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Gotta catch them all!
‘Tis the season to be merry. It is nearly Christmas and Triumph Motorcycles have decided to convince us that we need to add another present to our wish list. To the very top of that list that is.
It was a present that has been long awaited and rumors have been abundant in the past months, with spy pictures of camouflaged bikes appearing left, right and center.

The adventure bike segment is probably taking the most rapidly increasing slice of the motorcycle cake. It seems the whole world is looking for both road and off road adventures on two wheels these days.

To provide for all those thrill seekers and those who just want to have a very cool bike to ride, a lot of manufacturers are actively trying to grow their adventure bike market share. At EICMA we even spotted Italian brands, famous for their race pedigree bikes, introducing motorcycles ready to take their riders to the most remote locations on our planet.
Triumph motorcycles have been in the adventure game for many years and are releasing no less than five different versions of the Tiger in 2022.

Lighter, stronger, better
According to the manufacturer the new models are ‘strikingly lighter and a lot more powerful, with class-leading handling and specs, plus the benefits of Triumph’s new T-plane triple – the all-new Tiger 1200 leaves little to the imagination: it’s built to be the most capable, agile and controllable, large displacement adventure engine on the planet.’

Continuing: ‘As said, those adventure bikes are a real treat under any circumstance. With a transformation in capabilities and performance on the tarmac, and the most dynamic and exhilarating off-road experience, the new generation brings together the best of all worlds in an all-new Tiger line-up.”

To make those aforementioned remote locations easier to reach there are now two all-new Tiger Explorer options with 30-liter tank, in theory capable of getting you no less than 600 Km in between fill-ups. All other models (the standard GT, GT Pro and the Rally Pro) only hold 20 liters.

Innovations
The new and exciting Explorer versions of the Tiger 1200 are also fitted out with an innovative blind spot detection system to warn the rider of vehicles that could be invisible in the rear-view mirrors.

In spite of the fact that Tigers are by nature solitary animals there now is a whole new group of them that belong together; The Tiger 1200 is aiming to gain traction in new fields with the addition of GT and Rally editions of the adventure bike. On top of that, the 2022 model will also be available in new Explorer versions, boasting long-range 30l fuel tanks mentioned earlier, plus higher-spec kits and added tech stuff.

In case you lost track; summing it all up there is a more track-oriented GT, and the more off-road-focused Rally. There is a Pro version available on both models. Then there is the Explorer version (with a suitcase set as the main extra). Last but not least Triumph also present a basic version of the GT, completing the group of five new Tigers set free in the wild.
 

Beefy engine
The Triumph Tiger 1200 is powered by a 150 hp variant of the three-cylinder from the new Speed Triple; with T-plane crankshaft with uneven ignition order. This will give the rider more torque at the bottom and more character overall.

The engineers found a way to add 9 BHp to the mix in comparison to the previous edition. However, the word is now out and Triumph is hunting for those GS fans, made very clear in a statement about the Tiger delivering 14 Bhp more than ‘that other big adventure with cardan in this class’ (..). Still there is a bit of work to be done in the torque department. With 130 Nm @ 7,000 rpm (8 Nm more than before), the Tiger still has less maximum torque than the BMW R 1250 GS, which boasts a 143 Nm.

But the fun is not over yet. Dieticians managed to trim an impressive 25kg off the Tiger. The lean machine now weighs a mere 240 kg (ready to drive), which is (here we go again) significantly lighter than the average weight of a GS.

This is in large part due to using an aluminum frame, which lessens to total weight with 5.4 kg. This includes the bolt-on aluminum subframe. The engineers decide to add a double swingarm. But even with adding extra steel, they managed to lower the weight of the total with another 1.5 kg.

Wheelies and stuff
The GT versions are fitted with 18-inch die-cast aluminum wheels, bot in front and rear. The Rally versions come with tubeless wire wheels (21 inches front, 18 inches rear). Showa is used for the springs, with 200 mm of travel on the GTs and 220 on the Rally version. These are semi-active ones on all versions. Stopping power is courtesy of Brembo with the Stylema monoblocs we also find on the Rocket. The ABS got an upgrade as well.

More technical stuff
Of course there are significant improvements in the cosmetic department. But there are a lot of technical improvements too:
• A double radiator (also found on the Tiger 900) making it easier to remove hot air from the engine
• Better ergonomics, very important for bikes in this segment
o both sitting and when riding while standing upright.
• Adjustable seat height (GT: 850-870 mm, Rally: 875-895 mm),
• A cockpit window which can be adjusted (while riding) with just one hand.
• Explorer versions standard fitted with blind spot radar,
• Heated grips and seats
• Tire pressure sensor.
• A new 7″ TFT display on all models including connectivity,
• Improved inclination-sensitive TC,
o (with six driving modes depending on the model
• New LED lighting on all sides with DRL and adaptive cornering lights
o Not on the base GT
• Updated quickshifter and Hill Hold
o Also not on the base GT

First reaction
Although we are fond of the Christmas season and riding a sleigh can at times be quite adventurous too, it will never be a substitute for the experience you will get on a purebred adventure bike.

The Triumph Tiger 1200 has been pretty decent from the start, but with all of the improvements it has become as strong a competitor for the world title as Max Verstappen is in Formula One. The BMW is the one to beat and the heat is on.

We hope BikeBrewers will be selected for the official press introduction in the beginning of next year. We really look forward to riding the machines as soon as they are available an will share a first hand report when we do.

For now, just continue to drool over the pictures and dream about your next adventure on two wheels.
If you want to do more than just wet your keypad check out a Triumph dealer near you.

