For years there’s been a Triumph Street Triple 765 RS sitting in my garage. I barely ride it, and after every riding season I say with full conviction: “next year I’m selling it”! Yet every spring, it manages to seduce me into taking it for a spin, and bam! That addictive engine, sublime handling and phenomenal brakes never fail to plaster a giant grin across my face.

Unfortunately, that grin doesn’t last long. After half an hour, it turns into a doubtful grimace because the riding position is too cramped for my aging body. And when I tuck the bike back under its cover, I often find myself sighing: “Why doesn’t Triumph make a taller Street Triple?”.

When Triumph introduced the Tiger Sport 800 last year, it felt like my wish had come true. But my first encounter wasn’t entirely positive. During my visit to EICMA, I named Triumph’s latest crossover the disappointment of the show: beautifully designed, but the seated test session was a letdown.

Curious to see if a week-long test ride could change my mind, I took the Sport to the Taunus mountain range in Germany, together with a group of riding buddies.

The 800 clearly inherits its styling from the Tiger Sport 660. Extra DRLs, wind deflectors and a bit more fairing at the bottom give it more presence, although it remains a very slim-looking bike. That impression is reinforced by the narrow tail section. The finish is – just as we’ve come to expect from Triumph – impeccable. Also striking: the visible exhaust. On the 660, the muffler is tucked under the bike.

The Sport 800 comes in four colors: Cosmic Yellow looks stunning but not very timeless, the grey version has the most class and the black one is the coolest in my opinion. For the test, I got the Continue reading →