Top test Triumph Tiger 955i

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Top test Triumph Tiger 955i

The mild cat

Tigers are aggressive, strong and stubborn. Commonly regarded as wild, untamable creatures with a lot of elegance. The new Triumph Tiger 955i, on the other hand, proved to be a tamed wildcat in the top test.

Triumph Tiger ?? associations are unavoidable. For example: put the tiger in the tank. And truly: Your thick, teardrop-shaped, downwardly drawn fuel barrel suggests that the designers from Hinckley, England, hid it in it. With the three-cylinder engine strengthened to 956 cc, the new Tiger shows its teeth again. With a nominal 98 hp, it is back at the forefront of the large enduro bikes. And with the uncleaned, 106 hp foreign model, it is once again the most aggressive predator in terms of maximum performance. In terms of torque, too, the Tiger has increased significantly with 95 Newton meters at 6200 rpm compared to 81 Newton meters at 6400 rpm of the old model, at least on paper.
It is not only thanks to a new manufacturing process that the new tiger heart beats mechanically more quietly. Reduction of moving parts was the requirement. And that was fulfilled. The engineers transplanted the alternator, previously flanged behind the cylinders, to the left crankshaft stub. The starter freewheel moved to the right side of the crankshaft. The oil pump, previously driven by gears, is activated by a chain. There are also modifications to the engine side covers and the oil pan. But enough faked. Now is the fight.
The seat test on the Tiger is not entirely satisfactory. The bench seat is comfortable for the very best, but the tank is wide, spreads the driver’s legs a bit, the footrests are positioned too far forward and relatively too high. The handlebar width and offset are ideal, the switches are easy to use, and unfortunately the clutch and brake levers cannot be adjusted. The seat height is variable for this. The bench can be locked in three positions between 840 and 860 millimeters. People under 170 meters will still only guess the solid ground under their feet. No matter. We want to drive, not push.
Slide. Good cue. The 955i engine pushes the trolley forwards just above idle speed. And so gently that the subjective feeling is contrary to the measured values. Like a turbine and accompanied by the wonderful three-cylinder growl, it turns up. Without performance holes, without disturbing load changes, almost without vibrations. Great. Even if not earth-shattering better than the previous year‘s model.
Because big cats of the last model series were already measured with 85 Nm at 6700 rpm and 95 PS, i.e. ten PS over rated power. The new Tiger, on the other hand, is pretty close to the factory specification with 87 Nm at 5000 rpm and 97 hp. And comes up with a textbook-style torque curve. At least 76 Newton meters are always available between 3800 and 8500 rpm. In addition, the overall gear ratio has been lengthened by a good four percent, 46 versus 48 rear teeth. With the result that sixth gear is used less often than before on country roads. As a fuel-saving overdrive, it could serve travel freaks and fuel savers. Could if the tigers weren’t so happy to drink at higher speeds. Although the Tiger was satisfied with 4.9 liters on the country road, it flushed 8.2 liters through the throat at a constant 160 km / h. And that has a sensitive impact on both the driver’s wallet and the environment. The regulated catalytic converter is only a small consolation.
Unfortunately, the revision of the gearbox only partially shows the promised effect. The gears engage exactly, but the shift work demands emphasis. The opposite can be reported about the brakes. Although the hand get up takes some getting used to free travel in the first few millimeters, they are top notch. Exactly dosed, they require little hand strength with a remarkable effect. And are always able to tame a wild tiger, no matter what the load.
In terms of chassis technology, the Triumph doesn’t have to be tamed, even on bad roads of all kinds. The spring elements do their work like a litter, constantly giving the driver the feeling of vacation, completely decoupling him from the road, allowing him to float. But if you take it sportier, you will feel the downside of the comfortable design. While the fork, equipped with more progressive springs, left a firm impression at the presentation (see MOTORRAD issue 9/2001), it reaches its limits under the tough load in the MOTORRAD top test. It still dips too deeply when braking, often noticeably blocks, and gives the driver little feedback about the condition of the ground. And is responsible for a stamping front wheel when braking hard. As with the old model, there is also an underdamped spring strut that provokes post-oscillation on an undulating road surface and thus brings unrest to the chassis. Turning the rebound damping all the way down does not change anything. And the pretensioning of the spring only means that the Tiger no longer has any negative spring travel, the rear wheel begins to stamp. As I said ?? with a sporty driving style, not surfing during leisurely cruising or fast turns.
At such a pace, the Tiger is surprisingly stable despite its comfort chassis. It offers a lot of lean angle thanks to the very high footrests, but tends to want to drive a larger radius in tight turns than originally targeted. The inexact steering precision of the machine prevents clean turning, and when accelerating out the radius is often larger than intended. Sometimes it has to be corrected.
On the other hand, straight-ahead running is good, only above 180 km / h is there a slight tendency to swing. This is usually stimulated by driving over bumps or by strong gusts of wind, which find their points of attack on the broad handlebars and the associated spreading of the arms. If you hold the handlebars loosely, the Tiger calms down quickly. The effect is obviously more noticeable with the cases mounted.
Whereby we would be traveling and packing. The right case is jagged due to the recess for the silence, large parts such as shoes or sleeping bags can only be found in the left. Camping luggage can only be stowed with the help of a very large luggage roll. Unfortunately, the porter is a bit small for them. Or maybe not? According to Triumph, he is only allowed to carry five kilograms. Six are allowed per suitcase. That makes a total of 17 kilograms of luggage. If you stick to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Ounce everything is stowed away, things get serious. When loaded, the Tiger sinks deeply in spite of the maximum pre-tensioned shock absorber, and jacking it up on the main stand turns into an act of strength. If heavy pilots bring the load together with a passenger to the edge of their permissible total weight of 485 kilograms, then the trip on vacation is like rocking a boat in light seas. The fork and shock absorber are inevitably overwhelmed.
Nevertheless, the tiger is a good-natured companion for everyday life and travel. Due to the enormous lean angle and the grippy Metzeler Tourance, it is a wonderful corner robber, appreciates the look in the well-positioned rearview mirror with a perfect view. Except for the clock, the fittings are clearly visible and readable, and the turn signal switch is very easy to operate. The hand protectors look like they have been cut from a plastic bottle, but effectively protect the hands from rain and wind. This does not apply to the windshield. The wind, which the small windshield lets by, brushes the driver’s upper body; it itself creates turbulence in the helmet area.
B.The bottom line is that tigers can be gentle and people-friendly. Sometimes you love the leisurely pace, prefer it mild instead of wild. At least the English ones.