We know for a fact that this particular Triumph dealer in the Netherlands will be happy to welcome you.

The post Release the Tigers! – 2022 Triumph Tiger 1200 appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Introducing a new BikeBrewer!

Since last year, BikeBrewers has been growing at an exponential rate. Not only do motorcycle manufacturers and motorcycle-gear producers find their way to us, but since we’ve made our content available in over 15 languages, our reach has also expanded significantly. Although we are based in Europe, our ambitions not limited to this continent. We try to go the extra mile and beyond. This can only be achieved with the right people.
It is with this in mind, that we are proud to present a new addition to our editorial team! Dutchman Daan Staffhorst is a fellow rider in the Classic Riders community and an avid motorcycle enthusiast. He and his wife Anne moved to New York in 2019, just days before the outbreak of the pandemic. Daan has agreed to take on the position as our East Coast correspondent in the United States.

In his daily-life, Daan works as a director in a finance company. A busy job, no doubt! During weekdays, all dressed up in a suit and tie, he keeps himself occupied by staring at spreadsheets, sometimes forced to make tough decisions. But on weekends, he jumps on his Triumph Scrambler and roars around on country roads, to clear his mind.

We welcome Daan as our new colleague and look forward to sharing his motorcycle adventures with us all. We start off with a first ride-report on a recent trip he made to Alaska with his wife Anne. Daan clearly is ‘trigger happy’ as he supplied us with 5.000 (!) photographs to chose from, as well as an awesome video.
Interesting fact; Daan took these drone shots while riding pillion, as Anne took over the handlebars. No mean feat!

Here’s the first part of his Big adventure:

The Last Frontier; the Alaskan mile
Whether you are on the road or on a hiking trail in Alaska, the Alaskan mile is local slang for the inability of a traveler to accurately estimate how far the next viewpoint, mountain range, or rest stop is. Due to the combination of rough terrain and the sheer size of America’s 49th state, the Alaskan mile takes longer to traverse than the average ‘normal’ mile, and will test you more, before rewarding you with it’s the state’s unparalleled natural beauty (or a hard-earned break). At the end of August, my wife Anne and I learned all about the Alaskan mile.

Looking for adventure
This is a first report on a challenging ride we had wanted to make for a long time.

As a motorcycle enthusiast who is on the lookout for new riding adventures, I came across the social media account of local Alaskan motorcycle rental company MotoQuest. Based in Anchorage, MotoQuest provides an offering of both guided and self-guided tours. My wife and I were specifically interested in one of the tours offered at the end of the riding season. The closer you get to fall and winter, the more likely you are to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. However, on the downside – you can expect a fair amount of rain too.

Now, while I have been riding for several years, my off-road experience is limited. Coming from the Netherlands we have more asphalt than that we can enjoy testing our skills on gravel. In addition, Anne obtained her license not too long before we would be riding through the Denali Mountain range. Following an intake over the phone, we booked a Suzuki V-Strom 650 for a 10-day self-guided tour, allowing us to customize the tour and plan our days as we desired.

Into the great wide open
We started gearing up, planning, corresponding gas stations with anticipated mileage, adding more days and miles along the process. Satellite phone rental, bear mace, first aid kit, tire pump, tire patch kit, battery packs – we aimed to make sure that a worst-case scenario would not be the last scenario. In an effort to build more stamina, we went on a test ride together on our 2018 Triumph Street Scrambler. A 4-day ride covering 900 miles of backroads through the Catskills region, located north of New York City. It proved to be a useful exercise, as we learned more about the benefits of Gore-Tex and the downside of tiny pillion seats. Unexperienced in motorcycle travelling to this extent, we had prepared ourselves as much as we could.

A Dutchman in New York
Living in NYC, I wanted to go to Alaska to experience the contrast of the insanity between the hustle and bustle of the urban jungle, and the solitude of Alaska’s spruce forests, river corridors, and mountain ranges. As such, our route included the Denali Highway and McCarthy Road, both offering off-road sections and limited traffic. The itinerary targeted about 4 hours of riding per day on average: the longest day would take about 6.5 hours of riding. In addition, out of the 10 days, we ensured 2 days of rest. We planned an amazing glacier hike for our first rest day, and we would spend the second rest day on an unforgettable glacier kayak tour. So much for resting, but we would not have missed it for the world!

First leg
Prepared and packed, we picked up the bike in Anchorage and headed to Talkeetna via Hatcher Pass. Off-road, switchbacks and a steep incline made this pass a good test for our skills and the Suzuki. Impressed with the performance of the 650cc engine, both the bike and our egos got through Hatcher Pass unscathed. Feeling reassured, we aimed for the Denali Highway the next day – supposedly one of the most spectacular routes in the world.

Impressions & emotions
It is hard to describe the feeling when we crossed onto Denali Highway, McCarthy Road, or any of the other roads on our route, crossing from the tarmac onto the gravel. The promise of a road ahead that will lead you through such a beautiful region is thrilling. Valleys, forests, lakes and wildlife – we took it all in. There is a certain serenity in the unforgiving vastness of these areas. Switching seats every now and then, hours of riding fly by, racking up viewpoints, hikes, sockeye salmon, and miles as we cruised along – while learning Alaskan miles in the rain can be challenging. Slow and steady wins the race, and there is no reason to race with the hours of sunlight in Alaska during our trip.

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Daan’s Instagram

This is the end of part I.
Make sure to stay tuned for the rest of this ride-report.

The post Getting lost in Alaska: Part I appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.