I just bought a 2015 1200 tiger explorer. It's so nice. Smooth. Wicked fast and super comfortable. It's massive. I mean a giant front end. Keeps all the wind off of me. I'm 6ft3 195lbs and the bike has tons of room. Huge passenger seat. I paid $7000. And it's fully loaded. 20,000 miles.
Spot on with your review , have recently bought one . My last bike was a MT10 and before that a Multistrada so i change my bikes regularly and i find the tiger IMO to be up there with the best . For me the handling , brakes ,suspension and build quality are really impressive and it,s probably my favorite bike to date.
Thanks Robert the tiger 1200 is probably my favorite adventure bike ,I've just bought a trophy 1200 which has the same engine ,love it to bits All the best mark
Good video Mark, I had a speed triple couple of yrs ago they are a nice relaxed ride , triples make power any revs any gear ,would have been nice if you could have done a close up of the display good stuff shane uk 🇬🇧
Really a great video, thanks. So which do you prefer the Tiger 1200 or the Tiger 800. Like most people in the US most of the riding I do is road miles and only an occasional dirt/gravel road to a campground or a little "adventure" sight seeing . Owning a 850 lb Harley I'm looking to lighten the load as many campgrounds are a little off the beaten path.
Hi John I love the 800 it's perfect balance of power and handling ,but for me I'd have the 1200 it's just so smooth and comfortable and the engine is just amazing , all the best mark
You are starting to knock them out! You needed to do a more in depth walk around of this bike at the end partic the brakes and suspension, also the shaft drive, maybe played around with the TFT for 5 minutes. The switch gear also illuminates at night which is great and should be mandatory on all bikes now. KTM does illuminated switch gear as well. I think the main rivals to this are the new BMW GS1250 as also shaft drive and the Boxer carries it's weight low down. The KTM 1290 SuperAdventure is more powerful I think though 160/170hp. Ducati Multistrada for me is Italian and not as great quality as rivals such as BMW, Triumph and KTM. Ducati don't even apply lacquer to their paints! Maybe also the V-Strom 1000 is a competitor. I have a Sprint ST1050 and I'm on tippy toes on that as I am similar height to you. Like this Triumph you are testing it feels a taller somewhat top heavy bike, but the engine just howls as you open it up. Oodles of torque. Continuing the Triumph theme you need to get out on the new 1050 Speed Triple RS. Awesome bike, feels light but reassuringly planted, fast and very flickable. Not as manic as the 765 Street Triple RS. I guess it's rival is the BMW S1000R. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for the great comments Alex !! Yes I did play with the tft at the start before I started filming I think I'd need about half an hour just to work it all out as it's quite indepth !!
@@markpulling12 I find Triumph's new TFT screens fairly intuitive to use. My only experience of them is the Street Triple RS and the new Speed Triple RS. Would like to try this Tiger 1200 you are testing although I feel it will just feel a little too big and heavy to my liking at slower speeds and manoeuvring around. Loaded up for touring it would be a beast of a bike. Thanks again.
gidday Mark, well took my tiger XRT1200 over to the west coast, in one end out the other approx 1200 km , what a ride, didn't miss a beat. just 1 thing I don't like, the water tank is white so you can't see the level. i have got 2 questions for you though that I need advice on. 1- the warning light for proximity low battery comes on every now and then 2- the blue warning light for low beam comes on every now and then as well(left-hand side of TFT screen ) to turn it off I switch to hi beam then back to low, that happened today , when I got home while the light was on I checked to make sure lights were on, they were. are these anything to worry about? I love it though, best bike I have ever had.
Hi Keith glad you like your new triumph....no sorry can't comment on those lights as modern bikes are so technical these days...maybe try a new battery in the key ... failing that it just might need a reset with the dealer software Probably go out on my triumph 1200 today all the best mark
Hi Mark well I've had my 1200 XRT for 5 months now, love it. i have 1 question for you. the out of rage proximity switch warning keeps on coming on quite often even when I am sitting on the bike, but a new battery in , in January. it doesn't stay on but is it something I should be worried about.