Top test Triumph Tiger 955i

The mild cat

Conclusion

The Tiger is and remains a good-natured, reliable and comfortable travel companion. The earlier torque and the increase in performance upgrade the engine compared to its predecessor. However, the suspension setup could be tighter and the loading options a little more generous.

Data

Engine: water-cooled three-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, a balance shaft, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, electronic intake manifold injection, Ø 41 mm, digital engine management, regulated catalytic converter, electric starter, three-phase alternator 480 W, battery 12 V / 14 Ah. Bore x stroke 79 x 65 mm Displacement 956 cm³ Compression ratio 11.7: 1. Nominal output (ECE) 72 kW (98 PS) at 8200 rpm Max. Torque 95 Nm (9.7 kpm) at 6200 rpm Power transmission: primary drive via gear wheels, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, X-ring chain, secondary ratio 46:18. Chassis: Bridge frame made of steel profiles, engine supporting, telescopic fork, standpipe diameter 43 mm, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum profiles, central spring strut directly hinged, adjustable spring base and rebound stage damping, double disc brake at the front , double piston calipers, Ø 310 mm, rear disc brake double-piston caliper, Ø 285 mm. 4.25 x 17 tires 110/80 V 19; 150/70 V 17 Chassis data: wheelbase 1550 mm, steering head angle 62 degrees, caster 92 mm, spring travel f / h 230/200 mm. Service data Service intervals every 10,000 km Oil and filter change every 10 000 km / 4.0 l Engine oil Fully synthetic SAE 10 W 40 fork oil SAE 10 W spark plugs DPR 8 EA-9 chain 5/8 x 3/8, 114 rollers idle speed 1000 ± 50 / min valve clearance inlet / outlet 0.10 -0.15 / 0.15-0.20 mm drawn pressure Solo (with passenger) front / rear 2.5 / 2.9 (2.5 / 2.9) barWarranty two years with unlimited mileageColors black, greenPrice including VAT. 19,990 marks, additional costs 470 marks

Measurements

Performance1 Maximum speed Solo (with pillion passenger) 204 (195) km / h Acceleration solo (with pillion passenger) 0-100 km / h 3.6 (4.6) sec0-140 km / h 6.4 (8.9) sec0-180 km / h 12.0 (19.9) sec pull-through solo (with pillion passenger) 60-100 km / h 4.6 (6.1) sec 100-140 km / h 4.5 (5.7) sec 140-180 km / h 7, 1 (8.1) seconds Speedometer deviation display / effective 50/50, 100/100, 208/204 km / h Fuel type Super consumption in the test at 100 km / h 4.7 l / 100 km at 160 km / h 8.1 l / 100 km country road 4.9 l / 100 km Theor. Range 489 kmDimensions and weightsL / W / H 2250/880/1400 mmSeat height 850 mmTurning circle 5520 mmWeight fully fueled 256 kg Permissible total weight * 485 kg Payload 229 kgWheel load distribution v / h 47/53% Tank capacity / reserve * 24 / 3 liters1 Measurement conditions: Temperature 8 degrees, lower Cross wind; Jagsttal measurement site; 2 performance on the clutch, Dynojet roller test bench 150, corrected according to ECE. Maximum possible deviation ± 5%. * Manufacturer’s informationMOTORWHEEL measured valuesBrakes and driving dynamicsBrake measurementsBraking distance from 100 km / h 39.6 m Average braking deceleration 9.7 m / s² Comments: At the beginning of braking, annoying free travel when the front wheel brake is applied, very good controllability and effect, fork leaves early on block, front wheel begins to stamp. Handling course I (tight arcs) Best lap time 21.3 secvmax at measuring point 105 km / h Comments: Relatively fast lap times possible, low steering strengths required due to wide handlebars, but strong rocking due to the soft chassis wide arcs) Best lap time 28.9 secvmax at the measuring point 54.8 km / h Comments: Vehicle remains relatively stable, but at the narrow turning point tends to drive a larger radius than targeted, great freedom of inclinationCircle orbit O 46 meters Best lap time 11.4 secvmax at the measuring point 52.8 km / h Comments: Almost no tendency to pitch up when braking due to the 19-inch wheel, good stability would you? When driving over bumps, however, the machine sways slightly

Changes in detail

Engine- displacement expansion from 885 to 956 cm³ through three millimeters larger bore- increase in compression to 11.7: 1- increase of the torque and improvement of the torque curve- peak power increased from 83 to 98 hp- lower mechanical noise of the engine through optimized production- relocation of the oil cooler in the middle of the vehicle – new interference pipe between the manifolds – no more front silencer, three individual catalytic converters in the manifolds – redesigned shift claw mechanism to facilitate and precise the locking of the gears – change of the secondary ratio to 46:18 chassis – Metzeler Tourance, Enduro 4, speed index V tires – more progressive springs in connection with a higher fork oil level are intended to counteract the strong dipping of the front when braking Equipment – modified aluminum engine protection

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