2021 Triumph Tiger 850 Sport Review

[Hugh Janus]

It’s a rare day that I throw a leg over a motorcycle and wish I hadn’t done the research. But upon riding the new Tiger 850 Sport, the word “detuned” was a ringing I couldn’t get out of my ear. The latest adventure commuter from Triumph is based off of the 2020 Tiger 900 GT platform but stripped of much of its gadgetry and, yes, detuned to reach a lower price point. We lose out on many of the adjustable features and tunable specifications, but what you get is a bike that’s $2,700 cheaper at $11,995 and…still pretty darn good.

The 2021 Triumph Tiger 850 Sport has a starting MSRP of $11,995. (Jeff Allen/)

The 850 Sport is equipped with the same 888cc T-plane triple as the Tiger 900 GT and GT Pro, but remapped to make the engine more tractable in the lower rev range. Although it now produces 10 percent less power at peak, Triumph did achieve its goal: on the <i>Cycle World</i> dyno, the 850 produced 55 pound-feet of torque, staying over 50 pound-feet from 3,400 rpm all the way to about 8,000 rpm before tailing off to the 10,000 rpm redline. Peak horsepower is 76.93 at 8,030 rpm, maintaining an almost completely straight, smooth line, rising from idle to that peak and only tapering off slightly toward redline. In real-world testing, this translates to smooth, consistent power throughout the range. Aside from simply knowing that the engine was detuned, I never found myself wanting power that wasn’t there.

Ergonomics on the Tiger are upright and standard, as you’d expect from an adventure commuter. (Jeff Allen/)

The three-cylinder engine has a pleasant character, with nice sound and feel. The lope at idle is satisfying and deep with clear pops of combustion, not merely a mechanical whirring. As the engine revs up, there’s a little vibration around 5,000 rpm, but not so much as to be tiring or take away from the ride. The throttle feels direct and connected and the cable-driven slipper clutch has excellent feel as well.

The same 888cc T-plane triple powers the Tiger 850 Sport as the Tiger 900 GT and GT Pro. (Jeff Allen/)

Handling on the 850 is neutral and confidence-inspiring. Much of the bike’s 478 pounds is carried low, so at slow speeds the bike feels light and nimble; paired with the adjusted engine, this allows for precise control. At higher speeds on the highway the Tiger is steady and comfortable, with long-travel suspension eating up bumps both major and minor. The Marzocchi fork is nonadjustable but tuned well for a rider of about 200 pounds, and it remains taut and composed during sporty sections of road. The rear shock, also Marzocchi, is preload-adjustable with a knob on the left side; though it was a bit soft off-road, it performed excellently in both twisty canyons and freeways.

Manual preload adjustment knob for the Tiger 850’s rear shock. (Jeff Allen/)

The Tiger 850 Sport’s brakes are one of its strongest features, as they should be; the hardware is the same here as we find on the up-spec’d models. Two Brembo Stylema four-piston calipers grip 320mm discs up front and a single-piston caliper claps a 255mm disc in the rear. Feedback from the front calipers is outstanding, with smooth initial application and great overall stopping power; the fork handles all this perfectly well and without too much dive.

Brembo Stylema calipers are carried over from the more expensive models and perform as such. They’re very nice. (Jeff Allen/)

On the Rally and GT models, we see four or five programmable ride modes with adjustable levels of traction control, ABS, and different fuel maps. Put simply, you don’t get that on the 850. What you do get are two nonadjustable modes, Rain and Road. Traction control is either on or off, and resets back to on with each power cycle of the bike. ABS is not switchable and operates the same in both Rain and Road modes. The ECU is locked and cannot be flashed, so there’s no potential to unleash that extra 10 percent by remapping.

