If you've to do light touring (3-4 hours) with a passenger on would you prefer a Tiger 660 over a Tiger 850? I feel they make more or less the same power.
@@FelipeGonzalez-bc4xe and the two motorcycle reviews FortNine does each year ...his reviews are great. Lots of love goes into themamd I love his unique format. They’re too infrequent. There are really only a handful of channels that compete with what this series does. The closest would be from Adam Waheed (however that is spelled) over at motorcyclist magazine but ... that guy can’t speak for 45 seconds without slurping saliva back into his talk hole and it makes me nauseous. He sounds like Gail The Snail from Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Could be a great guy, but his job is to speak and he does it in a disgusting way.
Always love watching when you head through the residential areas and seeing all the parked cars from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s! Here in Canada some of us live with road salt that brings an untimely death to all cars of that era. Great seeing the old JDM’s and muscle cars from days gone by.....😌
That’s what I kept thinking when I visited LA. Chicago uses so much salt that it affects the salinity of Lake Michigan. So cool to see how cars can survive for decades without all the salt.
I just love the new t-plane crank engine that adds a throbbing, burbling character to the hallmark whistle of the Hinckley triple. Very unique & distinctive. Some reviewers questioned the move, saying it's probably the first time a bike manufacturer had unbalanced their engine for no mechanical gain... but seriously, if it feels this good it can't possibly be wrong! Mine is everything I could ever want from the 900 but with none of the farkles -- the closest to perfect compromise I could hope for in the interest of lower cost.
I just bought a 900 RP. Confirmation bias and all but this is a great bike. Triumph has done a great job with the fueling and engine. The sound is different but so is the inline 3, I think that gives it character. The noise and vibration are enough to let you know you are on a triumph and it feels good. This is a really good platform. On the RP at least, quality is very good, quality materials and thoughtfully made.
My partner just bought one. She is a bit of a technophobe and just wants something that is fun to ride and can eat km’s. We also have to ride 7km of forestry trail to ride to get to and from the house to the tar seal. She is also only 5’4” so the Tiger 850 sport is her goldilocks bike
I think this is an amazing bike. But personally I’d spend the extra $3k for the 900 GT and get all the good extras like 7” tft, heated grips, cruise control, extra ride modes, better suspension, nicer colors. The GT pro is more for the people that do a couple 1k mile road trips a year. I prefer the standard GT just go out and crush miles every day having fun with comfort on your favorite back roads. Maybe a nice trip here and there.
Yeah, through the whole video, I was trying to figure out who this bike was for. It seems like there’s a better option no matter what your priorities are.
My old pops said " ride like youre invisible young TJ and you will be the best rider ever " so that's what I did and het, I'm still riding today. Ride like they're drunk and high and you will live forever 👍
Sounds like a slight gear-up and different tires, and this would be a fabulous do-it-all keeper. I've had a Speed 1050 for a few years and it's be very reliable, has sweet fueling, power whenever/wherever you need it, great mpg (when you want to), and a sound that never gets tiring. Nice to live with. The Sport is a great option in a very competitive segment. Tracer 9 GT next! Thanks for the great review.
I like that it only has the two ride modes. Shame no cruise though. ABS and cruise in my opinion and experience are the only two things a bike needs. Power modes are handled by the wrist and brain..my 0.02
Strange that my Tiger 900 Rally Pro came with thinly-disguised street tires, but the 850 Sport actually comes with a more dirt-oriented tire. I replaced mine after a few thousand miles with Dunlop TrailMax Mission tires, and they are all the difference in the world on dirt, but still pretty dang good on the highway. No issues with engine heat for me (here in SoCal as well), even riding in 100+ temps last summer. I'm ok with the TFT screen, except for the universally-disliked tach. They do need to come up with a better solution there. Overall, I absolutely love the bike!
Triumph could solve that problem with a software update as it's a TFT display. I REALLY wish they would. It's one of the main drawbacks of the display they have. Look to the GS for an example of how to do it right.
I like your "approachable" comments. I'm of my KTM 1290 at every stop sign. Your series is a must view for me as soon as it comes out. Very very interested to see if the new 2021 KTM 1290 will knock the Ducati off the top when it comes out.
i'm a bit surprised that your unhidden "bias" against the 180 parallel twin (Versys 650) VS this Triple engine wouldn't have qualified this bike to win over the Versys. But well done! And thank you, as always, for the enjoyable, in depth and fair/honest reviews! Take care Sir!
