Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro

I am fortunate to get to ride the latest and most excellent bikes to hit our shores. The problem is I can’t just leave it there. From time to time I smash my piggy bank and put my hard-earned loot on the line. Having sold my brilliant BMW 1200 GS Adventure after a shoulder injury, I needed a lighter replacement. A few bikes made my shortlist.

I wanted a bike that, like my GS Adventure, was suitable for smashing long distances, two up, in comfort. I also wanted that bike to be competent both on tar and dirt. Value for money was the third criterion. My needs immediately excluded the Yamaha T7 and Aprilia Taureg, both great machines, but too small for two-up distance travel. BMW’s 850 GS is a solid option, but a bit long in the tooth. Ultimately it came down to a two-bike shortlist: the Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin and the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro. Specifications are one thing, but given that I will spend hours on the bike it must be good to ride too.

Both contenders offer a fantastic riding experience. The Honda with its torquey twin never fails to satisfy. The Rally Pro, with its growling cross-plane big-bang motor, is similarly engaging. So, what swayed me in favour of the Triumph? Quite simply, the Rally Pro offers absolutely astounding value for money. When I started looking into the standard spec of the two bikes the Honda started looking pale by comparison. At this point, let me say that I have, and always have had, a soft spot for Big Red. The build quality and reliability of Honda motorcycles are the stuff that legends are made of, however, over the years I have matured into an unbiased rider with an appreciation for fine motorcycles, full stop. So what features tipped the scales in favour of the Triumph?

Let me list the features that come standard on the Rally Pro which the Honda does not have. You may not rate all these features but bear in mind that you would have already saved R11,000 on the purchase price of the Triumph versus the Honda. Tubeless Akront rims, tyre pressure monitors, spots/riding lights, main stand, heated grips, heated seats, wind deflecting hand protectors, quick-shifter, adjustable windscreen, lower engine protection bars and two power points plus a USB charging point. Damn! That is a helluva goody bag of pimped parts!

Add to that Brembo Stylema brakes, a bigger 20-litre fuel tank, and 10 mm more suspension travel back and front (Both bikes have Showa suspension). The real kicker for me was the tubeless tyres and the main stand. Changing tubes down a dirt track is simply not on my bucket list of things to do! I will take the plug-and-play convenience of tubeless rims any old day. Having said that, I don’t ride my Adventure bikes where you should go with plastic. Baviaans is as wild as I choose to go. The Honda has the edge on power and torque, but both bikes have more than enough go to satisfy. So, Triumph made the cut at the end of the deliberations. With 7,000 k’s on the clock, I can tell you a bit about Triumph ownership.

I bought my bike from my nearest dealer, Triumph in Hatfield, Pretoria. I have bought a few bikes over the years from Paul Kersten and have consistently enjoyed great professional service. I have also known Damian, the Dealer Principal, for years, so it was like visiting old buds for my new bike. It was a really great buying experience from a smart and attractive dealership. Oh yes, lest I forget, Damian is a Barista of note, the coffee is always top drawer.

I have enjoyed the Rally Pro from day one. I fitted a GIVI top box and GIVI panniers for touring convenience when Irene keeps me company. What we needed was a proper long trip for me to bond properly with the bike, and to see how the Triumph stacked up against my GIVI-equipped BMW R 1200 R, as our two-up touring bike of choice.

I have been overdue a visit to a good mate in Cape Town, so when BMW’s Lightning Bolt event at House of Machines was imminent I decided that this was a reason for a road trip. I chatted to Danie at BMW about a loan R 1250 RT, BMW’s Uber Tourer, as ideally, I wanted to tell an all-BMW story. As our departure date came closer, and with no word from BMW, I decided it was an excellent opportunity to test the Tiger properly in a touring role.

Irene suggested that we fly down, but I quickly reminded her that we are ZA Bikers! “No sweat”, she retorted, ”I’m up for it”. So it was that at 5 a.m. on a Thursday morning, we headed south out of Pretoria. We had a big day in the saddle planned. It was make-or-break for the Rally Pro two-up comfort test.

We were blessed with cool crisp weather as we sped south. With the cruise control set at 135 km/h, the Tiger growled along happily, devouring distance effortlessly. Bloemfontein and breakfast, then coffee in Colesburg and the Tiger was unfazed and we both still felt fresh. Our destination for the night was Victoria Bay, just outside George, where we stayed with an old friend and fellow biker Ian Wesson at his Guesthouse, Pier Plesier. I have categorically never experienced such an unimpeded sea view! Truly spectacular!

1264.5 k’s at an average of 113 km/h in 11.08 hours. What a day. Our route was through Graaff-Reinet and down the Langkloof, then down the magnificent Outeniqua Pass and into George. At one of four stop ‘n goes in the Free State, we passed 49 trucks nose to tail. Try that in your four-wheeled shopping basket! Tap down twice on the brilliant quick-shifter and let the Tiger off the leash. Bye-bye trucks. Irene was gobsmacked by the comfort of the Triumph, stating categorically that it was the most comfortable she has ever been on a bike.

The seat density is obviously spot on, but the kicker is the brilliant supple suspension. I dialled in preload to compensate for the two up and pannier loads, and then added a bit of rebound. The bike was incredibly comfortable and composed over all surfaces, as well as when enthusiastically strafing the mountain passes. You would never say that the Rally Pro runs a 21” front wheel. It steers with an accuracy that is amazing.

A planned fuel stop went awry, with empty pumps, so it was a bit of an economy run down a cold, at 12-degrees, Outeniqua pass. We rolled into George with zero fuel range indicated on the TFT display for over 20 k’s. Filling up showed that we still had 1,5 litres in the tank, despite 380 k’s on the trip meter. Dinner and a bottle of red was just the reward for a great day’s riding. Both Irene and I were smitten by our splendid Tiger. We relished the idea of cruising what was now a short hop to the fairest Cape of them all, down the scenic N2.

