From the rider’s seat, you hear a lot more engine noise coming up through the fairing openings than on the naked speed triple and barely any sound from the large high exit muffler. I have already seen aftermarket pipes for the Tiger, and it would be nice to let the beast roar a little, as it sounds like it is trying to shout with a sore throat as standard. Checking out the inside of the cockpit area and gauges from the hot seat reveals a very clean, minimalist layout. The instrument cluster is similar to Speed Triple without the shift lights on the side of the tachometer, and this is still an analogue unit, with a small central digital speedometer. All the in flight readings are on the digital display board to the left of this, and there are buttons below to set one of two trip counters. There are no heated handlebar grips, GPS systems or radios on board the fairly minimalist Tiger, and the switchgear is still late ‘90s vintage. The brake lever is multi adjustable, although the clutch is not, and the turn signals are not self-canceling. Mirrors are okay, and while they are not too blurry at speed, they show too much elbow for my liking. Not uncommon, and as far as motorcycle development has come, no one has been able to remove the arms from the rear view picture.

With the Tiger moving toward the sport end of the motorcycle spectrum this year, it was no surprise to find it rolls on a 180/55 ZR 17 tire out back, and a 120/70 ZR 17 in the front. Wrapping around an attractive pair of cast spoke wheels, they are ready to rock when the road gets twisty. They are well complimented by the suspension, and up front there is a set of 43mm USD units, with a traditional single shock in the rear. Both units are fully adjustable, and as delivered my only adjustment was some more compression in the front to eliminate some of the dive under hard braking. Around town, and for the majority of the time this wasn’t necessary, as the package is comfortable and compliant, without getting bent out of shape if you hit any major road imperfections. I actually made a point of noting how quickly the rear recovers from big bumps, without the ripple effect that sometimes happens with stock suspension units.

Getting the bike back to legal speeds after experimenting with the gear ratios, a set of radial mount brakes enjoy a long term relationship with a pair of 320mm floating rotors. Each containing four pistons, they are plenty strong enough to lift the rear wheel when you are trying to impress the sport bike boys. In their hurry to get me the bike, I think some of the delivery grease made it’s way onto the rotors, as I needed a strong hand to get the best from the set up. Having ridden the ST and the Speed III on essentially the same set up, this was a pad issue not a brake system complaint. Under the right foot, there was a fair amount of travel before any action started from the two pistons in the back, and this ensured no unwanted lock ups from an overenthusiastic push. If I were keeping the bike, I would be bleeding the system raising the lever a bit. Again, these are minor complaints that will be addressed before new owners take delivery of their machines.

For zipping around town, even though the Tiger still sits plenty tall, the new machine is a hoot. The steering lock is more forgiving for tight, low speed turns than a naked standard, and the upright riding position gives great visibility in traffic. Curbs and parking lot markers are just an excuse to try out the bikes ground clearance and the new aggressive look and explosive paint color inspired some great conversations at my local coffee shop. But the most fun to be had on the Tiger is heading out into the country with a full tank of gas and no particular destination in mind. Able to handle just about any type of road you can find on the map, the new Triumph Tiger 1050 can easily deal with living in captivity, it is just happier when it is out prowling around in the wildest countryside you can find.