Great review Zach as always but can you bring back the old leader board format with the X/Y axis 4 quadrant display. It's really a good way to display how the different bikes compare, more meaningful than the single hard to read list... Come to think of it, the whole thing would be awesome if it were two to three times the size.
Zack, great review! Always have a soft spot for ADV bikes as they're very practical. Please review Kawasaki's Ninja 1000SX!! Much love from the east coast.
I'm going to have to try this and the 900 GT to see if it's worth upgrading from my Tiger 800. I like the new look even if it's quite similar. Good review.
My fault with the Tiger 900's was how much the bike cost and the upgrades were equally so. Them offering a lower spec and slightly less expensive bike wasn't the real answer in my opinion. A lot of other ADV bikes for the same money or less with more power and standard features... Africa Twin.
@@Child3k my comment wasn't about what bikes are available for the same money as the 850 sport. It's base. The 900 however is too expensive for the starter models and then the pro models which have the specs people want are ludicrous. To your point you can get a Yamaha Tracer 900 GT for about the same money and it comes factory with cruise, heated grips and luggage. Still a triple, will spend the same amount of time off road and makes way way more power than the 850 sport.
Funny that your first comment was "Kinda lumpy, ain't it?" That was my first thought when I took one out after the Speed Triple. Didn't think I'd care for it, but it took like two minutes before I completely forgot about that and settled into "This is something I could ride every day." It's not as exciting as the Speedy or Rocket, but it just feels dependable and forgiving. That goofy tach was my biggest complaint, and that the default screen was low-contrast in full sun.
Two suggestions: 1) It would be cool if you used an infrared thermometer on the engine at the end of the ride. For a daily rider, the heat coming off the engine can be a real benefit or boon (I'm looking at you, Ducati scramblers). 2) The key to not blowing your voice out is the warm down. When you're finished yelling into a helmet for a half hour or so, do some cool down exercises to keep your voice healthy. Ask a metal singer, they know.
No worries on the engine heat. I have a 900 Rally Pro, and wasn't bothered in the least riding it last summer here in SoCal, even when the temps were over 100 degrees...
Thank you for the good review especially with no music in the background. Your review helped me decide buy this bike. Well detailed review. Thank you from India
The only thing that would have me looking at the 900 is the cruise control. Had the 850 Sport had cruise it would have been the perfect budget tourer, great for short/newer riders to compared to the mighty T7.
@@BadDriverrr De Nada You're the guy with an engine that depends in dissipating heat into the air - mentioning it dissipates heat into the air. Hard to tell what that about. I mean - water is wet. LOL
Zack, really value your reviews. Best I've found. I have the Tiger RP so I just wanted to comment on one of your thoughts here. I have the same mirrors, and really hated them. I agree on the positioning, it's very good. It's the mounting hardware that let me down. Any little bump with my arm would knock them loose, and extremely difficult to keep them tight. I recently switched to a Ram mount style and could not be happier. Keep up the great work!
I have the Versys 650GT, bought new 3 years ago and done 28000 miles on it. Thinking of changing and watched this video as, being British, it would be kinda nice to buy the Triumph. However at the end you say the Versys is still a better Daily Rider. And that was the old model, the 2022 has the TFT dash, traction control, an easily adjustable screen, sharper styling. Looks like another Versys 650 for me.
Pretty good bike. I agree that triumph should do something with the trident engine in an ADV frame. All the manufacturers are always going up with their ADV models 790 to 890, etc because sports touring is selling hot and you look a bit more rugged because you could off-road. I want a new 500-600cc ADV. Cheers
The Tiger 850 is the most beautiful ADV bike ever produced. The front end is a whole order of magnitude more beautiful than the Harley Pan America. The headlight assembly, muffler, and passenger grab rails, as well as the simple bodywork, and simple, clean lines, make it the best looking bike in its class. However, I feel like the lack of a conventional analog tachometer, and the horrendous gear ratios (4,400 RPM at 70mph) and the odd non-standard crankshaft configuration and lumpy sound, are huge negatives. The gearing is so bad, that it might not be fixable, without actually cutting a new gearset on a CNC machine. It really needs about a 40% drop in RPM's at cruising speed, to get the full potential of the new crankshaft design in the engine, which puts out tremendous low RPM torque. The engine design doesn't match the final drive gear ratio at all. The engine is designed to produce massive low end torque. However, the gear ratios are nearly identical to a short stroke, inline 4 cylinder sportbike, with a peaky, high revving engine. Still I think the Tiger 850 is so incredibly beautiful, I may end up buying one, because it's the only ADV bike that is stunningly beautiful.
