Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1488797
be some elk in the road." We get there and there's a massive mudslide completely covering the road. So, we had to turn around, go back and around the long way back over the pass. Made for a long night. Going up Engineer Pass in Colorado and the breathtaking views was great. It was super rocky. There were some slippery areas as well, so you really had to be paying attention. You're in elevation. So, it was like a work- out. I certainly underestimated it. There's no doubt about that. That was a great one. Talk about the bikes. You guys rode the new Triumph Tiger 1200s, right? We had a few of the new Triumph Tiger 1200s. What an incredible bike. It felt nimble. Very similar to the 900, but you had that power from the 1200. Big and stable. And with all the features. The cruise control, and the heated grips. It was nice. I've always kind of drifted more towards the 900, but I will tell you, for our next year's ride, most likely I'm going to be on the 1200 just because it has that extra power. It has so much low-end torque. People get a little intimi- dated by the 1200cc adven- ture bikes. I was doing an interview a couple weeks ago, and they're like, "What was your first initial thought of an adventure bike?" And straight up, I'm a smaller dude. I'm 5'6 ½", 5'7" on a good day. They can look intimidating. They really can. Don't be fooled by the looks. You look at the thing and it looks like a tank, but you get on it and you're like, "Holy crap!" It's not tiny, but it's not as overwhelming as it looks. I've ridden them enough now that they inspire confi- dence more than fear, most of the time. And when you get on the road, and you have those creature comforts, and those are the add-ons that a lot of people might think are unnecessary. You're exactly right. This year I used the grip warmers when we got caught up by that mudslide. It was cold. It was rainy. Then I used the seat heater numerous times in the early mornings. Do you always need it? Of course not. Is it nice to have that option, so long as you're not losing any performance? Why wouldn't you have it? Let's talk about Triumph and its competitive off-road dirt bike program and how that's progressing. Spill the beans. Tell us everything. I'm sworn to secrecy on some things, but I will tell you, the engineering and R&D de- partment have done a fabulous job on these motorcycles. I was pleasantly surprised from the onset. They're extremely INTERVIEW I RICKY CARMICHAEL'S NEW ADVENTURES P56