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2018 · Adventure · Buyer's Guide
The Road-Ready Triple Done Right
The XRT sits at the top of Triumph's road-focused Tiger line, and it earns that spot with hardware rather than badges. The 1215 cc inline-three makes 139 hp and 90 lb-ft, metered through ride-by-wire throttle maps and a six-speed box with a slipper clutch and downshift assist. Electronic suspension, adjustable front and rear, sits under a package that already includes cornering ABS, traction control, ride modes, cruise control, keyless ignition, TPMS, heated grips, a color TFT, LED headlight and cornering lights. This is the touring end of the adventure class, equipped like a flagship and priced to act like one.
On the road it feels big and settled rather than nervous. A 60.8 in wheelbase and a 19 in front wheel give it long-legged stability, and 7.1 in of front travel with 6.7 in at the rear takes the edge off broken pavement without turning vague. At 507 lb wet, this is a two-up, fully loaded highway machine first. The honest caveat: with that travel figure and that weight, graded dirt, forest roads and fire trails are the ceiling, and anything genuinely technical is the wrong ask. It also wants an attentive owner as the miles pile up.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 139 hp (104 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 90 lb-ft (122 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1215 cc |
| Engine | Inline-three |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 308 mm |
| Front tire | 100/90-19 |
| Rear tire | 150/70-17 |
| Wheelbase | 60.8 in (1545 mm) |
| Ground clearance | 7.3 in (185 mm) |
| Front travel | 7.1 in (180 mm) |
| Rear travel | 6.7 in (170 mm) |
| Seat height | 31.9 in (810 mm) |
| Wet weight | 507 lb (230 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.0 gal (19 L) |
| Fuel economy | 50 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
None of this is my own test ride. It is the collected word of owners: conversations at rallies and dealer lots, talk over coffee at rider meets, and the notes people send me once they have lived with the bike a while. On the Tiger XRT that chatter runs strongly positive, and the criticism stays narrow and specific.
Engine and chassis draw the widest agreement, and riders return to both. What gets less airtime, though it comes up nearly as often from people covering real distance, is the equipment: heated grips and seat, a screen they can move, cruise control, a color dash that reads clean at speed. Their read is that the touring case holds up in daily use. The brakes get steady credit in the same conversations, strong and easy to modulate.
Low-speed ride quality is the recurring one. Riders call the suspension firm over rough town surfaces, with the sharper hits coming through until the bike has some miles behind it. A smaller but steady group reports needing oil between services, particularly after sustained high-rpm running. Now and then somebody raises the rider aids: traction control and ABS need a stop before they can be switched.
Throttle hesitation on higher-mileage bikes
Throttle bodies can become fouled, leading to a stumble or hesitation on initial throttle opening. Cleaning and fuel injection servicing may be required.
Oil consumption between services
Some engines require topping up oil between service intervals, particularly when ridden at high speeds. Adding a small amount of oil per 6,000 miles is not uncommon.
Where this Triumph Tiger XRT pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Tiger XRT is actually built for.
This is your bike. 200 to 400 mile days on twisty tarmac are exactly what the tunable suspension, upright seating and 139 hp triple were built around, without the bulk of a full bagger.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
Roughly 250 miles a tank, cruise control, heated grips and an electric screen make the long hauls easy, two-up included. Just plan on buying luggage before the first big trip.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Triumph Tiger XRT. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
