2025 Triumph Tiger Sport 800 review: all the lively, handy sport-tourer you need at a tempting price

Highlights

  • New 798cc, 113bhp iteration of Triumph’s mid-capacity triple
  • Higher spec suspension and brakes than the 660
  • Extra comfort for longer rides

At a glance

Power: 113 bhp
Seat height: Medium (32.9 in / 835 mm)
Weight: Medium (472 lbs / 214 kg)

Prices

New £10,995
Used £11,000

Overall rating

Next up: Ride & brakes
5 out of 5 (5/5)

The outward premise and Triumph’s own brief for the Tiger Sport 800 are straightforward: giving the already excellent Tiger Sport 660 more grunt and a higher general specification, without perverting or twisting the bike and diluting what made it MCN’s Bike of the Year in 2022.

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 static shot

There was a chance they could have botched the job, but they haven’t: the 800 is a blinding all-rounder/sports-tourer that has a broad skillset that could see it appeal to highly experienced riders as well as those who are perhaps buying their second big bike, looking for more performance and toys – maybe even happy Tiger Sport 660 punters who want a bit more than the 80 or so bhp they’ve grown used to…

It's a surprisingly in-depth engineering task that created the bike – it’s clearly similar to the 660 (the intention was to keep weight and dimensions similar) but the engine shares very little other than a few basic parts, and while chassis dimensions haven’t changed, it’s a different frame too. It’s a little hard to grasp at first, but simply throwing bigger cylinder and throttle bodies at the 660 would have made the engine bulkier, which would have meant a wider frame and bodywork, and you’d soon be taking it away from the original concept. The R&D expressed mild regret they didn’t consider an 800 in the first place, and build them side-by-side, rather than starting almost at the beginning as they’ve had to…

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 peg down cornering

Whatever the back story, they’ve made a superb job of retaining the character and capability of the 660, giving it a more grown-up feel with a stronger motor, more capable and refined chassis as well as a few other creature comforts, without sacrificing the compelling blend of fun, practicality, low ownership cost and ease of use.

It has managed the trick that the very best cost-conscious motorcycles have pulled off before it: offering everything you may reasonably expect or desire for the money (£10,995 at launch in the base grey colour, with yellow, blue or black with neon yellow graphics coming in just £100 more), without any glaring deficiencies to upset owners: everything works in harmony, and feels appropriate both for the likely use it’ll be put to, as well as the cost.


Ride quality & brakes

Next up: Engine
4 out of 5 (4/5)

Fully-adjustable Showa forks and Showa monoshock with a remote preload adjuster as well as rebound damping dial are a few notches above the Tiger Sport 660’s running gear (preload adjustment at the rear). Frame geometry is the same – the reported wheelbase and rake angle are fractionally different, but that’s simply due to the different final drive gearing positioning the wheel at a slightly different point in the same swingarm, as well as the new suspension’s standard setting resulting in a marginally more relaxed head angle.

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 rear shock

You wouldn’t know there’s a difference on the spec sheet from the saddle: like the 660, the Tiger Sport 800 is nimble and easy for pottering around, or safely guiding it along wet roads (the morning of the press launch was hit by heavy rain that dried gradually to a slippery film), and can happily step the pace up and dart along a decent country backroad with almost the same verve as something like Triumph’s own Street Triple RS – but with the comfort advantage of a roomier riding position and greater suspension travel.

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 darting along a country road

The difference comes from the heightened ride quality and general support. The 150mm of wheel travel at either end is about midway between a naked bike and a proper, big-wheel adventure bike (the Street Triple RS has 115mm at the front, 133mm at the rear, while the Tiger 900GT has 180mm front, 170mm rear wheel travel).

And it’s very much a compromise between the sporting composure of the 765, and the cushiony ride of a dual-sport bike. You’re not totally isolated from potholes or lumps in the road, but I never felt I was getting hammered by them either – you know about it without the bike getting upset, or your nether regions taking a painful clout from the fuel tank…

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 comfortable seat

If you do get your dander up and raise the pace, there’s an acceptable amount of weight transfer on the brakes or on the throttle, without excessive pitching if your right hand grabs a big handful of either control, and there’s enough feel to gauge grip whatever the conditions, with things only getting a touch vague if your toes are touching tarmac and the pegs in danger of following suit: not an easy task, and one I only briefly managed with some commitment on a particularly peachy photoshoot corner… pictured below.

In normal riding I didn’t drag anything, and most people won’t without heavily loading it. Even then, the remote preload adjuster should let you compensate and maintain correct sag values for a passenger and luggage when the needs arise.