Hi Keith ...seems a common issue with these ... nothing too much to worry about...it may be caused now and again by interference ie radio/phone masts ....cheers mark
I don't understand the heat issue with the triumph tiger 1200, why doesn't other bikes like the BMW put out that much heat, how can they be so different they're both water cooled, I know one is a triple and the other is two cylinders but they both have the same displacement so they should put out close to the same amount of heat, right.
@@markpulling12 maybe Triumph design the bike for English Riders to keep your legs warm, lol. I live in California and the summer is 80F to 112F, I really want to buy this bike but I'm worried it will cook me. I need to go test ride one. Thanks for the video.
I’ve been lucky enough to own one of these and now have a bmw r1250 gs hp rallye , for me the bmw wins hands down, the triumph kicks out loads of heat and feels considerably heavier
For most riders most of the time I'd agree with you. I test rode an Exploder and TBH it scared the **** out of me at slow speed and that was without a pillion or luggage, coming to a stop at traffic lights downhill on dodgy wet road surfaces was not a pleasant experience and put me off buying one. A mate of mine is over 6 foot and tours Europe 2 up on his which is the Tiger's strength IMO, but he ruptured his achilleas tendon putting it on the centre stand last year. As is usual a decent test ride will help decide if it's the bike for you.
Hi Mark. Came across your video here and I'm in the market for either a new 900tg Pro or a used 1200 from this year as they are roughly same price. What would your thoughts be on that?
Hi Christopher...if they are the same price I'd probably go for the lighter new 900 GT myself...the 1200 is heavy ....I have the tracer 9 GT myself and it's amazing:)
@@markpulling12 I have ridden the tracer 9gt and it's an awesome bike but I just wish it had a proper tft I could not get along with the screen. I have a test ride on the 900gt Pro next week and very much looking forward to it
That has a lovely big twin ...so it will thump rather than buzz ...I have heard good things about them :) Check out the multistrada aswell Regards mark
Nice review but before you get to excited you need to ride the new BMW R1250 GS, I think its better! the Triumph has a reputation to blow very hot air around your nether regions, Multistrada and XR are not in the same catagory having chains.
Mark...need some help. I currently have a Triumph Trophy with no issues and wife loves it, but we sometimes like to take the back country gravel roads. I am torn trading in the Trophy, but landed a good deal on a brand new Tiger 1200 XRT. Will the wife be as happy on the XRT and will I have any regrets from getting rid of the Trophy?
Hi ...as I've had lots of experience of both the tiger 1200 is heavy but WAY lighter than the trophy and would be better for tighter country roads ... comfort wise it has a similar sized perch for your wife so with a top box should be comfortable but it may be a bit more of a taller climb onboard...it's very comfortable for the rider the screen isn't quite as " barn door " esq but is still good but it's the same power but lighter so I think you'll find it more involving to ride being lighter ...I sold my trophy because I nearly dropped it twice phew...so I'm saving for a tracer 9 gt now ...but yes I definitely recommend one :) the tiger that is Cheers mark
@@markpulling12 Thanks....I was worried with the Tiger and the height/weight. I am 5'9" with a 31" inseam and I am perfectly fine on the Trophy (almost flat foot), but tip-toe on the Tiger. Have heard horror stories about guys dumping the bike. I am schedule to pickup the Tiger tomorrow but want to make sure the wife will enjoy it as much as she does the Trophy. Thanks for getting back to me!!
Pues yo cometí el error de elegir la Tiger 1200XRT, me la entregaron el 30.01.18, y en Octubre me deja tirado por primera vez, grúa y al concesionario, actualizan software y semanas después de nuevo no arranca otra grúa y al taller, cambian piña derecha, al mes de nuevo no arranca era el 31.01.19 la tienen en el taller hasta 11.04.19 y me indican que el problema es la batería, la cambian y la semana de nuevo falla, otra grúa para su traslado, me la entregan de nuevo con el problema solucionado, y al cabo de unos días otra vez no arranca, la grúa la lleva al concesionario el 29.04.19 y ahí sigue a día de hoy. Escribo a atención al cliente de Triumph España, y se limitan a decirme que sienten mucho los problemas que me está causando la moto. El problema es que una moto valorada en 20000 euros, con 16 meses de uso haya pasado unos cinco meses en el taller, sin que sean capaces de solucionarlo, y el penoso trato recibido de una marca de élite.
