Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro - As British as the Weather
At the time of writing this, it's mid-winter in the UK, and as a result, it's cold. If I look out of my living room window, I can see that parked on my driveway is a new VW press car, which, at the point of being delivered just 24 hours ago, was a lovely shade of dark blue, but today, it's white and resembles a 1:1 scale ice sculpture of very-self.
I haven't checked for accuracy because I'm sitting inside the house with the heating on while wearing my woolliest socks, but I will assume it's around -6 degrees Celsius. Yuck. I'm sure readers in more extreme corners of the world are already rolling their eyes and tutting at the measly single-digit minus figure I've estimated, but I'm standing firm with my complaint because, after all, I'm British and moaning about the weather is included in our education curriculum alongside English, Maths, Science and Tea.
I love that we get four significant seasons here in the UK; in all cases, it could, of course, be better. For the most part, winter is primarily wet and chilly, with temperatures between December and March ranging between -5C to +8C. Beyond March and through to June, Springtime is lovely (if it's not raining - but it mostly is), and in the summer, between June and September, the weather is utterly fantastic for a couple of weeks before Autumn makes a disgracefully abrupt arrival at some point between the 1st and 30th of September. British Autumn might be warm, golden and wonderful or (more likely) cold, wet and brown - it's tricky to predict. Sure, Winter in Canada or the Scandinavian countries is a 'proper winter' with consistent snow. Springtime in Japan is pink and luscious, with cherry blossom trees in full bloom beneath snowcapped peaks. Summer in Italy and the Mediterranean is perfect with long warm days and minimal rain, but d'you know what? I like the British seasons because we get a strong attempt at all of it, and whilst it's almost always better everywhere else, we Brits have learned to adapt and make light of it being either too cold, wet, hot or grey.
The latest bike I'm testing is the Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro, a sporty adventure bike with a few nice standard luxuries to help with the more challenging aspects of riding outside of the summer. It has heated grips, a heated seat, a large adjustable windscreen to deflect wind and rain and a comfortable and versatile riding position, giving riders fewer things to complain about when the weather is anything other than perfect.
The Entry Level Tiger 1200
The Tiger 1200 is Triumph's stab at the big-engine adventure bike market, which is now busier than ever before. BMW has the brilliantly German GS 1300 adventure, Honda has the adorably agile CRF 1100CF Africa Twin, and Triumph has the typically British (aside from the name perhaps) Tiger.
The Triumph is British in more ways than one, but the closest comparison I can find is actually with the weather. Like the UK's attempt at seasons, the Tiger 1200 GT Pro has a good go at a bit of everything. Sure, if you want an out-and-out sports bike, there are better options, such as the Daytona or Street Triple; if you want a weekend cruiser, you might prefer to opt for a Bobber or a Thruxton, but if you want something that will do it all consistently well, then your best bet is to opt for the do-it-all Tiger 1200 GT Pro.
In at the Deep End: 300 Miles in the First 24 Hours
The Tiger 1200 GT Pro I tested arrived on an exceptionally crisp December morning. Given the model's all-around versatility, I put it straight to work with a 300-mile round trip. The excursion would start from my home in deepest Warwickshire to Central London for a podcast recording, before later that same day, venturing to Gloucestershire for an overnight stay ahead of a car launch the following morning. Typically, when a new press bike is delivered to the house, I might take it out for an hour or two to build up an understanding of it first before venturing out for any long-distance adventures - not this time, I had places I needed to be which would have been miserable in a car or on a train, so the Tiger was put straight to work.
Country Lane Riding
From my corner of Warwickshire, in the best-case scenario and even on two wheels, it's half an hour to get to my nearest motorway, which allows for 30 minutes of getting-to-know-you time on some nice twists, turns and national speed limit lanes. Despite a considerable 250 KG weight, the Tiger feels delightfully agile once moving, which was immediately apparent. The riding position is typically adventure-focused, yet the Tiger drops into corners like its sportier equivalents and accelerates out of corners similarly with a nice buzz from the 3-cylinder engine. The 1160cc engine produces 148 bhp, which is ample for road riding whilst still being manageable at lower speeds, too. Your riding position can be adapted for faster cornering, but I enjoyed hooking into the corners whilst sitting upright and relaxed.
Scrubbing speed is a breeze thanks to some lovely Brembo hardware, which, if required, will offer sinus-clearing stopping ability with superb ABS, keeping everything in check even on the greasiest surfaces. Given the model's design purpose, engine braking is also a delight.
On the bumpier lanes, the semi-adjustable dampers keep everything feeling as it should, with 200mm of travel on the front forks and rear swing arm. A quick, easy cycle-through button adjusts the suspension to fit riders' preferences, which can also be chosen independently from other rider modes affecting the engine and performance.
Motorway Riding
With the first impressions on the country lanes over, it was time to join the M40 for 100 miles before circumnavigating the capital city on the infamous M25 for a further 20 miles. At 6'1 / 186cm, motorways are make-or-break for me on adventure bikes. I've been blessed with a relatively long torso, so I typically find that very few standard screens offer proper aero protection for me at speed. Sadly, the Triumph falls into the 'typical' category and doesn't quite do the job for me. With the screen in the raised-up position, I found some wind protection when leaning slightly forward. However, it's not a natural or comfortable riding position for a long time. Interestingly, the aero was marginally more tolerable with the screen in its lower position but only up to around 60mph, and even then, I suffered from some light but noisy buffeting to my Arai Tour X5 helmet. The standard screen isn't likely to be an issue for shorter riders, and for riders like myself who are 6 feet and over, an optional wind deflector is available at the time of purchase (priced at £162.00), which will likely be the cure for most.
