Road-testing the Triumph Tiger 955i: The name Tiger has been associated with Triumph for well over half a century.
Some will remember machines such as the Tiger Cub and Tiger 110 of the 1950s. Since 1992 the Tiger name has been associated with a powerful trail bike-looking machine, now in its 2006 incarnation as the Triumph 955i.
Although it has the look of a machine that would be at home scorching across the desert sands, right down to the engine bash plate, it is in reality rather more of a tarmac trail bike, and none the worse for that.
Triumph Tiger enthusiasts had been hoping that the next version of this machine would have the 1,050cc engine as used in the Sprint ST. Whilst it is virtually certain that this will happen, sooner than later, for the moment it remains 955cc.
This 955cc 3-cylinder engine, churns out 105 PS and, more importantly, simply buckets of torque. It's a tall bike, and you need to be tall to really enjoy riding it. The 840 to 860mm seat height, coupled with a wide and comfortable seat means it is not for the vertically challenged!
It can tackle the rough roads as well as the smooth ones. Indeed through the cross-country back roads of Leicestershire, so assured and confidence inspiring did it prove to be that we reckon it was faster than a sports tourer we rode over the same circuit only hours before.
The tall seating position, giving an excellent view over the hedges and across the corners, coupled with the engine's high-torque, good engine braking and assured roadholding all made for a delightful, relaxed and brisk ride.
It comes equipped with panniers and heated handgrips as standard and, provided you do not want to blast along motorways at 150 km/h plus from dawn to dusk, it is one seriously good tourer for the money.
By one of those quirks of the industry the 2006 model actually made its first appearance in May 2005.
Having earlier arranged to be at the factory to sample other machines, The Irish Times was the first to sample this new model. The reason for this early appearance being that all the 2005 production had already been sold.
Enthusiasts will be keen to know to what extent it is new for 2006. The engine now has a new cylinder head, and the same crankcases as are used on the larger 1,050 Sprint ST / Speed Triple engines. The once rather untidy plumbing and pipework is now neatly hidden away.
The new cylinder head has revised porting and combustion chambers. Sagen mutipoint sequential fuel injection is used with one injector per cylinder located below the butterfly in each of the 43mm throttle bodies.
The gearbox has been tweaked to provide slicker shifting and now comes with backlash gear which aims to reduce noise and vibration.
Such is the torque of this machine that it will pull away, snatch free, from as little as 1,500rpm in sixth gear. Maximum torque is achieved at 4,400rpm and continues right up to the maximum power mark at 9,500rpm. This makes for a quite laid back style of riding, especially in congested urban traffic.
The sixth gear is, in effect, an overdrive gear and given that the 100 mph mark is achieved at 6,200rpm and 70mph at around 4,000rpm, only fashion insists that six gears are necessary.
It is a good machine for long, cross-country runs. We know of several long-distance "Iron Butt" riders, those masochists that go in for doing 1,000 mile / 24-hour days, for whom the Tiger is their chosen mount. That may not be your thing, but it's nice to know it is meant to go places, and it will.
The chassis is virtually identical to previous Tiger incarnations, the full adjustable Kayaba suspension front and rear works well, although adjustment is not as easy as it could be.
In terms of looks it has not yet succumbed to an angular aggressive style which is fast becoming the vogue. It retains the softer, rounded lines which make this machine instantly recognisable. That gives it either a timeless or a dated look, depending on your point of view.
In value for money terms, at €11,950 it is €550 cheaper than KTM's Adventure, and all of €2,830 less than the non-ABS version of the BMW R 1200 GS.