05/10/2022
If you’re closely following the brand, Triumph Motorcycles Ltd has always been improving its lineup throughout the years.
With the success of the Trident 660, it just made sense for the company to release another bike that has the same DNA as the aforementioned model.
I’ve been checking the Tiger Sport 660 since last year and have been following this model since it was launched — researching and reading on it since I really wanted one for myself. And with the things that I read online, my expectations were high for this motorcycle.
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So I finally made the leap and got the bike for myself and thought I’d share my thoughts with those interested. As one of my first long rides on this bike, I decided to take it to the mountains to have a pretty good idea of its capabilities.
Did Triumph Tiger Sport live up to my expectations? Here’s my review.
Design and styling
It’s great that they gave both the Tiger Sport and Trident their own unique personality and distinct design despite sharing the same architecture. And with that, I think the Tiger Sport just looks good as it is.
First off, the Tiger Sport is available in three colors namely Graphite/Sapphire Black, Korosi Red/Graphite, and Lucerne Blue/Sapphire Black which is what I got.
Personally, I like the color I have with its blue and black combination. And there are elements like the seamless emblems on the front fender and the logo on its gas cap that just show the company’s attention to detail.
And if you find those appealing, there are more Triumph badges on the engine covers that altogether look so clean and elegant.
The Tiger Sport 660 comes with LED lights all around from its headlights down to its signal indicators.
Its frame is made of tubular steel and it comes with cast aluminum rims wrapped with Michelin Road 5 tires. These are good all-around set that has a lot of grip, especially in wet conditions.
The bike is fitted with a non-adjustable Showa upside-down fork for the front, and a Showa mono-shock at the rear. The latter is adjustable for preload and has a knob on the side where it’s easy to adjust on the fly.
Additionally, what I really like about Triumph motorcycles is that they have a wide range of accessories to choose from. This is the case for the Tiger Sport and you can choose to include quick shifters, seamless side panniers, handle guards, chassis protector, and more.
Ride comfort
In terms of comfort, it has an upright riding position and the handlebars are very wide and angled high. It’s a pretty comfortable motorcycle, but my 5’11’’ self finds my legs a bit bent once I mount the bike.
But once the two wheels are rolling, wind protection is fairly decent and the windshield is adjustable on the fly so that’s a good thing.
However, the windshield — on its highest setting — doesn’t fully protect my head from the wind and I can feel a lot of air just going towards my face.
When I lower the windshield, on the other hand, the wind hits my head at high speeds leaving me somehow always battling with steady gusts.
Another thing I noticed was that the seat wasn’t that comfortable. It is not soft as I’d imagine it to be and it has edges that left me feeling a bit sore at the end of a long ride.
Also, its seat appears long and big but when it comes to the pillion, the seat is very small. I usually don’t ride with a passenger anyway, so I wouldn’t know if it’s uncomfortable or not, but judging by the way it looks, it seems uncomfortable for a second passenger.
But aside from that, it is a very comfortable motorbike and it isn’t intimidating at all because, at 206kg, it’s surprisingly lightweight.
Tech and features
Another thing to look forward to in Triumph’s models is its tech. A lot of their bikes are loaded with bells and whistles and the Tiger Sport 660 is no exception.
The digital dash, for one, looks more modern and serves a good function of being a lot more visible even under the sun. I’m usually a fan of analog dashboards since I simply love the old classic vibe it has, but for the Tiger Sport 660, I feel otherwise. The digital display just looks nice on it.
You have your usual LCD on top next to the speedometer and tachometer, while you have a TFT display on the bottom and it shows a lot of different functionalities.
That’s where you can check your trip meter, odometer, fuel range, temperature, and backlight adjustment for its digital dash. You can also choose the settings of the bike here like riding modes and more.
Speaking of riding modes, it comes with two – one for road and another for when it’s raining heavily and the roads are slippery. Rain mode generally adjusts the ABS traction control and throttle mapping of the motorcycle for a more controlled experience.
You can also customize modes that will fit your way of riding as well. There are self-canceling turn signals which I find very useful since I sometimes forget to turn them off and leave them blinking for a while.
With the amount of tech and features that this bike has, it really offers a lot of value for your money.
Performance and handling
I have been on a couple of Triumph bikes and so far, all of them have smooth-performing engines.
The Tiger Sport 660 joins this list and with its 660cc engine, it generates 80HP and outputs 65Nm of torque at 6,250 rpm which is felt mostly in the mid range.
It packs a good punch when you need it but despite that, it comes with a gentle and smooth throttle response which is good for beginning riders.
Furthermore, this bike is very fuel-efficient despite the size of the engine. I calculated consumption of around 22km per liter. Not bad if you ask me, especially with the continuing rise of gas prices nowadays.
However, I noticed that there was a slight buzz of vibration during my time on the highway. I could feel it on the handlebars, especially on high RPM. It is not much of a problem and it’s not uncomfortable that results in the fingers getting numb after the ride – it’s mostly just me nitpicking.
When it comes to hardware, Tiger Sport is not as top-notch as Triumph’s other models in its lineup. But despite all that, I’m still surprised at how good the handling of this bike is.
The Tiger Sport 660 has a very comfortable riding position and is a very light and nimble bike. It is very easy to lean on corners and overall, is almost effortless to ride.
With one Nissin piston rear caliper and two Nissin front calipers, hitting the brakes is responsive but gradual. Its suspension is also decent and is somewhat in between soft and stiff.
However, one thing I noticed is that its turning radius is a bit wide, so making a U-turn on tight roads will demand you to back up a bit and go for a second try to successfully make that turn.
The same goes with parking the bike, especially here in the Philippines where parking is often crowded and hard to maneuver big bikes in.
Price and final thoughts
So, did it live up to my expectations? Yes, definitely. It is the motorcycle I expected it to be – comfortable, versatile, practical, somewhat affordable, and a lot of fun to ride.
But of course, there are some things that I didn’t like about the bike.
For the SRP of PhP 555,000, it is a bit more expensive than its Japanese competitors but with the number of its features, I personally think the money you’ll spend is worth it.
I believe that both the Trident and Tiger Sport are one of the best works Triumph has done. Even though it doesn’t have all the features and they’re not their fastest bikes, It just shows what the company can do even when they need to keep costs down.
Triumph delivered so much with its features and how it rides But more importantly, it managed to still make the bike feel like you’re riding a more premium two-wheel with a more expensive asking price.
I’m actually excited to see what Triumph will do next to add to build on an already impressive motorcycle lineup.
