Suspension wise I agree that the Rally pro is better, but I opted for the GT Pro because of the seat height and on-road focus. I never go off road, but well... never say never... Excited for this seasons riding. Thanks for an interesting video!
I did more than 50,000 klms in North America in the mid 80s on my Honda XL500S. It took me from Texas to the shores of Hudson bay. The transalp is sheer luxury compared to the xl500s. Sometimes I feel all of these new bikes distract us from what it's really about. Excellent comparison. In my opinion, buy the best bike you're comfortable shelling out for. Not just what you can afford, but something that gives you no buyers remorse.
I have ridden both. If they were the same price, I would still buy the Transalp. It just suits me better for the type of riding I do and gives way more feedback from the road surface. The Tiger felt disconnected, like a magic carpet. That may suit some people, but not me. Loving the Transalp!
I feel you with regard to the Speed Twin. My Monster 1200S was suffering the same fate. After 8 years of ownership, it had less than 9000 km on it. Meanwhile, my Harley that was 2 years newer has over 80,000 km on it and my T7 has 12,000 on it after 2 seasons. I loved the visceral look of the Ducati, but it had become the last choice for actual riding.
I picked up my new 24 GT PRO last week, today it already got the 1000km Service. I am absolutely in love with this bike. Looking forward to more Tiger Content of yours :D
Great video. I recently bought a ‘24 Transalp. My previous adventure bike was a 2017 BMW 1200 GS. In between I bought a Vespa GTS (great fun). The Transalp appeals to me for the Goldie Locks effect. Great all rounder and reasonable price. It does pretty much everything I need it to do.
@@teslageek9257 I bought a Tiger 900 Rally Aragón. I like the looks and handling, but it’s too tall for me (5ft 8in) - when I come to a full stop at intersections I have to look carefully at camber, surface condition to make sure I have good footing as I need to commit to a definite slide off the seat a good bit to get footing. Woe to me if I misjudge and slide off the wrong side. My newer Transalp fixes all that plus the weight feels lower. Power is enough to hustle along Appalachian mountain roads, can’t use much more. I am a little sour on Triumph because the Aragón model seems to be using the motor from 2023, before the upgrade. I thought I was buying 2024 tech. Maybe Aragón was just marketing to use up old components.
Mate, thanks for all the content on the Transalp. I watched all your videos with utmost attention, when I picked up my '24 Transalp back in May. It is my first motorcycle and I love it. Good luck with the new ride!
I question a Triumph being “premium” just because they say it is. A couple years ago I was comparing a Triumph Street Scrambler with a Suzuki 650 V-Strom. For less money, the Suzuki had tubeless spoked wheels, two front brake discs, a larger fuel tank, a full fairing and windshield, more instrumentation, and was built in Japan. (The Triumph in Thailand I think) The Suzuki also had a V-twin engine, a plus to me. I didn’t see much value in the Triumph, but I agree it was better looking. But shouldn’t premium be about more than looks, and the name on the tank?
I still don’t understand Honda’s thought process about giving North America the black transalp. If you’re into dad bikes, then you’re gonna want the Honda colors.
Having owned both bikes as well, I agree with your assessment. The Tiger is noticeably more premium and comes rather well kitted out. The transalp is great value for money and exceptionally comfortable. For me, I enjoy the Transalp more largely because I enjoy working on my bikes and adding mods to them.
How does the transalp feels while driving 130 km/h? Does it has vibrations? I plan to buy a NX500 but having vibrations on 110 km/h changes my mind a bit!
@@WarzoneWonders10 at those speeds not much that I notice in the bars but they are present in the foot pegs. It’s not something that I consider bothersome though. My old Tiger 900 did the opposite and had vibes in the bars which did lead to tingly hands after a while.
Are you upgrading the suspensions on TA? I just bought a TA and don’t like the suspensions. Didn’t buy the rally pro coz I ride in hot weather conditions here in India and the radiator fans on rally pro cook my legs. TA + rally pro level of suspension comfort is the set up I need. Any thoughts?
