MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Anything you like about motorbikes
User avatar
weeksy
Site Admin
Posts: 23319
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
Has thanked: 5438 times
Been thanked: 13036 times

MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by weeksy »

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-rev ... port/2022/

Image

We can’t start talking about Triumph’s new Tiger Sport 660 without first tipping our hat to its naked sibling: the Trident 660. One of the big success stories of 2021, not only is it a great value, top quality roadster with a cool badge slapped on the tank, but it’s also one that’s as appealing to newbies as the experienced, which is quite a trick.

Triumph have taken that winning formula to create the Tiger Sport 660 and it’s every bit as impressive. You could call it a tall rounder, or a sports adventure, but in many ways it’s the half-faired Street Triple we always wish they’d made, but never did.

It’s spacious, comfortable, agile and easy to manage, but can be genuinely sporty, too, with a front end that fills you with confidence, tyres that grip beautifully in all conditions and powerful brakes. That’s all on top of a tuneful three-cylinder engine that’s never short of grunt or excitement but still friendly when you need it to be.

It’s such a complete, well-built, affordable, creation that cruise control suddenly seems a glaring omission for a bike designed to do big miles, but it’s a small blip in a sea of brilliance.

New bars are wider, higher and closer to the rider than the Trident’s and the pegs are lower. It’s a deliciously comfy and spacious riding position that works perfectly for big-mile riding, despite the Tiger’s mid-sized layout. It’s slim, well balanced, easy to manage and taller riders will love the legroom.

Its seven way manually adjustable screen is easy to jiggle with one hand on the move and effective, but like all tall road bikes, windblast can be noisy at speed.

Steel rather than aluminium is used for the frame and (longer) swingarm to keep costs down, but no matter because the Tiger Sport 660 is still light and agile. Its 30mm longer-travel upside down Showa forks (with a 1.5-degree steeper rake and 10mm less trail) and shock are basic, but they’re perfectly set to give the best mix of ride quality, cornering control and stability.

Image

The Triumph doesn’t just handle well for an affordable all-rounder, it flows through corners with the poise of some of the best out there, with a similar feel to one of the most unlikely of great handling road bikes: Honda’s CB500X.

It has huge grip, a tactile front end and despite having low, knee-friendly pegs, we never get them scraping. Twin piston Nissin calipers are basic, but like everything with the Tiger belie their simplicity. Strong and consistent, they’re packed with feel despite its ABS

It works so seamlessly as a sporty, easy to ride, all-rounder, you wonder why it’s taken them this long to make it…and just how great a Street or Speed Triple version would be.

The Tiger Sport’s 80bhp three-cylinder motor is identical to the Trident’s – itself a rework of their fantastic old Daytona 675 lump, with a shorter stroke and a bucket load of new components, including lower first to fourth gear ratios and higher fifth/sixth. Valve check intervals are at a generous 10,000 miles and a 46bhp A2 licence restriction kit is also available.

Its beating supersport heart and raspy soundtrack remains intact, so the Tiger is revvy, exciting and never short of grunt when you need it, almost regardless of the gear. It’s a sporty engine that’s livelier than its rivals, but crucially it’s also a friendly one, which has been the key to the Trident 660’s success.

Power is delivered smoothly low down, isn’t overwhelming or hard to control up top and the ride-by-wire throttle is light and accurate. At 70mph it purrs along at 6000rpm.

Fuel tank capacity is up from 14 to 17.2 litres. We get an indicated 51mpg during our spirited day’s riding at the Tiger’s world launch in the hills of southern Portugal (a theoretical full-to-dry range of 193 miles), with the reserve light coming on at 160 miles.

Image
Dickyboy
Posts: 609
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2020 4:48 pm
Has thanked: 484 times
Been thanked: 342 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by Dickyboy »

Sounds bloody great doesn't it, what's the downside?
User avatar
weeksy
Site Admin
Posts: 23319
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
Has thanked: 5438 times
Been thanked: 13036 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by weeksy »

Dickyboy wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 12:37 pm Sounds bloody great doesn't it, what's the downside?
Dunno mate :) I've not read it... i just try and keep us on bike stuff... but i don't always read things i post :)
Asian Boss
Posts: 1801
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2020 8:52 pm
Has thanked: 498 times
Been thanked: 650 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by Asian Boss »

Looks like one of them Frazers.
To a kid looking up to me, life ain't nothing but bitches and money.
User avatar
Count Steer
Posts: 11743
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 4:59 pm
Has thanked: 6345 times
Been thanked: 4729 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by Count Steer »

If it's as good as the review says, that's a rather nice package. :thumbup:
Doubt is not a pleasant condition.
But certainty is an absurd one
.
Voltaire
The Spin Doctor
Posts: 4096
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:17 pm
Has thanked: 2635 times
Been thanked: 1523 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by The Spin Doctor »

Asian Boss wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 12:39 pm Looks like one of them Frazers.
Looks even more like an XJ6.

