[narayan]

Pardon me for the brief write ups. Trying to capture as much info as possible in fewer words and let some of the pictures do the talking. But happy to take any questions from potential owners or curious enthusiasts.

After selling the Tracer 9GT, the next bike had to be a big bore adventure bike. I was mostly sure that I won't go for the GS/GSA because I found them not very attractive {not to say they are ugly}, quite common in South East Asia and total cost of ownership was quite high {probably next only to a Ducati MS V4}.

Now my choices were the Honda ATAS 1100, KTM Super adventure S (R is overkill for my use) and the Tiger series. Ducati MS was outright ruled out for he high upfront cost of acquisition, not to mention the upkeep costs.

Fortunately, I did not have to go through an elaborate evaluation process among the above 3 because I really loved the new generation Tiger series after one look at the dealership. Top initial buying reasons were

1. Smashing looks - Lean and muscular frame (maybe even the ATAS will fit this bill - so you can guess what looks appealing to my eyes)
2. Very well packaged and hence did not look or FEEL bulky at all. Notably, I use the bike within the city as well on a daily basis and 50% of city rides are with my son. So I ride with a top box and panniers to store jackets, rain coats and typically other stuff like my office bag, lunch box, son's school bag. So a narrow width is important for me to be able to squeeze between cars within the city. The Tiger fits that bill perfectly despite the 37L panniers
3. The dealer was throwing in unlimited mileage 4 year warranty and 4 year free servicing

Now, deciding from the Tiger 1200 model range isn't easy. I would have ideally preferred the Tiger 1200 GT EXPLORER but the dealer wasn't importing that anytime soon. So i went with the 1200 Rally Explorer. Explorer model is the absolute top end in the range with the full works - semi active suspension, rider modes, blind spot radar, 30 Lit tank ( in reality it is atleast 32-33 lits ). The bike comes fully loaded from the factory unlike the BMW which is a master at low entry pricing and making the buyer add more and more options. I did not have to add a single bit of accessory except a phone mount. The chosen colour was the marquee model colour - Matt Khaki Green. This is basically a combination of black, khakhi green and white

[narayan]

Design/Looks
Let me start with this first given that it was the first swing factor in my buying decision.

1. Lean and muscular from any angle. No sign of bulk even if you put on the panniers
2. Front headlights is an evolution of the bug eye Triumph look - again lean is the theme here compared to the previous generation
3. When you look at it front on, you can see the wide girth at the top which is typical of adventure tourers (though not as wide as a GSA which many buyers further accentuate by fitting storage bags at the upper crash bars). This girth, many mistake, to be due to a "wide 30l" fuel tank. But that is not the case, even the regular 1200 Rally Pro has a wide look. This is more due to the radiator and fans placed on the sides
4. The swingarm and shaft is simply a work of art - a marked departure from the previous generation single sided swing arm (trying to ape the GS). With a double sided swingarm, Triumph were able to make the shaft leaner since it the shaft casing no longer had to provide the structural rigidity also
5. Tail section is super slim and lean. This helps in a compact foot print that i alluded to earlier
6. Exhaust pipe, again, a work of art. I am yet to see (Ducati MS apart), any manufacturer packaging the stock exhaust so well. It hardly protrudes from the body line. So you don't have an ugly cut out in the right side pannier to accommodate it. Rather, both panniers are of exactly same dimensions, giving a very proportionate look to the rear end

The last photo with the panniers is my city set up. I have gone through 2 pannier wraps so far. I do this myself and its an extremely enriching experience

[narayan]

Engine, Drive train, Performance

1. The engine is all new with reduced capacity in this generation. At 1160cc, its now the second smallest in displacement and power in the big bore segment although at launch Triumph was aiming to be almost class leading. {the smallest and least powerful being the ATAS}.

2. However, the new firing order creates a more torquey feel lower down with the exhaust sound very similar to an ATAS/ KTM SAS rather than the triple wail from the previous gen. Since this is my first Triumph and I am not very used to the typical triple sound, the current gen suited me fine. Power delivery is smooth from lower down. There is sufficient torque at all RPMs to pull clean even if you have a pillion and luggage (as is the case with me in my city commute). At higher rpms, the pull get stronger and stronger since a big bunch of torque/power is made higher up. This is no torque monster like the GS or power monger like the Ducati MS. It kind of sits in no mans land somewhere in between the segment - but by itself - it does the job very well

3. Quick shifter, as many reviewers have commented, is super smooth, by far the best I have experienced so far. both down and upshifts are smooth

4. Shaft drive, as expected is low on maintenance. That apart, I haven't observed any difference in power delivery vs chain drive.