Don't need or want all the electronic gizmos on the 900, I do wish they would of added cruise or heated grips standard on this 850 instead of say riding modes,for my tastes anyways.
I miss the old bikes that were really smooth and linear down low and didnt have such an on off snatchy throttle, other than that the new bikes have alot of really awesome features
I own a Triumph Trophy SE, which has a 1215 triple, and a 900 Rally Pro. No comparison - the Trophy sound is boring compared to the Tiger, although it's a great bike. I love the sound of the Tiger, especially at idle.
Cruise Control is pretty well figured out at this point on bikes. The cost isn't that much for Triumph. It's one thing if the lower MSRP means that we don't get better brakes or suspension adj but taking features away that should be on all the bikes in the lineup just to justify the more expensive ones is a BS argument. That's like taking seat-belts and airbags out of the lower end cars and saying "if you want these features, pay extra!". Oh wait, auto manufactures actually did that with seat-belts!! That actually happened!
Once again I enjoyed another informative review. In my opinion it would’ve just pipped 2nd spot, but it’s all subjective! Keep up the good work and ride safely!
personally i wish that Triumph would have released this bike first before the 900 line. I know they did it because of the market demand but it seems so backwards to me, and i own a 900 Rally Pro. I love all the features of the 900 but would have been just as happy with the 850 sport. Having heated grips and a heated seat just means i get to ride in colder conditions, but that could be argued with just having better gear. I just noticed too that the 850's don't come with hand guards as standard, that also helps a lot with weather and longer rides.
Hey Zack! Just thought I’d write to verify that weird tire noise you mention. I bought my Tiger 850 mid-December but had yet to take it on an actual long ride. So yesterday some buddies of mine and I did just that, up around Lake Berryessa up I\here in NoCal. At higher speeds, say 50+ , in the twisties, sure enough, there was this weird ...whine? Growl? Dunno. Nowhere near the skill set of you, but I noticed it most in tighter corners. Weird tires, but they work like a charm on road shoulders and gravely highway. Love the bike!
I’ll hazard a guess that handling would be much improved by changing tires. My Rally Pro’s stock tires felt okay when new but delivered an increasingly vague ride as they wore, and by the time they had 3000 miles on them I got sick of them and switched to a different tire. Transformed the bike.
Looks like a excellent daily rider. Also I wonder if there will be a tune to get it up to par with the other 900’s. And the price is decent, would love to rip on one!!
In 2005 i was living in Ireland and with a couple of friends i went to Bikeworld in Dublin. Saw a Tiger 955i 2002 model for sale if i remember right. It could also have been the 1050i. I am 6ft 7in and i was standing next to it. The top of the seat was about 3-4 inches above my inseam. It was a beauty of a bike, but the later years it seems the bikes are much lower in the seat height from what i have seen.
Great Video a always! Just one little thing: the engine is not quite the same as the tiger 900. The 900 makes 10 more hp (95 instead of 85) and a bit more torque.
16:34 that's what happens when someone who doesn't know what target fixation is watches you in the drivers door mirror. I actually use this as a metric to infer someone has seen me approaching when I overtake. As I approach a car in the right lane they will drift left just a bit, then correct.
Excellent review and a brilliant result for Triumph, I would have some heated grips fitted should I actually buy this machine then you would have an all season ride.
Funny that you mention this bike would be better served with the Trident 660 engine, since next week Triumph is officially unveiling the Tiger 660 Sport. Hope to see a review of that one.
Excellent in depth review.Enjoyed watching.does the Tiger 850 sport have better engine , dynamics and braking than BMW 900xr. I wished it had the Cruise control. Better than bmw 900xr ?
Maybe I’ve missed something, but you forgot to mention that the power output on the 850 is less than the 900, don’t remember by how much, despite having the same engine. In Europe it’s aimed at beginners (A2 license). The mirrors were plucked from the 2016 Tigers. Great evaluation and video, as usual. Cheers from Brazil.
I'd like to see the strom 650 reviewed too. They are very popular, and although perhaps not the most exciting bikes in the world, neither is a Versys and that is in #2
If this bike is software detuned, what's stopping anyone from simply reflashing it to the 900 spec? NA-anything detuned from the factory = throttle angle and timing, should be a very easy fix to regain those 11 horses!