As you also have a channel to run I get it why you keep changing bikes like you do. To keep things interesting there must from time to time be something new to show up and dissect. And we get a benefit from this. So well done. Many of us do it the other way, we own a bike sometimes for quite a long period of time and learn all what the bike has to offer. We love it to bits, and forgive it for things that break or disappoint just because we like it so much. Also propably we live where the season is short. In my now 5 decades as a motorcyclist I have never owned more than one bike at a time. I don´t have time to ride more than one, and the expense would be ridiculous compared to what I would gain. But I have to have that one bike, I have tried to quit a couple of times to instead have other hobbies but it will not work, I need a bike and I need to be able to go riding to keep me happy. Whatever floats our boat, eh?
@@RocketMan_Moto almost a little rant, propably envy to all people who live somewhere it is possible to ride almost all year. We Finns have been chosen happiest people in the world 7 years in a row, there must be something seriously wrong with that jury. Not so cheery in winter... 😁
I spent a few months in Helsinki in the summer and the winter. Beautiful place, in both seasons, but I think the short days in winter would finish me off after a couple of years😬
I have to admit it I guessed wrong and thought you were going for the 1300gs! One of the things that puts me off triumph 900's is 12k miles valve service intervals, that's a €1k bill every year or so....
I've never met anybody who said that they had trouble with their Honda but, I have met couple who told me about their frustration with Triumph. I see them often at nearby dealership but, they have no appeal to me. Especially at their price point. I understand it is just my personal bias. I ride cheap crappy RE and KTM along with Yam and Honda 😄
I do not know much about the Honda Transalp,,but I had a NC700 and found it so so boring !!!! I kindof fancy a big ish ADV bike (god forbid not a GS) and also fancy a Truimph,, the 900 never crossed my mind ,but I have to say it does now,,the way RM rationalises purchases I find really helpful in my own purchasing decisions.. I think it was a deal breaker having a servcing agreement... regards
I am a new Transalp owner (guilty, I know), and I really like the Triumph, however the difference in price is substantial. I’ve added the cruise control (Veridian electronic), luggage and a LOT more and I’m still under the price of a new Tiger. Luckily I can do the very easy calculation of dividing the kilometres traveled by the litres used to determine range, so I don’t need a computer to tell me me how far I can still go. You wanted the Tiger, and that is fine and good, however, if one of your biggest gripes with the Transalp is the range indication, then your problem is not with the bike, its probably something else. You are not comparing apples with apples here. You should compare the Triumph with a another bike in its price class. That being said, your initial reviews was one of the biggest reason why I considered the Transalp. I then bought it because I really liked it and enjoy riding it. I am probably more brand loyal because I do not have to make RU-vid videos about new bikes, but I still value your opinion. To the new Tiger owners watching this…do not base your decisions on RU-vid opinions, because they change as quickly as the next model.😉
Despite many RU-vidrs espousing the virtues of the Transalp to the hills, I found the bike totally underwhelming. Everything seemed budget on it, the suspension, the finish, the dash and controls. And another thing that annoyed me was nothing was standard. Want a bash plate, that's extra; want a quickshifter, that's extra; want wind deflectors, that's extra and so on and so on. I found the motor lively but lacking low down torque. It was comfy however, but not as comfy as some as the seat cushioning once again seemed budget. The Rally Pro is on my short-list along with the Norden 901 to replace my Tenere. The Transalp didn't even make the cut as much as I wanted it to having owned the 1st gen model and taken that halfway around the world. Oh well, it is a motorcycle built to a price.
Just by way of an update, I went back and rode the Transalp again....twice. I wanted to like it but just couldn't! It seemed so 'budget' that it was kind of anathema to the Honda doctrine. Seeing as I was eager to replace my Tenere with something a bit more touring, it came down to the Norden or the Tuareg - I wanted cruise! The twist in the tale was reading up on the KTM Camsaft forums whereby record numbers of camshafts were failing in the 790/890 so KTM and by default Husqvarna were out. Tuaregs have a waiting list, so I turned my sights to the second hand market. In the end, I picked up a 2015 Tiger 800 XCX for $8k, with a ton of extras including cruise and heated everything, which was half the price of the Transalp and had twice as many features. Plus, it had under 30k km! I just cannot see the value in the Honda, but the Tiger, wow, what a bike! You have made the right decision Rocketman!
