Give the Man a Tiger!
The Triumph Tiger - A King on Asia's Highways

Mention to any veteran bikers about the Triumph Tiger and you can be sure many of them worth their salt will have something positive to say about the European do-it-all bike. Some might scoff at its abilities for serious long distance travel compared to say the Pan European or luxury tourers out there but others who understand the true nature of this crouching beast will simply pour their heart out about it, swearing about its "all-roundedness" for everything motorcycling. As one biker who refused to test ride the bike put it simply' "If I tried the Tiger, I wouldn't have much motivation to buy a streetfighter, sports tourer and cruiser bike to add to my collection..." That's how possibly versatile and addictive the modern Triumph Tiger is.

Introduced in 1993, the Tiger made its debut together with its sibling the Sprint ST. Positioned as a big adventure trailie that can go the distance, the Tiger won much international acclaim due to the spirited triple-cylindered motor it housed which delighted all its owners. Over the years, the big cat underwent various significant makeovers, curiously developing a Darwinistic adaption to the urban jungle. The Tiger 1050 finally completed its transition and dropped all pretence of being off-road capable to capitalise on its established forte as a sporty adventure tourer. Do not be fooled by this cat's appearance, it may look like a big and clumsy rally bike but you can end up as prey once it sheds its claws on the road.

True to its trail ancestry, Triumph Tiger is a large bike that is literally built for the 1.8m-tall adventure-seeking rider. Behind the round 20-litre tank, seat height is a good 835mm with an inseam-stretching seat that requires in a bit of tip-toe footwork at the traffic lights. But although the Tiger may seem a formidable ride at first, the oversized ergonomics actually proves to be extremely cosy on the move. Once the wheels start rolling your initial concerns disappear altogether and you'll be amazed how all your attention shifts to just focusing on the road ahead. The soft and wide saddle is your butt-saver on those long-haul bike weeks up to Thailand and with the upright seating, you can ride forever without straining your back and neck and the neutral footrests allows your legs to ride cramp-free. The peg position does give your knees a good strong grip at the sides and does not compromise on the Tiger's overall sporty ride to tackle even Gua Musang. This is where the Tiger excels, giving the rider the feel of a comfort-oriented trail bike, but then handles spookily like a trimmed sports machine.

The tiger comes fitted with almost all the performance parts found on a modern sportsbike like 17-inch front and rear sports rims, where you will have no problems fitting in the same slicks found on your track bike if you want to test its prowess on the circuit. Another dead giveaway of its sporty nature are the fully adjustable Showa 43mm forks and fully adjustable monoshock, also from Showa, which will soak up anything you can throw at it. The Tiger shares the same engine as its Triumph brethrens the Speed Triple and Sprint ST. Tuned to churn out 114bhp at 9,400rpm and generate 100Nm of torque at just 6,250rpm, it is anything but lethargic - the distinct powerband characteristic that only a three-cylinder engine can provide; with the smoothness of an inline four yet capable of the low end thrust of a twin. An exceptionally strong braking system is necessary to stop such power, which the Tiger has with sports grade twin 320mm floating discs, 4 piston radial calipers up front and the single 255mm disc, 2 piston caliper at the rear.

"Functional versatility" is the operative phrase that best sums up the Tiger. As an established tourer it is capable of ripping up the NSH with no sweat, but confined as a city commuter it remains lively enough to pounce up to the lead at every traffic light. Its dry weight of 198kg allows you to flick the bike around with ease, coupled with a compact 23.2 degree rake and 87.7mm trail frame you will find that it's surprisingly nimble in those tight city corners. Bored at weekends and just want to ride to nowhere? The Tiger comes with optional hard and soft pannier cases that you can just throw on for a weekend to anywhere. Its shiny underseat exhausts gives it a slim profile without compromising on luggage space. Take those bags off when you are done, and you are free again for some serious filtering in the next traffic peak hour. It's no full-dressed tourer but it's not far behind the STXs and RTs in terms of comfort and reliability. It's not your average commuter, but its reliability and sporty handling is on par with a CB400 and the power's all there to boot the rest. None will come close to the Tiger in terms of all-round function and versatility.

MOTOR SHIOK! (WHAT WE LIKE!)
• Tall and imposing road presence.
• Triple cylinder engine is no slouch.
• Comfortable seating ergonomics.
• Excellent mix of components and built quality.
• Light and agile for its size.
• Fantastic versatility.

MOTOR AIYOH! (WHAT YOU MUST CONSIDER LAH...)
• Controls are meant for much bigger hands but you'll realise its comfort once you settle in.
• You'll start wondering what the other bikes are for.

For more information on the Triumph Tiger 1050, contact Mah Motors at (65) 6295 6393.


This article was contributed by SpinAsia magazine, the Sports and Lifestyle Guide for Wheelers.

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