Following BMW Motorrad’s footsteps, Triumph has unveiled the Tiger 850 Sport which would replace the base Tiger 900 in the lineup. Confused? We wont blame you for BMW also has a F 750 GS which is the road-biased variant of the F 850 GS which is their mid-weight ADV. Fret not, the displacement hasn’t gone down and the Tiger 850 Sport continues to be powered by the same 888cc triple that powers the 900. It’s just the naming convention that has been changed. Let’s dive deep into the details then.
Despite featuring the same motor, the 850 Sport is down on power and torque at 84bhp and 82Nm. Triumph has detuned the motor to make it friendlier for riders upgrading to a mid-weight ADV for the first time. Next up are the tyres. The 850 Sport features Michelin Anakee Adventure tyres replacing the Metzeler Tourance on the outgoing model. Additionally, the 850 Sport features an all-LED setup and new colourful themes. What hasn’t changed is the 5in TFT cluster, non-adjustable 45mm Marzocchi USDs, Marzocchi preload adjustable monoshock, Brembo Stylema monoblocs and a 6-speed slip and assist clutch-based transmission. The weight too is same as the base Tiger 900 at 192kg and the tank capacity is the same too at 20 litres. You also get two riding modes to choose from — Road and Rain and traction control is switchable too.
Comparing it with the F 750 GS, the BMW features an 853cc parallel-twin that churns out 76bhp and 83Nm which makes it slightly less powerful but on par when it comes to torque. The BMW also features a 2-piston calliper setup at the front unlike the top-drawer 4-calliper Stylemas on the 850 Sport. It’ll be interesting to see how Triumph prices the 850 Sport when it launches in India by February 2021. BMW hasn’t launched the BS6-compliant F 750 GS and F 850 GS in India. We expect the Triumph to cost approximately Rs 13.5 lakh, ex-showroom and the BMW would be priced very similarly as well.