Is Triumph’s updated Tiger 900 Rally Pro the best adventure bike both on and off-road?

Triumph’s Tiger 900 Rally Pro adventure bike has been given a raft of improvements for 2024, covering everything from the engine to the ergonomics, to the electronics and even the servicing intervals – and the result is an impressive machine, both on and off-road.

Much like with the road-biased Tiger 900 GT Pro model, the engine has seen a host of changes that have not only improved the power and torque figures over the previous version, but have also made it a more refined package, both on tarmac and dirt. There’s more grunt, that carries all of the way through the rev range which is perfect on road, yet it still feels polished enough it its delivery of power for off-roading too. Although it’s still urgent with the initial hit of torque in off-road mode, the throttle connection is just about smooth enough to stop any issues arriving on green lanes and dirt trails.

Most impressively of all though is how refined the whole package is, as the Tiger 900 Rally Pro is far less vibey than before thanks to those engine tweaks, the thicker seat and dampened handlebars. Even with a 21” front wheel and dual-purpose rubber, the Rally Pro is a smooth and subtle mileage-munching machine.

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Fuel consumption is impressive, with an average between 55mpg-60mpg on tarmac, and still staying close to 50mpg twisting the throttle grip off-road. As an off-road machine that can tackle a long day of tarmac and dirt, that means a real-world range of over 200 miles.

The chassis and suspension set-up on the Tiger 900 Rally Pro is mightily effective (for the most part) as well, dampened in a way that makes both on and off-road riding an absolute pleasure, even if the initial journey through the stroke of those long travel Showa forks is on the more aggressive side.

The comfortable, spacious riding position makes big mileage an easy affair on the roads yet thanks to the handlebar relocation, the Rally feels more comfortable off-road in the standing position too.

The last Tiger 900 Rally Pro was a great machine, but it did have an issue with being too vibey, and struggled to live up to its more hardcore, middleweight adventure rivals off-road. These subtle changes for the 2024 machine have improved the ride quality, engine characteristics and its off-roading ability, meaning that it is now a serious contender for the crown.

Triumph’s Tiger 900 Rally Pro is a seriously impressive bit of kit, both on and off-road. Equipped with long travel Showa suspension front and rear (with 240mm and 230mm of travel respectively) the level of feel and feedback is impressive, especially considering the fact that it comes equipped with a 21” front wheel and slightly more off-road appropriate Bridgestone Battlax Adventure rubber.

On tarmac, the chassis and suspension set-up does a good job of offering support without having too much of that long-travel wallowing, throughout the phase of heavy acceleration.

Yet due to how powerful those Brembo Stylemas are, the initial grab on the front brake makes the transition through the first section of the fork stroke quite rapid, transferring the weight onto the front wheel immediately. Although a little more progression would be nice (and doable, as it’s fully adjustable) when the front wheel is buried the Tiger 900 Rally Pro turns at its best, feeling sharper and more eager to corner the harder it is pushed.

Off-road (where we were equipped with a set of more suitable Anakee Wild tyres) the 2024 Tiger 900 Rally Pro feels crisper than the previous model, especially on big open trails. Not only is the riding position more natural when standing as the ‘bars have been moved back 15mm, but the suspension offers bundles of feedback, and therefore more confidence for the rider. At slow speeds, it’s doesn’t feel like the easiest hardcore off-road machine where agility is concerned due to how the weight is kept relatively high, especially with a full tank of fuel.

The cockpit is spacious and comfortable after a full day in (and standing above) the saddle, thanks to the wide handlebars, low footpegs and extra padding from the seat. Not only does the seat have thicker foam, but it’s also flatter which offers more space too, and will easily handle a full day of riding without being too uncomfortable.

On tall-rounders and adventure bikes the screen can frequently be a bit of a pain in terms of buffeting, but the Tiger 900's screen offers protection with very little discomfort and a smooth airflow, even on the tallest setting. Although it’s not the cleanest design to look at (the springs are exposed, facing the rider) it’s incredibly easy to adjust on the move with one hand, and it offers a noticeable difference from the lowest to the highest setting.

At slow speeds both on and off-road, the weight is located quite high up and with weight of 228kg and a standard seat height of 860mm (at its lowest), the Rally is a formidable machine to muscle around, with slightly less poise than the road-biased GT Pro model.

Triumph have put the hours in on this motor and it shows, with a significantly updated 888cc T-plane triple. The ’24 model has new pistons which means a higher compression, a new cylinder head with larger inlet ports, new inlet and exhaust camshafts, new (and longer) intake trumpets, new exhaust header assembly and new silencer too.

This results in a huge improvement both on and off-road. It still has a hit of torque at the very bottom of the rev range, yet it carries all the way through to the redline with an impressive level of ferocity, making the Tiger 900 as happy being exciting and sporty as it is being docile.

On the subject of which, that 888cc motor now feels smoother than ever at the very bottom of the rev range, with a sublime throttle connection, even in ‘Sport’ mode. The quickshifter and autoblipper are smooth as well, and the Rally Pro will happily sit at motorway speeds in a quiet, controlled and stable manner.

Although that huge amount of torque is more noticeable on dirt, it feels smoother in its application than on the previous generation Tiger 900. Yet even in ‘Off-road’ mode, the delivery of power is still very responsive, especially on softer and looser surfaces.

Although expert riders will relish the Tiger’s eagerness, for new off-road riders it is helpful to use the rain mode in order to soften off the engine characteristics as much as possible, as well as utilising the off-road traction control which does the trick but is also frustratingly intrusive for those more comfortable with a bit of sliding.

The Tiger now offers a real 60mpg figure on cruise control and does so without any excess vibrations through the ‘bars and seat, which has drastically improved the whole riding experience. This is thanks to a new seat design, and the internal engine work smoothing things out and also the damped handlebar mounting.

Triumph’s Tiger 900 Rally Pro is a well-finished machine, which looks and feels premium not only in its componentry, but in its detailing too.

In terms of reliability, the previous generation Tiger 900 has proven to be a fairly dependable machine, with a lot of positive reviews. However, there have been a few issues which mainly came from the first generation, and Triumph have been keen to address this.

Valve clearance intervals have now been upped to 18,000 miles, and there’s been a 27% reduction in service costs too, which has always been a big gripe of current owners.

At £14,495, the Tiger 900 Rally Pro is an expensive bit of kit, even though it is packed with goodies. And there is a lot of competition too…

On the premium end of the scale, we have the 2023 winner of our hardcore, adventure group test in Ducati’s DesertX which starts at £14,995.

Yet this sits alongside a whole host of similarly priced or cheaper alternatives, albeit with a lower tech spec: KTM’s reasonably bare 890 Adventure R starts £13,999, while the well-equipped Husqvarna’s Norden 901 Expedition comes in at £14,599.

Honda’s updated Africa Twin also starts at £13,199, but that is for the base model and will end up close to the Tiger’s price when spec’d to a similar level.

The Tiger 900 Rally Pro is impressively spec’d, coming equipped with just about everything that is needed on a mile-munching adventure machine that can tackle some off-roading too.

In its Rally Pro guise, you get a centre stand, spoked wheels, engine and sump protection, heated grips, heated seats (both rider and passenger), handguards, cruise control, an electronically adjustable shock, cornering ABS and traction control, a quickshifter and autoblipper - the list goes on.

It now has the same 7” TFT dash and interface first released on the Tiger 1200 models which is fairly simple to navigate, but isn’t the cleanest dash in the business. It’s also got a really slow processing time when navigating through the menu, and it feels like it takes a lifetime to fire up after the key has been twisted.