Triumph is all set to launch the all-new Tiger 900 in April.  We don’t yet know which variants it will launch first, but we expect the top-spec GT Pro and Rally Pro variants and the mid-spec Rally variant. The new Tiger 900 features an all-new 900 cc, in-line three-cylinder Euro 5-compliant engine, new full-colour TFT instrument console, riding modes and heavily updated design. The biggest and most pertinent change to the Tiger 900 is a higher-capacity, 12-valve, inline three-cylinder engine that produces 10 per cent more torque than the outgoing Tiger 800. The power output of the 888 cc engine remains the same as the outgoing model - 94 bhp at 8,750 rpm, but with a stronger mid-range and 10 per cent more torque, with peak torque of 87 Nm kicking in at 7,250 rpm.

Powering the bike is a new BS6-compliant 888cc inline-three-cylinder engine which has a new 1-3-2 firing order instead of the 1-2-3 as seen on the old 800cc unit. The new engine has the same power rating of 95PS as before. Moreover, the torque figure now stands at 87Nm (8Nm more than the 800) and it kicks in at just 7250rpm instead of 8050rpm in the previous version. In terms of underpinnings, there are some major differences between the GT and the Rally Pro range. On the GT bikes, Marzocchi suspension units are employed whereas the Rally versions get Showa suspension units. Braking hardware consists of Brembo Stylema calipers, which debuted on the Ducati Panigale V4.

The major update in the electronics department has to be the addition of the IMU-based ABS system. It gets cornering ABS co-developed with Continental. There are six rider modes to choose from: Rain, Road, Sport, Rider, Off-Road and Off-Road Pro; and a bi-directional quick-shifter.  The GT, GT Pro, Rally and Rally Pro also come equipped with backlit switches, cruise control and heated grips. The top-of-the-range Rally Pro and GT Pro models also get heated seats for both rider and pillion, as well as a standard tyre pressure monitoring system. The full-colour TFT screen is standard across all variants, but the base Tiger 900 gets a 5-inch screen, while all other models feature a bigger 7-inch screen. On the top-spec Rally Pro and GT Pro models, the new system is compatible with the MyTriumph Bluetooth connectivity system, which allows handsfree phone control, MP3 music selection and turn-by-turn navigation. The GT Pro and Rally Pro versions also get Triumph Shift Assist, which enables clutchless up and downshifts.

All variants come with top-spec Brembo stylema four-piston Monobloc calipers. A new steel trellis frame with bolt-on aluminium subframe also makes the new Tiger 900 lighter than the Tiger 800, with dry weight of 192 kg for the base Tiger 900, 194 kg for the Tiger 900 GT, and 196 kg for the Tiger 900 Rally. Prices for the base Tiger 900 begin at GBP 9,500. The new Tiger 900 range will be launched sometime in the second quarter of 2020 in Nepal, and we expect prices to remain in the ballpark of the existing Tiger 800 models, with possibly the Pro variants at a premium.