the Tenere 700 and see how little sticks out from the silhouette of the bike. That prevents sheering off parts if you take a fall in the dirt.
Laughed at the drone in tree clip. Failing drones, knocking over tripods, lights or cameras. I swear, I could make a 5-minute fails reel every video I make.😂 Great review again Llel. I'm not even shopping for a new bike, I just watch 'em because there's always so much to be learned about bikes in general. Keep it up!
So I have now owned my Rally Pro for a season and I agree with everything you said. It does nothing excellent but does everything well. Almost never do I get on the bike and wish it had just one more thing. I have dialed in the suspension to the point where the difference between the racetrack and the trails is 3 turns of the preload knob. What I disagree with you on is that both the front and rear telagraph when they are reaching the limit. I have trailmax missions on and when I am on the road/track you can feel the front end get mushy and start to provide resistance to more brake. Additionally, I find off road, the bike is extremely forgiving and in Off road mode, it honestly makes me look like a pro.
the first sentence applies to all “big” adventure bikes. None of them are actually brilliant at anything. The middle class is where the moneys at. They can tour and are miles better off road than the bigger bikes, the purpose of an adventure bike is to adventure not tour tar all day. If that’s what people want there are sports tourers or tourers that would beat the triumph all day everywhere , They are sort of a shit category really.
After about 6000 km on the 24 rp, i really enjoy the bike and do not regret the purchase at all. The electronics you get used to and once set i dont fiddle with them minus switching modes so you just get used to it. I am sure my 10 yr old cell phone i have in a drawer somewhere could operate it faster but it bothers me less than i thought it would. Off road tc still cuts out power too quickly so i just modified the mode to keep off road abs on and tc off. You can change the mode back to offroad mode upon restart with 2 button presses so that is a non issue. I think what would help the suspension would have been to give the rear rebound adjustment which seems like a major miss for about the most expensive bike in its class. I end up cranking the preload to max on the road even with no luggage and that helps but it still is lacking. Like you mentioned i think all adv bikes are too xxxx (hard/soft) so i expected this going in, but the weird response on the rear on "sport" settings could be better. Honestly the only thing that really annoys me about the bike is that the aux lights do not stay on with the high beams, and the high beams are awful on their own so i just use aux lights at night.
I would LOVE to see how this compares to the old 800 xcx in the way you review your bikes... Only cause that's my bike 😂. I do however feel the old 800 hit the same mark quite well, with the tiger staying true to its roots the whole way along through it's generations
First off, Llewellyn, I love your channel! You are creating fantastic content and I have learned so much from you. So, thank you so much! I had a 22' Rally Pro and took it to Baja. I found it not to be a good road or off road bike. The heat dumped on the legs from the radiator shrouds was unbearable in NYC traffic. So much so, I wanted to get off it in the Holland Tunnel, which was not an option. Off road it was top heavy and I felt like and drop would damage the delicate plastics and tank. Last year I traded it for a 23' KTM 890R which I promptly took on a 10,000 mile, 4 moth camping trip from New Mexico to Canada and every state to the pacific ocean on many BDR's. NM, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR, CA, NV, UT, AZ and Mexico. I LOVE my KTM. I can jump it, crash it, nearly drown it in muddy, watery bogs and it keeps egging me on to push harder. I only had japanese bikes, particularly Yamahas, before the Triumph and KTM. I'm now a KTM fan. The final blow for the Triumph for me, was in the Anzo Barrego desert in California when five spokes broke on the real wheel on a gentle sandy off road two track. To triumphs credit, they shipped a new rear wheel from Atlanta under warranty and Moto Forza in Escondido did the work within one week while I was delayed in a hotel, Progressive covered the 90 mile tow from the desert to Escondido but my confidence in the bike had evaporated . Those were Akront wheels, just like KTM uses. The problem was with the 18" rear hub and tubules lacing. The spokes failed at the rim edge due to improper hardening of the metal. Meanwhile, the KTM has been unbelievably punished from the Colorado Rockies to dual sport rides in Utah, to over 7 BDR's now. I just had Solid Performance in PA (who does Chris Birch's suspension) service the suspension and valves and the report was the bike is in fantastic mechanical condition. If it wasn't for the crazy heat roasting the riders legs above 80 degree days, the Triumph might be a middle of the road adventure bike. With the KTM, I can ride 400 miles to a basecamp and attack trails with riders on 500's and 690's and not think twice about the bikes ability to get me through and survive... This is my anecdotal experience. Take it with a grain of salt. Take whatever bike you have and go ride and challenge yourself and discover new experiences. I've come out the other side from a near death collision two years ago. I have chosen to ride much more off road, and also get coaching through riders like Chris Birch and his "Say NO TO Slow" series., and it's through that lens that my opinion has been formed. Get out and ride, no matter the bike,. There are so many options for us all out there now to find something for our real intentions. It's a big beautiful world, go rand explore it...
Spot on! I have one and I must admit your assesment is on the mark. Its a very very good allrounder,,You can ride a whole day, tarmac and standrad dirt roads without undue stress and dont feel that you have been fighting a monster the whole day. I will however upgrade the rear shock and attend to the excessive engine heat which you failed to notice..its really unconfortable on warm days..apart from that..excellent bike
i own a T7 since 2019 and the Tiger 900 Rally 2023 (8000km) i ride with max. preload frontfork all the time, works best for me. Most annoying thing ist that you have to stop to go into offroad-mode, i hate that. From offroad to road-mode there is a shortcut and that's good. I'm still not sure whether I love or hate the tiger. If I had to choose, i would keep my T7 in any case.
