First Ride: Triumph Tiger 1200 ready to pounce on its GS rival

First Ride: Triumph Tiger 1200 ready to pounce on its GS rival

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BMW's R1250 GS is the most notable motorcycle in the adventure space, dominating without question, and for good reason. It's a great all-rounder, performing on and off-road duties with diligence.  However, every once in a while there emerges a David determined to take on the Goliath. The new Triumph Tiger 1200 is that David, a product of the British firm's steady work over the years.

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It's a completely different animal from the Tiger it once was, from both a physical and technological perspective. Available in four variations, there are two GT (road-focused) models, a GT Pro and GT Explorer. The former is fitted with a 20-litre fuel tank while the Explorer, as the name suggests, has been configured for those who want to explore and go even further. An additional 10 litres has been built into the Explorer, endowing it with a 30-litre tank for a claimed range of up to 600 km. 

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The shades of Tiger

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The second version of the Tiger 1200 is the Rally – aimed at those who intend to use the bike on and off-road. Much like the GT, the Rally is also offered with two fuel tank capacity specs, additionally, it comes fitted with off-road tires scaled up to 21” from the 19” wheel in the GT. With its off-road inclined nature, the Rally is a much taller bike, which shouldn't pose too much of a challenge for our demographic. We aren't a vertically-challenged nation, but should this be a problem, the seat can be lowered by 2 cm.

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“We aren't a vertically-challenged nation, but should this be a problem, the seat can be lowered by 2 cm”

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The difference in the variants is significant and can be felt on the road. Agility and nimbleness can be found in the small-tank GT Pro, while solid handling and a planted feel are offered by the Rally Explorer thanks to its added weight and larger wheel size. It all comes down to personal preference. 

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Exploring Mpumalanga

We had the pleasure of exploring the Tiger's prowess on the winding passes and off-road trails of the scenic Mpumalanga province. On the tech front, Triumph has done a commendable job with the Tiger now boasting a 7” TFT instrument cluster as well as a SHOWA semi-active suspension amongst other things. This suspension has a pre-load adjustment, meaning it will return to its preset height after you sit on the bike or add a pillion. What's even more impressive is the Dynamic Rider Control, which allows you to adjust the dampening on the fly through a quick and easy toggle on the TFT screen. You can set the suspension to be as soft or as firm as you like while riding – and no, it's not just a gimmick. Despite all these updates, the new Triumph Tiger 1200 is still 25 kg lighter than its predecessor according to the bikemaker.

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The Tiger’s roar

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You've probably been waiting to hear about the grunt offered the 1,160 cc motor. Well, in this new format, the Tiger 1200 makes use of an improved version of the engine, now with 130 Nm from the previous 122 Nm. It's a marginal difference on paper, but on the road, the T-plane crank engine offers impressive acceleration and tractability. Up to six riding modes, including Off-Road and Off-Road Pro (in the Rally), are available on-demand, and Triumph has included a quick-shifter as standard. The Brits’ version of this shifting mechanism is rather smooth compared to other variations. Shifting up at low speeds is seamless, void of any clunkiness commonly associated with this. 

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Not only has Triumph introduced a brilliant offering to the adventure segment, but they've also included everything as standard in the base price of each model. This includes adaptive cornering lights, cruise control, a USB socket as well as heated grips and seat (standard heated rider and pillion seat only in the Explorer variants). This will likely have GS customers carefully considering their next move since nothing is free at the German camp. 

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Words: Gugu Masuku