We can’t talk about Triumph’s new Tiger Sport 660 without first mentioning its naked sibling, the Trident 660. One of 2021’s biggest successes, not just because it is a fantastic value, top-notch roadster with an appealing logo affixed to the tank, but also because it is as enticing to newcomers as the seasoned.
Triumph has taken its winning recipe and applied it to the Tiger Sport 660 lovely. It’s a tall rounder or a sports adventure, but it’s the half-faired Street Triple that we’ve always wanted Triumph to make yet never did.
It’s roomy, comfortable, agile, and manageable, but it can also be quite sporty with a front end that fills you with confidence, gripping tyres in all weather conditions, and powerful brakes. On top of that, it has a pleasant three-cylinder engine that never lacks power or enthusiasm.
It’s such a thorough, well-constructed, affordable, and feature-rich device that cruise control appears to be an egregious omission for a bike intended to do vast distances, but it’s a minor blemish in an ocean of excellence.
Ride quality & brakes
The new bars are more comprehensive, higher, and closer to the rider than the Tridents. The pegs are lower, and the bars are broader. Despite its mid-sized layout, it’s a wonderfully comfortable and roomy riding position that works well for long distances. It’s slim, well balanced, simple to control, and taller riders will appreciate the legroom.
The Tiger Sport 660’s six-way manually adjustable screen is simple to jiggle with one hand on the move and effective, but the windblast can be loud at high speed. Steel rather than aluminium is used in the frame and (extended) swingarm to keep costs down, yet it doesn’t matter since the Tiger Sport 660 is still light and nimble. The basic but properly setup Showa forks (with a 1.5-degree steeper rake and 10mm less trail) and shock offer excellent ride quality, cornering control, and stability.
The Triumph doesn’t just handle well; it has the poise of some of the best out there, and it rides like one of the most unlikely of great handling road bikes: Honda’s CB500X.
We never scrape the low, knee-friendly pegs despite having a big grip, tactile front end, and essential twin-piston Nissin callipers. Despite their simplicity, the twin pistons of the Tiger belie their strength and consistency. They’re packed with feel even though they’re ABS-equipped.
You wonder why they’ve taken so long to develop it. It works so well as a sport, easy-to-ride all-around bike that you can’t help but wonder how great a Street or Speed Triple variant would be…
Engine
The Tiger Sport’s 80bhp three-cylinder engine is the same as the Trident’s – a reworked version of their excellent old Daytona 675 four-cylinder with a shorter stroke and a slew of new components, including lower first to fourth gear ratios and higher fifth/sixth gear. 10,000-mile valve check intervals are standard, as is a 46bhp A2 licence restriction kit.
The Tiger’s raspy soundtrack and intense pumping action are unaltered, allowing the auto to be revvy, exciting, and never short of grunt when you need it. It’s a lively engine that outperforms its competition by a long shot, but crucially it’s also a pleasant one, which has aided the Trident 660’s popularity.
Why not Check out SaffySprockets review on the Tiger 660?
When you think of Triumph motorcycles, adventurer sportbikes aren’t usually the first thing that springs to mind. Why not check out SaffySprockets review on the Tiger 660 Sport.
