Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport Bike Overview
Triumph’s Tiger Sport is a smoother, more powerful version of the previous Sport model. It is better in many ways, not least the fact that it is far more comfortable for rider and and pillion. Many would consider this bike a funky sports tourer. The bike has a lower, narrower seat and it’s fast and fun. What’s also great about this bike is that, unlike other similar bikes, ABS comes as standard.
Taller riders may struggle on this bike due to limited legroom, but this should only be after a long ride. Short distances through town shouldn’t be a problem. It also has a longer swing arm, so it handles more predictably especially around corners and it’s more stable in fast sweeps. Weighing 235kg, this model of Triumph is quite heavy, which makes it feel a little older than more modern competitive bikes.
The engine is great on this bike. The Tiger Sport’s three-cylinder 1050cc motor offers great power and a nice exhaust noise. The throttle response is also good, but can be snatchy at low speed at times. Power is around 123bhp@9400rpm on this bike and torque is about 77ftlb@4300rpm.
Overall, this bike is good value for money. It gives riders a lot. Other, competitive models in its class, like the KTM 990 SMT can be found more expensive, although this bike can be considered more fun and better at handling than the Triumph.
You have to pay extra for any accessories such as panniers, a tank bag, a taller screen, hand guards, etc.
Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport Bike Spec
- Capacity1050cc
- Top speed135mph
- Weight235kg
- Average fuel consumption41mpg
- Seat height830mm
- EngineLiquid cooled, four stroke, DOHC
Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport Bike Insurance
Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport Bike Gallery
Owner Reviews
Pros
Best thing it’s just a joy to ride. Worst thing buying it a few days before we went into lockdown 2
Cons
The silencer, like on almost all modern bikes is a massive, heavy and rather ugly thing.
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I’ve not yet had the opportunity to do more than a 140-150 mile ride as yet, but the Tiger Sport is super comfy for that length of ride. It’s a good step up from my old 09 Tiger 1050 on which I’d had to fit a gel pad on the seat in order to fend off the effects numb bum syndrome. The addition of a movable screen and the infills on the fairing of the 2020 model have improved the buffering that I felt with the standard screen on the old Tiger. Other changes are less obvious when looking at the bike, but are noticeable when riding, the bars are better, feeling slightly wider and less ape hangar like, and along with the refinements on the mechanical side there is less vibration through the grips. The heated grips on the 20 feel nicer too and work really well, so with the brush guards keeping much of the wind away, your pinkies won’t suffer. There’s also less vibration through the off road style pegs than through the more sport bike style pegs of old. So all in all it’s plenty comfortable.
Build quality appears really good, but I’ve barely put 2000 miles on the bike and it’s been kept garaged out of the weather.
As I said earlier the brakes are great. Lots of progressive power and feel. The ABS hasn’t been used in anger as it were, but if it’s as good as on the old model it’s good enough. The Pirelli tyres offer me enough grip and confidence dry or wet, but I’m not so keen on them when it’s cold. Im not some biking guru so I can’t explain why but the tyres just don’t feel as secure on colder rides. I went from Pirelli to Metzeler road tec 01’s on the old Tiger and found them as good in normal dry or wet weather and they had a better feel in the cold.
As with comfort my best comparison for this 2020 Tiger Sport is my old 09 1050 Tiger, and again the new version is way ahead. The throttle feeling is smooth and refined, in my opinion, making riding in all traffic conditions easy, whether wriggling through traffic in town, sitting on the dual carriageway or motorway or having a blast on your favourite bendy bits. And that feeling of smooth refinement continues through the whole riding experience. Anyone who has experienced the Triumph triple will know that it really does offer the qualities of both a twin or four cylinder lump. This latest 1050 version still offers that low down twin like grunt that keeps pulling through the high four cylinder ish revs. This makes overtaking a breeze, especially combined with the adventure bike riding position. When I first started riding this Tiger it felt nervous and the front end felt a bit skittery. A bit of research led me to soften both ends up a bit and now the nervousness is gone. It tracks really well through long sweepers really feeling really stable, but the bike is still agile enough to be able to change your line if needed. The Tiger is nimble enough in the twisties, light enough around town in traffic. All the Triumphs I’ve had can feel a bit top heavy when full of fuel, but to me this has never been too much or felt like you flopped into a bend. I’m told the top heavy sensation is due to the engine being tall and therefore the petrol tank sits higher.. whatever the reason I experience a similar feeling on this Trumpy though this triumph is probably the most neutral I’ve ride. In respect to riding full of fuel or loaded with gear. The bike can do so much more than I can put it through, it’s capabilities far beyond mine. But that doesn’t make it in anyway intimidating or unforgiving, quite the opposite. The Tiger Sport gently inspires confidence, it allows you to lean that little bit further than last time or take that set of bends (where vision etc etc allows) that bit quicker without worrying that the bike is going to bite you. The ABS and traction control add to that feeling of confidence in the bike. I’ve barely touched the settings on the traction control, the road setting has been gentle enough in the wet and sharp enough when getting a wriggle on in the dry. The brakes on all my Hinckley Triumphs have been good, but these are fantastic, they’re progressive and have plenty of bite and feel. The gear box on my old Tiger wasn’t the smoothest to use (my old FZ600 was less snagy feeling even after who knows how many miles of abuse at the hands of multiple owners), the 2020 model’s box is so much sweeter feeling smooth but positive.
