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Triumph Reveals Prototype of Radically Redesigned Tiger 1200

On the heels of the pictures of the prototype Tiger Sport 660, Triumph has now revealed another prototype … a new Tiger 1200.

Other than these few pictures and the video teaser below, we have this simple statement from Triumph:

Lighter and more powerful, the all-new Tiger 1200 transformation is on its way. The all-new Tiger 1200 has now reached its exciting final stages of testing. 

The word transformationsimply doesnt do it justice. Designed to deliver the new ultimate large capacity adventure ride, the incredible Tiger 1200 will bring every advantage in one all-new motorcycle family. Now significantly lighter than its closest competition, with an astonishing transformation in weight, the new 1200 will combine the triple powered engine advantage with a new dimension in class-leading agility, control and handling.

While the Tiger Sport 660 appears to be a budget, street-focused machine, the new Tiger 1200 should be a more traditional adventure model with a much higher price tag. If Triumph will indeed undercut the curb weight of the competitive large-displacement adventure models, including the svelte KTM, it will be quite an achievement.

We suspect that part of the weight savings will include the adaptation of the 1160cc engine from the new Speed Triple 1200 RS. Here is what Triumph said about the engine in the new Speed Triple:

The powertrain has been completely re-designed, with every single element engineered for increased performance and reduced mass, making the new engine significantly lighter, by 7kg. It’s more compact compared to the previous Speed Triple powertrain, despite the bigger capacity, giving the new model the perfect balance of aggression, performance and control.

28 Comments

  1. newtonmetres says:

    I would like to see: 225kg dry-true 150HP-22lt tank-regular panniers(like MultiStrada) not the bulky ones-low seat-NO BLOODY RADAR-LOUD horn. Perfect!

  2. Thads says:

    She shore does look pretty darn good at roosting rocks.

  3. Pete says:

    Gamechanger.

  4. Tomarline says:

    I like it so far. I assume it will be offered in 19 and 21 inch wheel. I want the road version with 19 inch cast wheel. Please leave the 120 degree crank in it. I think Triumph ruined the 900’s with the new [vibrating!] firing order. I’ve had 2 800’s and didn’t like the 900. Not as smooth as the 800. IMHO..

  5. Dino says:

    You had me at “Lighter, and more powerful”
    I’ll take one as is, same tricky paint job (kinda growing on me).
    Just spoon on some street tires, as I will not even pretend to take this off road. Much like my trusty Vstrom 1000, it should just be a very fun and comfortable bike for long and short distances, with plenty of Hoot!

    • Thads says:

      I ponder What is the weight difference compared to the new gen DL1000A, albeit shaft vs chain consideration.

  6. mtngoat56 says:

    Looking at the swingarm from both sides it appears fairly light, even with shaft drive.
    Good to see weight coming down.

  7. ilikefood says:

    It looks like the new Tiger 1200 has a driveshaft (which could be a good thing for some), so it’s very unlikely it will undercut the weight of KTM and other Adv bikes. It will certainly be lighter than the current bike though.

  8. Grover says:

    Boy, talk about market saturation. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting the latest ADV offering from practically every manufacturer. At least you have lots of ADV’s to choose from. The weight range on ADV’s spans 300#-600# fully fueled and ready to go so there’s something for everyone. The day will soon arrive when their popularity wanes and life returns to normal. I think!

    • Mike says:

      And SUVs and CUVs are just a fad and their popularity will fade and life will return to normal. Adventure bikes are like SUVs in the auto world. People want something that looks “off road”, for their trips to the supermarket. They are comfortable and capable. And look good, too. Same with adventure bikes. I think they will be with us for quite a while longer.

      • Guu says:

        Main roads only get more congested and adventure bikes make riding less busy roads comfortable. They won’t go out of style and its not about style.

      • Dave says:

        I think SUV’s and CUV’s look dumb. They’re big, heavy, handle poorly, are harder to stop and are a greater hazard to the things and people they crash into more frequently than regular cars. And their popularity will wane the next time gas goes up over $4/gal, just like it did last time, causing whole factories to shut down.

        I don’t think this will happen to the bikes as readily, though.

  9. TP says:

    That frame looks interesting but I’m not interested in a big and expensive adventure bike. Where would you ever use 178 hp?

    • joe b says:

      “These are not the droids you are looking for, Move on”. My 1200 Honda has 150 and now and then, its pinned, and I think to myself, “could I use more”? but yes of course, its like asking why have a TV that has high definition, or a car with a nice heated seat, or even something as simple as an electric starter? do you really need all that? No. but you use it, like it, and when its not there, you feel like your missing something. just sayin…

      • Mick says:

        I’ll give that some thought the next time I kick my 60hp sub 300# street bike to life. Or maybe when I hop into my truck and sit in the heated seat that never gets turned on. I don’t have a TV. After The X-files started to stink I had no use for one. So I can’t help you there. 🙂

        Different strokes Joe.

