VOLUME ISSUE JUNE , P116
RIDE REVIEW I 2023 TRIUMPH TIGER 1200 RALLY EXPLORER & 1200 GT EXPLORER
P116
But great things come in small
packages, and that's certainly
the case with the GT. The small-
er 19-inch front wheel and lower
stance still pack the same 147
horsepower, but with the weight
slightly lower to the ground, the
GT easily rips through the tight
twisties. I was passing sport
bike riders like they were stand
-
ing still. In Sport Mode and with
the RPMs kept between six
and eight thousand, the T-Plane
Triple sounds incredible—and
the action of the quickshifter is
smooth and flawless. You can
bang through the gears, and the
shifter will blip the throttle on
downshifts, while upshifts are
quick and effortless. I had a ball
on some of my favorite moun
-
tain roads.
I prefer riding on dirt, and I
wasn't really looking forward to
staying clean and sticking to the
pavement for two weeks, but
the more I rode the GT, the more
fun I had on it, and I honestly
didn't want to give it back after
what seemed like a really short
time. But, before I knew it, the
weeks had flown by, so I asked
the guys at Triumph if I could
keep it a little longer. No deal—
they already had plans for it, so
I had to return it. Damn. I really
enjoyed that bike. It reminded
me of the days when sport
touring bikes were popular.
They were fast machines that
were comfortable to ride, which
perfectly describes the Tiger
1200 GT Explorer. It's super-fast,
very comfortable, and has all the
modern technology to keep you
safe and happy.
After spending significant
time reviewing these bikes, I
could easily own either the Rally
Explorer or the GT Explorer. I
grew up racing motocross, and
I still like getting dirty, so the
Rally would be my first choice,
but you can't go wrong living
with any of these Tigers.
CN
Like sport touring bikes that
are fast and comfortable, the
Tiger GT 1200 GT Explorer feels
much the same way.
