A brief summary for the TLDR crowd... Highly impressive machine, feels a lot like a GS in many ways, better in others, but severely hampered by the worst bar vibrations I have ever experienced on a motorbike! For anyone interested in a bit more detail, read on...
Over the last year or so I've had a lot of test rides on various Adventure Bikes, trying to find the "Goldilocks" bike. In the end I got bored of trying to find something that probably doesn't exist, so settled for a 5yr old R1200GS as at least it was a known quantity that had done the bulk of its depreciation already... Anyway... Triumph's latest 1200 Tiger definitely threw a curve ball in the mix, or so I thought...
First impressions...? Well jumping on it, it's immediate that Triumph is aiming straight at GS owners, all the contact points fall immediately to hand if you're used to a GS, even the screen is a similar shape. Also the bike feels very light between your legs, picking it off the side stand etc. Unnaturally so even, given it's an upright triple engine rather than BMW's trademark Boxer twin. It also feels remarkably compact (it isn't!), feeling much smaller than the top heavy Mulistrada V4 and the 1290 Super Adventure. All good so far.
The first worry came when turning the bike at low, almost stationary, speed. The bike feels more reluctant to turn than a GS (it is, it has about 120mm of trail vs the GS's 100mm), but once above about 5mph it isn't really noticeable. It's just that GS's are unnaturally easy to manoeuvre at low speeds compared to everything else.
The next worry came with the low speed throttle mapping, which results in a very lazy throttle response (even in sport mode!) and very little engine braking compared to the competition. Maybe this can be adjusted, I didn't have the opportunity to find out, but worth noting. I suspect given how light and friendly the bike feels, Triumph may be trying to get people who might traditionally be swayed by their 800-900 Tigers to step up to the bigger bike by making it feel a little more accessible... Who knows
Either way, it took a little getting used to for someone coming off several bikes with a very sharp throttle response and lots of engine braking.Fortunately once out of Cheltenham and on to the open roads, both of the initial worries disappeared. At higher revs/speeds, the throttle response feels much more natural. Also the longer trail figure compared to a GS means the bike feels super stable in sweeping corners... Which is a bonus, because that engine will get you there quickly, and the very capable suspension and brakes will be egging you on too. Make no mistake, two riders of the same standard, one on the new Tiger 1200 GT Pro and one on a 1250GS down a twisty B road... This is an Adventure Bike that could easily warrant its rider wearing full leathers with knee sliders. This Tiger would embarrass a BMW GS! Its appetite for fast corners is only matched by the Multistrada V4. Attitude wise, it feels more like a very competent Super Naked bike (think Tuono, MT-10, Superduke 1290 R etc.) with longer travel suspension than it does a traditional Adventure Bike. The brakes are impeccable, and in a different league to those fitted to a GS or the 1290 Super Adventure! If you want an Adventure Bike only because you want a bit more comfort, but you still miss riding high powered sports bikes or Super Nakeds, and you either don't like the top heavy feel of a Ducati Multistrada V4 or you want a cheaper alternative, the new 22 Tiger 1200 GT Pro is an absolute weapon!
But... There is of course, as always, a big but... As someone who has owned many large capacity V-Twins, I have always poked fun at people who bemoan a bike being vibey, especially if its engine has more than 2 cylinders! And yet with the T plane crank triple engine (which sounds awesome by the way!), Triumph have managed to create a veritable Kango hammer of a bike as soon as the rev counter is above about 4krpm! The higher it goes, the worse it gets too... It's not like there's a particular resonant frequency to avoid as is often the case. If the needle is above 4k, the vibes through the bars are unacceptable. They elevate from mildly annoying, to concerning, to "christ I need to back off and drop the revs below 4k again" sadly... And given that 4krpm is exactly 66mph in 6th gear, the chances of a vibe free motorway cruise are limited sadly!
Which is a real shame... Cos the bike does so many things very well indeed. It feels like a GS in most of the ways that matter, it has a GS licked for performance and high speed handling, it is many times more involving than a GS to ride (I totally respect my GS as a very capable machine, but my god that Boxer Twin engine is dull!!!), but after 30mins of riding it with the rev counter pointing north of 4krpm, and you'll need to get off to give your hands and fingers a rest!
The Triumph salesmen are calling it "character"... Unfittingly for a brand new bike, they are available for pretty much immediate delivery, possibly even with a discount! If Triumph managed to sort the vibrations through the bars out any time soon, be it a recall for a retro-fit part or an ongoing design change, I'll put my money where my mouth is, really... Everything else was that good about the bike! But I can jump on my GS and deplete a tank of fuel in one go with relatively minimal fuss... An Adventure Bike that requires you to stop every 30mins or so to stop the tingling in your hands just doesn't really cut it sadly! I have a V4 Tuono that's more rewarding and I can manage to ride for an hour or so inbetween stops already thank you...
(Joke, so don't get arsey).