How reliable is the motor? There were shed loads of 675s around at one time - they all seem to have vanished. My buddy's Tiger 800 was puffing oil smoke at 30k despite being serviced on the dot, so he chopped it.
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer." Henry David Thoreau
www.ko-fi.com/survivalskills www.survivalskillsridertraining.co.uk www.facebook.com/survivalskills
User avatar
G.P
Posts: 1944
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 9:12 pm
Location: Wiltshire
Has thanked: 2029 times
Been thanked: 1310 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by G.P »

What's not to like and £8.5k seems pretty good. 80bhp is enough grunt and with a decent range it looks like a really good commuter / do it all.
I've got a 10 yrs old 800 Tiger with 53k miles on it that rides as nicely as when I first got it so don't have the need though
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 11224
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
Has thanked: 607 times
Been thanked: 4117 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

It's okay, bit expensive at £8.5K (that'll end up at £9K with OTR costs), it'd be nicer if it were a bit sportier, ie; lower screen and loose the grey plastic round the radiator.

I seriously looked at buying a Trident this year, but I thought it was over priced for the spec of bike, but I think this is the case with all Triumphs.
Honda Owner
Supermofo
Posts: 4974
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:39 pm
Has thanked: 4324 times
Been thanked: 2828 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by Supermofo »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 1:52 pm It's okay, bit expensive at £8.5K (that'll end up at £9K with OTR costs), it'd be nicer if it were a bit sportier, ie; lower screen and loose the grey plastic round the radiator.

I seriously looked at buying a Trident this year, but I thought it was over priced for the spec of bike, but I think this is the case with all Triumphs.
Price will be key I think. Tracer 700's can be had for £7k so the Trumpet would have to be a fair bit better to be worth £1500+ more.
Taff
Posts: 1127
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2020 9:15 am
Has thanked: 255 times
Been thanked: 880 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by Taff »

The Spin Doctor wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 1:16 pm
Asian Boss wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 12:39 pm Looks like one of them Frazers.
Looks even more like an XJ6.

How reliable is the motor? There were shed loads of 675s around at one time - they all seem to have vanished. My buddy's Tiger 800 was puffing oil smoke at 30k despite being serviced on the dot, so he chopped it.
I'd suggest that the motor reliability is as good as you'll get from any manufacturer, and probably better than most.

If you consider that it is already used in all of the street triples and Tigers with only minor variation of capacity and tune, and you don't hear of many failures. Mines on 60k and has routinely used a drop of oil which hasn't got worse since 20k miles (I keep a spreadsheet of all the oil I've put in it because I was worried it was getting worse).

The downside is probably the cost of servicing, triumphs are expensive at a dealer because triumph dictate the hourly rate (or they certainly did a few years ago)

If /when I get round to changing mine, I'll certainly have a look at these
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 11224
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
Has thanked: 607 times
Been thanked: 4117 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Supermofo wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 2:51 pm
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 1:52 pm It's okay, bit expensive at £8.5K (that'll end up at £9K with OTR costs), it'd be nicer if it were a bit sportier, ie; lower screen and loose the grey plastic round the radiator.

I seriously looked at buying a Trident this year, but I thought it was over priced for the spec of bike, but I think this is the case with all Triumphs.
Price will be key I think. Tracer 700's can be had for £7k so the Trumpet would have to be a fair bit better to be worth £1500+ more.
I think my thinking was along those lines, that an MT07 is considerably cheaper than a Trident, in the end I didn't buy either as the GSXS I bought suits my taste better.
Honda Owner
Supermofo
Posts: 4974
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:39 pm
Has thanked: 4324 times
Been thanked: 2828 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by Supermofo »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 3:03 pm I think my thinking was along those lines, that an MT07 is considerably cheaper than a Trident, in the end I didn't buy either as the GSXS I bought suits my taste better.
The GSXS is probably a class above from what I've seen/read. More MT09/Z9 than MT07/Trident. They have a significant advantage on weight but from tests the GSXS handles better, has more power and speed.
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 11224
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
Has thanked: 607 times
Been thanked: 4117 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Supermofo wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 3:13 pm
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 3:03 pm I think my thinking was along those lines, that an MT07 is considerably cheaper than a Trident, in the end I didn't buy either as the GSXS I bought suits my taste better.
The GSXS is probably a class above from what I've seen/read. More MT09/Z9 than MT07/Trident. They have a significant advantage on weight but from tests the GSXS handles better, has more power and speed.
My GSXS seems to be about as fast as an MT09, though I think I have to rev it more to get that power, which suits me. I think I'd find the MT07 a bit wheezy, the Trident would have been fine power wise, but it's too much money for it's spec, but the GSXS may have been under priced because Suzuki UK have dropped it for 2022, so they may no longer be able to sell it at £7-8K, and who would buy one at £9K?
Honda Owner
tricol
Posts: 672
Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2021 1:52 pm
Has thanked: 235 times
Been thanked: 469 times

Re: MCN Triumph Tiger Sport 660 (2022 - on) Review

Post by tricol »

I'd quite like to try it to see how it feels compared to my Trident. Prefer the rear plate hanger over the swingarm type on the Trident.
Yamaha MT09 SP