I love mine. I have specialized bikes but this thing just does everything pretty well. I’m 64 and it definitely does a good job at what I do with it. Heading to Colorado in September to celebrate 65th birthday. Great machine for me. If I want to rip I’ll do on my dual sport KTM or Honda. Colorado for me is over 2000 miles from Alabama Fun fun love triple.
You guys all miss one of the most important things about this new engine for those of us who ride more than compare specs: It's got an extra 6k miles between expensive valve checks.
Still prefer the 800DE when it's about look, polyvalence and price :D The cruise control is a plus but I won't spend this much just for this and a better finish. (the video is on the other hand top notch)
The RP was my last bike, and you hit the nail on the head. It never wanted (or me) to go fast, or charge around, it felt less robust and unbalanced. I got rid of mine due to it being too top-heavy, which when off-road made it feel unmanageable (skill issue probably). That said on the road it was a great bike, but I bought an adv bike not and adv inspired one. Thanks Llel, good work.
A lot of that top heavy feeling is made worse by the suspension being soft and changing that massively improves how that feels. It's one of a few reasons why the KTM brand bikes feel so balanced. The low fuel helps too but, it's a really common problem.
@@BrakeMagazineany input on upgrading the suspension? I have one, love the bike but am your size and need more support. I’d like to hear from someone who’s done it to confirm whether it does wonders.
@@BrakeMagazine Thats why i love my 1290, just feels planted and a bit more forgiving off road. The RP like a lot of mid range bikes require a quicker more positive reaction from the rider -- I'm not there...yet.
Great question. The first step is definitely the correct springs front and rear. A simple fix would then likely be thicker fork oil but the best bet is to ask a local suspension tuner in your country. Adventure bikes have pretty basic suspension so the scope isn’t high, but they will be able to make it much better.
I was ready to buy this bike until I found out I would have to take it back to the dealership to turn off the Service Light...also, many quirks were not mentioned like very poor engine heat management and a steep fork rake makes balance in loose gravel and sand precarious. I could overlook the quirks if I wasn't forced to drive an hour to the dealership just to turn off a Service Light.
I was a hair’s breadth from buying this bike until it became clear that the hot air blasted onto your thighs was a deal breaker. As someone who never goes off road but wanted a seat height of at least 860mm I bought a 1200 GT Pro instead. I’ll always wonder what might have been with the 900 RP, but I have zero regrets about going for the big brother instead.
With a little over 13k miles on my '23 RP, I've ridden every condition from below freezing to high 90s. To any prospective buyer, I'd suggest that heat shouldn't be a deciding factor. I've found that my bike heats my legs only when I'm stopped and temps are above 80. Regardless, the heat dissipates quickly once moving again. Fun fact, when it's brutally cold, sticking a gloved hand into the exhaust port from the fan makes a perfect handwarmer, much better than the heated grips :)
I have a 21mdl, never even noticed any abnormal heat on my legs and am bewildered when people keep stating it as a deal breaker. Riding in aus as well so temps are higher here than most euro areas. The only thing I assume is maybe they're riding in shorts???
I've been running a '24 Rally Pro for 6 weeks and 1800 miles after swapping from a '21 GT Pro. While the heat it noticeable its never been an issue in the UK, I might have a different view if I lived in California but in UK weather its fine. The heat seems to have improved from the Previous bike, on the GT Pro it felt like the thermostat opened up one radiator at a time and so the heat came from only one side, now it seems less and equal. People have commented on the vibration and it certainly doesn't have the turbine smoothness of a 4 or the pre' T plane engine, however I don't find the vibes intrusive on either machine and the power has a nice character/noise. I don't ride hard enough to comment on any limitations of the suspension. I've not ridden a bike with this much suspension travel since the early 90's and have been surprised how well it deals with crap road surfaces. Equally it seem good off road but my dirt riding skills level approaches zero. Certainly it seems happy on Nottinghamshire's gravel lanes. I toured in comfort on the Gt Pro and the saddle on this seems a little wider and better padded. I'm very happy with the bike and was happy enough with the first Tiger to have another
They are a great all round bike got myself a 1200 rally pro and find its great at what ever type of road i ride down but some points you made are a pain going from road to off road and back
Tiger 800 XCA 2016 owner here, l tested the 900 GT Pro 2024 past weekend, 200km highway 200 twisty mountain roads.(Sadly no Rally Pro as a test vehicle in any Triumph dealer near me) 1. l'm sorry but stock pegs are a joke even on Rally Pro, they are almost half the size compared to 800 XCA. 2. TFT is not great takes too may clicks to do stuff, also turn signal is way too close to the directional button and have similar shape so l was signalling randomly way too many times. 3. Wish it had engine braking and TC level settings 1 till 5 for example, not just OffRoad/On/Off, even cheap Tuareg 660 has this. 4. Engine is on a different level. Still thinking if l should sell my bike and get a 24 but 18500 euros is a lot of money so probably will wait for end of summer to make a decision and see if they have any deals.
Terrible. The man focuses on suspension that you can modify or replace. Says nothing about funky fire order inline 3 engine that basically works like 2 cylinder. That is also visible when you look at factory fuel maps. Sounds like an excuse to plug in the sponsor instead of actually tell the viewer what he is getting.