Hi mark no havent heard anything about this,maybe just some people complain about heat from the engine on their legs but no overheating issues as far as i know MP
Brian I had a Suzuki GSX 600F which scared the shit out of me, the suspension was stiff as a brick it bounced round corners, the full fairing acted like a sail in gusty side winds. When I took it back to the dealers to get the suspension adjusted ( no tool kit under the seat, I suspect he nobbled it?) He suggested I try the Triumph 900 Thunderbird Sports, Oh my it was just FUN, FUN, FUN and the deal was DONE DONE DONE. Never once did it put the 💩💩 up me, it just went exactly where it was required to, foot peg scrapping was a joy, it even held it's own against the boy racers on their flying machines. It turned heads wherever it went, you could hear that ROAR coming from 4 miles away and even at 30 mph it sounded like it was moving some air. I really wish they would do a Retro of it!! Meanwhile I'll settle for my Tiger Sport, almost as much fun but heavier and not nearly so nostalgic!!
Hi Rachid, I owned a 2016 XC Explorer and sold it after 2 years and 35,000km. It was a heavy pig off road and I'm not talking technical single track. Very top heavy, also every time you turn the key off you have to faff through the settings to turn abs , TC off. I was getting a lot of play in the shaft drive even though the bike didn't have a lot of kilometres on it. A mate had the earlier model and his didn't have the issue mine did so I decided all things considered to get shot of it before it started to cost me a lot and bought a 650 Vstrom instead of the 1000Vstrom. Sure on paper the 650 Vstrom has 50% of the Explorer HP but is 50kg +lighter so in reality not a world away. The Vstrom gets to 160km pretty briskly and is capable of 200kph and nowadays that's pretty well fast enough for me. At significantly less than half the cost of the triumph and a reputation for rock solid reliability plus an average 450km from the 20 litre tank it will do me. I think the Explorer is a great bike for touring on road but a handful off road unless you are very experienced and confident as well as being a strong b*stard if you drop it and have to pick it up if you are by yourself. Cheers Frank
triumph sponsored? I drove them.... Tiger XCA and BMW R1250 GS Adventure. Just bought the BMW. Tiger is to fluffy, to heavy. BMW feels much more handy and looks way more quality.
What a pussy comment 😂🤣 i also tested both and the Tiger its better all the way!!! More power, more confort, more style, much more exclusive!!! The GS is a Great bike but the Tiger... The Tiger is a UFO!!!😎
I just bought a 2015 1200 tiger explorer. It's so nice. Smooth. Wicked fast and super comfortable. It's massive. I mean a giant front end. Keeps all the wind off of me. I'm 6ft3 195lbs and the bike has tons of room. Huge passenger seat. I paid $7000. And it's fully loaded. 20,000 miles.
Nice one Jim ,Ive just bought a triumph trophy 1200 se 2014 ,same engine and super comfortable too All the best mark
Agreed...I have a 2013 Triumph tiger explorer and absolutely luv it!
Spot on with your review , have recently bought one . My last bike was a MT10 and before that a Multistrada so i change my bikes regularly and i find the tiger IMO to be up there with the best . For me the handling , brakes ,suspension and build quality are really impressive and it,s probably my favorite bike to date.
Thanks Robert the tiger 1200 is probably my favorite adventure bike ,I've just bought a trophy 1200 which has the same engine ,love it to bits All the best mark
Great bike, had a 2012 version, moved over to GS, about to buy the 1250 version, my third, feels a lot classier and is a much better package...
Thanks for review Mark, i just tried One today and it was amazing!!! I think it will be the one! Great remarks... Greetings from Portugal
Thanks Miguel. the tiger 1200 is one of my favorite adventure tourers glad you enjoyed it all the best mark
took it for a goo 2 hour + ride Saturday , soooooo smooth. MERRY XMAS
Good video Mark, I had a speed triple couple of yrs ago they are a nice relaxed ride , triples make power any revs any gear ,would have been nice if you could have done a close up of the display good stuff shane uk 🇬🇧
Hi shane ,yes agreed the triple is an amazing engine ,just love the way it makes its power from low down in the revs , all the best mark
Really a great video, thanks. So which do you prefer the Tiger 1200 or the Tiger 800. Like most people in the US most of the riding I do is road miles and only an occasional dirt/gravel road to a campground or a little "adventure" sight seeing . Owning a 850 lb Harley I'm looking to lighten the load as many campgrounds are a little off the beaten path.
