I have been riding a V-Strom 1050 Adventure XT this past year. It is a great bike, but I'm looking at a Rally Pro as it is more off-road oriented. The Rally Pro also specs out about 50 lbs lighter. Cruise control and heated grips are a must and the Rally Pro comes with those. I do some long stretches on the road but also off road on gravel and trails. Feedback, recommendations, etc. are appreciated before I make a final decision!
ctownsonbass
Rally Pro - considering purchase
I can full heartedly recommend the 900 RP. I've done almost 10.000km in 6 months and it is a delight to drive. Mountains, highway, off road....it can do it all.
Very comfortable and lots of luxury. Great low rev power.
You will not regret moving from the V-strom to the Rally Pro!
Very comfortable and lots of luxury. Great low rev power.
You will not regret moving from the V-strom to the Rally Pro!
I second that! I came from an Africa Twin and the lighter weight of the TRP is fantastic. The motor has its own character, as most bikes do, but I've acclimated to it quickly enough to say that its not something that you should worry about in making your purchase. The heated seat, heated grips, fog lights, and standard lower crash protection included are a nice touch. There are some annoying straps about the knee, but they are cosmetic and come off with two bolts on each side. Watch this video:
I got my Tiger 900 Rally Pro in August 2021 and now have about 4,600 miles on it. Previous, and my first, motorcycle was a 2019 Triumph Street Scrambler that I bought new and rode for 20,000 miles. I tested the Tiger and the Scrambler 1200 XE before settling on the Tiger. Main reason I chose the Tiger was practicality. Even though I prefer the looks of the Scrambler, I wanted some wind protection and the ability to easily mount luggage, and those lovely high pipes on the ride side of the Scrambler make that a little more of a challenge. The main difference in terms of looks becomes apparent at cars and coffee events--people will go out of their way to check out the Scrambler and will recognize it as uniquely Triumph, while most people don't even realize the Tiger 900 is a Triumph--from a distance, it's just another modern adventure bike. It was fairly common for nostalgic older gentlemen to approach me at gas stations to check out my Street Scrambler, and they were always surprised to learn that it's a new motorcycle, since it looks so much like the one they rode back in their youth. The only comments I get on the Tiger are when people get close enough to read the name on the tank and say, "Huh, I didn't know Triumph made bikes like that."
The Tiger is comfortable on long rides (I'm typically on the bike for 5-6 hours at a time when I go out). The heated seat and grips add another few weeks to the riding season and are a true gift in the rain; add a heated jacket liner and heated socks, and I find I am comfortable for hours even when it's in the 30s. Off-road, it's highly capable and easy to handle, if you've gotten just a little training in off-road riding. The quick shifter, which I thought I wouldn't care for, turns out to be a really nice option. Self-cancelling turn signals were an unexpected surprise. It's light enough to pick up when you drop it (about the same dry weight as the Street Scrambler, the Tiger carries its weight a bit higher so it does take some getting used to when it comes to low-speed handling). The t-plane triple engine is simply wonderful--great torque at low speed perfect for maneuvering around obstacles in the dirt, but with highway speed and acceleration that can be truly startling (it just doesn't sound as good to me as that classic burble you get from the Scrambler's more traditional parallel twin through those high pipes). Despite its 21-inch front wheel and overall height, it is quite fun and capable on twisty roads. The brakes are perfect--easy to modulate to assist in low-speed control or fine adjustments to speed during road riding, and can bring the bike to a full stop quicker than you are ready for. The rider modes enable you to adjust the bike's electronic aids (throttle response, and lean-sensitive ABS and traction control) to suit the terrain and your ability as a rider (the Off-road mode gives me more confidence in low-traction environments than I have any right to be; highly skilled riders will appreciate Off-road Pro mode so they can completely switch off all the electronic aids). The TFT screen is large and easy to read (most "professional" bike reviewers give the TFT bad marks because, compared to BMW's, they say it's hard to read and a bit "busy") I found it to be just fine, though I do miss the simple and elegant round dial from my Street Scrambler. The tire pressure management system has already saved me once--I took off without knowing I'd picked up a screw in the rear tire the day before; the TPMS warned me seconds from my driveway so that I didn't discover the flat the hard way. Fully adjustable suspension front and rear means you can adjust to fit the terrain, your own weight, and the weight of a passenger and/or luggage.