The 5-inch display screen on the Tiger 850 is 2 inches smaller than the Rally and GT models. (Jeff Allen/)

As the Tiger 850 is a taller bike, its ergonomics are surprisingly universal. Riders don’t have to reach too far for the handlebar, and the adjustable seat height is a nice feature, lowering the seat from 32.7 inches to 31.9. It does, however, take a minute to figure out just how the mechanism works. The windshield is quickly and easily adjustable, accommodating my 6-foot-4-inch height just fine. Split radiators do a good enough job of dispersing the engine’s heat most of the time, but my knees ended up jammed into the exhaust vent openings more often than I’d like; I had to consciously keep my knees spread to avoid this. On cold mornings, it was appreciated; on a 90-degree day, it was uncomfortable.

The Tiger 850 Sport comes with blue or red accents, but the base silver color remains the same. (Jeff Allen/)

Power is put to the road through a set of Michelin Anakee Adventure tires wrapped around cast 17- and 19-inch wheels. The deep grooves and blocky tread pattern work well on pavement and lend themselves well to hard-packed trail riding. While we would expect more of a pure street tire on a bike with “Sport” in the name, the blockier tires are a welcome encouragement to hop off of the road every once in a while and remember this bike’s adventure roots, and at any rate on-road performance was excellent in all of our testing scenarios.

For any sort of wheel-popping fun, the rider has to turn off traction control with each power cycle of the bike. (Jeff Allen/)
The tailsection of the 850 is nice and tidy with thoughtful luggage-mounting and bungee cord locations. (Jeff Allen/)

Had I not had this persistent ringing in my ear, or perhaps if the 850 was released along with the other Tiger models in 2020 and not given the “Sport” designation, it would have been easier to show up with a clean slate. I wish I had. Because for what it is, the base-model Tiger, is actually a great motorcycle. Sure, it’s a little bit basic, but the Rally and GT exist to scratch that high-end itch. For $11,995, the Tiger 850 Sport offers the same excellent frame and engine as the up-spec’d models with much of the same capability, though it can never be upgraded to perform like the more specialized Pro models. For the rider who just wants a great commuter or weekender with a little trail potential, there is now this more budget-friendly Tiger. But for the rider who wants to really explore those long miles or spend some time off-road, it makes sense to save up a little more money for a model that’s designed to do those jobs. That is the strength of Triumph’s Tiger offerings, there now is a bike for just about everyone.

The trademark trident-shaped exhaust headers of a Triumph triple. (Jeff Allen/)
The Tiger 850 Sport is definitely intended for more road use, but should you see a trail, it won’t discourage exploration. (Jeff Allen/)

Gear Box:

Helmet: Shoei Hornet X2

Jacket: Alpinestars Andes V3 Drystar

Pants: Alpinestars Barton Riding Cargo

Boots: Alpinestars Supervictory

Gloves: Alpinestars Highlands

Triumph Tiger 850 Sport models are available in dealerships now. (Jeff Allen/)

2021 Triumph Tiger 850 Specs

MSRP:	$11,995
Engine:	DOHC, liquid-cooled inline 3-cylinder; 12 valves
Displacement:	888cc
Bore x Stroke:	78.0 x 61.9mm
Compression Ratio:	11.3:1
Transmission/Final Drive:	6-speed/chain
Cycle World Measured Horsepower:	76.93 hp @ 8,030 rpm
Cycle World Measured Torque:	54.99 lb.-ft. @ 6,930 rpm
Fuel System:	Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection
Clutch:	Wet, multiplate, slip
Frame:	Tubular steel frame, bolt-on subframe
Front Suspension:	Marzocchi 45mm inverted fork
Rear Suspension:	Marzocchi monoshock, preload adjustable
Front Brake:	Brembo Stylema 4-piston calipers, dual 320mm floating discs w/ ABS
Rear Brake:	Brembo 1-piston sliding caliper, 255mm disc w/ ABS
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Cast alloy; 19 x 2.5 in. / 17 x 4.25 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	Michelin Anakee Adventure; 100/90-19 / 150/70R-17
Rake/Trail:	24.6°/5.2 in.
Wheelbase:	61.25 in.
Seat Height:	32.7 in. (as tested)/31.9 in. (low)
Fuel Capacity:	5.3 gal.
Cycle World Measured Wet Weight:	478 lb.
Availability:	Now
Contact:	triumphmotorcycles.com

Source