Hi John I love the 800 it's perfect balance of power and handling ,but for me I'd have the 1200 it's just so smooth and comfortable and the engine is just amazing , all the best mark
in 2 months i should be getting one , can't wait. going from my sprint gt 1050.
Thanks Keith ... great bikes ...I've got a trophy 1200 All the best mark
You are starting to knock them out! You needed to do a more in depth walk around of this bike at the end partic the brakes and suspension, also the shaft drive, maybe played around with the TFT for 5 minutes. The switch gear also illuminates at night which is great and should be mandatory on all bikes now. KTM does illuminated switch gear as well. I think the main rivals to this are the new BMW GS1250 as also shaft drive and the Boxer carries it's weight low down. The KTM 1290 SuperAdventure is more powerful I think though 160/170hp. Ducati Multistrada for me is Italian and not as great quality as rivals such as BMW, Triumph and KTM. Ducati don't even apply lacquer to their paints! Maybe also the V-Strom 1000 is a competitor.
I have a Sprint ST1050 and I'm on tippy toes on that as I am similar height to you. Like this Triumph you are testing it feels a taller somewhat top heavy bike, but the engine just howls as you open it up. Oodles of torque.
Continuing the Triumph theme you need to get out on the new 1050 Speed Triple RS. Awesome bike, feels light but reassuringly planted, fast and very flickable. Not as manic as the 765 Street Triple RS. I guess it's rival is the BMW S1000R.
Thanks for posting.
Thanks for the great comments Alex !! Yes I did play with the tft at the start before I started filming I think I'd need about half an hour just to work it all out as it's quite indepth !!
@@markpulling12 I find Triumph's new TFT screens fairly intuitive to use. My only experience of them is the Street Triple RS and the new Speed Triple RS. Would like to try this Tiger 1200 you are testing although I feel it will just feel a little too big and heavy to my liking at slower speeds and manoeuvring around. Loaded up for touring it would be a beast of a bike. Thanks again.
gidday Mark, well took my tiger XRT1200 over to the west coast, in one end out the other approx 1200 km , what a ride, didn't miss a beat. just 1 thing I don't like, the water tank is white so you can't see the level. i have got 2 questions for you though that I need advice on.
1- the warning light for proximity low battery comes on every now and then
2- the blue warning light for low beam comes on every now and then as well(left-hand side of TFT screen ) to turn it off I switch to hi beam then back to low, that happened today , when I got home while the light was on I checked to make sure lights were on, they were.
are these anything to worry about? I love it though, best bike I have ever had.
Hi Keith glad you like your new triumph....no sorry can't comment on those lights as modern bikes are so technical these days...maybe try a new battery in the key ... failing that it just might need a reset with the dealer software
Probably go out on my triumph 1200 today all the best mark
Thanks. Sir.
love watching this video, have a question now that it's 2020 is there a difference between the 2019 triumph tiger 1200 XRT and the 2020 model
Not that I'm aware of keith... I don't think that there is a new 1200 version out yet ....it's the same
Regards mark
Hi Mark well I've had my 1200 XRT for 5 months now, love it. i have 1 question for you. the out of rage proximity switch warning keeps on coming on quite often even when I am sitting on the bike, but a new battery in , in January. it doesn't stay on but is it something I should be worried about.
Hi Keith ...seems a common issue with these ... nothing too much to worry about...it may be caused now and again by interference ie radio/phone masts ....cheers mark
I don't understand the heat issue with the triumph tiger 1200, why doesn't other bikes like the BMW put out that much heat, how can they be so different they're both water cooled, I know one is a triple and the other is two cylinders but they both have the same displacement so they should put out close to the same amount of heat, right.
Yes strange mark ,I've ridden the tiger 1200 a few times and never noticed any heat ,maybe it's worse in hotter countries rather than cooler England
@@markpulling12 maybe Triumph design the bike for English Riders to keep your legs warm, lol. I live in California and the summer is 80F to 112F, I really want to buy this bike but I'm worried it will cook me. I need to go test ride one. Thanks for the video.
