2022 , I remember being most impressed with the rear suspension , particularly accelerating on gravel corrugations . I ’ m still impressed . The whole shebang works well and it ’ s easy to adjust it with the controls and dash ( I ’ ll talk more about the rider interface itself later ). It self levels to take account of rider weight , luggage , pillion and the way the bike is being ridden . I ’ ll say that it ’ s great for an electronic system which will cover most riding for most people . If you ’ re an outlier who wants the compression or rebound damping to act slightly differently , then there ’ s a degree of adjustment in each mode for overall damping , but compression and rebound can ’ t be adjusted independently ( well , not as far as I could see anyway ).
FIT AND FINISH The Tiger is very well finished from a paint and build perspective . A Summer of sun and dust followed by prolonged Autumn rain haven ’ t had a lasting effect on any of the finish ; the stainless steel header pipes are clear of crud and corrosion , and the spokes are still gleaming like the day the bike rolled out an Auckland warehouse onto wet roads at the end of last year . There are some beautiful detail touches all over the bike , from the embossed Triumph logos to
the carefully machined detail of some of the bolts and nuts .
LIKES AND DISLIKES Oh that engine ... it ’ s a beauty . Full of torque , powerful , responsive and howls like a banshee when it ’ s revved hard . Then there ’ s the suspension - some of the best fitted to an adventure bike . The rear is especially good . There are modes for each type of riding , but it ’ s the adaptive bit that really works well - and it will drop 20mm for sub 80km / h riding , which is a big bonus for getting on and off , riding in start / stop traffic and on rocky trails where you might need to dab a foot down . The shaft drive should get a mention for its lack of maintenance and just doing its thing quietly in the background . Oh , and the brakes , can ’ t forget those . They ’ re ridiculously good for an adventure bike ; fullon Brembo sports-bike level , top of the range braking goodness . They take a little getting used to , but when you do , they ’ re amazing . There ’ s not a huge amount I didn ’ t like . I never managed to ‘ click ’ with the dash interface , it ’ s just not intuitive to me - particularly the trip meters that can ’ t just be flicked through or left displayed on the screen . It ’ s a little thing , but annoying , especially when it could be so easily
KIWI RIDER 95