Triumph introduces the Tiger 850 Sport

Triumph Motorcycles has revealed the new Tiger 850 Sport, an accessible and road-focused variant in the Triumph Tiger lineup.

• 888cc, inline-triple makes 85hp and 82Nm

• Gets two riding modes- Rain and Road 

• On sale in India by the first half of 2021

Triumph Tiger 850 Sport vs Triumph Tiger 900

Triumph says that the new Tiger 850 Sport is based on the current Tiger 900 platform, however, it is conceived as a more accessible and manageable machine. That said, don’t be fooled by the 850 moniker. The Triumph Tiger 850 Sport is powered by the same 888cc, liquid-cooled, inline-triple engine that you get in the Triumph Tiger 900 range.

The bore x stroke (78mm x 61.9mm) is identical as well, however, peak power and torque is lower. The Tiger 850 Sport’s motor produces 85hp at 8,500rpm and 82Nm at 6,500rpm, whereas the Tiger 900’s engine develops 95hp at 8,750 rpm and 87Nm at 7,250 rpm. The 850’s engine also features the same T-plane crank and 1-3-2 firing order, which promises good tractability at low engine rpms.

Triumph Tiger 850 Sport Engine

Triumph adds that the 850 Sport’s engine has been tuned to offer a smooth and linear power delivery, especially low down the rev range in order to offer a friendly and easier riding experience.

The engine is paired to a six-speed gearbox, with a slip and assist clutch. Triumph will offer a quickshifter as an accessory.

Besides the returned engine, the Tiger 850 Sport gets two riding modes- Rain and Road. These modes alter the throttle response and traction control system settings to suit the riding conditions. You can also choose to turn off the traction control for some sideways fun.

All of these settings can be accessed via a 5-inch TFT display that seems to have been plucked off the previous generation Tiger 800. Nevertheless, the display looks neat and crisp but not as much as the 7-inch screen on the Tiger 900 GT and Rally range that offers better contrast and readability under direct sunlight. Also, Triumph should have offered a cruise control feature, since the Tiger 850 Sport is a road focused motorcycle and is likely to be used for touring on motorways. The reason, we think, is to save costs in order to price the motorcycle competitively. More on that later.

Triumph Tiger 850 Sport: Design

Visually, there isn’t much to distinguish between the Tiger 850 Sport and Tiger 900. Both motorcycles share the same body panels, be it the beak, adjustable windscreen, fuel tank, split radiator shroud or LED lights. The Tiger 850 Sport distinguishes itself with its new tank graphic schemes and two colour options- Graphite and Diablo Red or Graphite and Caspian Blue. Triumph promises the same level of quality as well as fit and finish as you get on the Tiger 900. The company is also offering a long list of accessories to personalize the Tiger 850 Sport.

Triumph Tiger 850 Sport: Ergonomics 

The Tiger 850 Sport offers a comfortable and upright riding posture for spending long hours on the saddle, says Triumph. The seat height is the same as the Tiger 900, at 830mm and can be further lowered to 810mm. 

Triumph Tiger 850 Sport: Chassis

Underneath the familiar bodywork, the chassis is the same as on the Tiger 900. The lightweight frame has a bolt-on subframe and pillion footrest hanger to make it easier to replace in case the rear end suffers severe damage in an accident. 

As far as suspension components are concerned, Triumph has equipped the motorcycle with an 45mm Marzocchi USD fork at the front (180mm travel) and gas-charged monoshock at the rear (170mm travel) with manual preload adjustment.

The brakes are the same Brembo Stylemas as on the Tiger 900, with 320mm discs at the front and a 255mm disc on the rear and dual channel ABS as standard. 

Triumph hasn’t tinkered with the steering angle (23.6° rake / 133.3mm trail) and wheelbase (1556mm) which again is the same as on the Tiger 900 GT. While that’s alright, Triumph should have ideally changed the wheel size from the current 19-inch front and 18-inch setup to 17-inch rims, for better agility and handling to befit the Sport moniker. Triumph, however, says that it stuck to big wheels to ensure that the Tiger 850 Sport can venture down a few light trails, if and when the opportunity arises. And to help with that, the Tiger 850 Sport is shod with new Michelin Anakee tyres, that promise good grip on dry, wet and gravelly surfaces.

Another point to note is that the Tiger 850 Sport is lighter than the Tiger 900 GT by 2kg, at 192kg (dry)

Triumph Tiger 850 Sport: Availability, competition and price

The Triumph Tiger 850 Sport will go on sale in international markets soon and is expected to be launched in India in the first half of 2021. Triumph has made it clear that it has the BMW 750 GS firmly in its crosshairs with this new product. 

Triumph has positioned the Tiger 850 Sport as the new entry-level Tiger that replaces the base Tiger 900 in international markets. The motorcycle is priced at around £9,300 in the UK which translates to roughly Rs 9.20 lakh.

However, with local Indian taxes and other duties, expect the Triumph Tiger 850 Sport to be priced between Rs 11.50 lakh- Rs 12 lakh, which is roughly Rs 2 lakh cheaper than the Tiger 900 GT, at 13.7 lakh.