Mark - one more question….which would you choose between the Trophy and TT XRT for commute and 2up 5 hour touring?
Hi I owned a trophy for 5000 miles amazing but had to go as it was so heavy ....I'd go for the tiger 1200 :)
Hay Mark.Missing your excellent reviews.Any plans on test riding the new Tiger 900 GT pro.?
Hi Jay yes soon as the dealerships open after the lockdown :)
I’ve been lucky enough to own one of these and now have a bmw r1250 gs hp rallye , for me the bmw wins hands down, the triumph kicks out loads of heat and feels considerably heavier
I test rode the Rallye yesterday ,did a review on it , great bike
For most riders most of the time I'd agree with you. I test rode an Exploder and TBH it scared the **** out of me at slow speed and that was without a pillion or luggage, coming to a stop at traffic lights downhill on dodgy wet road surfaces was not a pleasant experience and put me off buying one. A mate of mine is over 6 foot and tours Europe 2 up on his which is the Tiger's strength IMO, but he ruptured his achilleas tendon putting it on the centre stand last year. As is usual a decent test ride will help decide if it's the bike for you.
BMW sucks!!! Plus everybody has one 😝
Love the bike but it is just to heavy for me. Got 800 XRX instead.
great choice yes the 1200 is a weighty old beast :)
Hi Mark. Came across your video here and I'm in the market for either a new 900tg Pro or a used 1200 from this year as they are roughly same price. What would your thoughts be on that?
Hi Christopher...if they are the same price I'd probably go for the lighter new 900 GT myself...the 1200 is heavy ....I have the tracer 9 GT myself and it's amazing:)
@@markpulling12 I have ridden the tracer 9gt and it's an awesome bike but I just wish it had a proper tft I could not get along with the screen. I have a test ride on the 900gt Pro next week and very much looking forward to it
I don't know guys, I did ride the triple and it buzzes , not really like a four such as the concourse 14. What about the super tenere?
That has a lovely big twin ...so it will thump rather than buzz ...I have heard good things about them :)
Check out the multistrada aswell
Regards mark
Nice review but before you get to excited you need to ride the new BMW R1250 GS, I think its better! the Triumph has a reputation to blow very hot air around your nether regions, Multistrada and XR are not in the same catagory having chains.
Yes Im considering trying the BMW 1250 ,I rode the GS 1200 some time ago and was very impressed all the best Mark
And the GS has the reputation of breaking in parts on of-road
Now, seriously, BMW is a great bike! A bit ugly but great anyway... But the Triumph is... Fenomenal!!!
Mark...need some help. I currently have a Triumph Trophy with no issues and wife loves it, but we sometimes like to take the back country gravel roads. I am torn trading in the Trophy, but landed a good deal on a brand new Tiger 1200 XRT. Will the wife be as happy on the XRT and will I have any regrets from getting rid of the Trophy?
Hi ...as I've had lots of experience of both the tiger 1200 is heavy but WAY lighter than the trophy and would be better for tighter country roads ... comfort wise it has a similar sized perch for your wife so with a top box should be comfortable but it may be a bit more of a taller climb onboard...it's very comfortable for the rider the screen isn't quite as " barn door " esq but is still good but it's the same power but lighter so I think you'll find it more involving to ride being lighter ...I sold my trophy because I nearly dropped it twice phew...so I'm saving for a tracer 9 gt now ...but yes I definitely recommend one :) the tiger that is
Cheers mark
@@markpulling12 Thanks....I was worried with the Tiger and the height/weight. I am 5'9" with a 31" inseam and I am perfectly fine on the Trophy (almost flat foot), but tip-toe on the Tiger. Have heard horror stories about guys dumping the bike. I am schedule to pickup the Tiger tomorrow but want to make sure the wife will enjoy it as much as she does the Trophy. Thanks for getting back to me!!
How tall are you…inseam?
@@rlwilding one inch shorter than you ......30 :)
@@markpulling12 no issues…?
