2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 is a new blood in a twin-cylinder dominated middleweight touring class.
For many years, Japanese entries were dominating the middleweight touring segment, and same bikes are still on the market with minor updates. It’s time for them to roll up the sleeves, because Triumph’s Tiger Sport 660 is finally here.
Triumph entered the middleweight market with the new Trident which has been a huge success, and this was their second move to attract several different types of riders with an affordable price tag. It is a sports touring bike build to a price point, but unlike the other entries, it can be a great fit for many types of riders.
Let’s start with the looks. If you are familiar with the middleweight sports touring bikes, you immediately feel the difference. The Tiger Sport 660 looks significantly smaller than those, and that’s where the Sport name comes from. Though it is still a touring bike, it is the sportiest and smallest entry.
2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 is the fourth and the smallest adventure/sport touring option in the Triumph’s model lineup. It is the only model that comes with 17/17 wheel setup, which also means it is the most road oriented bike that directly competes with another road oriented sport touring bike, Kawasaki Versys 650.
Having 17″ wheels is the biggest indicator that the bike is not the optimal choice for off-road adventures. Triumph did a great job choosing the right parts for the money, especially for the brakes. It comes with dual Nissin calipers in the front with 310mm discs, and single Nissin caliper in the rear. The initial bite is excellent, and there is no brake fade at the limit.
Speaking of suspension setup, it still comes with a Showa suspension, but it does not have any sort of adjustability except rear preload. The suspension tune is on the softer side aiming riding comfort, I just wish it came with more adjustment options for different riding styles.
Though it’s tuned for comfort, bike feels quite competent around the corners. Non adjustable 41mm inverted Showa forks can handle multiple different surfaces such as the canyons, or around town. As it only weights 454 lbs (206 kg), it feels very nimble almost like a small naked bike.
Tiger Sport 660’s most distinctive feature is the triple engine. Back in time, triple engines were the exotic option that you had to pay the premium to get one, it’s no longer the case since Triumph unveiled the Trident and made it the mainstream choice for budget oriented riders.
Like the Trident, Tiger Sport 660 has same engine specs, it’s a 660cc liquid cooled triple (inline 3-cylinder) engine that pumps out 80 hp and 47.2 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the twin-cylinder entries, it revs quite a bit more while still having punchy mid-range.
Though it has much more horsepower than other 650cc entries, it is not just about the horsepower figures. Triple engines are an absolute gem of an engine in motorcycling world, as it offers buttery smooth riding experience with tons of low end grunt and excellent high rpm powerband.
The shifter and clutch feeling is very soft, great fit for a daily rider, and they both give you a good feedback. The gear ratio is a little bit short to compensate the low displacement, but as a result the engine revs a lot on the highway at cruising speeds, and that’s usually where you start feeling vibrations through the footpegs and handlebar.
Speaking of footpegs and the handlebar, it has a quite relax ergonomics. The handle bar is placed quite high for more upright body position. At 6’1″, the bike did not feel small and perfectly fine for commuting and even on longer rides. The only problem was the rear brake lever, as I found it too small and hard to find if you have a big feet.
Although it is an entry level Triumph for riders looking for a sports tourer, it still comes with decent features that I was not expecting to see for this price range. The digital cluster may not look fancy, but it still shows a lot of useful information and it is super easy to read.
The TFT display can be controlled by the buttons on the left side of the handlebar, and it is quite easy to navigate through the menu. The button layout is easy to remember, which means you don’t have to look down every time you need to use it.
Riding modes have a dedicated button, which makes it super easy to change it on the fly. You can’t disable ABS, but traction control can be disabled/enabled. The whole bike comes with LED lighting, which is a great safety feature considering some entries still comes with halogen headlights.
We explained how sporty the Tiger Sport 660 is, but we should remember the fact that it is also a touring bike. Though our tester did not have, you can purchase side bags and the bike comes with mounting points. The seat comfort is quite nice, and has a decent amount of place for the rear passenger.
With the right mods and accessories, 2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 can be a quite good touring bike for long trips. For instance, the windshield can easily be adjusted, but I think the wind protection isn’t great but you can always find an aftermarket solution if needed.
For this price range, you just can’t have everything. I found the 2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 impressive when it comes to the features that it offers, and you can customize your bike with the optional accessories for your riding style.
However, cruise control and center stand are not on the list even as an option. I’m surprised Triumph isn’t offering both, as those are the two most essential features for touring. Considering the bike already has drive-by-wire throttle system, adding cruise control should not be hard for Triumph.
Despite all missed opportunities, I think 2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 is a terrific choice and offers great value for different types of riders. It can be a great first bike, excellent commuter, corner carver, grocery getter, even weekend warrior for more experienced riders.
It may not have the biggest tank and the longest range, or it may not have the best wind protection, but it is the most fun entry in the middleweight sport touring segment. At the end of the day, we are all riding to have fun, and 2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 does that the best.
Though Triumph joined the party quite late in this segment, Tiger Sport 660 is not a copycat of other sport touring entries, it keeps its unique character while still being competitive including the price tag. 2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 is priced just below $11,000 CAD and there are three colour options available.
For more details – please visit www.triumph-motorcycles.ca
