Triumph Tiger 1050 ‘GT’ spotted

Author: Bike Social's News Reporter Posted: 30 Oct 2015

'Tiger Tourer' spotted

Meet the new Triumph Tiger 1050 GT, seen here undergoing tests and snapped by a spy photographer.

It shows that Triumph's development engineers must be the hardest-working men in the motorcycle industry because not happy with coming up with an entirely new Bonneville range for 2016, plus a revamped Speed Triple and a wNew version of 1050 Tiger ile line of new Tiger Explorers, it looks like they’re now readying a new derivative of the Tiger Sport.

These pictures show that the firm’s 1050cc three-cylinder Tiger is to morph into a more touring role in the near future, gaining a new look and the same upgraded oily bits that will soon debut in the 2016 Speed Triple.

In fact, while that front end looks unfamiliar, the only physical change to the bike’s bodywork is the new, adjustable-height windscreen with its additional Perspex winglets either side. Instead of bolting seamlessly onto the fairing as on the Tiger Sport, the new screen sits in front of the original plastic and is mounted on posts that will allow it to slide up or down. All indications are that it’s a simple, manual screen rather than a heavier, pricier electric one.

The change might not be a big one but on the final version of the bike it’s likely to be allied to luggage to create an additional model sitting alongside the Tiger Sport. Like the Sport, it will get the revised 1050cc triple that’s set to debut imminently in the updated 2016 Speed Triple, with changes to make it pass Euro 4 emissions laws and extend its life by another few years. On this prototype, it’s clear that the exhaust system and catalytic converter are new, requiring a revised bellypan, and the engine features the slightly tweaked castings already seen in spy shots of the Speed Triple, with the Triumph logo now cast into the clutch cover. The engine is expected to get a raft of electronics changes including the addition of traction control.

The bike’s bodywork is the new, adjustable-height windscreen with its additional Perspex winglets either side

The weird-looking extended tailpipe is purely there for test purposes on the prototype – it’s believed to make it easier to plumb the bike into an extractor fan system when it’s being run on a dyno indoors. The alloy plate mounted to the luggage rack is used for mounting datalogging kit during testing, and will also be removed on production versions.

While the Speed Triple and Tiger Sport have both been spotted testing with the updated 1050cc engine, at the moment there’s been no hint that the motor will be fitted to the Sprint GT, which makes it likely that Sprint – already discontinued in some markets – will be going to the grave before the Euro 4 regulations come into force at the start of 2017. The touring-oriented ‘Tiger GT’ seen here is likely to effectively replace it as a mid-range sports-tourer in Triumph’s line-up.

The hole left by the Sprint GT will also be filled in 2017 by a half-faired, sports-touring version of the Street Triple, which will get a capacity hike to around 800cc at the same time.

New exhaust system and catalytic converter

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