Performance is plenty enough for me. It’s certainly never felt underpowered.
Fuel consumption seems fine, it’s better than the old one. The first service I only had to pay for parts and they were reasonable. Insurance again seems reasonable compared to the old one.
Pros
Best thing is the light weight and handling
Cons
Just wish they could sort out the annoying wind noise.
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Great riding position leaning slightly forward. Bars are very comfortable and wide enough without having to reach too far. Seat is great for up to 100 miles, but makes your bum ache on longer journeys. My wife is quite petite and found the seat comfortable enough for short journeys bus complained after 50 miles that she needed a break. Wind noise is annoying at anything over 50 mph and doesn’t improve with different windshield positions.
No faults or concerns regarding quality.
Brakes are powerful enough and very light to operate.
The ride is soft enough to soak up the bumps but firm enough to give great handling even when pushed hard. It takes a concerted effort an a lot of nerve to touch the pegs down. I’m 6 ft and 95 kgs and have no complaints.
The engine is very smooth and responsive with sufficient grunt to be thoroughly enjoyable. When fully run in, it’s great fun to scream the engine to 10,000rpm and snick through the gears.
Even riding hard, I’m getting over 50mpg. Which is way better than my Rocket 3 (only got 30mpg from that).
Pros
Style and eligibility
Cons
Brighter lights
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Pillion ride is comfortable
Not as yet
Front brake very twitchy
It's heavy but feels light while riding
It's strange not like a sports bike
Not too bad
Pros
All rounder does everything
Cons
Weight and height
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Top heavy difficult to push
Very good fast enough
Weight and height
No problem never broken down
Slowing down difficult on hill
Pros
Fantastic all round bike once we sort the little niggles, luggage is very poor but there is good aftermarket available in Trax or Givi.
Cons
The seat leaves a lot to be desired. In fact it is very poor regards comfort 50 miles and numb bum.
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Brilliant on the road
Massive grunt at low rpms
The seat leaves a lot to be desired. In fact it is very poor regards comfort 50 miles and numb bum.
No problems, far better build quality than my previous ST1050
Best brakes to date for me
Pros
I've lost count of the number of bikes I've owned over the years. Some brilliant, some not so good. All good at some things and no good at others. The Triumph is brilliant, a real all round package which suits all my biking needs. Each time I've got a new bike I've gone for something different to the previous one. I think the next time I change it may have to be for another Tiger sport.
Cons
The only thing I find a bit fiddly is getting the seat back on. Its a big seat and the anchor point at the front is not very easy to locate.
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It's a big bike and no lightweight to push around ,but on the move it's smooth. stable and handles very well. It's great at touring speeds but I've also done some 'sports' riding on Alpine passes and it was brilliant.
The brilliant Triumph triple! Bags of low down grunt and as fast as you need.
The only thing I find a bit fiddly is getting the seat back on. Its a big seat and the anchor point at the front is not very easy to locate.
I've had no issues at all with reliability. I've done 12,000 miles in 18 months. The build quality is excellent.
ABS system works well and all round the brakes are very confidence inspiring. I'm using Pirelli Angel sports touring tyres and they compliment the bike giving excellent grip in wet or dry conditions
Pros
I love the tall upright seating, it's flippable, and powerful, without the panniers is a nimble very capable all rounder a hoot to ride quickly, a joy to Sunday cruise. A Great all rounder come rain or shine, to the shops or on a world tour, this is the kiddie.
Cons
The rear disc is a nightmare to put on a disclock and chain, as I like to keep any potential theft busy by weaving a chain through the brake discs and lock the chain padlock onto the alloy wheel spoke, just to be extra awkward, with a nice screeching disclock to give them another headache, as you do.
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For a very tall bike of an adventure style It is very nimble and quite flippable, it corners without drama and is as happy as it's litter sister the Street in the Twisties, it's over all length is quite a bit longer than a street, but booted up with pr4's it handles akin to its crazy sibling.