The only real downside, in my opinion, is the bluetooth system. Maybe it was quite the thing in 2018 when they were first developing the bike, but by 2021, it's clunky and outdated. Storing your phone under the seat and trying to run things through the bike's controls via bluetooth and the MyTriumph app is inconvenient. You simply can't fully work the app using the bike's controls, so your flexible, useful navigation app is rendered useless by running it through the bike's graphically limited system (just imagine that you decide to change your destination after setting out--you'd have to stop, unlock the seat, get the phone out, enter the changes in the app, then replace/replug the phone, lock the seat back down--now imagine you've got luggage on top of the rear seat). After trying to use it the way it was designed, I pretty quickly went back to simply mounting my phone on the handlebars, linking it via bluetooth to my headset, and disabling the bike's bluetooth (easy to do from the setup menu). Essentially, I paid several hundred to a thousand dollars for an electronics package that I won't use. The under seat phone storage is not entirely useless, however; when I make a long trip, I use the storage compartment/usb socket to keep a Mophie power pack charged for use as a backup, and power the phone from the DIN socket forward of the handlebars.
Speaking of that DIN socket....getting a USB adapter for that provided to be a challenge. The dealer sold me the Optimate adapter model O115 V-2. It was the only Optimate adapter that would fit without interfering with the bars/cables, etc. I'm sure that adapter works well for BMWs and other european bikes that use DIN sockets. Problem is, the Optimate adapter has a battery-saving feature that will cut power to the device when the bike's battery is below a certain level. This sounds like a good thing, since the forward DIN socket is hot even when the bike is switched off. Problem is, the socket itself seems to have some kind of battery saving feature as well, and the two seemed to interfere with each other so that the Optimate adapter was constantly, and seemingly randomly, cutting power to my phone. Unplugging it and plugging it back in, plugging in with the ignition off then plugging the phone cord in, using different cords in case the first one was the problem--no matter what combination or sequence I used, I couldn't find any rhyme or reason to it. The result was, I'd go on a ride for several hours, not realizing my phone was getting no charge even though it was plugged in. Just because you were getting power when you left the house was no guarantee you'd still be charging two hours later. I swapped the Optimate for a cheap adapter I found on Amazon--there are several different manufacturers, but they look identical, so probably all made in the same factory somewhere in Asia. With the cheap amazon adapter, the phone is always powered, and since I always remove and stow the adapter and cable when I'm off the bike, that removes the possibility of draining the battery by leaving something plugged in while the bike is parked. The rear DIN socket, below the seat on the left side, is not constantly powered, so it's in a good spot to plug in your heated gear, with the addition of the appropriate power cord.
So, if you're expecting the latest/greatest/most user-friendly electronic wizardry, you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking for a highly capable ADV bike that is comfortable and fun to ride, at home on backroads, interstates, gravel roads, or forest trails, that can carry everything you need, then the Tiger 900 Rally Pro is a good option. If you are truly spending (or aspire to spend) more than half your riding time off-road, especially anything more challenging than gravel, the extra capability that comes with the Rally Pro's suspension and rider modes are probably worth it. If you spend most of your time on pavement and the occasional gravel road, then you might seriously consider the Tiger 850 Sport--you won't have to pay extra for the electronic do-dads you won't use, and you don't need to the higher-grade suspension and riding modes, but you get the same engine (minus a couple horsepower that you probably won't notice) and brakes, and similar appearance and practicality.