Only 500 miles in I was involved in an accident that would not have happened had I been on my KTM. Braking on road in an emergency is not great, partly because of the suspension setup and partly because of the lack of contact patch on the front tyre. I don’t believe the Tiger 900 RP is safe for highway use without winding up the preload. When I hit the car that lost control in the motorway right hand lane I was only travelling at maybe 10mph, but that was braking from around 65mph over a safety distance that I would consider substantial on any other bike and extremely conservative in a car. Props to the In&Motion air vest that worked perfectly and turned me into a Michelin man before I contacted the spoiler over the rear window of the target. The bike fell sideways and sustained £2k of damage. It is relatively fragile around the fairings and the beak, so fit upper crash bars no matter what the critics say. In every other respect the Tiger 900 RP is great, but it isn’t a sports bike, so be careful, make sure the suspension is set up for the riding conditions and leave plenty of room for car drivers placing their mobile phones ahead of their driving responsibilities.
@@BrakeMagazine Back on the road now. First accident in 50 years. The car suffered a scuffed bumper which the driver has claimed for through my insurance. The result has been that my two car policies have been loaded 100% because I have an unresolved claim pending, costing me £1000. Insurance databases are very much part of the penalty of riding a motorcycle.
@@BrakeMagazine Update:The cost of repairing the scuffed bumper on the third party vehicle was £4,500, a third of which was a hire car. Turns out that the driver did not intend to claim as the scuff was so minor, but my insurers called them and insisted that they would take care of it. The repair shop was associated with the insurer of course. My premiums have doubled anyway, so I claimed for the repairs on the bike. I’m in the wrong business.
Great critique as always llel,always informative and well put together,i also really enjoyed your talk at the ABR festival this year. Are you going to be appering there again next year? I notice you fit trailmax raids on all the bikes you critique, in your opinion what makes these tyres stand out above other brands. Thanks 👍
Hey Sean, I would love to be there again! I would say that in regards to testing it's a really neutral tyre. it does everything well, including handling on-road a little more like a road bike. It isn't as aggressive off-road as couple of the other tyres available but it's good enough at everything that it's not really in the way of the performance of the bike.
You guys always do such a stellar job with your reviews! I have a 2022 Tiger 900 Rally and it’s been an absolutely great bike to have. I had one question, you mentioned increasing the pre-load on the front made it feel better both on and off road right? Is that something you would recommend trying?
@@GlebLapham for going off-road the idea is to set the front preload to max and the rear to minimum (back the rear adjuster knob out) per owner's handbook. Essentially this lowers the rear to add rake angle to the fork and adds a little stability on rough terrain.
Damn I wash hoping this would be about the 1200 rally. That’s the only adv bike with a 21in front and shaft drive. I’m a big shaft drive fan and I hate a 19in front off road so the big Tiger has always peaked my interest
@@IRLtrolls Yes, you're right about the Super Ténéré - it amazes me how BM go on about their shafts, and yet they simply don't last in many cases. The Yam just gets on with the job and rarely gives problems. However, the Ténéré doesn't suit me. It's a great bike, but just not my cup of tea.
Now, you seemed to be pretty impressed with the Suzuki D800 so that makes me wonder how the two compare. Couple years ago the straight cut gear whine put me off the Triump straight away so it may still be off the list for that reason.
Woow!! What a bike!! Excelent, cool, awesome I love it!! BUT' the only thing I hate is.. to see it at night coming ! It looks kind a broken lights! You se one eye bike! Why? The first Honda africa twin in 2015, 16, had the same issue, so the heard custumers and right away solved ! Why Triumph doesn't make the same! I have heard many stories about many cops making fines for one low light broken in my country and also in Canadá! It should be sorted out by thiimph soon! 😊
Humble request - can you make a video about injuries incurred over the years of ADV riding? I have just had an accident and got a very nasty foot injury, surgery etc. Despite wearing good boots (Alpinestars Tech3), full gear etc. Any comments from other riders about your injuries? I am told I will never have 100% fine foot as I smashed one of the main bones to debris.
@@BrakeMagazine Thanks for replying. I was wondering if it is worth to mention this and what potential influence it may have on future riding, living etc. what to do (well your guidance on how to ride certainly helps a lot), what to avoid etc. But generally I think it is interesting how may riders (adv mainly, mixture of road and off road) suffer from broken bones etc. Good awareness video, motivation to becoming a better rider. Maybe some indication of good recovery process by experience etc. E.g I am now only thinking about how to improve my riding immediately after recovery, despite the fact that had very extraordinary case of broken foot not related to my average riding skills, even the doctors were very surprised. (one of the bones exploded into pieces squeezed by other bones while to boot didn't allow the ankle to move sidewise).
I have been riding motorcycles since 1977 I didn't have a custom suspension done for my riding, weight, and luggage until 2018. I will not have another bike without a custom suspension for me. I will buy a much less expensive bike to do $2000.00 suspension for my needs.
I have a KTM 890AR. A friend has a RP24. We swapped bikes for a while. Afterwards we both thought the KTM's engine was the best. The suspension on the 890 is far too hard for someone who travels light, and the traction control is really invasive, so drives me mad (needs to be switched off every time you stop, and with it, traction is easily lost and hard to regain). I've thought about swapping to a RP24 but it's just too heavy and top-heavy after the KTM.
Did you use the TC in rally mode on the 890 or did you mean the RP? With it turned down to 1 in rally mode on the 890 I thought it was pretty good! I hate having to reset modes too.
@@BrakeMagazine It wasn't in Rally mode. I ordered the bike without the electronic extras because I like my bikes to be simple. I'm quite happy without the Rally TC, but it would be interesting to experience the sophisticated 9-level TC. Also, I'm not keen on overspending on a potentially unreliable bike (as all the European brands can be when compared with the Japs).