The splendid weather continued as we rolled out of George on Friday after a memorable stay at Pier Plesier. If you plan to travel to that area, try an overnight with Ian. You will be blown away! The comfort and setting are truly unparalleled. Our first stop was for breakfast at a wonderful farm stall just before Riversdal. A group of German Tourists on Harleys were nearing the end of a memorable SA tour. Chatting with them reminded me of what a splendid scenic country we live in.

The Western Cape leads the charge by a country mile when it comes to touring in SA. Superb, well-kept roads, clean and tidy towns and spectacularly beautiful scenery. Oh Lord, why can’t the rest of our land be like this? Forget the politics people. Vote for who gets the job done! Period. The Cape prospers while the rest of the country decays. Being on the N2, we did a quick detour through Gordon’s Bay along what must be one of the best drives on the planet. The fynbos bedecked mountain on your left as the road snakes and meanders along a pristine coastline. We stopped for our customary Flat White at Curbside Coffee’s roadside trailer and just soaked in the view. It was a good day to be in the Cape on a motorcycle.

We cruised into Cape Town at lunchtime and rode straight to House of Machines on Shortmarket Street in the city centre. What a cool and funky vibe. Cape Town sports some truly “interesting” people. Sitting and sipping on a cold one and watching the “show” is endlessly entertaining. We still had to get to my buddy in Kalk Bay so we were grateful to be on the Tiger as we negotiated the Cape Town traffic.

That Mountain with the flat top is ever so beautiful, but it played havoc with the poor town planners who had to lay out the network of roads. No sweat, you don’t want to live in CT (or anywhere else, for that matter) without owning a bike. Traversing Boyes Drive above Muizenburg with its magnificent sea views, we again revelled in the scenic splendour of it all. Catching up with Peter as we dined on a superb curry, washed down by the red that the Cape is renowned for, made for a marvellous evening to cap a splendid day.

The Lightening Bolt event kicked off at lunchtime on Saturday, so we could take our time, visiting the Waterfront for a Gelato before meandering into town to ogle the custom bikes on display at House of Machines. What followed was a great day and evening of bikes, music and refreshments.

BMW’s two events in conjunction with House of Machines, Head for the Hills at the splendid ADA facility in Hartebeespoort, and Lightning Bolt in the Mother City, have been great successes and hopefully will be repeated in the future. It is certainly something to diarise and not miss if possible. We rode back to Kalk Bay in the early evening. Cape Town was putting her best weather foot forward for us. Dinner at the Kalk Bay harbour capped another pearler of a day.

Sunday was another absolutely perfect weather Cape day. We cruised the Peninsula, stopping for breakfast in Simonstown before following the Argus cycle route past Smitswinkel, Scarborough, Kommetjie and over the incomparable Chapman’s Peak. It is a must for every motorcyclist visiting the Cape. If the weather plays ball you will experience one of the best days out and about ever.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, so Irene and I sadly said our goodbyes on Monday and got the Triumph growling along the N1. In the interest of time, we endured the shortest route home. We overnighted in Colesburg after a pleasant enough ride through the Karoo, which has a charm of its own. Its endless vistas make you feel small and insignificant. We stopped after Laingsburg for photos at an old Boer War blockhouse. Built to guard a railway bridge against marauding Boer commandos, it must have been a shock to the system of the British troops stationed there. Sadly some brain donor with no sense of the significance of our country’s history has seen fit to deface it with graffiti…we live in sad times indeed!

After the days we had smashed on the Rally Pro it was a short hop home. The traffic build-up at the stop ‘n goes was light, so they didn’t impede our progress much as we set the cruise control to 150 km/h and the Tiger revelled in the crisp and cool morning air. The t-plane crank and odd firing order makes the bike a bit more gruff than the silky 800 that it replaced. The plus is that it feels less “busy” than the previous motor. The low-frequency vibes felt through the bars are not intrusive, but rather compliment the character of what is truly a special bike.

We rolled into Pretoria before lunch after a memorable trip. The Triumph Tiger Rally Pro was put to the touring test properly and delivered over and above expectations. Washing the bike as I do after a trip, I was reminded of the amount of thought and design detail that makes the current crop of Triumph bikes so special. The main stand cross brace takes the strain from stones flung off the front tyre and becomes pitted and even rusty as the paint is sandblasted off. Typical of the Triumph attention to detail, there is a sleeve of rubber encasing the stay. When the small details have been addressed like that, it gives me total piece of mind in terms of how the rest of the bike is designed and screwed together.

The Tiger is an absolutely perfect blend of road function and off-road ability. It has a spread of talents that make it deeply satisfying in either role. 3,374 k’s later, at an average of 106 km/h and after 31,45 hours in the saddle, Triumph, take a bow! I am one very happy and satisfied owner! And Irene? She loved her time on the Pro. As they say, happy wife happy life!

Just a final word and shout out to GIVI. My Tiger has GIVI Trekker 33 panniers fitted. Typical of GIVI products, they work superbly. They fit securely and provide peace of mind that your kit will stay dry and clean irrespective of where you ride. They have an added feature in that you can open the top of the pannier without having to open the whole side and have the kit fall out. Between them and my GIVI top box, it was effortless to pack all my kit.

The top box has an elasticised cargo net over the top which is handy for rain suits or the like. The pannier brackets are cool for securing my soft luggage when doing off-road trips. The right bike and the right kit make for great road-tripping! Bring on December when I plan to introduce the Tiger to Botswana. I can’t wait.