The Tiger is comfortable on long rides (I'm typically on the bike for 5-6 hours at a time when I go out). The heated seat and grips add another few weeks to the riding season and are a true gift in the rain; add a heated jacket liner and heated socks, and I find I am comfortable for hours even when it's in the 30s. Off-road, it's highly capable and easy to handle, if you've gotten just a little training in off-road riding. The quick shifter, which I thought I wouldn't care for, turns out to be a really nice option. Self-cancelling turn signals were an unexpected surprise. It's light enough to pick up when you drop it (about the same dry weight as the Street Scrambler, the Tiger carries its weight a bit higher so it does take some getting used to when it comes to low-speed handling). The t-plane triple engine is simply wonderful--great torque at low speed perfect for maneuvering around obstacles in the dirt, but with highway speed and acceleration that can be truly startling (it just doesn't sound as good to me as that classic burble you get from the Scrambler's more traditional parallel twin through those high pipes). Despite its 21-inch front wheel and overall height, it is quite fun and capable on twisty roads. The brakes are perfect--easy to modulate to assist in low-speed control or fine adjustments to speed during road riding, and can bring the bike to a full stop quicker than you are ready for. The rider modes enable you to adjust the bike's electronic aids (throttle response, and lean-sensitive ABS and traction control) to suit the terrain and your ability as a rider (the Off-road mode gives me more confidence in low-traction environments than I have any right to be; highly skilled riders will appreciate Off-road Pro mode so they can completely switch off all the electronic aids). The TFT screen is large and easy to read (most "professional" bike reviewers give the TFT bad marks because, compared to BMW's, they say it's hard to read and a bit "busy") I found it to be just fine, though I do miss the simple and elegant round dial from my Street Scrambler. The tire pressure management system has already saved me once--I took off without knowing I'd picked up a screw in the rear tire the day before; the TPMS warned me seconds from my driveway so that I didn't discover the flat the hard way. Fully adjustable suspension front and rear means you can adjust to fit the terrain, your own weight, and the weight of a passenger and/or luggage.
The only real downside, in my opinion, is the bluetooth system. Maybe it was quite the thing in 2018 when they were first developing the bike, but by 2021, it's clunky and outdated. Storing your phone under the seat and trying to run things through the bike's controls via bluetooth and the MyTriumph app is inconvenient. You simply can't fully work the app using the bike's controls, so your flexible, useful navigation app is rendered useless by running it through the bike's graphically limited system (just imagine that you decide to change your destination after setting out--you'd have to stop, unlock the seat, get the phone out, enter the changes in the app, then replace/replug the phone, lock the seat back down--now imagine you've got luggage on top of the rear seat). After trying to use it the way it was designed, I pretty quickly went back to simply mounting my phone on the handlebars, linking it via bluetooth to my headset, and disabling the bike's bluetooth (easy to do from the setup menu). Essentially, I paid several hundred to a thousand dollars for an electronics package that I won't use. The under seat phone storage is not entirely useless, however; when I make a long trip, I use the storage compartment/usb socket to keep a Mophie power pack charged for use as a backup, and power the phone from the DIN socket forward of the handlebars.
Speaking of that DIN socket....getting a USB adapter for that provided to be a challenge. The dealer sold me the Optimate adapter model O115 V-2. It was the only Optimate adapter that would fit without interfering with the bars/cables, etc. I'm sure that adapter works well for BMWs and other european bikes that use DIN sockets. Problem is, the Optimate adapter has a battery-saving feature that will cut power to the device when the bike's battery is below a certain level. This sounds like a good thing, since the forward DIN socket is hot even when the bike is switched off. Problem is, the socket itself seems to have some kind of battery saving feature as well, and the two seemed to interfere with each other so that the Optimate adapter was constantly, and seemingly randomly, cutting power to my phone. Unplugging it and plugging it back in, plugging in with the ignition off then plugging the phone cord in, using different cords in case the first one was the problem--no matter what combination or sequence I used, I couldn't find any rhyme or reason to it. The result was, I'd go on a ride for several hours, not realizing my phone was getting no charge even though it was plugged in. Just because you were getting power when you left the house was no guarantee you'd still be charging two hours later. I swapped the Optimate for a cheap adapter I found on Amazon--there are several different manufacturers, but they look identical, so probably all made in the same factory somewhere in Asia. With the cheap amazon adapter, the phone is always powered, and since I always remove and stow the adapter and cable when I'm off the bike, that removes the possibility of draining the battery by leaving something plugged in while the bike is parked. The rear DIN socket, below the seat on the left side, is not constantly powered, so it's in a good spot to plug in your heated gear, with the addition of the appropriate power cord.
So, if you're expecting the latest/greatest/most user-friendly electronic wizardry, you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking for a highly capable ADV bike that is comfortable and fun to ride, at home on backroads, interstates, gravel roads, or forest trails, that can carry everything you need, then the Tiger 900 Rally Pro is a good option. If you are truly spending (or aspire to spend) more than half your riding time off-road, especially anything more challenging than gravel, the extra capability that comes with the Rally Pro's suspension and rider modes are probably worth it. If you spend most of your time on pavement and the occasional gravel road, then you might seriously consider the Tiger 850 Sport--you won't have to pay extra for the electronic do-dads you won't use, and you don't need to the higher-grade suspension and riding modes, but you get the same engine (minus a couple horsepower that you probably won't notice) and brakes, and similar appearance and practicality.