City Riding
The Tiger performs very well at low speeds thanks to clever engine revisions and Triumph's new T-plane crank. The T plane was designed primarily to provide a smooth power delivery on low-speed off-road riding but, as a bonus, rewards greater stability whilst filtering through traffic, too. Smoother power delivery means crawling in traffic can easily be achieved by simply releasing the clutch lever without the need to introduce any revs.
At my height, flat feet on the floor are easily achievable, and for anyone shorter, the standard seat is adjustable to accommodate, or alternatively, an optional low seat is available at the cost of £255. For filtering, the Tiger is pretty comfortable squeezing between stationary cars on wider roads and lanes, but things can get tricky when squeezing between larger vehicles or narrow lanes as the handlebars are 85 cm wide as standard, or 98 cm the hand guards fitted.
Back to the Countryside by night
Once city duties had concluded, it was time to head west, leaving London via the city centre and out onto the M4 towards Gloucestershire, with the daylight making an equally swift exit.
Night riding in the winter can be an unpleasant experience; however, thanks to the Tiger's superb lighting and the bonus of some exceptionally efficient front foglights, illuminating the road ahead on even the darkest of Cotswold lanes was no effort at all. I opted for the rain mode in the rider mode settings on some of the more rural roads. This setting reduces the aggression of the throttle and prepares the traction control and ABS for an increased likeliness of slips. Whilst I was fortunate not to have rain for the ride, the road surfaces were far from dry, with many including a strong dose of mud and grime to keep me on my toes. The ABS and traction control were doing their thing, but never in a fashion that unsettling. On the unfamiliar and grimy roads, both aides were a welcome comfort of one less thing to worry about.
Good News: Comfortable, Versatile and Fast
Overall, the Tiger 1200 GT Pro is a lovely thing. It's easy to ride and is very comfortable in all environments. With some panniers on the back, the Triumph would make for a superb long-distance adventure bike. The 1200 engine is worthy of celebration independently thanks to its ability to be brilliant at all speeds. Larger CC engines designed for performance often have a drawback at low speeds, but this one doesn't - it just works. All adjustments to rider modes, settings, suspension and lighting are easily within reach thanks to intuitive locations.
Other positives include a silky-smooth quick shift system, which is excellent, and a drive shaft in place of a chain, which grants smooth power delivery and alleviates the need for regular chain adjustments.
There is also hill hold - a feature designed for off-roading, but something else that's a real treat for start-stop traffic on slopes in town. A firm squeeze and release of the brake lever hold the bike in position electronically until you're ready to get moving again without having to hold the brake lever or peddle.
Bad News: Triumph's Nav and Mobile App - Don't bother!
If there was one area in which the Tiger loses points, it's on the mobile app that pairs to the screen for 'supposedly' easy navigation, which (in theory) alleviates the requirement for bolt-on phone mounts. If you like to ride with navigation and are considering the Triumph, I suggest not throwing away that phone mount just yet because you're going to need it.
The mobile app is flawed in a few areas. The pairing process is slow and clunky, with a very specific step-by-step process that requires you to start all over again if done out of sequence. Once you've successfully paired the app to the bike via Bluetooth, navigation is set as a destination on the phone via the dedicated app, which sends the directions to the TFT screen.
Unfortunately, the guidance isn't clear at all, and when on motorways, instructions are especially confusing with commands to 'stay right' on the road you're already riding on when the command should actually be to 'exit left' to leave the road you're on. User feedback on the app store will confirm this, with many riders giving negative feedback and having been equally frustrated by the app, which will hopefully be rectified soon with a much-needed update.
Prices and Build Locations
The Tiger is now available in five engine categories, ranging from 660cc to 1200cc. The 1200cc Tigers sit at the top of the price range, with the GT Pro at that bracket's entry-level. The 1200 GT Pro is priced from £17,295 before optional extras, but thanks to the comprehensive list of standard equipment included in the price, buyers aren't likely to need to spend much because of what’s already offered. Colourways are limited on the GT Pro, with white included as standard. Currently, the only other options are Carnival Red (as tested) and Sapphire Black, but both options will set you back an additional £200.00.
At a glance, price-wise, the Tiger sits between its two most likely rivals, the BMW GS 1300 and the Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin. The BMW GS 1300 Adventure retails from £1,000 more but quickly becomes a bike with a price tag in the early twenty thousands if a handful of options are ticked. The Honda Africa Twin may initially seem to be of better value, with retail prices starting from £13,249, but the lack of standard equipment lets it down. With the equivalent options added to the Honda to match the standard equipment on the Triumph, the price is suddenly very close.
Another big selling point for the 1200cc Tigers is that they are made close to home. All Tiger 1200s destined for the UK and Europe are still made here in the UK at the factory in Hinkley.
To Conclude
The Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro is a superb bit of kit and, for almost all riders, is all the bike anyone is likely to ever need. While it does sit in a very competitive adventure bike market, it is absolutely worthy of being on all buyers' shortlists due to its ability to have a good go at everything with minimal compromise. It's a bike for all roads and all weather.
words by John Marcar
photography by Henry Faulkner-Smith