You know... Even though it seems logical that the adv bikes are at the top... During my commute I see quite a few other commuters and most ride full fairing bikes... Like a BMW r1200rt for instance (the cops have them too and they spend all day on em)... This category is kind of missing on your board... Like FJR/pan european... bmw rt.... there's a bunch and they all get ridden year round here. (my pc800 too is a great commuter).
7:50 tire noise from the Michelin Anakee Adventure. I had a set of Michelin Anakee 3 on my Scrambler Desert Sled, and those tires would "sing" at about 50-60 mph!
Hey There, If you wanted to go for a one week tour /3-500 miles daily/, no off-road, but meeting with some 3rd quality roads as well, + some highways included. Would the Tiger 800/850/900 eat the Versys 650 / V-Strom 650 /TDM? Which bike to be choosen? :) Thanks, BR, Peter
Of the aspect of road touring will have no luck against tracer 9 with a lot more power and better reliability In my country these have the same price 11500 euro.
Very interesting. Similar engine size to the desert sled, power specs, but more of a full "adventure bike" in a way. Same price just about, and a similar in weight. Very different seeming bikes, though.
Read Zack’s first-ride article on Common Tread: rvz.la/3bH5UCt
@@bryanschwabenland6657 Kullo 0oa
If you've to do light touring (3-4 hours) with a passenger on would you prefer a Tiger 660 over a Tiger 850? I feel they make more or less the same power.
These are by far the best motorcycle reviews on the internet.
yeah, its so nice Zach and Ari are back :-)
Could not agree more!
You've probably never heard of FortNine
@@FelipeGonzalez-bc4xe and the two motorcycle reviews FortNine does each year ...his reviews are great. Lots of love goes into themamd I love his unique format. They’re too infrequent.
There are really only a handful of channels that compete with what this series does. The closest would be from Adam Waheed (however that is spelled) over at motorcyclist magazine but ... that guy can’t speak for 45 seconds without slurping saliva back into his talk hole and it makes me nauseous. He sounds like Gail The Snail from Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Could be a great guy, but his job is to speak and he does it in a disgusting way.
@@FelipeGonzalez-bc4xe FortNine and 44 Teeth are also sweet i agree :-) but FortNine just makse so few videos :-(
Zach always starts these things like he’s in a library and doesn’t want to get scolded
Zack.
We are never tired of hearing you talk.
I like how you think we are being inconvenienced with longer content. Your reviews are outstanding!
Always love watching when you head through the residential areas and seeing all the parked cars from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s! Here in Canada some of us live with road salt that brings an untimely death to all cars of that era. Great seeing the old JDM’s and muscle cars from days gone by.....😌
From a Michigan/Ohioan with saltfucked roads I always think the same thing!! Always on the lookout for the clean older cars haha
I have a 25 year old, 300000 mile van with virtually no rust. Southwest is good on metal.
That’s what I kept thinking when I visited LA. Chicago uses so much salt that it affects the salinity of Lake Michigan. So cool to see how cars can survive for decades without all the salt.
I just love the new t-plane crank engine that adds a throbbing, burbling character to the hallmark whistle of the Hinckley triple. Very unique & distinctive. Some reviewers questioned the move, saying it's probably the first time a bike manufacturer had unbalanced their engine for no mechanical gain... but seriously, if it feels this good it can't possibly be wrong!
Mine is everything I could ever want from the 900 but with none of the farkles -- the closest to perfect compromise I could hope for in the interest of lower cost.
What does this reviewer mean when he says the bike feels disconnected?
@@blaiseducdaumont1280same question for me
I just bought a 900 RP. Confirmation bias and all but this is a great bike. Triumph has done a great job with the fueling and engine. The sound is different but so is the inline 3, I think that gives it character. The noise and vibration are enough to let you know you are on a triumph and it feels good. This is a really good platform. On the RP at least, quality is very good, quality materials and thoughtfully made.
My partner just bought one. She is a bit of a technophobe and just wants something that is fun to ride and can eat km’s. We also have to ride 7km of forestry trail to ride to get to and from the house to the tar seal. She is also only 5’4” so the Tiger 850 sport is her goldilocks bike
I think this is an amazing bike. But personally I’d spend the extra $3k for the 900 GT and get all the good extras like 7” tft, heated grips, cruise control, extra ride modes, better suspension, nicer colors. The GT pro is more for the people that do a couple 1k mile road trips a year. I prefer the standard GT just go out and crush miles every day having fun with comfort on your favorite back roads. Maybe a nice trip here and there.
Yeah, through the whole video, I was trying to figure out who this bike was for. It seems like there’s a better option no matter what your priorities are.
