First Look: 2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660

Hinckley firm launches new triple into the middleweight adventure touring sector – 2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660…

When Triumph revealed its entry-level Trident roadster last year, it seemed obvious that the new 660cc engine and chassis would find their way into other bikes in the firm’s line-up.  The money needed to develop a new bike nowadays generally needs to be recouped over a range of bikes. So you have Yamaha using various forms of the MT-07 engine and frame in the Tracer, XSR700, R7 and Ténéré 700, Kawasaki does the same with its Ninja 650, as does Honda with the smaller-capacity CB500 twins.

And here’s the first variant on the Trident theme – the new Triumph Tiger Sport 660. Like the Trident budget roadster, the Tiger 660 uses a heavily-overhauled version of the Street Triple S 660cc engine, with the same power and torque output – 80bhp and 64Nm from the 12-valve DOHC. three-cylinder engine. And also like the Trident, the motor is bolted into a steel tube chassis with dual-sided swingarm and unassuming, road-friendly running gear.

But the Tiger Sport 660 gets a whole new set of bodywork, with a sharp adventure-style half faring, larger 17-litre fuel tank (up from 14), quick-adjust windscreen, integrated pannier mounts and a more upright relaxed riding position.

It’s clearly still a road bike – there’s little in the way of proper off-road abilities on show – and that puts it firmly up against the likes of the Tracer 700 and the Kawasaki Versys 650. Indeed Triumph has been quite open that its market research points to those two bikes – and to a lesser extent the Suzuki V-Strom 650 and Honda CB500X – as the key bikes in the sector which the Tiger Sport is targeting. And the British firm points out that the 660 has the most power in that class, with 80bhp versus 74bhp for the Yamaha, 67bhp for the Kawasaki and Suzuki, and just 47bhp for the Honda.

Suspension is by Showa, with remote hydraulic preload-adjust on the rear shock only and 41mm USD Separate Function forks. Brakes are Nissin, with twin-piston sliding calipers up front, and tyres are Michelin’s excellent Pilot Road 5 mounted on cast wheels. There’s also a solid electronics package: TFT LCD dashboard, riding power modes, traction control and ABS, plus immobiliser and LED lighting.

A decent spec then – though the Tiger Sport 660 is priced a bit higher than the class, at £8,450 (plus £100 for the red paint scheme), which puts it a little above the opposition (the Tracer is around £8200, the Versys is £7,550, and the V-Strom is just under £8k).

But Triumph claims the new Tiger Sport has a lower ‘total cost of ownership’ which cancels this out. The Tiger Sport 660’s service intervals are a hefty 10,000 miles, and Hinckley says this bike is 30 per cent cheaper in terms of labour, and 17 per cent cheaper for parts, compared with the competition.

Interested? You’ll be able to see the new Tiger Sport 660 in the flesh at the Birmingham NEC Motorcycle Live show in December – and it will be in dealers in February.

Tiger Sport 660 highlights

• Most powerful bike in class with 80bhp@10,250rpm and 64Nm@6,250rpm
• First triple engine in the category
• A2-licence compliant with an accessory-fit conversion kit
• Comfortable rider and pillion ergonomics with integrated pillion grab handles
• Low 835mm seat height
• Showa 41mm upside down cartridge forks and Showa rear monoshock with remote hydraulic preload adjustment
• Nissin brakes with twin 310mm front discs and Michelin Road 5 tyres
• Sculpted 17 litre fuel tank for excellent range
• Discreetly integrated pannier mounts for the easy fitment of the accessory panniers
• Height-adjustable screen enables single-handed adjustment while riding
• TFT display, ready for the accessory-fit My Triumph connectivity system
• Riding modes – Road and Rain
• Full LED lighting with twin headlights and self-cancelling indicators
• Switchable traction control, ABS, ride-by-wire throttle, slipper clutch and an immobiliser
• Upright, imposing Tiger poise with all-new bodywork and compact low mounted silencer
• Three contemporary paint schemes with new sporty graphics
• 10,000 miles (16,000 km) or 12 months service interval
• Two-year unlimited milage warranty, with the option to extend for one or two years
• OTR price from £8,450.00, available from February
• 40+ dedicated Tiger Sport 660 accessories
• Full range of touring luggage including two-helmet top box, plus additional protection, capability, style and security accessories
• All engineered alongside the motorcycle and tested to the same quality standards
• Two-year unlimited mileage warranty on all genuine accessories

Tiger Sport 660 SPECIFICATIONS