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 pegs down pushing hard into a corner

It’s not perfect – it’s a little short on rebound damping from time to time, which lets it ping back when you release the brakes in particular, or throw it around side to side and load it. It at least has the adjustment if that does bother you enough: without the luxury of electronic suspension to constantly assess such things, there has to be some compromise, but semi-active kit would raise the price by a four-figure sum… Most will be happy enough without it.

The brakes are a similar story of ‘plenty – could have more, but rarely lacking’. The switch from simple, sliding two-piston calipers to radial four pots means there’s both more feel and power available, and the single-piston rear (unchanged) is plenty if you’re in the (good) habit of using it for fine control mid-corner, or for making life smooth with a pillion.

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 four pot brakes

The ABS is lean-sensitive, but you can only adjust its level of intervention with the three ride modes as a whole. In Rain and Road mode, it’s just fine ridden in the manner you’re likely to when selecting those settings, but in Sport mode it can sometimes be a bit cautious if you really want to bury the nose into slower corners.

It’s not terrifying – it’s more a nit-pick that it grumbles a bit when you give it a big fistful, and the actual brake pressure management moderates grip rather than the disconcerting release/grip/release action of some basic systems. Again – could be better, but works just fine, most of the time. There’s no option to disengage it fully.

Engine

Next up: Reliability
5 out of 5 (5/5)

Triumph have produced a baffling array of mid-size triples in their time: two versions of the 675, which later spawned the 765 but also the Tiger 800’s very different lump, which later morphed into the T-plane Tiger 900 engine, and the A2-friendly Tiger 850 Sport (discontinued at the end of 2024, leaving the 660 and this new 800 to handle Tiger customers who don’t desire off-road capability).

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 engine shot

This new 800 is similar to the 660, but far more than bigger pistons or a longer-throw crank. The position of the crank and gearbox shafts is the same, the outer dimensions and mounting points are unchanged in order to fit in the same package as the smaller Tiger, but its taken a lot to fit 798cc in that space, as well as tailor the rest of the package to suit.

Torque claimed to be 31% higher, while power is 42bhp stronger than the figure quoted for the 660, with much of that delivered early and maintained to over 10,000rpm for a meaty power delivery at most engine speeds and throttle openings.

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 cruising through the canyon

Details like new, Nikasil-plated alloy liners cast in one, ‘siamesed’ piece, rather than individual steel liners on the 660, were necessary to fit three 75mm pistons in the space. The stroke is 4.6mm longer, so that means a new crankshaft and rods. The head contains different, with sportier cam profiles and bigger valves. First to third gears are longer, fourth is the same, 5th is fractionally lower while sixth is taller. The clutch is revised to handle the extra grunt, and then the final drive ratio is taller to suit the different engine characteristics. 6000rpm in top equates to around 85-90mph, with no immediate issues with vibes, though we weren’t given opportunity to hold a sustained cruise.

There are three throttle bodies too – the 660 has one feeding all three pots, enforcing a change to the frame tube design to accommodate it.

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 touring in the mountains

It’s not dissimilar to the 660 when you use it lower in the rev range at smaller throttle openings – friendly, particularly in Rain or Road modes, with no hunting or snatching to spoil things. But from 6000-10,000rpm, you have over 80Nm (62lb.ft) of torque to play with, and if you open it right up it’s more than happy to rev to the the 11,500rpm limiter – but it’s rarely necessary. I only hit the limiter on a winding hillside road when it was smoother to rev out and maintain one gear, rather than briefly upshift before knocking it back again for another bend.

It's a fun, effective mix of big-ish bore torque, and the revvy delights of a smaller engine. Fans of the old Tiger 1050 Sport might miss some of the ability to leave it in a high gear right down to slow urban speeds and drive out, but it’s worth noting the 800 is a lot lighter, so it doesn’t always need the same grunt to get going.

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 sweeping through the corners

It has more edge than Yamaha’s CP3 triple, despite a capacity deficit, but it’s no less friendly when it needs to be. It’s also less maintenance intensive: oil changes are only required every 10,000 miles (16,000km, or yearly), with an air filter and valve clearance checks not due until 20,000 miles: a Triumph employee says they unlikely to need adjustment even then.

Yamaha’s intervals are 6000/12,000 miles by comparison. Fuel economy is good – we measured it at just shy of 50mpg in conditions really not conducive to conserving petrol – winding roads and photoshoots saw the throttle used hard and regularly… Expect regular 50s, if not into the 60s on longer, gentler rides, pushing full to empty range above 200 miles.

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 static shot of rear

An up/down shift-assist system is standard fit, and it uses sophisticated mapping that tweaks its response for engine speed, gear position and even how hard you push the lever, so every change is buttery-smooth and easy. It’s one of the best systems we’ve used, and will be beneficial for smooth two-up use, minimising how much the chassis is upset in poor conditions as well as grabbing gears quickly when you’re riding harder.