That’s your opinion, but some people don’t afford it! Cheers! 😊
Zack really convinced me on the high leaderboard ranking on this bike. So much so that I just bought a '22 demo from my local dealer.
My old pops said " ride like youre invisible young TJ and you will be the best rider ever " so that's what I did and het, I'm still riding today. Ride like they're drunk and high and you will live forever 👍
Sounds like a slight gear-up and different tires, and this would be a fabulous do-it-all keeper. I've had a Speed 1050 for a few years and it's be very reliable, has sweet fueling, power whenever/wherever you need it, great mpg (when you want to), and a sound that never gets tiring. Nice to live with. The Sport is a great option in a very competitive segment. Tracer 9 GT next! Thanks for the great review.
Thx for being such an honest and eloquently down-to-earth reviewer ✊🏽✌🏽🔥🙏🏽
Great review Zack, but man, it's weird hearing this bike constantly be referred to as "low-end" in so many ways when it starts at $12,000 lol
I like that it only has the two ride modes. Shame no cruise though.
ABS and cruise in my opinion and experience are the only two things a bike needs. Power modes are handled by the wrist and brain..my 0.02
Strange that my Tiger 900 Rally Pro came with thinly-disguised street tires, but the 850 Sport actually comes with a more dirt-oriented tire. I replaced mine after a few thousand miles with Dunlop TrailMax Mission tires, and they are all the difference in the world on dirt, but still pretty dang good on the highway. No issues with engine heat for me (here in SoCal as well), even riding in 100+ temps last summer. I'm ok with the TFT screen, except for the universally-disliked tach. They do need to come up with a better solution there. Overall, I absolutely love the bike!
Triumph could solve that problem with a software update as it's a TFT display. I REALLY wish they would. It's one of the main drawbacks of the display they have. Look to the GS for an example of how to do it right.
I like your "approachable" comments. I'm of my KTM 1290 at every stop sign. Your series is a must view for me as soon as it comes out. Very very interested to see if the new 2021 KTM 1290 will knock the Ducati off the top when it comes out.
The ecu is not locked, you can fully change or modify fueling maps with tune ecu.
I just took one of these for a test ride. I loved it!!!! Your review is awesome!!!
Yup! I loved it so much that bought it. For me, an excellent daily ride!
I really look forward to these and my Sunday morning coffee. One of the hilights of my week. Thank you sir.
i'm a bit surprised that your unhidden "bias" against the 180 parallel twin (Versys 650) VS this Triple engine wouldn't have qualified this bike to win over the Versys. But well done! And thank you, as always, for the enjoyable, in depth and fair/honest reviews! Take care Sir!
Great review Zach as always but can you bring back the old leader board format with the X/Y axis 4 quadrant display. It's really a good way to display how the different bikes compare, more meaningful than the single hard to read list... Come to think of it, the whole thing would be awesome if it were two to three times the size.
My RZ 350 reigned in the cool X axis. Never to be exceeded.
Zack, great review! Always have a soft spot for ADV bikes as they're very practical. Please review Kawasaki's Ninja 1000SX!! Much love from the east coast.
I'm going to have to try this and the 900 GT to see if it's worth upgrading from my Tiger 800. I like the new look even if it's quite similar. Good review.
If nothing else, I think the new T-plane crank configuration sounds absolutely fantastic, it's like no other engine I've ever heard.
Great review as always Zach! I honestly don't think a motorcycle journalist can review a Cruisinart blender without saying the word "Panigale".
For $12k, Triumph could have included cruise control on this bike.
My fault with the Tiger 900's was how much the bike cost and the upgrades were equally so. Them offering a lower spec and slightly less expensive bike wasn't the real answer in my opinion. A lot of other ADV bikes for the same money or less with more power and standard features... Africa Twin.
Absolutely that seems like a really purposeful omission to try and push people to buy the more expensive models.
@@blakethornsbrough1528 MSRP for the Tiger Sport 850 is 12k USD. Which Bikes offer a better feature set at that price point ?
@@Child3k my comment wasn't about what bikes are available for the same money as the 850 sport. It's base. The 900 however is too expensive for the starter models and then the pro models which have the specs people want are ludicrous. To your point you can get a Yamaha Tracer 900 GT for about the same money and it comes factory with cruise, heated grips and luggage. Still a triple, will spend the same amount of time off road and makes way way more power than the 850 sport.
