Triumph Tiger 1200 vs 900
Discussion
Anyone own both? or ridden either one?
The 900 is much cheaper than the 1200 but is the bigger engine one worth having at its premium price?
I've ridden the 1200 and liked it, even started to warm to the new lumpy triple engine but £16000 plus
Then to add to the confusion there is the Tiger 850 Sport.
Considering I'll be mainly using it for commuting. Currently all London but soon could be 20 to 40 miles of motorway then London gridlock.
Be nice to get some ownership feedback as my eyes are going after months of YouTube reviews.
Cheers.
Looking at 2021 onwards, do like the latest 1200 GT.
The 900 is much cheaper than the 1200 but is the bigger engine one worth having at its premium price?
I've ridden the 1200 and liked it, even started to warm to the new lumpy triple engine but £16000 plus
Then to add to the confusion there is the Tiger 850 Sport.
Considering I'll be mainly using it for commuting. Currently all London but soon could be 20 to 40 miles of motorway then London gridlock.
Be nice to get some ownership feedback as my eyes are going after months of YouTube reviews.
Cheers.
Looking at 2021 onwards, do like the latest 1200 GT.
Been looking at a new commuter myself (when am I not looking?) I would have thought one of the larger Adventure bikes are a bit unwieldy to snake through London traffic? I've currently got a SV650 for the commute and it's quite good at getting into those small gaps as it seems really narrow. I've got a Moto Guzzi V7 and even that winds me up when I use it for the commute as the bars seem slightly wide. Don't they do a small tiger 600 or something that's meant to be a good crossover?
I've just bought a 1200 Rally Pro. Only done 200 miles so far due to weather and family commitments but I am enjoying it. I have done one commute into central London and it was fine but if I was going to do that regularly I think the lighter weight of the 900 would be advantageous.
I went for the 1200 as am intending on taking a pillion on longer trips from time to time so felt I would need the extra grunt with a 60kg passenger plus luggage. And I just wanted a 150bhp bike.
I went for the 1200 as am intending on taking a pillion on longer trips from time to time so felt I would need the extra grunt with a 60kg passenger plus luggage. And I just wanted a 150bhp bike.
stu67 said:
Been looking at a new commuter myself (when am I not looking?) I would have thought one of the larger Adventure bikes are a bit unwieldy to snake through London traffic? I've currently got a SV650 for the commute and it's quite good at getting into those small gaps as it seems really narrow. I've got a Moto Guzzi V7 and even that winds me up when I use it for the commute as the bars seem slightly wide. Don't they do a small tiger 600 or something that's meant to be a good crossover?
I've got an older 1200 Explorer and it's amazing where it can go in traffic, it's certainly not as lithe as a Deliveroo special but I rarely feel stuck.I bought the 900 rally pro last year for commuting duties (100 miles/day) having previously owned GSA 1200/1250’s for years.
I originally opted for the 900 based on cost and size. I’ve now ridden 8k miles and continue to be impressed by its versatility. I haven’t missed the power of a 1250 and find wind protection to be similar. I think the 900 is less desirable to be stolen than the 1200 or GSA (well that’s my hope at least).
The main gripes are smaller petrol tank (it is actually quite annoying to fill up every other day) and chain drive (I tend to only clean/lube every 1500-2000 miles so I assume lifespan won’t be optimal).
I haven’t ridden the tiger 1200 so can’t offer a comparison other than my rationale above.
Some people comment on the vibrations, but I personally don’t find it that bad.
I originally opted for the 900 based on cost and size. I’ve now ridden 8k miles and continue to be impressed by its versatility. I haven’t missed the power of a 1250 and find wind protection to be similar. I think the 900 is less desirable to be stolen than the 1200 or GSA (well that’s my hope at least).
The main gripes are smaller petrol tank (it is actually quite annoying to fill up every other day) and chain drive (I tend to only clean/lube every 1500-2000 miles so I assume lifespan won’t be optimal).
I haven’t ridden the tiger 1200 so can’t offer a comparison other than my rationale above.
Some people comment on the vibrations, but I personally don’t find it that bad.
I’ve ridden both quite a bit. The 900 is noticeably lighter and a bit more manageable (though still tall if you go for the off-roady one). The 900 feels about as well finished as the more expensive 1200 from memory - it doesn’t feel like a budget option (unlike the 850).
The 1200 is lots faster obviously, but in my experience quite vibey at 75mph (fine at 70!), and top heavy though I’ve only ridden the Rally model with the Explorer tank option. If it was my money, I’d buy a KTM 1290 Super Adventure S, which I did. Got mine for £12500 with 400 miles on it ex-demo, which is cheaper than some Tiger 900 models and is a billionty times more exciting. Not that you always want excitement on your commute.
In your shoes, I’d get the 900 with plenty of toys on it.
The 1200 is lots faster obviously, but in my experience quite vibey at 75mph (fine at 70!), and top heavy though I’ve only ridden the Rally model with the Explorer tank option. If it was my money, I’d buy a KTM 1290 Super Adventure S, which I did. Got mine for £12500 with 400 miles on it ex-demo, which is cheaper than some Tiger 900 models and is a billionty times more exciting. Not that you always want excitement on your commute.
In your shoes, I’d get the 900 with plenty of toys on it.
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