After generously populating the industry’s upper echelons, Triumph has now set its sights on the entry-level market. At the end of October, 2020, the British marque introduced the all-new Trident 660, a new entry-point into its lineup with an attractive $7,995 price tag. There are also rumors that the Trident is only the first of three 660-based models.
One thing is for sure, the maker is on a roll. After giving us its most affordable bike, it’s now going to give us a fourth (distinct) member of the Tiger family. The House of Hinckley served a little appetizer when it shared a teaser video and a trio of pictures confirming the arrival of a Tiger 850 Sport. The new bike is set to debut on November 17, 2020.
There’s been talk of the 850 Sport for a few weeks, ever since keen-eyed folks spotted the Tiger 900 spin-off in U.S. emissions documents. The documents revealed that the new feline will run on the same 888cc triple as the 900 introduced in 2019, rated at 94 horsepower and 64 lb-ft of torque.
Triumph released a teaser that confirms the rumor. In the video’s description, the maker wrote “Triumph’s new Tiger 850 Sport is set to introduce a new standard for road-focused versatility.” Considering the Tiger 900 has some serious dual-sport chops, a more touring, road-friendly trim level could make perfect sense.
As for the use of the “850” despite the fact that the bike is expected to share the 900’s platform, several sources including The Bike Social suggest that it’s simply a way to differentiate the bike from its adventure-focused counterpart.
We get a peek at the new bike in the teaser video and the glimpse we catch of the headlight cluster suggests the design is pretty much going to be the same as the 900, but with trim-specific stickers and colorways. Stay tuned to learn more about the new 2021 Triumph Tiger 850 Sport, we’ll have all the details for you on November 17.
Sources: The Bike Social, inSella.it