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Sep 09, 2023

2023 Triumph Tiger 900 GT: Performance, Price, And Photos

New from the ground up, the Tiger 900 GT is an ADV that builds on the excellence

New from the ground up, the Tiger 900 GT is an ADV that builds on the excellence of the outgoing 800

Triumph Motorcycles subjected its Tiger line to a serious rebuild in 2020 that includes the recently introduced, streetwise Tiger 900 GT as the base model for the U.S. market. It rocks a new, 900 cc engine; don't confuse it with the '98 version as this has boosted performance and different architecture. Top-shelf electronics pair well with the touring-comfort items to make the new Tiger 900 GT a competent tourbike with strong commuter appeal.

RELATED: 2022 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro

Triumph powers the 900 GT with an all-new plant that's more performance-oriented than the previous version with more ponies, more grunt, and a sportier get-up-and-go. The Triumph Tiger 900 GT produces 93.9 horsepower and 64 pound-feet of torque. That's 10 percent more grunt than the outgoing "800" engine, and it comes on lower in the rev range for more tractable power toward the bottom end.

It's an inline triple with a 78 mm bore and 61.9 mm stroke that gives it an 888 cc total displacement and a medium-hot, 11.27-to-1 compression ratio. You were going to feed it top-hook pusholine anyway, right? The engine is liquid-cooled with dual radiators that boost cooling capacity considerably over the single-rad setup.

Dual over-head cams time the 12-valve head – that's four poppets per cylinder – for efficient aspiration and effective exhaust-gas evacuation. An all-new airbox factors in to improve the overall volumetric efficiency, and bless the engineers, they made it easier to access for your cleaning and filter-replacement convenience.

Stainless-steel, three-into-one headers flow beneath the engine with a wee bash plate/heat shield below to protect both. It exits on the right side through an upswept muffler setup that is sure to stay clear of potential terrain strikes. Sure, that's more important while off-road riding, but this is an adventure bike after all, albeit one set up more for the urban jungle.

A slip-and-assist clutch provides the first safety net for the rider with a light lever pull weight and anti-hop protection. Power flows through the six-speed transmixxer and heads to the rear wheel via a tough chain-and-sprocket final drive. An overall gear ratio turns out a Triumph Tiger 900 GT top speed around 125 mph (202 km/h). As of this writing, we're still waiting for 0-to-60 times, but expect them to come in around 3.5 to 3.7 seconds.

Corner-optimized traction control finishes out the electronic engine goodies with carefully calculate interventions based on the available traction. You can switch it off anytime you please for straight-up power delivery as ordered by the throttle grip position. You can also tailor your ride through the quartet of Riding Modes that come set up as "Road," "Rain," "Sport," and Off-Road" for quick and easy personality changes on the road.

Engine & Drivetrain

Engine

Liquid-cooled, 12-valve, DOHC, inline 3-cylinder

Displacement

888 cc

Bore x Stroke

78 mm x 61.9 mm

Compression

11.27:1

Power

93.9 HP (70 kW) @ 8,750 RPM

Torque

64 LB-FT @ 7,250 RPM

Fuel System

Multi-point sequential electronic fuel injection

Exhaust

Stainless steel 3-into-1 header system, side-mounted stainless steel silencer

Final Drive

O-ring chain

Clutch

Wet, multi-plate

Gearbox

6-speed

RELATED: Top 10 Sport Touring Bikes For Experienced Riders

As ever, Triumph manages to capture the essence of the genre with plenty of adventure-tastic yummygoodness on the Tiger 900 GT. It retains just enough of the British Giant's flair to set it apart from the pack.

The front fender sets the tone right out of the gate. A molded shape pulls air into the radiators and spoiler uprights that steer air around the fork tubes for low-drag penetration. It rocks a duckbill fairing up above, but the fender itself does all the work to make the fairing a bit superfluous. The fairing is an aesthetic structure and part of that aforementioned Britishness that marks this as a Trumpet product.