There is something happening and it's in other areas but it's now widespread in motorcycles. There is no best motorcycle, there's no best brand name.. multiple manufacturers have made great motorcycles in every category. It's a stretch to say you can't go wrong, because you still can, but if the next 10 years are like the last 10 years, soon motorcycle design and manufacturing will be perfected
I had this bike for less than 6 months. I hated everything about it. I’m 6’2” and 250 lbs and like to ride long for hours to the mountains and spend the weekend off-road. It’s no good for that unless you heavily modify it. I tried, but unless I wanted to do some serious suspension work, it wasn’t going to be enough. Also, that buzzy engine makes it a night,are for touring. Worst bike I ever owned and weirdly it was much harder to pick up than a 600lbs GSA. It’s just so bad.
@@brianErickson-bx9hp Like I said, unless you’re willing to do some serious suspension work, it ain’t gonna work for a normal sized guy, unlike the many other options out there. You don’t even need to be a skilled Victorian detective to buy one of those. True story.
I think this review is for riders with serious interest in the technicalities of bike set up. To much nuts and bolts for an average rider who chooses a bike based on just one ride or two rides
Motor the same? Not even close (I have a 2024 and owned a 2020 due to boring engine and vibrations) and I'm not trying to impress anyone. 2024 is SOOO much smoother above 70 mph, SOOO much better pull above 6000 rpms. I live and ride at 6000+ feet, and have open roads where I can hit 100 mph easily and often. My bikes where GT Pros, with BRILLIANT suspension on both for the road, and tolerable for light off road duty. The Tiger turns like a dream and handles bumps and crappy roads as well as any bike I Have owned, which is a lot including top line from KTM, Kawi, and Aprilia.
I would not touch a bike that does not have a dealership around. Nobody buys a car they have to travel 300kms or 200 miles to get a service that is mandatory, local dealerships are a priority and my closest is 115km away and they don't do Triumph,Aprilia, Ducati,Harley. Waste of time trying to sell these old leakers in numbers for Australia.
I thought the conclusion was that this was a bike that wasn't as hard-core as it was made out to be and it is aimed at riders who are not as hard-core as they would like to seem. Which, quite honestly, is most of us. Including me.
It felt like you just kept repeating that the bike was good all round, but you weren’t providing much more colour to justify the repetition. Cool footage but the script felt like it could fit in a 6 min video. Maybe next time provide colour on more things like maintenance, ease of access to the air filter, reliability of previous models.
*I’m not going off road on anything heavier than 147kg* Given I also need to cruise at 120kmh on the tarmac… the only bike left on the list is the Husqvarna 701 🩷🩷🩷
Owning one, the only downside I ever really found is that these bikes have a ton of sticky-outty-bits. Dropping it can be incredibly expensive. I once broke the beak mount, beak cover, horn, left aux light, wind screen center runner and rear reflector mount in a simple drop. All because they stick out from the silhouette of the bike, which is a major design oversight for an adventure bike.
Take a look at the Norden 901, the VStrom 800DE, the Tenere 700 and see how little sticks out from the silhouette of the bike. That prevents sheering off parts if you take a fall in the dirt.
That is an overlooked upside. The KTM models especially crash extremely well. Thanks for pointing it out!
Laughed at the drone in tree clip. Failing drones, knocking over tripods, lights or cameras. I swear, I could make a 5-minute fails reel every video I make.😂
Great review again Llel. I'm not even shopping for a new bike, I just watch 'em because there's always so much to be learned about bikes in general. Keep it up!
Thanks man ☺️
So I have now owned my Rally Pro for a season and I agree with everything you said. It does nothing excellent but does everything well. Almost never do I get on the bike and wish it had just one more thing. I have dialed in the suspension to the point where the difference between the racetrack and the trails is 3 turns of the preload knob. What I disagree with you on is that both the front and rear telagraph when they are reaching the limit. I have trailmax missions on and when I am on the road/track you can feel the front end get mushy and start to provide resistance to more brake. Additionally, I find off road, the bike is extremely forgiving and in Off road mode, it honestly makes me look like a pro.
the first sentence applies to all “big” adventure bikes. None of them are actually brilliant at anything. The middle class is where the moneys at. They can tour and are miles better off road than the bigger bikes, the purpose of an adventure bike is to adventure not tour tar all day. If that’s what people want there are sports tourers or tourers that would beat the triumph all day everywhere , They are sort of a shit category really.
After about 6000 km on the 24 rp, i really enjoy the bike and do not regret the purchase at all. The electronics you get used to and once set i dont fiddle with them minus switching modes so you just get used to it. I am sure my 10 yr old cell phone i have in a drawer somewhere could operate it faster but it bothers me less than i thought it would.
Off road tc still cuts out power too quickly so i just modified the mode to keep off road abs on and tc off.
You can change the mode back to offroad mode upon restart with 2 button presses so that is a non issue.
I think what would help the suspension would have been to give the rear rebound adjustment which seems like a major miss for about the most expensive bike in its class. I end up cranking the preload to max on the road even with no luggage and that helps but it still is lacking. Like you mentioned i think all adv bikes are too xxxx (hard/soft) so i expected this going in, but the weird response on the rear on "sport" settings could be better.
Honestly the only thing that really annoys me about the bike is that the aux lights do not stay on with the high beams, and the high beams are awful on their own so i just use aux lights at night.
Great comment!
I would LOVE to see how this compares to the old 800 xcx in the way you review your bikes... Only cause that's my bike 😂.
I do however feel the old 800 hit the same mark quite well, with the tiger staying true to its roots the whole way along through it's generations
😂 got the exact same panniers on the exact same bike! It’s the best machine I’ve owned in 22+ years riding….