This has to be a bare bones bike. If cruise control why not quick shifter etc etc. It looks like better value than, say, the 700 Tenere.
The best reviews for us normal driving to work everyday people!!
Funny that your first comment was "Kinda lumpy, ain't it?" That was my first thought when I took one out after the Speed Triple. Didn't think I'd care for it, but it took like two minutes before I completely forgot about that and settled into "This is something I could ride every day." It's not as exciting as the Speedy or Rocket, but it just feels dependable and forgiving. That goofy tach was my biggest complaint, and that the default screen was low-contrast in full sun.
Two suggestions:
1) It would be cool if you used an infrared thermometer on the engine at the end of the ride. For a daily rider, the heat coming off the engine can be a real benefit or boon (I'm looking at you, Ducati scramblers).
2) The key to not blowing your voice out is the warm down. When you're finished yelling into a helmet for a half hour or so, do some cool down exercises to keep your voice healthy. Ask a metal singer, they know.
No worries on the engine heat. I have a 900 Rally Pro, and wasn't bothered in the least riding it last summer here in SoCal, even when the temps were over 100 degrees...
Loving the Daily Rider series! It would be epic if Zach got a chance to review the Tiger 900 GT Pro.
I got to ride it a few months back! Hell of a ride and premium in every sense of the word
One of the few things I look forward to on UA-cam- DailyRider with Zack🤩
Love those triples ! Takes me back to my ol’79 Yamaha special!
Thank you for the good review especially with no music in the background. Your review helped me decide buy this bike. Well detailed review. Thank you from India
The only thing that would have me looking at the 900 is the cruise control. Had the 850 Sport had cruise it would have been the perfect budget tourer, great for short/newer riders to compared to the mighty T7.
“It’s an 80hp bike, it’s not going to pump off that much heat”
Objection your honor, from a Ducati Scrambler owner…
That's an air cooled engine.
@@anxiousappliance thanks, Acktually Guy! I’ve been waiting 2 years for someone to point that out 🤓
@@BadDriverrr De Nada You're the guy with an engine that depends in dissipating heat into the air - mentioning it dissipates heat into the air. Hard to tell what that about. I mean - water is wet. LOL
No cruise control is a no go for me. Great review!
Zack, really value your reviews. Best I've found. I have the Tiger RP so I just wanted to comment on one of your thoughts here. I have the same mirrors, and really hated them. I agree on the positioning, it's very good. It's the mounting hardware that let me down. Any little bump with my arm would knock them loose, and extremely difficult to keep them tight. I recently switched to a Ram mount style and could not be happier. Keep up the great work!
I have the Versys 650GT, bought new 3 years ago and done 28000 miles on it. Thinking of changing and watched this video as, being British, it would be kinda nice to buy the Triumph. However at the end you say the Versys is still a better Daily Rider. And that was the old model, the 2022 has the TFT dash, traction control, an easily adjustable screen, sharper styling. Looks like another Versys 650 for me.
180 deg crank though 🙄
Pretty good bike. I agree that triumph should do something with the trident engine in an ADV frame. All the manufacturers are always going up with their ADV models 790 to 890, etc because sports touring is selling hot and you look a bit more rugged because you could off-road. I want a new 500-600cc ADV. Cheers
The best bike reviews on the net. It’s appreciated.
Love these videos!!!!!!!!! Zach you bring joy to the slow MN winters
Best reviews available are from Zach.
Love your chipper and upbeat demeanor Thank you.
The Tiger 850 is the most beautiful ADV bike ever produced. The front end is a whole order of magnitude more beautiful than the Harley Pan America. The headlight assembly, muffler, and passenger grab rails, as well as the simple bodywork, and simple, clean lines, make it the best looking bike in its class. However, I feel like the lack of a conventional analog tachometer, and the horrendous gear ratios (4,400 RPM at 70mph) and the odd non-standard crankshaft configuration and lumpy sound, are huge negatives. The gearing is so bad, that it might not be fixable, without actually cutting a new gearset on a CNC machine. It really needs about a 40% drop in RPM's at cruising speed, to get the full potential of the new crankshaft design in the engine, which puts out tremendous low RPM torque. The engine design doesn't match the final drive gear ratio at all. The engine is designed to produce massive low end torque. However, the gear ratios are nearly identical to a short stroke, inline 4 cylinder sportbike, with a peaky, high revving engine. Still I think the Tiger 850 is so incredibly beautiful, I may end up buying one, because it's the only ADV bike that is stunningly beautiful.
