Last year Triumph quietly showed its dealers drawings of a trio of upcoming 660cc three-cylinder models. The first – originally dubbed simply ‘roadster’ – became the Trident 660 (full test here) and now the second – first called ‘adventure sports’ – the Triumph Tiger Sport 660 LAMS-compliant sports tourer is on the verge of its official launch.
Triumph has released images of a disguised version of the new machine and confirms that it will go under the name Tiger Sport 660 when it goes on sale. At the moment, the firm isn’t revealing any technical details or even a projected timescale for production, but says the new model is ‘coming soon’ and that it will reveal more information in the next few weeks.
Even without any confirmed specs or details, though, the pictures reveal a lot about the new bike.
The engine is clearly the same unit used in the Trident, which means it’s a LAMS-compliant 660cc version of the old wet-liner 675 triple as opposed to a sleeved-down version of the latest dry-lined 765cc unit. In derestricted form it makes around 60kW and 64Nm in the Trident, and the indications are that the Tiger Sport 660 has the same spec – the exhaust system on the new bike is identical to the Trident’s, which is a good hint that the engine hasn’t been retuned for its new home.
The frame also appears to be much the same as the Trident’s steel tube chassis, although there’s a new plastic trim panel over the swingarm pivot to alter its appearance. The subframe and pillion pegs seem to be straight from the Trident, as do the 41mm Showa forks and 2-pot Nissin calipers. For the new model, the rider’s pegs are lower and further forward, while the bars are significantly higher, sitting on cast alloy risers above the top yoke.
Like the old Tiger Sport 1050, the new 660 is a pure road bike despite its Tiger nomenclature. So, the wheels are the Trident’s 17in alloys, with 120/70 front and 180/55 rear rubber, and there’s no intention to be usable off-road. Instead, it’s a sports tourer, with a tall screen and provision for quick-release panners; Yamaha’s Tracer 7 is surely the main rival, although the Tiger Sport’s three-cylinder layout means it’s also likely to steal some customers from the Tracer 9.
In terms of price, it’s likely to slot between the two Yamaha models, and sit below the more adventure-style Tiger Sport 850 in Triumph’s range.
Riders wanting a cheap, entry-level Tiger with real rough-ground ability to compete with the likes of Yamaha’s Tenere 700, don’t despair. The third model in the firm’s planned 660cc trio is a Tiger adventure model, with off-road suspension and wire wheels along with styling to match the bigger Tiger 900. It’s likely to be a few months behind the Tiger Sport in the development pipeline.
Ben Purvis