Thanks very much. I pulled the trigger today on a 2022 Tiger Rally Pro in the matte khaki green color. Picking it up on December 8th. Very much appreciate the really detailed comments. I've been running the Garmin ZumoXT on my other bikes and plan to install a mount for it on the Tiger as I have been very pleased with the ZumoXT.
If you're installing a sat navigation system, I recommend this mount for placement above the display: https://evotech-performance.com/pro...m/products/ep-tomtom-compatible-sat-nav-mount-triumph-tiger-900-gt-2020-onwards.
For accessories, I recommend: Thunder Box (TB) - HealTech Electronics Ltd.
Both are easy to install and work as advertised.
For accessories, I recommend: Thunder Box (TB) - HealTech Electronics Ltd.
Both are easy to install and work as advertised.
Thanks, Garmin makes a motorcycle mount with wiring for the Zumo XT. The Thunder box looks like a good product.
I see the OP pulled the trigger on a 2022, but I still have comments on the bike that I have to get off my chest. I have a 2021 Rally Pro and it's a great bike for its intended purposes - solid on road, fun and capable off-road, and great for long touring/adventure rides. But it isn't perfect, and the issues are all stupid, self-inflicted wounds by Triumph...
First, the display is crap. The TFT panel itself is fine, but Triumph's design/use of it is crap. It is all centered around The Worst Tachometer Ever (TM), this ridiculous, ugly, illegible graphical tach that looks like the LA river in cross section (Google it - you'll see). Why Triumph decided to (horribly) reinvent the tach is beyond me. It's like they decided to reinvent the wheel for no good reason then inexplicably came up with a square wheel (except that would roll better than this tach conveys RPMs). And The Worst Tachometer Ever (TM) moves "towards" the rider with increasing RPMs - which is what the entire world is doing while we ride - so this ugly/stupid tach sort of disappears into the riding background in your peripheral vision, which is exactly the opposite of what a tach should do. It honestly makes me question every nut and bolt on the bike if Triumph can take something so easy to get right and do it so spectacularly wrong. The tach is also weirdly huge, like Triumph is so proud of their stupid tach-disaster that they made it 5-sizes too big to show it off. So it takes up too much space which means Triumph had to shrink all the other data fields to get them to fit, but it looks like they put those fields in their mouth then sneezed them onto the display and wherever they landed is where they stayed. The whole thing pisses me off every time I get on the bike and makes me long for a couple round analog gauges.
Next, the TPMS system is awful. It loses its mind (RED SCREENS! PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY! FLASHING TRIANGLES! AAAAAA!!!!) if your pressure is at completely reasonable pressures for off-road riding on an adventure bike. But that's what happens when a cowardly company lets lawyers make design decisions.
The cosmetic plastic frame ridges mentioned in the video above are another self-inflicted wound. They are clearly unnecessary and they bite into your legs/knees. Did anyone at Triumph actually sit on the bike before finalizing it?
And anyone who says the bike "sounds good" must be drinking too many margaritas, because it sounds like a blender. Accelerating is akin to going from "blend" to "puree" on a Cuisinart. I realize that annoying, uninspiring, electric-sounding whine is a hallmark of Triumph triples, but everyone needs to stop pretending it "sounds good" just because the T-plane crank sounds marginally less bad than a Tiger 800.
But all those are essentially superficial wounds - as annoying as they are. It really is a great bike in spite of those galactically bad design decisions.
(Seriously Triumph, you should fire whoever designed that tach and whoever approved it and allowed it to go into production. Bad Triumph. Shame on you.)