Around 4:20 you say there is a review of a PR7. But I can’t find it anywhere? 😁
First off, Llewellyn, I love your channel! You are creating fantastic content and I have learned so much from you. So, thank you so much!
I had a 22' Rally Pro and took it to Baja. I found it not to be a good road or off road bike. The heat dumped on the legs from the radiator shrouds was unbearable in NYC traffic. So much so, I wanted to get off it in the Holland Tunnel, which was not an option. Off road it was top heavy and I felt like and drop would damage the delicate plastics and tank.
Last year I traded it for a 23' KTM 890R which I promptly took on a 10,000 mile, 4 moth camping trip from New Mexico to Canada and every state to the pacific ocean on many BDR's. NM, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR, CA, NV, UT, AZ and Mexico. I LOVE my KTM. I can jump it, crash it, nearly drown it in muddy, watery bogs and it keeps egging me on to push harder. I only had japanese bikes, particularly Yamahas, before the Triumph and KTM. I'm now a KTM fan.
The final blow for the Triumph for me, was in the Anzo Barrego desert in California when five spokes broke on the real wheel on a gentle sandy off road two track. To triumphs credit, they shipped a new rear wheel from Atlanta under warranty and Moto Forza in Escondido did the work within one week while I was delayed in a hotel, Progressive covered the 90 mile tow from the desert to Escondido but my confidence in the bike had evaporated . Those were Akront wheels, just like KTM uses. The problem was with the 18" rear hub and tubules lacing. The spokes failed at the rim edge due to improper hardening of the metal.
Meanwhile, the KTM has been unbelievably punished from the Colorado Rockies to dual sport rides in Utah, to over 7 BDR's now. I just had Solid Performance in PA (who does Chris Birch's suspension) service the suspension and valves and the report was the bike is in fantastic mechanical condition.
If it wasn't for the crazy heat roasting the riders legs above 80 degree days, the Triumph might be a middle of the road adventure bike. With the KTM, I can ride 400 miles to a basecamp and attack trails with riders on 500's and 690's and not think twice about the bikes ability to get me through and survive...
This is my anecdotal experience. Take it with a grain of salt. Take whatever bike you have and go ride and challenge yourself and discover new experiences. I've come out the other side from a near death collision two years ago. I have chosen to ride much more off road, and also get coaching through riders like Chris Birch and his "Say NO TO Slow" series., and it's through that lens that my opinion has been formed.
Get out and ride, no matter the bike,. There are so many options for us all out there now to find something for our real intentions. It's a big beautiful world, go rand explore it...
I’m in Europe, but I concur 100% with your post , ⬆️✅
Spot on! I have one and I must admit your assesment is on the mark. Its a very very good allrounder,,You can ride a whole day, tarmac and standrad dirt roads without undue stress and dont feel that you have been fighting a monster the whole day. I will however upgrade the rear shock and attend to the excessive engine heat which you failed to notice..its really unconfortable on warm days..apart from that..excellent bike
i own a T7 since 2019 and the Tiger 900 Rally 2023 (8000km)
i ride with max. preload frontfork all the time, works best for me.
Most annoying thing ist that you have to stop to go into offroad-mode, i hate that. From offroad to road-mode there is a shortcut and that's good.
I'm still not sure whether I love or hate the tiger.
If I had to choose, i would keep my T7 in any case.
That’s how I ended up with the fork too. And the electronics are pretty weak
@@BrakeMagazine weak as in limited or weak as in prone to breaking?
@@BrakeMagazine
Offroad ABS works fine Offroad-Tractioncontroll is useless, i always turn it off
@@BrakeMagazine I ride everywhere in off-road Pro
I love mine. I have specialized bikes but this thing just does everything pretty well. I’m 64 and it definitely does a good job at what I do with it. Heading to Colorado in September to celebrate 65th birthday. Great machine for me. If I want to rip I’ll do on my dual sport KTM or Honda. Colorado for me is over 2000 miles from Alabama Fun fun love triple.
Riding in Spain and a Portugal is incredible (dirt and tarmac) .
If you are serious about motorcycling, retire here. It’s incredible.
100%
You guys all miss one of the most important things about this new engine for those of us who ride more than compare specs: It's got an extra 6k miles between expensive valve checks.
Just bought a 1200 GT Pro. And I also own the new 1290 super adventure S. This review is spot on in the difference between them!
Still prefer the 800DE when it's about look, polyvalence and price :D The cruise control is a plus but I won't spend this much just for this and a better finish.
(the video is on the other hand top notch)
I love my 2023 Tiger 900, just ordered a sargent seat for it for longer rides :)
The RP was my last bike, and you hit the nail on the head. It never wanted (or me) to go fast, or charge around, it felt less robust and unbalanced. I got rid of mine due to it being too top-heavy, which when off-road made it feel unmanageable (skill issue probably). That said on the road it was a great bike, but I bought an adv bike not and adv inspired one. Thanks Llel, good work.
A lot of that top heavy feeling is made worse by the suspension being soft and changing that massively improves how that feels. It's one of a few reasons why the KTM brand bikes feel so balanced. The low fuel helps too but, it's a really common problem.
@@BrakeMagazineany input on upgrading the suspension? I have one, love the bike but am your size and need more support. I’d like to hear from someone who’s done it to confirm whether it does wonders.
I can promise without having ridden one that it will do wonders 😊
@@BrakeMagazine Thats why i love my 1290, just feels planted and a bit more forgiving off road. The RP like a lot of mid range bikes require a quicker more positive reaction from the rider -- I'm not there...yet.