I think a lot of people myself included who own several bikes or cars tend not yo use them all much. I own 4 bikes a modern retro. A naked an old 2 stroke and a sports tourer and love them all but don't get out on them very much. If only one maybe two bikes could give me what my 4 bikes do. Its not the buying but the running costs. Anyway I hope you've made the right decision as that Triumph was a beauty that i would have struggled to part with for sure.
B tarde, fazer esta comparação acho que é desleal, compreendo a troca mas era o mesmo que fazer com uma africa twin com jante 19 e uma triumph 660cc, a diferença de preço quase que dá para 2 honda transalp, mas seja como for é obvio que a tiger será melhor mais 150cc e mais premium mas a pergunta é para uma utilização normal valerá os €7500 e três cilindros sempre foram um numero impar. Nada contra a triumph nem nada a favor da honda, mas só como motociclos os cc não são os mesmos a gama não é a mesma, a praticidade também não, mas reparo que como sempre faz uma comparação sincera e honesta, mas
If it's any comfort, I don't regret my move one bit. Yes, the ST 1200 has a fabulous engine (and looks), but that's about it - the Tiger can do everything and it's waaaay more practical and comfortable. Hope your transition goes as well :)
l own last years 900 tiger rally pro, and agree with your thought, if only Honda had put tubeless rims , put me off buying one straight away. if you spent 3000 euros on parts plus the price of the Honda you must have been nearly at the same price, well in the UK it would have worked out about £1000 more to buy the Triumph !!!!
Great video thanks RM, Im very close to pulling the trigger on a 24’ Tiger RP, as you mention the mods I would want to do on a Transalp to improve it would negate the price difference. I know you are still running the Tiger in, but do you find it ‘buzzy’ at motorway speeds - sitting at higher revs than the tall geared TA?
If they had that white paint scheme in Canada I would have likely gotten the Transalp, however i am ultra pleased with the 24 tiger rp. So many "options" as standard equipment sold me on it vs all their competitors.
Going through your playlist about Transalp so my point of view not gonna be honest about your switch but my question is: If you weren't be a British would you ever consider Triumph instead of Africa Twin which is still Honda and natural switch decision from Transalp higher...? I personally regret that you have made your swap from Honda because i liked the content of simplytsify and calm expression but it's your experience so please, if you don't mind answer my question from above. Cheers! Ride safe
I will admit that being British does have something to do with my liking for Triumph, even if most of them are actually built in Thailand ;) Six months on, I am still happy with my change; the Tiger is a nicer bike to ride in all respects than the Transalp (except maybe wind protection). Whether it is worth €6000 more is another debate... :)
An already good product too feel an improvement in general is almost never proportional to the price, the last mile to the top is exponential. I remember switching from M2 competition to a Porsche cayman gt4, 2 different work and price but m2 wasn’t 40% less fun to drive but 40% cheaper. If you can finance the more expensive it is always more rewarding in general and holding a better rest value.
I recently bought a ‘24 Rally Pro. The Transalp and Suzuki were 2nd and 3rd place for me. The Transalp has a lower feeling center of gravity and is more comfortable to sit on in the showroom. On the road, the Rally Pro is superior in every way. More importantly for me, the Rally Pro is farkled up with creature comforts on a par with my Indian Roadmaster. It sounds kind of silly, but the older get the more important it becomes, because I can ride longer with less fatigue. That’s kinda important to an old fart like me. I should mention that I’ve owned Hinckley Triumphs in the past, and they’ve been bulletproof in terms of reliability. It think Triumph these days is on par with the Japanese makes when it comes to reliability, and that’s important to me.