The 1050 cc triple is like the Orient express, very refined, graceful and huge power, it can be as gentle as a chauffeur, or as crazy as some of the streets triples, it has stonking torque in every gear.
The rear disc is a nightmare to put on a disclock and chain, as I like to keep any potential theft busy by weaving a chain through the brake discs and lock the chain padlock onto the alloy wheel spoke, just to be extra awkward, with a nice screeching disclock to give them another headache, as you do.
In all my ownerships of Triumph I have never had mechanical failure, my only gripe is the management light, both my Tiger Sport and TT have had the light on and neither extinguished after this magical 3 cold cycles, I wonder if is a myth really.
Twin pot Nissin's front, and centrally located rear could probably out stop a Ferrari.
Pros
– Great sport-tourer – Superb engine – Comfort – Great look – Reliability – Finish and finishing details. My best bike to date (and I loved my VFR), which takes me for a quick ride to Cat & Fiddle, near home and well beyond those shores. All parts are really good that engine is really something else: a burly yet nimble bike with a huge heart.
Cons
– Wind protection (for motorway driving) – Rear shock adjustability – Some ergonomics need improving (heated grip) – Absence of gear indicator – Panniers make the bike really wide but inside volume not proportional
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The ride is mostly predictable yet engaging. Teh suspensions have to be adjusted to firmer settings to enjoy more spirited riding (both forks and rear shock are fullu adjustable but the rear could be more user friendly). The fork is not the most complinat on firmer settings but overall it does not affect your trajectory in both fast flowing and tight bends. For a relatively large bike, the Tiger Sport is very flickable; it made my trips to the Pyrenees and Southern Alps really enjoyable. A true sport tourer. The absence of electronic ride assistance (besides ABS) was never an issue, the odd slips easily controllable. Adding Michelin Road Pilot 4 enhanced the ride, especially in the wet. Touring with panniers does not affect the ride. However they make the bike particularly wide and their capacity is not proportional to their size. Slow speed manoeuvrability is not the TIger Sport forte. It can be intimidating, as it has a relatively high centre of gravity and the clutch lever is not the lightest.
The Tiger 1050 Sport's big heart. – Powerful – Cosseting when touring – All claws and roar when the needle goes north of 5-7k rpm – Flexible – Sixth gear feels a bit short-geared for long – boring – motorway miles, but it is extremely usable. A gear indicator would be welcome (although available on +2016 models) – Perfect sport-tourer's heart – Addictive
6000 miles/1 year interval ok but not class leading Expensive 12000 miles service Parts on the expensive side. Good fuel consumption – anything around 40 to 49 mpg depending on riding style.
It is very reliable and i take it for long rides in Europe with confidence: it never missed a bit or let me down. Overall finish is very good and i often get comments on how good it looks for a 3-4 year old bike. This January 2014 model, garaged and well maintained. There is no rust, nor flaking paint (apart from on the mirror stems). The pipes are still looking good and plastics's colour has not faded. The rear shock adjuster has to be greased regularly (well, i do) to avoid seizing). The only issue I had was with the ginition wihch had to be changed (under warranty). It failed and while the bike could start, rear and break lights, as well as the horn, no longer worked. This meant changing all keys and locked, including on panniers.
Overall strong steady performance. Unobtrusive ABS Confidence inspiring, especially with upgraded tyres (Michelin RP4).
Pros
Build quality and ride comfort
Cons
Brakes could be more powerful
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Bit heavy slow speed but rides like a 600 super sport on the twisties
Strong punchy and powerful, lacks the top end speed but is a super fun engine
Tax is good, so is the insurance.
Can’t fault Hinckley, it’s solid
Abs isn’t invasive, they bite well and get you stopped but could be a bit stronger
Pros
Versatile, do anything bike with real world performance.
Cons
The Screen. Although adjustable, the wind noise/blast is terrible. Went for an aftermarket touring screen in the end.
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Front can feel a little harsh on London roads, but great when out on A roads etc.
I love the 1050 engine. A kit 130 BHP, more than enough for the road. Easily hang with most bikes.
Gets 140 to a tank, better than my previous Z1000sx. No complaints.
Showing a few sign of corrosion on some bolts, and finish on heel plate is worn through in just 4k miles!
Excellent.
Pros
its reliable, comfortable, fast and powerful.
Cons
the new Tiger 1050 is already improved on all the negatives, which would be height and weight.
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Its very tall and heavy. Its very smooth.
plenty of power for me.
im getting 200miles to a tank. compared to my carb bandits its doubled the mpg with similar power and speed feel.
its built very well, never had a problem with it. heated grips still work.
brakes are fantastic. braided hoses and limited edition reservoirs.