Great question. The first step is definitely the correct springs front and rear. A simple fix would then likely be thicker fork oil but the best bet is to ask a local suspension tuner in your country.
Adventure bikes have pretty basic suspension so the scope isn’t high, but they will be able to make it much better.
It looks pretty darn good.
I have the 21mdl and love it, now I'm just jealous the updated one has an extra 14hp! Great bike.
It doesn't feel a huge upgrade so I wouldn't worry!
I was ready to buy this bike until I found out I would have to take it back to the dealership to turn off the Service Light...also, many quirks were not mentioned like very poor engine heat management and a steep fork rake makes balance in loose gravel and sand precarious. I could overlook the quirks if I wasn't forced to drive an hour to the dealership just to turn off a Service Light.
Mine did it for free when I put new rubber on it.
Yes agreed on the service light reset debarcle, this inability to reset your own service light should be illegal.
Set the date back 1 year in the system and the wrench will stop blinking. Then you can have it serviced at your convenience without the distraction.
@@davidunderhill7008 Oh wow, that works?! Good DIY hack!!
I was a hair’s breadth from buying this bike until it became clear that the hot air blasted onto your thighs was a deal breaker. As someone who never goes off road but wanted a seat height of at least 860mm I bought a 1200 GT Pro instead. I’ll always wonder what might have been with the 900 RP, but I have zero regrets about going for the big brother instead.
With a little over 13k miles on my '23 RP, I've ridden every condition from below freezing to high 90s. To any prospective buyer, I'd suggest that heat shouldn't be a deciding factor. I've found that my bike heats my legs only when I'm stopped and temps are above 80. Regardless, the heat dissipates quickly once moving again. Fun fact, when it's brutally cold, sticking a gloved hand into the exhaust port from the fan makes a perfect handwarmer, much better than the heated grips :)
I would agree. I didn’t find the heat on the tiger hugely noticed compared to other bikes
Just road it around Gran Canaria. It was almost unbearable on the knees.
I have a 21mdl, never even noticed any abnormal heat on my legs and am bewildered when people keep stating it as a deal breaker. Riding in aus as well so temps are higher here than most euro areas. The only thing I assume is maybe they're riding in shorts???
I've been running a '24 Rally Pro for 6 weeks and 1800 miles after swapping from a '21 GT Pro. While the heat it noticeable its never been an issue in the UK, I might have a different view if I lived in California but in UK weather its fine. The heat seems to have improved from the Previous bike, on the GT Pro it felt like the thermostat opened up one radiator at a time and so the heat came from only one side, now it seems less and equal. People have commented on the vibration and it certainly doesn't have the turbine smoothness of a 4 or the pre' T plane engine, however I don't find the vibes intrusive on either machine and the power has a nice character/noise. I don't ride hard enough to comment on any limitations of the suspension. I've not ridden a bike with this much suspension travel since the early 90's and have been surprised how well it deals with crap road surfaces. Equally it seem good off road but my dirt riding skills level approaches zero. Certainly it seems happy on Nottinghamshire's gravel lanes. I toured in comfort on the Gt Pro and the saddle on this seems a little wider and better padded. I'm very happy with the bike and was happy enough with the first Tiger to have another
They are a great all round bike got myself a 1200 rally pro and find its great at what ever type of road i ride down but some points you made are a pain going from road to off road and back
It seems that obstacle avoidance on your drone struggles with trees too! Mine did exactly the same thing last month when in follow me mode! 😂
It does. The DJI drones are getting better but mine loves a tree. Just got a Skydio 2 however and that’s much better with the tree avoiding
I still chase the sunset but in different country’s off road 👍🏻💪🏻
Hi, great review, my TT800XC is just as great as you say about TT900. Probably even better as my TC is much more adjustable.
Tiger 800 XCA 2016 owner here, l tested the 900 GT Pro 2024 past weekend, 200km highway 200 twisty mountain roads.(Sadly no Rally Pro as a test vehicle in any Triumph dealer near me)
1. l'm sorry but stock pegs are a joke even on Rally Pro, they are almost half the size compared to 800 XCA.
2. TFT is not great takes too may clicks to do stuff, also turn signal is way too close to the directional button and have similar shape so l was signalling randomly way too many times.
3. Wish it had engine braking and TC level settings 1 till 5 for example, not just OffRoad/On/Off, even cheap Tuareg 660 has this.
4. Engine is on a different level.
Still thinking if l should sell my bike and get a 24 but 18500 euros is a lot of money so probably will wait for end of summer to make a decision and see if they have any deals.
Great review. Wasn’t on shortlist before. Clear not my short list.
Terrible. The man focuses on suspension that you can modify or replace. Says nothing about funky fire order inline 3 engine that basically works like 2 cylinder. That is also visible when you look at factory fuel maps. Sounds like an excuse to plug in the sponsor instead of actually tell the viewer what he is getting.
Only 500 miles in I was involved in an accident that would not have happened had I been on my KTM. Braking on road in an emergency is not great, partly because of the suspension setup and partly because of the lack of contact patch on the front tyre. I don’t believe the Tiger 900 RP is safe for highway use without winding up the preload. When I hit the car that lost control in the motorway right hand lane I was only travelling at maybe 10mph, but that was braking from around 65mph over a safety distance that I would consider substantial on any other bike and extremely conservative in a car. Props to the In&Motion air vest that worked perfectly and turned me into a Michelin man before I contacted the spoiler over the rear window of the target. The bike fell sideways and sustained £2k of damage. It is relatively fragile around the fairings and the beak, so fit upper crash bars no matter what the critics say. In every other respect the Tiger 900 RP is great, but it isn’t a sports bike, so be careful, make sure the suspension is set up for the riding conditions and leave plenty of room for car drivers placing their mobile phones ahead of their driving responsibilities.