I enjoyed this summary. If I can afford it the Tiger will be my first choice. I've been eyeing it since 2020. Hopefully by the end of our winter where I live, I'll be financially able to afford one😊
The hardest part of owning motorcycles is living with it. If you have a tendency to upgrade before your purchase's ROI, you should just go and buy the most expensive thing you can see yourself owning. Now, this doesn't include people gaining some additional wealth. This is for people who were really too chicken to commit to something, but eventually, end up going all-in anyway. So it's a bit of a life hack to just be honest with yourself and not rely on personal experience all the time. Enough reviewers would tell you what is the best bike you'll want to own.
Well presented and fair video. I know what you mean about the grip angle display on the Transalp, totally superfluous. I find the range feature isn't something I rely on as it bases its calculation on the way you've been riding over a short period so can be inaccurate. I much prefer resetting the trip display (once I have got used to the approximate range of the machine).
Having this same debate with Tiger 900 and Suzuki's Vstrom 800DE. I want the features and also don't want to worry about bashing about offroad. With leftover prices, you could buy 2 vstroms for the tiger's asking price. Triumph really needs to come up with an 850 Offroad rally stripped down, but with spoked tubeless rims, cruise and a big handlebar button to turn off ABS/TIC (like on the 2017 and older tiger 1200's)
Both bikes are no "offroad" at any means. This is just marketing. They are too heavy, too big engines. You cannot compensate weight by skills, too much power is an obstacle not advantage. This mandess i evolving and evolving...
RM: “I don’t think anyone will claim Adventure bikes are the best-looking bikes…” Me: Looks in garage at my new ‘23 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC. Smiles with a hint of smugness.
@@RocketMan_Moto They moved the catalytic converter away from the rider and to the rear of the pipe in ‘21, but, yeah, wind resistance is minimal at best. I have a small flyscreen on mine, but it’s honestly more decorative than functional.
Triumph is not finished product...Its agressive front geometry makes it nervous on sand...Triple T engine is unbalanced.Africa Twin is the way to go its bigger bike thats good at everything
RM, I think the is Transalp is much nicer looking than the Tiger and it is too your discredit you don't seem fully aware of it. It is far more nuanced and balanced. Excuse my turn of phrase ( aussie) but you appear to have your hand on it. The Transalp is superior in the looks department because it is more versatile, at home in many different environments. The Tiger is over the top, even just the name is over the top. The Transalp is a much better bike, all things considered.
@RocketMan_Moto The Tiger would be a little nicer to ride, so would a BMW. But that doesn't make it a better bike. All things considered, your original assessment of the Transalp still holds true I suspect. The reason why I am saying this is I put an order form in on a new Transalp today. But in the secondhand collection there were a couple of Tigers. I was amazed that you would have chosen one of those over the Transalp as I value your opinion. To me the Transalp is a bike of rare beauty whereas the Tiger is more narrow in its usefulness, and hence it loses a beautifulform somewhat. I personally have nearly always had BMWs but now see them as too right-brained. Triumphs can kind of sentimental and empty in an English way but Japanese bikes can sometimes seem a perfect balance of many conflicting elements. I have become a huge fan of Japanese aesthetics and tradition. I'm just looking at it from this point of view. East meets West. But it's awesome that Mrs RM enjoys the bike. I reiterate how much I value your opinion as well.
Congrats on the order. I value things on the Tiger that weren't available on the Transalp, like fuel range, cruise control, tubeless tyres, more power... These could well be addressed by Honda in the forthcoming Transalp R, however. Hopefully we'll get to see this at EICMA.
There was one question I hoped would be answered, but alas. Knee angle. I bought the NX500 as a starter bike, but I'm already thinking ahead to next year. I have bad knees, so the knee angle on the NX500 is less than comfortable. I'm 1m86cm. The transalps pegs are more forward, allowing for a more comfortable knee angle, and I was considering that bike to be next. But the tiger 900 has caught my eye. I am in the luxurious position that prices are of no concern to me, I just need something more comfortable for my knees, back and backside 😅. Sitting straight up is a must for me. You are about my height, so, in comparison to the transalp, how is the knee angle on the tiger in either seat height?