First, the display is crap. The TFT panel itself is fine, but Triumph's design/use of it is crap. It is all centered around The Worst Tachometer Ever (TM), this ridiculous, ugly, illegible graphical tach that looks like the LA river in cross section (Google it - you'll see). Why Triumph decided to (horribly) reinvent the tach is beyond me. It's like they decided to reinvent the wheel for no good reason then inexplicably came up with a square wheel (except that would roll better than this tach conveys RPMs). And The Worst Tachometer Ever (TM) moves "towards" the rider with increasing RPMs - which is what the entire world is doing while we ride - so this ugly/stupid tach sort of disappears into the riding background in your peripheral vision, which is exactly the opposite of what a tach should do. It honestly makes me question every nut and bolt on the bike if Triumph can take something so easy to get right and do it so spectacularly wrong. The tach is also weirdly huge, like Triumph is so proud of their stupid tach-disaster that they made it 5-sizes too big to show it off. So it takes up too much space which means Triumph had to shrink all the other data fields to get them to fit, but it looks like they put those fields in their mouth then sneezed them onto the display and wherever they landed is where they stayed. The whole thing pisses me off every time I get on the bike and makes me long for a couple round analog gauges.
Next, the TPMS system is awful. It loses its mind (RED SCREENS! PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY! FLASHING TRIANGLES! AAAAAA!!!!) if your pressure is at completely reasonable pressures for off-road riding on an adventure bike. But that's what happens when a cowardly company lets lawyers make design decisions.
The cosmetic plastic frame ridges mentioned in the video above are another self-inflicted wound. They are clearly unnecessary and they bite into your legs/knees. Did anyone at Triumph actually sit on the bike before finalizing it?
And anyone who says the bike "sounds good" must be drinking too many margaritas, because it sounds like a blender. Accelerating is akin to going from "blend" to "puree" on a Cuisinart. I realize that annoying, uninspiring, electric-sounding whine is a hallmark of Triumph triples, but everyone needs to stop pretending it "sounds good" just because the T-plane crank sounds marginally less bad than a Tiger 800.
But all those are essentially superficial wounds - as annoying as they are. It really is a great bike in spite of those galactically bad design decisions.
(Seriously Triumph, you should fire whoever designed that tach and whoever approved it and allowed it to go into production. Bad Triumph. Shame on you.)
Must be bad for you to diss it so much on a Triumph forum. I searched out a screen grab for a looksee. Is the picture attached what you're on about?
The Street Triple guys are also bad mouthing the current TFT display which is seriously pissing them off because the slightly earlier 2017 - 2019 was considered a model of clarity and clean design. They have much bigger issues than the layout though with the complete failure of many TFT clusters which completely immobilises the bike. And now the units replaced under warranty are also starting to fail. It's $2250 for a replacement here in Australia.
![Image]()
The Street Triple guys are also bad mouthing the current TFT display which is seriously pissing them off because the slightly earlier 2017 - 2019 was considered a model of clarity and clean design. They have much bigger issues than the layout though with the complete failure of many TFT clusters which completely immobilises the bike. And now the units replaced under warranty are also starting to fail. It's $2250 for a replacement here in Australia.
"Bad" doesn't convey how bad the tach is. Look at that image you posted - the craptach takes up 80% of the display in that layout and it's still illegible and worthless. And it's mirrored so there are TWO essentially identical versions of the same mistake. Triumph sure is proud of that garbage tach. It's a complete waste of the 7" TFT. If I could just remove the display and still have a functioning bike I would. I had a cheap Honda CB500x before the Tiger and the Honda display was much better on a bike that costs 1/3 as much. If Triumph gave a crap about what their customers thought they would have updated the display immediately. But they don't.
@DAM has managed the longest rant on the Tiger TFT on record - and every bit of it is deserved. That tacho design needs to go, and hopefully there will be a software update to do it one day.
My GT Pro is about to turn one year old and I'm still loving it. The bike is an allround success, but the TFT is taking a long time to normalise in my head.
My GT Pro is about to turn one year old and I'm still loving it. The bike is an allround success, but the TFT is taking a long time to normalise in my head.
Here’s a simple mount for your Zumo. I found the tube clamps on Aliexpress 7.9mm ID. They are a perfect fit for the windscreen adjuster bar. The Ram ball I had laying around so put it to use. A simple solution for a great price
Attachments
Thanks - I will look at that option. I have always just connected directly to the battery on other bikes. Just take the unit off or turn it off to make sure no battery drain occurs. I really like the ZumoXT
Thanks for that info. I've not really tried any apps for off-road trails. The ZumoXT does a great job with gravel roads, forest service roads, etc. I've downloaded one BDR track to it also and that seems to work great.
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