Sorry to hear that Chris. Glad you're okay
@@BrakeMagazine Back on the road now. First accident in 50 years. The car suffered a scuffed bumper which the driver has claimed for through my insurance. The result has been that my two car policies have been loaded 100% because I have an unresolved claim pending, costing me £1000. Insurance databases are very much part of the penalty of riding a motorcycle.
Damn man. That's terrible
@@BrakeMagazine Update:The cost of repairing the scuffed bumper on the third party vehicle was £4,500, a third of which was a hire car. Turns out that the driver did not intend to claim as the scuff was so minor, but my insurers called them and insisted that they would take care of it. The repair shop was associated with the insurer of course. My premiums have doubled anyway, so I claimed for the repairs on the bike. I’m in the wrong business.
Great critique as always llel,always informative and well put together,i also really enjoyed your talk at the ABR festival this year. Are you going to be appering there again next year? I notice you fit trailmax raids on all the bikes you critique, in your opinion what makes these tyres stand out above other brands.
Thanks 👍
Hey Sean,
I would love to be there again! I would say that in regards to testing it's a really neutral tyre. it does everything well, including handling on-road a little more like a road bike. It isn't as aggressive off-road as couple of the other tyres available but it's good enough at everything that it's not really in the way of the performance of the bike.
Love my asymmetrical outback motortek pannier frames fitted with kriega os on my t7.
Absolutely
Thanks!
You guys always do such a stellar job with your reviews! I have a 2022 Tiger 900 Rally and it’s been an absolutely great bike to have. I had one question, you mentioned increasing the pre-load on the front made it feel better both on and off road right? Is that something you would recommend trying?
Thanks for the kind words. Absolutely. It felt much better with the preload set to high.
@@BrakeMagazine awesome! I will be trying that! Was it set high in the back as well or just the front?
I think I set it to the same as the book, but that was max, yes.
@@BrakeMagazineI feel small bump compliance suffers when preload is cranked.
@@GlebLapham for going off-road the idea is to set the front preload to max and the rear to minimum (back the rear adjuster knob out) per owner's handbook. Essentially this lowers the rear to add rake angle to the fork and adds a little stability on rough terrain.
Damn I wash hoping this would be about the 1200 rally. That’s the only adv bike with a 21in front and shaft drive. I’m a big shaft drive fan and I hate a 19in front off road so the big Tiger has always peaked my interest
Try a chain oiler. Currently I'm using a TuToRo which is simple and effective. Expect a chain to last around 40-odd miles.
@@RedRupert64 Sure. But I have a super tenere so I just change my gear oil every 10,000 miles and it lasts over 200,000
@@IRLtrolls Yes, you're right about the Super Ténéré - it amazes me how BM go on about their shafts, and yet they simply don't last in many cases. The Yam just gets on with the job and rarely gives problems. However, the Ténéré doesn't suit me. It's a great bike, but just not my cup of tea.
Perfect video to drop.
Glad you think so!
could you share the places you rode in portugal? or a gps track?
I don’t have a GPX sorry. I kinda know it from 10 years of going. It’s all in the Argarve region. The TET is a good start.
So what can we do to make the suspension better offroad?
Visit a suspension tuner. Get it sprung properly and re-valved. There are few options, KTECH, Teknik depending on where you are in the world.
Now, you seemed to be pretty impressed with the Suzuki D800 so that makes me wonder how the two compare. Couple years ago the straight cut gear whine put me off the Triump straight away so it may still be off the list for that reason.
I would say similar tbh. Pretty similar ideology
Any comparison with Tenere 700?
Love your videos. Where does the Tenere World Raid sit on your graph? Love my Tenere here in the states.
Towards the end of the video he covers the touring capability and his opinion of tarmac use.
Is the default to road mode at each start up not a compliance requirement?
Nope. Plenty of bikes don’t have this. BMW, aprilia, KTM’s have an option to change it
Woow!! What a bike!! Excelent, cool, awesome I love it!! BUT' the only thing I hate is.. to see it at night coming ! It looks kind a broken lights! You se one eye bike! Why? The first Honda africa twin in 2015, 16, had the same issue, so the heard custumers and right away solved ! Why Triumph doesn't make the same!
I have heard many stories about many cops making fines for one low light broken in my country and also in Canadá! It should be sorted out by thiimph soon! 😊
Wow, the cops need to calm down 😂
What brand is the luggage rack?✌🏽
Outback Motortek. Link in the description
Humble request - can you make a video about injuries incurred over the years of ADV riding? I have just had an accident and got a very nasty foot injury, surgery etc. Despite wearing good boots (Alpinestars Tech3), full gear etc. Any comments from other riders about your injuries? I am told I will never have 100% fine foot as I smashed one of the main bones to debris.
I could potentially. What do you want to know?
@@BrakeMagazine Thanks for replying. I was wondering if it is worth to mention this and what potential influence it may have on future riding, living etc. what to do (well your guidance on how to ride certainly helps a lot), what to avoid etc. But generally I think it is interesting how may riders (adv mainly, mixture of road and off road) suffer from broken bones etc. Good awareness video, motivation to becoming a better rider. Maybe some indication of good recovery process by experience etc. E.g I am now only thinking about how to improve my riding immediately after recovery, despite the fact that had very extraordinary case of broken foot not related to my average riding skills, even the doctors were very surprised. (one of the bones exploded into pieces squeezed by other bones while to boot didn't allow the ankle to move sidewise).