I must disagree.😅 The pegs on the Tiger (that I test rode today) are considerably more backwards (compared to the Transalp’s). For me the Transalp is more comfy on my knees (have the same problems there).
The multistrada is more handsome??? Adventure bikes are more handsome then nakeds??? Noooooooo! :D Very good comparison though. Did you mention the thermometr? The engine heat is comparable?
Thank you Rm . At 6.40 you mentioned rubber damped bars and why all bikes don't have them. In the 70/80s the bar clamps were often mounted through the yoke enclosed in big rubber grommets, which helped isolate vibes, but wore quickly leading to the bars coming back towards you on acceleration, im sure they have improved the rubber consistency by now though. However there is concern by manufacturers that they dont rob too much feel through the bars, which any isolation may do. Personally though i prefer rubber mounts.
Don’t forget you have a six axis IMU with cornering ABS and cornering Traction Control. Love the Tiger 900 range, great choice. You could also try some straight 20mm bar risers along with the seat in the high position for that extra leg room.
I am seeing and hearing some national preference!!! But if you can do an Italian accent maybe you can add a Ducati Desert X it does something a little, not that much different.. Ducati jacked the price near $19000 and has a 24 months unlimited warranty. Italian bike has similar features..In the US Italian and British bikes are still considered exotic because of very limited dealership support..I enjoy riding both but can't own one living in Baja for 8 years..in a few big Mexican cities there are Triumph and Ducati dealers ( Mexico City,& Monterrey) but few and far far between
You mentioned before buying the Transalp that you didn’t want the Triumph due to engine heat as you are located in a hot region. Does the Tiger suffer from that?
Yes, but all the heat points right at the knees and if you wear knee armour, you don't feel it. This isn't an excuse, though, Triumph should have designed it better.
In Japan I'll go for the transalp, make it tubeless and add cruise. If I moved back to the usa with the bigger faster roads.... as much as I love the africatwin, I think the tiger pro is a no trainer with the biggest faster roads the usa has
I’m riding a 22 900 GT Pro. It’s flawless. It’s like a Toyota Corolla, never skips a beat. Only complaint might be lack of character. I’m an old fart raised on Nortons and Ducatis. But just a joy to ride.
I think for most of the time & use: o n e bike is enough & will be driven at least in a proper way. When I had two, there was always one standing around in the garage. Ok, if money isn’t the point, you can even have 3 or 4 then. For me it’s generally difficult to spend so much money in one bike. Well, under 20 k € it’s still ok, but already a lot of money (I could put in bicycle or travelling). My VW Passat 1.4 TSI Comfort line (one year old, 25 k km) cost 20 k € - so it’s a c a r 😅😅😅 But to be honest: I’m in love with the SpeedTwin, that’s why I’ll keep my 1200 GS (2012, 7.6 k €) & try to get a cheap & wonderful SpeedTwin (& there we are 🙄🤷🏻♂️) Fazit: I guess every time & moment in life there will be reasons for one or rather more bikes - in your situation it’s time for sth. new & well performing: this wonderful o n e Tiger Rally Pro 2024 ❤
If I remember correctly you were concerned about engine heat on the vstrom 800DE. I live in the sub tropics and find engine heat on my 2018 tiger xrt nearly unbearable in summer. Several friends with the tiger 900 report similar engine heat. I recently took the 800DE for an extensive test ride and loved the low and mid range torque. What surprised me was the LACK of engine heat! Almost certainly my next bike and IMO so much more preferable to the Honda transalp for my off-roading. I would be interested to hear if you have noticed significant engine heat with your new wheels? 🏍️🏍️🏍️
I'm not a fan of bikes like this, but I don't doubt it works well. I have an old Buell XB12X Ulysses which is going back on the road when I get back next month. Torque like your old 1200. I rode down to the Algarve from London on it for a holiday back in 2008. Probably the best bike I've ever had. It doesn't even have ABS, let alone all the clutter modern bikes do. Enjoy the Triumph for a few months. Nick
A rational being would buy a 650 Versys and stop at that. However, a being filled with passion would experiment with multiple, more powerful motorcycles, and never look back. As soon as one applies the math, it sucks the soul out of the 2-wheel experience. Just keep buying, riding, and enjoying whilst you are able to do so.