5 Some reviewers do point out the viby nature of the engine. This hasn't been a problem for me because I don't have any other reference in this segment and seen by itself, I haven't noticed the vibes being annoying or disturbing. You get used to it very easily and in fact, it adds to the character of the engine

6. Fuel economy - not the right question to ask in this segment but on high way drives, at speeds upto 110kmph, you can easily get 20-22kmpl. Go a bit slower and you will be rewarded with 22-24kmpl. As you build up speed, FE drops fast. Within city, for Singapore driving cycle and a careful throttle, you can easily get 17-18kmpl. Not bad for a 1200cc, 150hp , 270+ kg (fully loaded) machine

7. Clutch is hydraulic. Clutch feel is natural and progressive. The ECU does intervene during the first few seconds of engagement by revving the engine to avoid a stall. This takes some getting used to - part of any new bike experience and your past it in 2-3 days of riding. Clutch engagement is with minimal effort compared to a cable clutch. At the 20k service, the fluids were changed which further improved the feel.

[narayan]

Ride, Handling, Tyres, Brakes

1. Stock tyres are
Front Tire Metzeler Karoo Street, 90/90-21 (M/C 54V TL)
Rear Tire Metzeler Karoo Street, 150/70R18 (M/C 70V TL)

The 21" front aids in better offroading capabilities going over sharper bumps - but honestly, I hardly have made use of those capabilities as my riding has been largely touring. Surprisingly, the 21" provides very good cornering confidence - as many reviewers observed. I felt more confident on this bike than my previous Tracer 9GT. However, the stock tyres are a bit knobby and 70-30 tyres. This resulted in a huge amount of road noise at around 100-110kmph. Its more like an evil wail that I kind of got used to thanks to some degree of sound proofing from the helmet. But at around 25k mark, I changed the front to Pirelli Scorpio trail 2. The rear is still the stock Karoo street. I tried to look for literature on any disadvantages to running slightly different tread patterns at the front and back and found none. My experience over past 3k kms proves, there is no harm in doing this.

2. The front had a lot of life when I did the change but i anyway decided to go ahead and the tyre noise did reduce a lot. Rear is going strong even at 28k Kms. I have read in Triumph forums that people have got 35K mileage out of these - this is possible if most of your riding is on the highways with smooth surfaces and little braking requirements.

3. Touch wood - no punctures so far. In fact, city riding in Singapore often rarely requires even air refills that often since there is hardly any pressure loss due to smoother roads

4. Braking power comes from the famous Brembo Stylema series. More than adequate braking power with progressive feel and strong bite through the lever position. Still running on stock brake pads and not hit the bottom of the grooves

5. Suspension is fully adjustable semi active Showas at front and rear with adjustability via rider modes, custom modes and individual settings being accessible from the TFT menu. Suspension can go from plush to sporty across these modes and the difference is very noticeable - giving you full control on how you want your experience to be. There are no manual adjustments for hard core offroaders

[narayan]

Dimensions and Managing the bike

1. There is no doubt this bike is tall like most big bore ADVs are but what most reviewers don't tell you (probably due to the small time they spend testing these bikes) is that the Tiger 1200 is far more approachable to the average rider than what the specs tell you.

2. Seat height in paper is 875-895mm on the stock seat and low seat can take it down to 850mm at the low setting. I have both the seats and use the low seat at low setting in city and the normal seat at low setting for long rides. So its either 850mm or 875mm for me. With my height being just 173cms, the bike is very manageable because the seat is also not very broad like the GS and the chassis is well balanced (so if you are reasonably experienced, you will do fine on-road in this bike). On highway rides, with riding shoes on, i get an extra buffer, so the stock seat, with its added padding, still is very accessible for me

3. A lot of reviewers spoke about the weight. Some 270kgs wet. Mind you, my city ride, with 2 panniers and a top box full of stuff is easily around 280-285kgs plus a 55kg pillion but the weight has never bogged me down. But, its very important, as most experienced riders know, that you plan your moves ahead whether it is U-turns, parking on incline/decline, pushing around your bike in tight spots etc. Here, you need to use a bit of logical thinking to ensure the weight of the bike works for you rather than working against you. So use gravity to good measure. Its also advisable for anyone getting into such large capacity segment to learn low speed maneuvering by practice and or watching tons of Youtube content

4. With a full tank of fuel, which is what i always top upto, the bike is still very manageable as long as you respect that newly added weight into the tank during slow speed turns. once you pick up riding speeds, the weight disappears

[pedrolourenco]

Is the process of buying a bike in Singapore the same as a car? I mean the cost of the certificate ending up as much or sometimes more than the value of the vehicle?

[narayan]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

Is the process of buying a bike in Singapore the same as a car? I mean the cost of the certificate ending up as much or sometimes more than the value of the vehicle?

