Cam Donald conquers 24 Hour Trial on all-new 2022 Triumph Tiger 1200

Two-time Isle of Man TT winner and bikesales contributor Cam Donald has finished the gruelling 24 Hour Trial in South Australia aboard the all-new 2022 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro.

Held over the weekend of July 9-10, the 24 Hour Trial, which first ran in 1924, sees competitors tackle four six-hour laps, with each lap consisting of 12 timed sections. Most entrants traditionally choose to ride lightweight enduro bikes.

Triumph claims that the Tiger 1200 Rally Pro is the first large-capacity adventure bike to enter and complete the famous reliability trial.

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While Donald has entered and completed the 24 Hour Trial previously, the challenge of riding a 1200cc+ machine in virtually stock trim for 24 hours in the desert was significant.

“A lot of people told us were crazy, not expecting us to finish a single lap let alone four laps to finish the race,” he said. “Worse yet, an experienced competitor said this year’s course was by far the most technically difficult.”

Donald was joined by childhood friend Donald Owen, who also piloted a Tiger 1200 Rally Pro. Owen is an Expert class enduro rider, however his race came to a premature end after 16 hours when a deep square-edge hole brought him undone.

For Donald (Cam, that is), the experience was not an easy one. “Physically that was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done on a motorcycle,” he confessed. “To ride out there in that terrain on these bikes over 24 hours was such a battle. It was brutal.”

But despite the physical challenge, Donald was full of praise for the bike. “I was constantly amazed by how well the new Tiger 1200 got through the terrain. There was nothing it couldn’t do.”

With a 21-inch front wheel, long travel suspension, and sophisticated electronics, the new Tiger 1200 Rally Pro has already been earmarked as a huge improvement over the previous generation. With input from motocross legend Ricky Carmichael, Triumph is hoping that the new machine will be lauded for its off-road and long-distance capability.

According to Donald, the bike helped especially on the long transit sections. “The transit sections were warm and comfortable thanks to heated grips, cruise control and semi-active suspension,” he said.

He explained that the key to riding the big bike in technical terrain was momentum. “As long as you’re going forward, you’re fine. Riding in Enduro Pro mode ensured the bike’s power delivery was nice, linear and easy to use.”

The 2022 24 Hour Trial saw 138 entrants tackle the course, with 91 finishing. Donald finished in an impressive 74th position overall and 29th in the Clubman Open (251cc & over 2-stroke/350cc & over 4-stroke) class. Given the much lighter and more agile competition, we'd say that result is a win for both rider and machine.