VOLUME 59 ISSUE 14 APRIL 5, 2022 P97
And even though the suspension
will bottom out occasionally, the
bike never becomes unstable,
and the shock controls the
rebound damping, so the rider
never feels uncomfortable.
Changing to the less-aggressive
Off-Road riding mode (slight ABS
and traction control), the bike is
toned down a bit but still very fun
to ride, although the TC will catch
you out if you start up a steep hill
and lose traction. For aggressive
off-road riding, you certainly want
to stay in Off-Road Pro mode be-
cause, if for nothing else, it makes
you feel like a pro. It's awesome.
So, is the new Triumph Tiger
1200 the GS killer? Well, I'd say
that the engineers at Triumph
have certainly done a fantastic job
with this new bike. The on-road
performance is different from that
of a GS, and as I said, more like
the S 1000 XR, which is great
if you like screaming through
twisties and wheelieing out of the
turns, because it'll do that and
you'll have a blast, but I don't think
the ride is as refined as a GS on
the open road. However, when
the road turns to dirt, the Rally Pro
will most likely leave the GS in
the dust.
You may have heard that Tri-
umph has announced that they'll
be coming out with a full-on dirt
bike soon. It's clear that the en-
gineers they hired for that project
have certainly had an influence on
the new Tiger.
I always come home from these
rides worried that it's just going to
make me want to buy another bike,
and damn it, it's happened again.
Triumph is offering a three-
year unlimited mileage warranty
and best-in-class 10,000-mile
service intervals on all the new
Tiger 1200s. The new Tigers are
designated model year 2023 in
the U.S. and the GT is scheduled
for dealer delivery in May of this
year, while the Rally is still go-
ing through U.S. homologation.
Check the Triumph website for
more information on colors, ac-
cessories and availability.