Motorcycles also have COEs. Prevailing 10 year rate is around $9700. On top you pay the price of the motorcycle which is more heavily taxed than in India.
the Tiger 1200 Rally explorer retails for $56000 whereas the new R1300GS goes for around $72000. with COE, the GS is $82000. When converted to INR, I believe this would be more than twice India prices and this just gives you 10 year ownership after which you have to pay the prevailing 10 year rates of you wish to renew.

[narayan]

Instrument console, Switch gear, Electronics

I have to admit here that I am not the very geeky type so I have not used all the features to the fullest extent. Let me try to explain everything that I know of.

1. Instrument Panel
a. As is visible, the new generation came with a much larger 7" colour TFT screen
b. I agree with the observation of many reviewers that Triumph could have done a much better job to allow users to configure the home screen i.e. what all data is displayed by default. Many of us are used to seeing ODO, FE or atleast 1 trip info on a static basis. However, I should add here that with a few toggles, one can pull up the data and keep that info made available on the right side, but at the cost of compressing the main speedo/RPM screen. Also, depending on your preference, you will have to get different screens on the right side and there isn't a configurable option where you can decide what you want to be shown permanently. I wish Triumph could do a software update, if feasible, to address this
c. The homescreen will show you the speed, rpm, gear position, ambient temperature, time and the ride mode you are in. While using the indicator, the time will vanish until the indicator is turned off ( wasted opportunity given that its 7" and there is so much real estate available to show both data points ). Likewise, if you switch on the spot lights, that icon will override the ambient temperature since both are at the same spot on the screen
d. Screen is very clear and there is no glare given that its nicely placed deep behind the windscreen

Home screen:


Each option from the Main menu:





One can do these through the various menu
1. Screen and bluetooth - pairing of devices, giving control to the toggle switch to read sms, cancel calls, use Triumph navigation (which is crappy and only turn by turn ), brightness
2. Parameter changes within each drive mode. While Triumph as these standard modes - Rain, Road, Sport, Offroad, Offroad Pro, there is also a custom Rider mode. That apart, on each of Triumphs standard modes - you can customise your settings for suspension, TC, ABS within certain rules. For example, in the Offroad modes, you cant tinker with the factory ABS/TC settings beyond certain limits. By limits, I mean the degree of changes which is shown in easy steps of increase/decrease from one end to the other
4. 2 trip meters and you can opt for trip meters to auto reset at certain periodical intervals or remain as is until manually reset
5. Oh by the way, the drive modes can be changed on the go. One just needs to keep the throttle closed while doing it
6. Real time fuel efficiency and trip level FE are visible


2. Switch gear

a. switch gear is back lit and of very high quality. Good feel and firm action when engaged
b. right side has - ignition, home, hazard light, steering lock. Ignition switch has a stronger effort required than other switches. Not sure if that is by design to avoid accidental usage.
c. left side has - high/low beam, horn, toggle, indicator, spot light, front seat heating, cruise control
d. left side grip has the heated grip button
e. rear passenger gets their own heated seat button on the left side bottom of the rear seat
f. One small size cigarette lighter type charging port at the front behind the TFT, another similar port next to passenger heated seat button and one type B (i think) under the passenger seat with a case to store a phone - but I am not sure who will store their phone under the passenger seat !!



The blind spot radar, per se, is placed at the rear just below the tail light. What it does is, it lets you know about oncoming vehicles from your left and right by lighting up this orange light on the rear view mirrors. It works as expected and is a decent feature.



The mirrors, by themselves, do the job well but could have been a size larger for better visibility.

3. Other points

1. Cruise control allows you to go back to the most recent setting if you have disengaged it before an engine shut down.
2. There is some room for improvement on the smoothness with which the cruise control could have disengaged and you transition to manual throttle input. Its a matter of getting used to
3. Lighting duties is by a nice twin LED headlights which are par for the course among stock lighting systems. There are also 2 LED spotlights on either side of the radiator area which do give a good spread when engaged. That apart, there is a signature smiley kind of DRL at the top of the headlight. To note. You can use these only in this combination
a. DRL only
b. Low beam only
c. High beam only (full time or for passing)
d. Low beam or high beam along with spot light
You can't use DRL + Spotlight or just spotlight only

[narayan]