I’ve always felt the current batch of Tigers are quite attractive, if slightly Darkwing Duck-looking (dating myself here). The TransAlp while no doubt a great bike just looks so…average? More related to the NC750X/CB500X than the quite stunning Africa Twin. I hope the Tiger will treat you well. As I said before I believe that fewer but better bikes will make you happier than more bikes that you end up not riding enough. And I’ll be right there to buy it pre-owned in a few years ^^
The elephant in the room.. The GS1250 or 1300 are to most the best looking adventure bike, but you wouldn’t mention that as bias as you say is evident. The GS being the best selling for a reason.
I recall that the previous Tiger model you had tested (back in 2021 ?) didn't suit you for a list of reasons, one of them was the lack of power. Is the 2024 one really that different and improved?
Has the bike got the bridgestone A41 tyres i saw them on the F900GS adventure they looked really Narrow. The Karoo 4 on the F900GS looked a lot better.
Great comparison, thanks...love Triumph's, if only their Dealer network were a bit more estabilshed. Had an Algarve question, do you have a recommendation on a location to rent motorcycles. We will be visiting from Canada and staying in Lagos, there is one located in the downtown, but wanted to know if a local would have a recommendation.
Thanks for the video. How is the Tiger in low speed handling compared to the Transalp? Of course, it's a heavier bike, but is it's weight noticeably higher?
It's a shame that all cheaper bikes have such bad suspension. I love my mt07 to death. The engine is a damn peach. But that pogo stick wobble does not inspire confidence.
I had a 2012 Tiger XC and set the seat low at the rear and standard (high) at the front. This helped eliminate / minimize the forward lean. It was quite comfortable. Does the current Tiger offer the same flexibility?
I had the last gen tiger 900 rally pro. Loved the looks and how smooth it was to ride. However … I had to leave it in sports mode permanently to make the vibes any where close to acceptable and the screen was so noisy it was unbearable. I tried the Givi touring screen and this didn’t help either. Ended up selling it and getting a new street triple r (based, in part, on your glowing review). Glad the new tiger seems to have fixed those issues for you. Enjoy the sunshine. It hasn’t arrived in the UK yet!
Am thinking what bike to get once the move to the Algarve is complete. I would love another NC750X as I loved the one I used to have, but the new ones are too cramped for me because of the lower seat. I sat on the Transalp but it is just as cramped. I have a 3 ft inseam. On which website are bikes advertised in the Algarve ?
A lot more expensive, but these Tiger Rally Pros - either 900 or 1200 - are pretty big and could suit you. In any case, I think mid- or full-size adventures are the perfect bikes for the Algarve.
Triumph does a really bad job in portugal regarding publicity, so when we want to sell a used triumph we have to do it for cheap, cos no one knows the brand exists
There are vey good aftermarket forks and an assortment of shocks available from 1 supplier I know of in Europe. There are others also. In many decades of riding I have never wanted cruise control. Not even on 1 or 2 week long trips.
Don't worry about the lack of fuel range indicator. They're not that accurate and one of the trip meters does a good job of you get in the habit of zeroing it when filling up. I find fuel consumption to be pretty steady on modern bikes.
I used to never be able to stick with one bike Always thinking the newest on the market is the one to have, never satisfied etc Then I realised the only ones to win out of this were the makers and the dealers Had my 1250GS for 3 years now and no sign of wanting to change
Just got my 2024 Transalp, and I didn't have the fuel range indication issue, the bricks disappear as they should, after about the same distance. Maybe it was a software bug which got fixed in the meantime, or they changed the fuel level sensor for the 2024 model. And I totally agree that the grip angle indicator is useless.
I did think about the 1200, but I felt it would be too heavy off road for my limited skill level, and I don’t really like shaft drive. Plus, it’s €6k more😬
![My 2024 Triumph TIGER 900 Rally Pro vs My 2023 Honda TRANSALP 750 [QuickTest#38]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