Don't need or want all the electronic gizmos on the 900, I do wish they would of added cruise or heated grips standard on this 850 instead of say riding modes,for my tastes anyways.
I miss the old bikes that were really smooth and linear down low and didnt have such an on off snatchy throttle, other than that the new bikes have alot of really awesome features
Not that into this model, but the new motor sound from this crank arrangement is great. I was never a fan of triples that sound too much like fours.
It reminds me a bit of vfr750 sound. I like it way more than most triple soundtracks.
@@richards1816 It's hard to get too specific with it all corked up like this, but I thought I heard notes of Italian L twin as well.
@@jameshisself9324 interesting how much firing order, crank design affects sound and character, independent of cylinder layout.
@@richards1816 Agreed, the modern R1 is the only inline four that I can stand the sound of anymore.
I own a Triumph Trophy SE, which has a 1215 triple, and a 900 Rally Pro. No comparison - the Trophy sound is boring compared to the Tiger, although it's a great bike. I love the sound of the Tiger, especially at idle.
Great short term reviews. For long term try The Missenden Flyer.
Been rooting for this bike for a while. Quick question tho, can you add cruise control to it as an accessory from Triumph?
as far as I know and, after some calls to Triumph here in the UK, they seem not to offer it😂
Cruise Control is pretty well figured out at this point on bikes. The cost isn't that much for Triumph. It's one thing if the lower MSRP means that we don't get better brakes or suspension adj but taking features away that should be on all the bikes in the lineup just to justify the more expensive ones is a BS argument. That's like taking seat-belts and airbags out of the lower end cars and saying "if you want these features, pay extra!". Oh wait, auto manufactures actually did that with seat-belts!! That actually happened!
Once again I enjoyed another informative review. In my opinion it would’ve just pipped 2nd spot, but it’s all subjective! Keep up the good work and ride safely!
Would love to see Triumph make an ADV with their 765 triple.
Nice Bike. Hope u review the Tiger 900 GT Pro as well.
now the Versys 1000 SE please :D
we need to dethrone the Duc
I think Triumph make a point of the lower power output (and locked ECU) because the 850 is A2 (Euro licence) compliant while the Tiger 900 is not.
personally i wish that Triumph would have released this bike first before the 900 line. I know they did it because of the market demand but it seems so backwards to me, and i own a 900 Rally Pro. I love all the features of the 900 but would have been just as happy with the 850 sport. Having heated grips and a heated seat just means i get to ride in colder conditions, but that could be argued with just having better gear. I just noticed too that the 850's don't come with hand guards as standard, that also helps a lot with weather and longer rides.
Kudos for the leader board ! Thank you
Hey Zack! Just thought I’d write to verify that weird tire noise you mention. I bought my Tiger 850 mid-December but had yet to take it on an actual long ride. So yesterday some buddies of mine and I did just that, up around Lake Berryessa up I\here in NoCal. At higher speeds, say 50+ , in the twisties, sure enough, there was this weird ...whine? Growl? Dunno. Nowhere near the skill set of you, but I noticed it most in tighter corners. Weird tires, but they work like a charm on road shoulders and gravely highway. Love the bike!
This Tiger 850 or the BMW 850GS....hmm what to buy?
I’ll hazard a guess that handling would be much improved by changing tires. My Rally Pro’s stock tires felt okay when new but delivered an increasingly vague ride as they wore, and by the time they had 3000 miles on them I got sick of them and switched to a different tire. Transformed the bike.
Looks like a excellent daily rider. Also I wonder if there will be a tune to get it up to par with the other 900’s. And the price is decent, would love to rip on one!!
This makes a good upgrade for folks from CB500X
I like your defensive riding comments - would like to see a whole commute with your defensive riding stream of consciousness
In 2005 i was living in Ireland and with a couple of friends i went to Bikeworld in Dublin. Saw a Tiger 955i 2002 model for sale if i remember right. It could also have been the 1050i. I am 6ft 7in and i was standing next to it. The top of the seat was about 3-4 inches above my inseam. It was a beauty of a bike, but the later years it seems the bikes are much lower in the seat height from what i have seen.
I get between 50 and 55 on my 2021 tiger 900 GT pro and oh yes the michelin anakee adventure tires are great in traction and loud as hell
Put Pirelli Angel GTs on this bike and handling will be perfect. Anakee Adventure is just not the right choice.
agreed, it has the wrong stock tyres.
I really love your reviews, but can you also use metric measurements? 99% of the world uses the metric system.
YES.
