Next-gen Triumph Tiger spotted testing

The new-gen Triumph Tiger rides on a new chassis and features a sleek and aggressive design.

Published On Aug 07, 2019 04:13:00 PM

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An all-new Triumph Tiger has been spotted testing overseas and the spy pictures reveal an almost production ready motorcycle. International reports suggest that this motorcycle will have a larger engine and that it could be called the Tiger 900. Everything from the styling to the frame and engine looks brand new on the 2020 model and this is what we can make out from the spy pics, so far.

Looks

Triumph has chosen a new design language for the new Tiger and the mandate seems to give it more of a rally bike style. It certainly looks much sleeker and sharper than the current Tiger 800 especially when viewed head on. The twin-LED headlamps with an LED DRL running above them are new and sits neatly between the new windscreen above it and a prominent beak mounted directly below it.

The windscreen seems to be adjustable for height and is flanked by aerodynamic fins on either side that are there to deflect head wind off the rider’s arms and chest. Overall, the front end looks more compact and aggressive than the current model.

The side profile reveals a new fuel tank that also looks slimmer than the one on the current model. Also note how the new tank extensions form a shroud around the radiator, which is now said to be split into two units. The tail section is just as minimal too, with no body panels except for a short plastic extension that holds the horizontal LED tail lamp. There’s a new pillion grab handle that should be practical to use and is part of a small luggage rack. The top-box you see in the images is probably an accessory or an aftermarket unit.

Engine

As per International reports this new generation Triumph Tiger is expected to be powered by a larger capacity, three-cylinder motor. In order to meet Euro 5 emission norms without sacrificing performance, the engine displacement is expected to rise up by 11 per cent, to 888cc, while the power figure could also cross the 100hp mark.

This would really help the 2020 Tiger stand up against competition from the upcoming 2020 Honda Africa Twin that’s also rumored to be powered by a larger 1080cc engine, which is also said to produce just over 100 horses.

Chassis

The new Tiger rides on what appears to be a brand new, tubular steel trellis chassis with a separate, bolt-on subframe and pillion footpeg hangers. This solves one of the issues with the previous Tiger where the entire frame, including the pillion footpeg hangers were welded together and a nasty crash could send enough force through the rear section to end up irreversibly damaging entire chassis.

Suspension

Gone are the USD WP forks and in place are what looks to be a new Showa USD fork, finished in a rather fetching, gold shade. The rear monoshock is now white which could mean it is still a WP unit. The addition of a remote will make it much easier to firm up the suspension in case you are travelling with a pillion or luggage.

Triumph has also incorporated a new swingarm that seems to be made using cast aluminium.

Wheels

The motorcycle in the images seems to be the off-road biased, XC variant that rides on new, side laced wire-spoked wheels. This means that the smaller Tiger finally rides on tubeless tyres just like the BMW 850GS, one of its closest competitors.

Brakes

Another big upgrade on the new Tiger comes in the incorporation of new radially mounted Brembo brakes at the front which should result in stronger stopping power. At the rear, there’s a single-pot Brembo caliper.

Electronics

The bike in the image is seen with a new full-colour TFT instrument console that could pack in features such as Bluetooth connectivity, navigation display and music controls. It will probably also get Triumph’s optional GoPro control suite, that allows the rider to control a GoPro fitted on the bike. This might be the first time the smaller Tiger range will get IMU aided electronic rider aids, but remains to be confirmed.

Variants and expected launch

The near-production spec motorcycle we see in the pictures suggests that Triumph is close to revealing the 2020 Tiger soon. We expect the British manufacturer to unveil the 2020 Tiger in a few months and sales to begin early next year.

Besides the off-road leaning XC version seen in the spy pics, Triumph will almost certainly also launch the road focused XR family of models. Given how popular and important the Tiger is in India, we expect Triumph to launch the 2020 Tiger in the country soon after the international launch.

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