      • todd says:

        Joe, maybe this isn’t obvious to you but pinning the throttle at 1500 rpm might only get you 20hp on your 1200 Honda. That’s VERY different (and much more manageable) than pinning the throttle at ~9000 rpm. Go give that a shot and report back here with your findings – if you’re still with us.

        • mickey says:

          Todd, how did you arrive at that figure? It doesnt take a lot of hp to maintain speed once its attained, but it takes a lot of hp to move a lot of weight from a low speed to a high speed.

          • todd says:

            … a dyno chart for a VFR 1200. At 1500 rpm and full throttle (i.e. trying to accelerate as hard as possible from 1500 rpm), the engine is only producing around 20hp, about what a decent 125-200cc bike makes full-out. Drop a few gears down to get the engine in its power band, hold the throttle wide open at 9000 rpm and you will be experiencing the full rush of 150 hp where your vision turns into a tunnel and your brain fails to comprehend the visuals that are blasting past you. Ironically, this is still the same amount of torque in both situations but the second one provides roughly 7-1/2 times the acceleration – if you’re MAN enough.

          • mickey says:

            Depending on what gear you are in, whether 1st or 6th. If you pin it in first at 1500 rpms in less than 1 second you would be at 6000 rpms and making over 100 hp. Right?

          • todd says:

            Correct mickey. I’m just pointing out the fact that people that suggest they are “pinning the throttle” and are expecting more are not the people who are pinning it at 9000 rpm. 90% of the people I know shift way too early and think they are really caneing the bike because they have the throttle way open.

          • Sleeping Dog says:

            Mickey, remember all these bikes have traction control and when the throttle is nailed, the computer goes, silly boy,you aren’t getting that much power. Turn the TC off and you either have a smoke show or the bike goes over backward.

            A friend has an M3 Bimmer and he gave me a tour of the menus for the computer. One of interest was a peak power, peak torque graph. Off to a quiet interstate to see what we could. We could only hit the RPM for peak HP in first gear ~75 mph and peak torque in second, in third we gave up as 100 MPH approached.

      • Evan says:

        Lol, totally. If I had a nickel for every comment like “You don’t need all that power!” or “Back in the day, I used to dust the town with my 500cc Suzuki GS, who needs 150hp?”

        Having owned many bikes, ridden scooters in Italy, taken a big GS through the Pyrenees, bogged dirt bikes in mud and blazed fire roads, and ridden all sorts of street bikes; there definitely is a place for bikes of all displacements. But please… for the love of god… stop with the who needs all that power grumbling. Big powerful bikes put a grin on a my face like no other thing in this world. Yes, all that power is necessary. Fast bikes make even 5000hp helicopters seem somewhat dull.

    • MikeG says:

      Todd –

      “90% of the people I know shift way too early and think they are really caneing the bike because they have the throttle way open.”

      You apparently know a lot of weird people. I think at least 90% of the riders I know understand that there is a power peak and it’s in the upper rev-range. I only visit here occasionally, but I think I’ve seen your posts before, usually “correcting” someone or otherwise pontificating. Are you fast? Do you race?

  10. Donk says:

    I have owned both a Tiger Explorer 1200 and a KTM 1290 Super Adventure. Triumph would be really doing something to equal the KTM. The only advantage that the old model Triumph had was they offered a low suspension model. The triple has great potential as a road going Adv bike. Lighter? Let’s hope they give the bike what it needs and not load it with gadgets just for the sake of gadgets

  11. MattG says:

    I am really liking what I am seeing here. Now if it could just be priced within the realm that mere mortals like myself can afford. I know, keep dreaming.

  12. ABQ says:

    “This motor means business … rated at 178 horsepower”
    I just wet my pants.

  13. todd says:

    It’s probably exciting for Triumph but not so much for me. Oh, and the jab aimed at the 660? I doubt it was designed to be a budget bike like a KLR or something. Most of the time, smaller and lighter usually means better to me. The fact that most companies charge less for better bikes just because the engine is smaller is a bonus.

    • Stuki Moi says:

      I would tend to agree with you. It would be nice if some of the choicer bits of suspension it, and cruise control, would more often be brought down to the middleweight class, though. KTM and Triumph doe sell R and RS models of middleweights, but mostly it’s the overpowered, overgeared, overweight bikes which gets the most premium chassis and comfort parts. A big step down from the golden era, when 600s was the hottest contested, hence the de facto premium, class.

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