I love the urban dirt testing at 20:00
"considerable bend in the knee"...pause, end video...deal breaker. But thanks for your always excellent honest reviews!
Great Video a always!
Just one little thing: the engine is not quite the same as the tiger 900. The 900 makes 10 more hp (95 instead of 85) and a bit more torque.
Yea they’ve just re-tuned the 850 for a bit more around town practical power.
16:34 that's what happens when someone who doesn't know what target fixation is watches you in the drivers door mirror.
I actually use this as a metric to infer someone has seen me approaching when I overtake. As I approach a car in the right lane they will drift left just a bit, then correct.
Excellent review and a brilliant result for Triumph, I would have some heated grips fitted should I actually buy this machine then you would have an all season ride.
Funny that you mention this bike would be better served with the Trident 660 engine, since next week Triumph is officially unveiling the Tiger 660 Sport. Hope to see a review of that one.
never EVER let me go
Thanks for nice review! Consider buying it. Is it suits for 6.2 height?
Excellent in depth review.Enjoyed watching.does the Tiger 850 sport have better engine , dynamics and braking than BMW 900xr.
I wished it had the Cruise control.
Better than bmw 900xr ?
Heated grips and cruise for this money?
Maybe I’ve missed something, but you forgot to mention that the power output on the 850 is less than the 900, don’t remember by how much, despite having the same engine. In Europe it’s aimed at beginners (A2 license). The mirrors were plucked from the 2016 Tigers. Great evaluation and video, as usual. Cheers from Brazil.
18:08 he does mention.
Nailed the ranking. Just below the versys 650
That's exactly why we need a grading system. The new klr would rank it.
Great videos and thorough content..just one thing,though. How is it that you have such light traffic? Is this Sunday morning at 8:00 or something?
Hi Zachariah, I recommend testing the Yamaha MT-07 for any Daily Ride, Love to see you riding it in this epic series. Keep ‘em coming! 👊🏼
CC
I love Triumph's triple engine! Which competitors bike would you rate as "connected" in feel as opposed to this bike??
Any chance of a Vstrom 650 being done? Would be nice to see how my bike stacks up.
I don't think he's a fan. He mentioned in an earlier review that he finds the Vstrom 650 "calm and sedate", though not as much as the NC750X.
I'd like to see the strom 650 reviewed too. They are very popular, and although perhaps not the most exciting bikes in the world, neither is a Versys and that is in #2
great review, is a v85tt, tracer GT and tiger 900 comparison in the works?
Super review brother ❤ 🎉
I m confused between bmw850gs or this bike wich one will be better to buy.
If this bike is software detuned, what's stopping anyone from simply reflashing it to the 900 spec? NA-anything detuned from the factory = throttle angle and timing, should be a very easy fix to regain those 11 horses!
¡Muy entretenidos tus videos, Vir! Inmejorable promoción para esa moto, que acá en México también se vende. Saludos.
You know... Even though it seems logical that the adv bikes are at the top... During my commute I see quite a few other commuters and most ride full fairing bikes... Like a BMW r1200rt for instance (the cops have them too and they spend all day on em)... This category is kind of missing on your board... Like FJR/pan european... bmw rt.... there's a bunch and they all get ridden year round here. (my pc800 too is a great commuter).
When you push the home button, why doesn't it take you home?
Great review and questions and answers.Dank nooner!
7:50 tire noise from the Michelin Anakee Adventure. I had a set of Michelin Anakee 3 on my Scrambler Desert Sled, and those tires would "sing" at about 50-60 mph!
One of the best reviews
Very nice review but I'm surprised that the Kawasaki Versys 650 LT beat out Triumph Tiger 850 Sport given Triumph's beautiful triple engine!
Hey There,
If you wanted to go for a one week tour /3-500 miles daily/, no off-road, but meeting with some 3rd quality roads as well, + some highways included.
Would the Tiger 800/850/900 eat the Versys 650 / V-Strom 650 /TDM?
Which bike to be choosen? :)
Thanks,
BR, Peter
Of the aspect of road touring will have no luck against tracer 9 with a lot more power and better reliability
In my country these have the same price 11500 euro.
Can't wait for a review of new Tracer 7 and 9 :)
Your reviews are awesome! Big like.
So it's a fancy vstrom 650. Vtrom.650's are going for 7500 new. Tuff decision.
Very interesting. Similar engine size to the desert sled, power specs, but more of a full "adventure bike" in a way. Same price just about, and a similar in weight. Very different seeming bikes, though.