Dual LED headlights ride recessed below the adjustable rally-style windscreen. Around behind the glass rides the seven-inch, color TFT screen that handles all the mundane instrumentation along with the higher electronic features. Stock handguards protect your hamburger shovels from cold wind and bug strikes. Heated grips come standard for that nice this-really-is-an-adventure-bike vibe.

A 5.28-gallon fuel tank contributes the adventure-typical hump ahead of the saddle that comes adjustable with a range from 32.28 inches to 33.07 inches. If you need to get as low as possible, the "Low" version of this Tiger 900 slams the seat down to as low as 30.32 inches off the deck for the short-inseam riders out there.

The Tiger 900 GT comes set up to accommodate a passenger. Your passenger has a wide pillion pad, fold-up subframe-mount footpegs, and generous J.C. handles for riding comfort. More LED delightfulness rides at the tip of the tail, well out of harm's way. The lights are all arguably more visible mounted up that high, particularly the blinkers and tag light.

Triumph Tiger 900 GT Specs

Height (w/o mirror)

55.51-57.48 in (1,410-1,460 mm)

Width (@ handlebar)

36.61 in (930 mm)

Seat Height

32.28-33.07 in (820-840 mm)32.28-33.07 in (820-840 mm)

Wheelbase

61.25 in (1,556 mm)

Fuel Capacity

5.28 US gal (20 L)

Dry Weight

427 Lbs (194 kg)

RELATED: 10 Sport Touring Bikes For Experienced Riders

A welded, tubular-steel Trellis frame on the Tiger 900 GT serves as the main structure with a removable bolt-up subframe section. The factory switched to cast aluminum for the yoke-style swingarm to limit unsprung weight at the rear axle, to the benefit of the rear suspension.

More lightweight, cast-alloy material in the wheels rocks a series of thin spokes to keep weight down and limit the centrifugal and gyroscopic forces generated while riding at speed. The rims roll in a 19-inch diameter ahead of a 17-incher in back and come shod in a 90/90 and 150/70, respectively.

In another weight-saving move, the factory replaced a large chunk of framing with the engine. This makes it a stressed member to complete the structure and make the frame as light as possible.

The steering head sets an aggressive tone with 24.6 degrees of rake and 5.24 inches of trail. Both numbers are very near the bottom of the range, so you can count on it being willing, eager even, in corners and reversals.

Marzocchi provides the suspension with 45 mm, inverted front forks that roll with rebound- and compression-damping and a monoshock out back that comes with adjustable rebound-damping and preload values. Travel is generous for a street machine with 7.08 inches (180 mm) up front and 6.69 inches (170 mm) out back making the Tiger well-suited to handle less-than-well-maintained roadways.

Brembo Stylema brakes provide ample stopping power with dual 320 mm front discs and four-bore anchors ahead of a 255 mm disc and single-piston caliper in the rear. ABS comes stock to finish out the electronics. Naturally, it benefits from the on-board IMU device to deliver corner-optimized, multi-mode ABS protection to boot.

Chassis & Suspension

Frame

Tubular steel frame, bolt-on subframe

Swingarm

Twin-sided, cast aluminum alloy

Front Suspension/ Travel

Marzocchi 45 mm upside down forks, manual rebound and compression damping adjustment/ 7.08 in (180 mm)

Rear Suspension/ Travel

Marzocchi rear suspension unit, manual preload and rebound damping adjustment/ 6.69 in (170 mm)

Rake

24.6°

Trail

5.24 in (133.3 mm)

Front Wheel

Cast alloy, 19 x 2.5 in

Rear Wheel

Cast alloy, 17 x 4.25 in

Front Tire

100/90-19

Rear Tire

150/70R17

Front Brake

Dual 320 mm floating discs, Brembo Stylema 4-piston Monobloc calipers. Radial front master cylinder, Multi-mode ABS, Optimized Cornering ABS

Rear Brake

Single 255 mm disc. Brembo single-piston sliding caliper, Multi-mode ABS, Optimized cornering ABS

RELATED: 2022 Triumph Tiger 1200 GT & GT Pro - Performance, Price, and Photos

The Triumph Tiger 900 GT costs $14,700. That's for the Pure White package. The Sapphire Black rolls for $14,900, while the Caspian Blue fetches $15,025. The "Low" model shares the same colorways and prices across the board.