It's a real peach of a triple, perfectly suited to the Tiger Sport 800’s broad remit of everything from a daily commute, to weekend fun or big touring trips. It’s unlikely to ever be found wanting. In fact, it’s hard to see why you’d need the 1000cc+ power of the BMW S1000XR, Kawasaki Versys 1100 or Suzuki GSX-S1000GX – in isolation, it delivers all that’s needed in a bike like this, grin factor included.

Reliability & build quality

Next up: Value
5 out of 5 (5/5)

The 660 hasn’t attracted many complaints in this area: the Tiger Sport 800 is built in much the same way, with a few higher-grade components raising overall fit and finish to boot. The more powerful, yet smaller-capacity 765 family are similarly trouble free for the most part, so this new variant is unlikely to see any major issues arising with less stress to deal with. Never say never, but the signs are good at the outset…

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 detailed fit and finish

Value vs rivals

Next up: Equipment
5 out of 5 (5/5)

Triumph made a point of noting those longer service intervals, as well as its miserly claimed fuel consumption, touting it as budget-friendly beyond initial purchase. They claim a running cost over three years of nine pence a mile, while the competition comes in at 12p. That remains to be seen, but it’s interesting they’ve considered that angle, as well as mentioned it in their marketing. It seems plausible, so that’s a good start.

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 static shot of the screen

The £10,995 RRP and standard spec compares well in the market: the BMW F 900 XR starts at £10,860,  but quickly surpasses the Triumph’s RRP when you add Shift Assist and Cruise Control (£360 each). The Tracer 9 starts at £11,300, and comes with adjustable suspension as well as cruise control as standard, plus other goodies like cornering headlights and a more modern dash.

It has less of a sporty bent, though, and the Triumph is arguably more attractive – if that matters. KTM’s 890 SMT starts at £12,999 (before you add items the Triumph already has: it does have higher-grade suspension, but otherwise it doesn’t offer anything over the Triumph, and is at a performance deficit too. It’s been a slow seller, and appears to be a run-out, 2024-spec bike at this stage: there’s no 2025 version meeting Euro 5+, and given the poor uptake on the model (as well as the perilous state of KTM), there’s unlikely to be. Fun in it’s own unique way, but in reality the Triumph is a much smarter buy.

Equipment

4 out of 5 (4/5)

Standard equipment is good: cruise control reaches the Tiger Sport for the first time (the Tiger 660 is also fitted with the same system from 2025), though it’s a simple system with one button to activate and set it, with no paddle or switches to adjust the set speed or resume your pace if you’ve had to knock it off in traffic. It’s a minor issue that will no doubt be less of an issue for owners once they’re used to it, but it’s a unique method, and other manufacturers have managed to include those features on bikes around this price

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 detailed shot of left hand switch gear

The shift-assist is another feature not seen on the Yamaha Tracer 9 or BMW F900XR, at least not without paying for it as an option. An adjustable screen is functional, if slightly crude in operation, and Bluetooth connectivity is standard (rather than optional, as on some Triumphs). What’s it missing? Not much: the dash is simple to use and clear to read, but the speed/rpm/fuel gauge are on an LCD panel, with TFT only used for a small trip/info display. The Yamaha and BMW have a TFT dash, though they are compromised in other areas for the base price. Obviously, it’s not possible to switch dashes – so you’ll have to live with it, if it bothers you.

2025-on Triumph Tiger Sport 800 right hand switch gear

Specs

Engine size 798cc
Engine type Liquid-cooled, 12v, inline triple
Frame type Tubular steel perimeter
Fuel capacity 18.6 litres
Seat height 835mm
Bike weight 214kg
Front suspension 41mm, Showa forks adjustable for preload, rebound and compression damping
Rear suspension Single Showa rear shock, remote preload and rebound damping adjustment
Front brake 2 x 310mm discs with four-piston radial calipers
Rear brake 255mm single disc with single-piston caliper
Front tyre size 120/70 x 17
Rear tyre size 180/55 x 17

Mpg, costs & insurance

Average fuel consumption 60 mpg
Annual road tax £117
Annual service cost -
New price £10,995
Used price £11,000
Insurance group -
How much to insure?
Warranty term Two years

Top speed & performance

Max power 113 bhp
Max torque 62 ft-lb
Top speed -
1/4 mile acceleration -
Tank range 240 miles

Model history & versions

Model history

  • 2025: New model, sharing elements with existing Tiger Sport 660 but with higher specification and price tag. Both models sold alongside each other.

Other versions

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