The Triumph Tiger Sport 660 Is Going Hunting For Kawasakis
Middleweight sport-touring bikes tend to live in a practical space—they’re not built to grab attention like a sporty literbike or the potato rumble of a V-twin Harley.
That’s where bikes like Honda’s NC750X and Kawasaki’s Versys 650 have carved out a following—reliable, comfortable, and easy to live with, even if they don’t stir much emotion.
Triumph’s Tiger Sport 660 steps into that space, but with a slightly different approach. It still checks the everyday usability boxes—upright ergonomics, manageable power, and real-world comfort—but there’s a bit more personality baked in.
As our own Troy Siahaan found out on his first ride of the Tiger Sport 660, even after a more spirited ride, it’s clear the bike isn’t trying to be something it's not. It leans into being a well-rounded option that can handle commuting, weekend trips, and the occasional backroad detour without fuss.
That raises an interesting question for this segment. Is dependability and ease of use enough, or do riders want a bit more engagement from their everyday bike? The Versys has long been the safe, logical choice, but the Tiger Sport 660 seems to push back on that idea just enough to make things interesting.
So where do you land—when it comes to daily riding, do you go for the proven, no-nonsense option, or something that adds a little more personality to the ride?
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Well nothing on actual specs here in this article so went looking myself. The 660 walks away with the Hp crown at 95, the Versus 650 has 66 hp, the Honda NC750X brings uo the rear on hp at 58. The Honda wins the torque crown at 51 (4750rpms). the 660 has 50 at 8259rpms and the Versus brings up the rear on torque at 41.5 at 7140rpms. so the Triu,ph 660 sport looks the be the overall power winner but you need to keep it onm the boil, which is typical of all the triumph triples. Course, power output isn't the end all of which of these 3 smalller middelweights (or maybe true middleweight engined bikes?). I didn't get into chassis and suspension or tech. i would guess tho, the Kawi is the slowest and most relaxed to ride. I'm guessing the Honda might be the best all arounder and if you wanted to challenge yourself and go fast, the Triumph is your ride.
ive tried the Honda NC750, and it is a thought; but, too me, sport touring means two up comfort with enough luggage for a week on the road, not a day ride with a 20 something Pilates instructor ( why is the passenger seat the size of a maxi pad, and why are the rear pegs 4" below the passenger's butt.)
Ive done close to half a million km on Moto Guzzis, more than a quarter of that on a 1980 1000SP, and at least half of that two up, so my definition of sport touring may not be the norm