Review: 2024 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro & Rally Pro
In 2020, Triumph’s Tiger 800 underwent a significant transformation to become the Tiger 900. For 2024, the bike ostensibly remains identical in mechanical appearance, although the manufacturer’s claim of the new model being a “significant update” is well-founded.
Triumph’s use of a triple-cylinder powerplant is the most obvious thing that sets this bike apart from any other in the middleweight adventure class. Over the years, I’ve appreciated the smooth buzz of this engine, both because it’s effective and also unique. That said, one characteristic I always missed when riding the triples was the lower-rpm torque offered by twin-cylinder machines. This year, Triumph’s redesign of the Tiger 900 engine puts the torque lower in the rev range.
The horsepower and torque numbers increased with the Tiger 900’s 2020 release, yet the engine retained some of the higher-revving power delivery character of the previous 800cc engine. New pistons, larger inlet ports, and a more free-flowing Akrapovič exhaust have resulted in many changes to the 2024 Tiger 900 engine. Compression has increased to 13.0:1 (compared to 11.27:1) on the 2023 900, horsepower has gone from 93.9 ponies at 8,750 rpm to 106.5 hp at 9,500 rpm, and the torque now hits lower at 66.4 ft-lb at 6,850 rpm, compared to 64 ft-lb at 7,250 rpm on the previous model. All these performance gains were achieved without any increase in weight, and the new engine is also claimed to be more efficient and cleaner burning.
Triumph’s T-plane crank design remains the same for 2024 and enhances the torquey feel of the engine. The “T-plane” name comes from the crankshaft’s appearance when viewed on end. In-line triples traditionally have the crank pins evenly spaced at 120-degree intervals around the crankshaft, but Triumph spaces them at 90-degree intervals, forming the shape of the letter T. This design provides the Tiger’s characteristic sound and claims a traction advantage by increasing the power pulse gap through the uneven firing interval.
The GT and GT Pro
Cast wheels, a lower seat, and shorter suspension are a few of the key elements that place the Tiger 900 GT and GT Pro in the “urban adventure” category. The “Pro” in the GT Pro gets you an additional customizable rider mode, a quickshifter (branded as Triumph Shift Assist), LED auxiliary lights, heated pilot and passenger seats, heated grips, a centerstand, a tire pressure monitoring system, and electronically adjustable rear suspension. With the exception of the additional rider mode and the electronic shock, all of these features are also available as individual options on the standard GT model. Both bikes also now sport the same seven-inch TFT screen as the larger Tiger 1200.
I immediately noticed the changes in the engine’s power delivery, particularly when accelerating out of corners. There was more low-end grunt pulling harder, whereas in the past you might feel the need to grab a gear at the same rpm. When I did need to grab a gear, whether up or down, the quickshifter was nearly foolproof. When riding off-road, this feature can be disabled in the Bike Set Up menu, which helps prevent accidental shifts should your toe nudge the shifter when the going gets rough.
For my 5-foot-11-inch frame, the cockpit felt ideal. The windscreen can be easily repositioned with one hand while riding— however, I preferred to keep it in the lowest position at all times. Higher windscreen positions created a nice, silent bubble of calm air, but the screen itself interfered with my field of vision when raised. I didn’t experience buffeting in the lowest position, so I always opted for smooth and direct airflow and an open view of the road.
The first several miles of the test were a perfect mix of tight and super-tight curves and pavement ranging from pristine to average, sketchy, and—in many cases—completely missing. During these sections, the GT Pro honestly felt weird until tweaking the electronically adjustable Marzocchi suspension smoothed things out. Of note, I was told the suspension settings are based on an assumed rider weight of around 176 pounds. At 185 pounds, I’m in the ballpark of this standard and the settings seemed to agree.
The heated grips and seats are both activated via independent dedicated buttons versus menus on the TFT. That’s a good thing—when you’re cold, the last thing you want to be doing is navigating around a menu.
The Rally Pro
In addition to all the features of the GT Pro I listed earlier, the Rally Pro adds wire-spoked tubeless wheels, crash bars, and an aluminum skidplate, while also replacing the GT Pro’s Marzocchi suspension (with seven inches front and 6.7 inches rear travel) with manually adjustable Showa forks (9.45 inches of travel) and shock (nine inches).
Most of the off-road route for this event was moderately smooth gravel, with bits of deeper sand in some churned-up corners and a few stretches of hard-packed, cross-rutted rocky road. Through all this, the suspension stood out as very confidence inspiring, tipping toward the firm side of the scale. Although not harsh, the feedback through the bars was firm and pronounced through the initial part of the stroke on some of the rougher hard-packed sections. In moderate off-road conditions, I never found the limits of either the fork or shock travel—until the end of the day when touching down from a particularly high jump used up all of the available spring length. Even then, the excellent chassis flex resulted in a surprisingly smooth flat landing for such a high boost on an adventure bike.
The 900 Rally Pro comes with six riding modes: Rain, Road, Sport, Off-Road, Rider, and Off-Road Pro. The first four are preset modes, Rider is a dedicated customizable mode, and Off-Road Pro is an easy way to get the bike quickly set up for those of us who prefer the least amount of computer intervention possible.
Between the impressive Showa suspension, a simultaneously high-strung and torquey motor, a chassis with what feels like excellent flex characteristics, and simple things like decently-sized stock footpegs, the Rally Pro is a bike that begs you to test your limits, because you’ll find them long before the bike does. This isn’t hyperbole. In 2022, Spanish pro rider Ivan Cervantes took first place in the Trail category of Spain’s Baja Aragón Rally on a completely stock Tiger 900 Rally Pro.
I once described the elegant curves in the Tiger’s frame as looking like something Ducati might have designed. The bikes boast an entirely unique powerplant, housed in an artistic and high-performing chassis, and controlled by a cutting-edge suite of electronics, resulting in a package that’s hard to beat.
Technical Specs
+ surprisingly good stock suspension (on Rally Pro), unique three-cylinder engine, robust electronics
- long TFT startup process, GT Pro suspension can be unforgiving unless adjusted precisely
2024 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro
Distributor: Triumph Motorcycles
MSRP: $16,895
Engine: liquid-cooled, 12-valve, DOHC, in-line 3
Displacement: 888cc
Power: 106.5hp @9500rpm; 66.4lb-ft @6850rpm
Transmission: 6-speed, wet multi-plate assist-and-slipper clutch, slip O-ring chain final drive
Wheels: cast aluminum, 19in/17in
Rake/Trail: 24.6°/4.04in
Weight (Wet): 489lbs
Seat Height: 32.3-33.1in (adjustable)
Fuel Capacity: 5.3gal
Fuel Consumption: 45mpg
Fuel Grade: regular
Color: Snowdonia White/Sapphire Black, Carnival Red/Sapphire Black, Graphite/Sapphire Black
2024 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro
Distributor: Triumph Motorcycles
MSRP: $17,395
Engine: liquid-cooled, 12-valve, DOHC, in-line 3
Displacement: 888cc
Power: 106.5hp @9500rpm; 66.4lb-ft @6850rpm
Transmission: 6-speed, wet multi-plate assist-and-slipper clutch, O-ring chain final drive
Wheels: spoked, 21in/17in
Rake/Trail: 24.4°/4.59in
Weight (Wet): 502.7lbs
Seat Height: 33.9-34.6in (adjustable)
Fuel Capacity: 5.3gal
Fuel Consumption: 45mpg
Fuel Grade: regular
Color: Carbon Black/Sapphire Black, Matt Khaki Green/Phantom Black, Ash Gray/Intense Orange