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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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
I used to commute every day into Manchester City centre from Cheshire. I had various bikes during that time, a 600 Bandit S, CBR 600 Ultralight & finally a Firestorm VTR 1000 & also used them for the weekend blast with mates & touring in the UK & the European Continent. All were useable & satisfying, but the most fun was the Firestorm VTR 1000. You could cut through commuter traffic filtering (Splitting lanes I believe it's called in the USA), hoon about at the weekend & munch miles when touring. The only downside was the average MPG (UK) was 32/33, touring as many as 37/38, really quite enthusiastic riding 15/18. I never ran out of fuel, a few close calls, but got away with it.
No modern aids like ABS, traction control etc just pure riding ability. It pulls like a train, 6th gear is high so at 4000 RPM it's an indicated 80 MPH, red lined at 9.5k RPM, but from experience 10.5k is when the rev limiter cut's in. Had it from new, 26 years ago & it's still in my garage, just waiting for re-commissioning.
I also have a 1200 Bonneville, 1050 ST Sprint, really strong motor in those & a Tiger 800 XRx. I'm 70 next year, but I am really looking forward to the VTR again, that is if I can get my hips folded into position, time will tell along with arthritis in my hips .
My point is that any bike will do as much as you want it to. I still hammer the Trumpets up to the red line & ride them enthusiastically when speed & average speed cameras allow in the nanny state called the UK. Most moto's will do more than the rider thinks without any modern aids. 😁