Long distance touring capabilities

Comfort
1. Seat is well padded despite being contoured well to minimise the actual impact of height by keeping it narrow at the crotch/groin area. The rear seat has a front facing flatting surface if you want to lean your butt against - but for my build - I don't get that far in the front seat to touch this area. However, during long rides, this gives me room to move around
2. Suspension adjustments lets you choose the settings for the road conditions and to your preference. So you can really get a nice plush ride or go to the other extreme with a very involved ride around twisties ( this is so odd to say for a long travel, heavy adventure tourer but this bike surely delivers the smiles around corners - so much so that, Triumph moved the foot pegs slightly upwards to increase cornering angles in the mid life face lift for the 2022 generation in 2024 )
3. Handle bar is typically wide as with this segment. This allows you to maneuver the bike quite well at low speeds and at the same time better leverage in off road situations. Bar risers will be needed for a more comfortable touring position
4. Foot pegs are the offroad variety which is grippy with riding shoes but there is good damping from the rubber inserts
5. Windscreen is okayish. The mechanism to adjust it is very user friendly. Not the best in the segment for sure from wind protection POV. This is no GSA windshield behind which you don't experience the wind at all. You would need to look for the ideal setting to get the wind get over your helmet. However, the narrowness of the screen and the smallish winglets on the sides means, there is a lot of wind flow along the sides and while overtaking fast/heavy vehicles, expect some movement
6. I always thought heated grips and seats are a total waste for the tropics. Now i believe they are mostly a waste except when you have just finished riding through a burst of rains. Using heated seats after that helps dry up the seat and your butt sooner. Likewise with the grips.
7. Switch gear is easily accessible and moving through menus on the go is easy.

Range/Fuel efficiency/Performance
1. With a 30 lit tank, range is very well sorted. In fact, 30L is the useable tank capacity. i have, on multiple occasions, tanked up a full 30L. So there was surely maybe 1-2L atleast still left in the tank on those occasions. This coupled with the fuel efficient nature of the triple means, on expressways, one can see a full tank range of around 550Kms easily with some fuel left
2. Performance is, as the specs suggest, amazing. This bike can do a sedate ride but transform completely into a beast if you take it through the revs. The sound totally transforms to an "almost" typical tripple gruffy grunt from the typical twin sound that you get in lower RPMs.
3. Quick shifter is reported as best in the segment. I can vouch for that {though i don't know how each of the other segment bike's quickshifters operate, the Triumph is super super smooth on both up and downshift right from first gear onwards )

Other relevant points
1. Storage is well sorted with the 2X 37L Triumph branded panniers that came with this fully loaded model. Additionally a 37L top box that can hold upto a full faced helmet. That apart, I have 2X15L saddle bags that I use for short trips (day rides usually). This is place of the panniers which I avoid on long expressway rides to minimise wind buffeting at the rear (although practically speaking, I did not see this as a major issue on a recent Thailand trip where I was riding with the panniers all the way). But mainly, on short trips, I avoid the panniers to also make it easier at border crossings where, sometimes, the motorcycle immigration lanes can be narrow. For long trips, I have a Motovolf 66L tailbag which I mount along the length of the bike for better weight distribution (as seen in the pics below). The top box is exclusively for city use or if I am just crossing over to Malaysia for cheaper fuel
2. distance to empty and fuel efficiency displayed in the TFT are quite accurate. This helps you plan your stops better. There is some buffer built into the DTE - on 1 occasion when I was trying to time my trip to Malaysia to get cheaper fuel, I ended up reaching zero on DTE but still rode around 3-4kms before cross over to Malaysia. That was a very tense ride and I was hoping I don't get stranded without fuel !
3. The wide girth at the front gives some wind protection to your legs. Also, due to the side ways radiator and fan placement, there is virtually no heat flowing to the rider. In fact, I recall, my KTM Duke 125 used to heat up my crotch much more and the Tiger 1200 comes no where as close to that

Sharing some pictures from a few rides. I have explored many parts of Malaysia and a few parts of Thailand in this bike. More trips to Thailand and Cambodia are planned for later this year and next year.

[narayan]

After sales service/Support/accessories

Reading through some of the issues Triumph owners are reportedly facing in India, its quite different where I ride. Triumph SG went through a dealership change 2 years back which also prompted my decision since the new dealer had a better reputation than the previous one (although the previous one is a very old well established motorcycle dealership in the region).

The dealership offers a 4 year unlimited mileage warranty and 4 years of free servicing (again unlimited mileage ). So there is total peace of mind. Usually, such packages come with some caveats, but in my experience so far, the dealer has not thrown any challenges ( and so has the bike ).

While the official Triumph UK service interval is 10,000 miles or 16,000 kms, the dealership over here does oil changes every 5000kms as a part of the 4 year package. That apart, they stick to all other maintenance items as per the Triumph schedule. Oil used is, of course, fully synthetic, Motul brand.

In my most recent service, the shaft oil was changed. The hydraulic clutch oil was also changed which vastly improved clutch actuation and smoothness in finding neutral from first gear.

This apart, the bike hasn't required any other work so far.

As for accessories, I have nothing except the below 2

1. Phone holder - its a basic X grip unit
2. Additional phone holder mount - mounted behind the windscreen - I don't use this at all and might just remove it

Bike is completely stock apart from the above. All protection bars and panniers are Triumph branded accessories obtained during the purchase of the bike