The Triumph Tiger Sport 660 has been launched at an introductory price of Rs 8.95 lakh (ex-showroom, pan-India). This makes it Rs 1.50 lakh more expensive than the Trident 660 naked roadster that it is based on.

The Tiger Sport is billed as an adventure sports tourer, so it gets some changes over the Trident to make it better suited to the long haul. The most apparent difference is the additional wind protection on offer, courtesy of a slender front fairing and sizeable height-adjustable windscreen.

This bike’s steel perimeter frame is similar to the Trident’s, but features a longer subframe to support luggage and offer more seating room. Luggage is offered as an optional extra, but the Tiger gets integrated pannier mounts as standard, which blend neatly into the tail section.

The basic suspension set-up is similar to the Trident as well, with a 41mm separate function fork and a monoshock with remote hydraulic preload adjustment. But to help it with its touring aspirations, the Tiger gets more travel – 150mm at both ends compared to the Trident’s 120mm and 134mm. Also aiding it go the distance is a larger fuel tank – 17.2 litres compared to the Trident’s 14 litres.

Interestingly, the Tiger’s rake angle has been sharpened compared to the Trident, which should give it slightly sharper handling to help offset the extra weight that it’s carrying – 17kg more than the Trident.

Despite the adventure tag in its description, the Tiger Sport 660’s off-road capability will be minimal at best. While it does have more suspension travel than the Trident, it still isn’t a whole lot in an absolute sense; neither is its 162mm ground clearance (though 12mm more than the Trident’s).

And as for its Michelin Road 5 tyres… well, the name should tell you what the intended use pattern is. But Triumph’s Tiger Sport range has never claimed to have off-road motorcycles, and is more of a sport touring range.

Areas that remain unchanged include engine and electronics, with the Tiger Sport receiving the 81hp, 64Nm, 660cc inline-triple motor from the Trident. Helping manage this is an electronics suite that comprises two selectable ride modes, ABS and switchable traction control.

Shoeb Farooq, business head, Triumph Motorcycles India said, “The Tiger sport 660 will strengthen our position in the premium adventure motorcycle category and will provide a new entry point to the Tiger range. The Tiger Sport 660 will be the most powerful motorcycle in its category and the only triple cylinder offering the perfect mix in power, handling, technology and long-distance riding comfortable."

Like the Trident, the Tiger gets a white-on-black LCD display supplemented by a small colour TFT screen, though the design of the cluster is different on this bike. Standard equipment includes LED headlights, self-cancelling LED indicators and adjustable levers, with scrolling indicators available as an optional extra.