It’s way to hot on the knees. Way to vibey at higher speeds. Just road it all around Gran Canaria!
Compared to what?
I have been riding motorcycles since 1977 I didn't have a custom suspension done for my riding, weight, and luggage until 2018. I will not have another bike without a custom suspension for me. I will buy a much less expensive bike to do $2000.00 suspension for my needs.
What do you define as custom suspension? Where do you get it / how do you figure out what you need?
brilliant
I have a KTM 890AR. A friend has a RP24. We swapped bikes for a while. Afterwards we both thought the KTM's engine was the best. The suspension on the 890 is far too hard for someone who travels light, and the traction control is really invasive, so drives me mad (needs to be switched off every time you stop, and with it, traction is easily lost and hard to regain). I've thought about swapping to a RP24 but it's just too heavy and top-heavy after the KTM.
Did you use the TC in rally mode on the 890 or did you mean the RP? With it turned down to 1 in rally mode on the 890 I thought it was pretty good!
I hate having to reset modes too.
@@BrakeMagazine It wasn't in Rally mode. I ordered the bike without the electronic extras because I like my bikes to be simple. I'm quite happy without the Rally TC, but it would be interesting to experience the sophisticated 9-level TC.
Also, I'm not keen on overspending on a potentially unreliable bike (as all the European brands can be when compared with the Japs).
Fair enough!
You're getting compass training next time I see you 🤣🤣
😂😂 Where did I fuck up?
@BrakeMagazine "the ktm is north west *puts it at north east*"
nice one!
Thanks!
Great bike
Amen
There is something happening and it's in other areas but it's now widespread in motorcycles. There is no best motorcycle, there's no best brand name.. multiple manufacturers have made great motorcycles in every category. It's a stretch to say you can't go wrong, because you still can, but if the next 10 years are like the last 10 years, soon motorcycle design and manufacturing will be perfected
Agreed!
👍
How is it compared to an Africa Twin?
Smaller, pretty comparable. A little more refined to ride.
I had this bike for less than 6 months. I hated everything about it. I’m 6’2” and 250 lbs and like to ride long for hours to the mountains and spend the weekend off-road. It’s no good for that unless you heavily modify it. I tried, but unless I wanted to do some serious suspension work, it wasn’t going to be enough. Also, that buzzy engine makes it a night,are for touring.
Worst bike I ever owned and weirdly it was much harder to pick up than a 600lbs GSA. It’s just so bad.
Wow. 250 and the suspension felt soft. No shit Sherlock.
@@brianErickson-bx9hp Like I said, unless you’re willing to do some serious suspension work, it ain’t gonna work for a normal sized guy, unlike the many other options out there. You don’t even need to be a skilled Victorian detective to buy one of those. True story.
I think this review is for riders with serious interest in the technicalities of bike set up. To much nuts and bolts for an average rider who chooses a bike based on just one ride or two rides
That’s exactly how we do our reviews. If you want surface level reviews of bikes you can find them 😃
This bike dumps a terrible amount of heat on your legs
Drone?? Really! lol
Motor the same? Not even close (I have a 2024 and owned a 2020 due to boring engine and vibrations) and I'm not trying to impress anyone. 2024 is SOOO much smoother above 70 mph, SOOO much better pull above 6000 rpms. I live and ride at 6000+ feet, and have open roads where I can hit 100 mph easily and often.
My bikes where GT Pros, with BRILLIANT suspension on both for the road, and tolerable for light off road duty. The Tiger turns like a dream and handles bumps and crappy roads as well as any bike I Have owned, which is a lot including top line from KTM, Kawi, and Aprilia.
I agree the engine is better, the conversation is about whether that really changes much
@@BrakeMagazine It changed everything for me, mostly road riding. So much smoother and snappier and faster
I would not touch a bike that does not have a dealership around. Nobody buys a car they have to travel 300kms or 200 miles to get a service that is mandatory, local dealerships are a priority and my closest is 115km away and they don't do Triumph,Aprilia, Ducati,Harley. Waste of time trying to sell these old leakers in numbers for Australia.
I mean, depends where you live right. In Europe there are a ton of dealers for these things
Nice video, but it has no conclusion!
What conclusion would you like?
I thought the conclusion was that this was a bike that wasn't as hard-core as it was made out to be and it is aimed at riders who are not as hard-core as they would like to seem.
Which, quite honestly, is most of us. Including me.
Exactly
This review felt a bit repetitive. And it didn’t address motorway speed comfort, which is key to a good ADV.
In what way? Motorway speed is good.
It felt like you just kept repeating that the bike was good all round, but you weren’t providing much more colour to justify the repetition. Cool footage but the script felt like it could fit in a 6 min video. Maybe next time provide colour on more things like maintenance, ease of access to the air filter, reliability of previous models.
Oh look another two wheeled SUV that's the best ever..... Thats nice😂
I’m pretty sure I spent a good chunk of the video critiquing the bike. 😂
The roads in portugal are what? 😂😂😂😂 bs.
Pretty good
simplistic:
adjective
treating complex issues and problems as if they were much simpler than they really are.
"simplistic solutions"
I’m not sure what the reference is here?
*I’m not going off road on anything heavier than 147kg*
Given I also need to cruise at 120kmh on the tarmac… the only bike left on the list is the Husqvarna 701 🩷🩷🩷
And the AJP
@@BrakeMagazine agreed ! (In my defence, it’s easy to forget, because you don’t see many. )
nice one 👍
Thanks ✌️