Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro: bikesales Bike of the Year 2022 finalist
Triumph’s been in the dedicated big-bore adventure space for a decade, but now it’s made the transition from straggler to serious contender
Why is the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro a bikesales BOTY finalist?
If we were going to offer a short and succinct answer to that question, it’d be because the Triumph Tiger Rally 1200 Pro recently got to the finish line in the famed 24 Hour Trial in South Australia, a reliability event that’s been running since the early 1900s and is hard enough to finish on a small-bore enduro bike let alone a hulking adventure machine.
That didn’t put Isle of Man legend and all-round motorcycle gun Cam Donald off the scent and, although he felt like a sitting duck at times when the terrain was really cut up and sleep deprivation was setting in, he gritted his teeth and produced one of his most masterful performances. And then he slept…
Sure, Cam’s a talented and courageous operator, but if he'd attempted the same feat on the previous version of the Tiger 1200 he would have been in all sorts of bother.
That alone is an endorsement of the quantum leap that Triumph has made with its latest big-bore adventure tackle, which is better on every metric: performance, handling, comfort, electronics, ergonomics and styling. A central component is the all-new triple featuring an irregular firing order for a ‘lumpier’ low-down power delivery compared to the super-smooth character of a traditional triple. Some people said the old engine lacked character – certainly not now!
The Tiger 1200 Rally Pro is also capable of taking the hard hits – inevitable if off-road adventure riding is your caper – and the fit and finish are excellent.
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Who will the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro appeal to?
That question is normally answered with a quick scan of the front wheel – and if it’s a 21-incher you instantly know there’s some serious off-road intent lurking.
That’s where the Tiger 1200 Rally Pro sits in the adventure sphere, so riders who want to head off-piste will be all set – and the semi-active Showa suspension will be an excellent ally.
As we found on the Aussie launch, though, the Triumph doesn’t only excel off-road – it also makes for an excellent commuter, scratcher (when that 21-inch front wheel doesn’t feel as docile as you’d think) and on the open road, where it just eats up the miles with ridiculous ease.
If if you love your electronics, the Tiger 1200 Rally will have you jumping out of your skin. It’s a comprehensive suite of excellence, but tempered with user-friendly menus so you’re not just pressing buttons as the exasperation levels rise.
What does the Triumph Tiger 1200 cost?
There are two Rally models: the Pro, which is our 2022 bikesales Bike of the Year finalist, and the Explorer, which has a whopping 30-litre tank to put it firmly up against the BMW R 1250 GS Adventure. The Pro retails for $31,800 ride away, and the Explorer for $33,950 ride away – both with a three-year factory warranty and class-leading service intervals of 16,000km.
At those prices, you don’t really want to pay for anything extra, and about the only accessories that you’d seriously contemplate (other than maybe luggage) are tyre pressure monitoring and heated seats.
The Rally Pro is available in three liveries: Snowdonia White, Sapphire Black, and Matt Khaki.
What have we already said about the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro?
Donald must enjoy the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro – after his 24 Trial heroics he then put his hand up to attend the Aussie media launch for bikesales!
Without the hullabaloo and intensity of competition – and normal sleep to maximise his thought patterns – Cam managed to get a feel for every nuance of the British bulldog and he believes it has all the qualities to fight for the big-bore dual-sport crown.
“I have to admit I've always regarded the BMW R 1250 GS as the pick of the big adventure-bike bunch, but the new Tiger 1200 is very impressive,” said Donald.
“With a couple of classic Triumphs in the shed, I do have a soft spot for the British marque, but if the bike was no good, I'd be the first to say it. In this case, it was absolutely brilliant.”
Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro specs at a glance:
Price: $31,800 ride away
Engine: 1160cc, liquid-cooled in-line triple
Output: 148hp (110kW) at 9000rpm, 130Nm at 7000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed
Weight: 249kg (dry)
Seat height: 875/895mm
Fuel capacity: 20 litres
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