Features:

Pricing

Colors

Pure White, Sapphire Black, Caspian Blue

Price

$14,700 - $15,205

RELATED: Triumph Releases Tiger 900 James Bond Limited Edition

After a fruitless search for an apple in the orange-filled Asian market, I turned to Europe. Lo-and-behold, there I found the F 900 XR from BMW.

The Bayerische Motoren Werke offers a well-put-together machine that hits all the genre-specific design points while maintaining that Beemer flavor. In all honesty, these two could almost be siblings at a glance. Built for low-drag efficiency, the BMW F 900 XR's bodywork is like that on the Tiger. That low-resistance airstream is just the thing for long-range work.

The Beemer runs a parallel-twin engine that displaces 895 cc, but generates 99 horsepower for a slight performance edge. Electronics, however, are a wash across the board. One downside for the BMW is the 13.1-to-1 compression ratio. It's quite hot and will no doubt demand top-octane road champagne. Top speed is neck-and-neck at a claimed, yet vague, "over 124 mph" metric from the factory.

So far, these two are fairly similar in both form and substance, but BMW gets a solid win at the checkout with its $11,695 sticker on the base model. That, my friends, is quite a gulf for Triumph to try to bridge.

"Stock, it's pretty much basic transportation. Ah, but add some side luggage and a topcase, and you've got something that can tour, carry work/school materials, and serve as a dandy grocery-getter as well. This machine does occupy a gap in displacement that few manufacturers currently fill, but I think the BMW may get an out-sized portion of the pie due to the price difference."

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, "I do appreciate the "Low" version of the Tiger 900 GT. I am height-challenged and most adventure bikes are too tall for my comfort."

"The outgoing Tiger 800 fit into a popular market niche. It was a mid-displacement and offered a lighter-weight ride than the bigger adventure bikes. Rather than just stick a bigger engine in the 800 and call it a 900, Triumph started from the ground up to make a better version of the 800."

"I think they generally succeeded, but it does seem a little underpowered if you add full panniers and a pillion partner. If your passenger is petite, and you don't load down the panniers, all the better."

Producing 93 horsepower and 64 pound-feet of torque, the Tiger 900 GT has ample power for its intended use as an urban-oriented adventure bike. Adding a passenger and loaded luggage reduces the get-up-and-go of the bike, so "underpowered" is a relative term. It has better performance than the outgoing 800.

The 900 GT Pro carries the same standard equipment as the 900 GT, along with some added extras. It has electronically-adjustable Marzocchi rear suspension as opposed to the manually adjustable suspension on the GT. While not as off-road oriented as the Rally models, the GT Pro has enhanced touring capabilities and integrated My Triumph connectivity system. Also, standard-equipped, it has Triumph's Shift Assist quickshifter and five Ride Modes, compared to the GT's four.

While 0-to-60 times are not available for the 2023 model at the time of this writing, Tigers in general remain steady in the mid three-seconds window. Speed is not the focus for an adventure bike, but times in the 3-to-4 seconds are a good representative for the class. The Triumph Tiger 900 GT top speed is 125 MPH.

Triumph has factories in the UK, Thailand, and Brazil. Which factory produces which bikes is purely a logistics decision based on the major market for that model. The factory may change with the release of new models and as market demand changes. At the time of this writing, the Tiger 900 is made in Thailand.

TJ got an early start from his father and other family members who owned and rode motorcycles, and by helping with various mechanical repairs throughout childhood. That planted a seed that grew into a well-rounded appreciation of all things mechanical, and eventually, into a formal education of same. Though primarily a Harley rider, he has an appreciation for all sorts of bikes and doesn't discriminate against any particular brand or region of origin. He currently holds an Associate's degree in applied mechanical science from his time at the M.M.I.