Pues yo cometí el error de elegir la Tiger 1200XRT, me la entregaron el 30.01.18, y en Octubre me deja tirado por primera vez, grúa y al concesionario, actualizan software y semanas después de nuevo no arranca otra grúa y al taller, cambian piña derecha, al mes de nuevo no arranca era el 31.01.19 la tienen en el taller hasta 11.04.19 y me indican que el problema es la batería, la cambian y la semana de nuevo falla, otra grúa para su traslado, me la entregan de nuevo con el problema solucionado, y al cabo de unos días otra vez no arranca, la grúa la lleva al concesionario el 29.04.19 y ahí sigue a día de hoy. Escribo a atención al cliente de Triumph España, y se limitan a decirme que sienten mucho los problemas que me está causando la moto. El problema es que una moto valorada en 20000 euros, con 16 meses de uso haya pasado unos cinco meses en el taller, sin que sean capaces de solucionarlo, y el penoso trato recibido de una marca de élite.
Lamento escuchar sus problemas, generalmente estas motos son muy confiables, espero que lo solucionen de la mejor manera.
just picked up my new triumph tiger 1200 , will use 95 fuel , that's ok ?
I just use normal 95 in my trophy 1200 keith ....works perfectly
Regards mark
what the MPG and or range on full tank
Hi keith these are very good on fuel at least 45-50 mpg...tank range approx 200 miles all the best mark
My dad has the BMW GS 1200
Curious if u have heard anything about overheating problems on them ?
Hi mark no havent heard anything about this,maybe just some people complain about heat from the engine on their legs but no overheating issues as far as i know MP
Overheating is the look of the girls when they see one! And the envy of BMW riders cause of the exclusivity
I had a 900 triple thunderbird.Scared the shite outta me!😬
Brian I had a Suzuki GSX 600F which scared the shit out of me, the suspension was stiff as a brick it bounced round corners, the full fairing acted like a sail in gusty side winds. When I took it back to the dealers to get the suspension adjusted ( no tool kit under the seat, I suspect he nobbled it?) He suggested I try the Triumph 900 Thunderbird Sports, Oh my it was just FUN, FUN, FUN and the deal was DONE DONE DONE. Never once did it put the 💩💩 up me, it just went exactly where it was required to, foot peg scrapping was a joy, it even held it's own against the boy racers on their flying machines. It turned heads wherever it went, you could hear that ROAR coming from 4 miles away and even at 30 mph it sounded like it was moving some air. I really wish they would do a Retro of it!! Meanwhile I'll settle for my Tiger Sport, almost as much fun but heavier and not nearly so nostalgic!!
Suzuki vstrom 1000 a competitor ?
Hi Rachid, I owned a 2016 XC Explorer and sold it after 2 years and 35,000km. It was a heavy pig off road and I'm not talking technical single track. Very top heavy, also every time you turn the key off you have to faff through the settings to turn abs , TC off. I was getting a lot of play in the shaft drive even though the bike didn't have a lot of kilometres on it. A mate had the earlier model and his didn't have the issue mine did so I decided all things considered to get shot of it before it started to cost me a lot and bought a 650 Vstrom instead of the 1000Vstrom. Sure on paper the 650 Vstrom has 50% of the Explorer HP but is 50kg +lighter so in reality not a world away. The Vstrom gets to 160km pretty briskly and is capable of 200kph and nowadays that's pretty well fast enough for me. At significantly less than half the cost of the triumph and a reputation for rock solid reliability plus an average 450km from the 20 litre tank it will do me.
I think the Explorer is a great bike for touring on road but a handful off road unless you are very experienced and confident as well as being a strong b*stard if you drop it and have to pick it up if you are by yourself.
Cheers
Frank
triumph sponsored? I drove them.... Tiger XCA and BMW R1250 GS Adventure. Just bought the BMW. Tiger is to fluffy, to heavy. BMW feels much more handy and looks way more quality.
Hi Jen's no not sponsored by anyone ,check out my review on the 1250 ,I thought it was amazing :)
Hi Mark, no offend :) well taste is non negotiable ;)
What a pussy comment 😂🤣 i also tested both and the Tiger its better all the way!!! More power, more confort, more style, much more exclusive!!!
The GS is a Great bike but the Tiger... The Tiger is a UFO!!!😎
@@jenswalter3353 and you should Ride bikes back in the 90's... Those were heavy 😜
@@jenswalter3353 ruclips.net/video/rPRfTtLMAoc/видео.html