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ADV NewsTriumph Tiger 1200 Spied With New Cutting-Edge Radar Tech

Triumph Tiger 1200 Spied With New Cutting-Edge Radar Tech

New rider assist systems and other refinements on the way.

Published on 01.22.2025

Despite a raft of upgrades in 2024, Triumph’s Tiger 1200, the British marque’s flagship adventure touring model, has been spotted undergoing testing at the brand’s engineering facility in Spain. New refinements include front-facing radar and potential mechanical upgrades, as well as a few cosmetic tweaks.

Since its debut in 2012, the Tiger 1200 has seen a steady stream of improvements, adding emerging technologies — items like TFT displays and cornering ABS — in step with the competition. For 2022, the bike saw such a complete overhaul — including an all-new T-plane liquid-cooled, 12-valve, DOHC, 1,160cc inline-triple engine, new suspension, 21”/18” wheels and advanced features like blind spot radar detection — that it was considered a complete rebirth. 

For 2024, the big Tigers received further refinements to its inline triple, alongside enhanced ergonomics, improved cornering ground clearance, and a new method for lowering the seat height automatically when coming to a stop using Active Preload Reduction (APR), a standard equipment push-button system.

Triumph Tiger 1200 spied with new radar technology

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Judging by these spy shots, the latest updates to Triumph’s top shelf adventure touring bike appear minimal on the surface, with the focus on the front-facing radar we’re seeing applied to all of the big Tiger’s Euro-based competitors, including the BMW R1300GS, Ducati Multistrada V4, KTM 1390 Super Adventure S Evo, and Moto Guzzi Stelvio. Front radar opens up new safety technology like collision warnings, adaptive cruise control and emergency brake assistance.

The spied test mule also shows the rear radar sensor, mounted prominently in current models above the license plate and taillight, has been relocated to a more discreet position between the seat and license plate bracket. This adjustment appears to have displaced the taillight, which is absent from its usual location, leading one to speculate the rear running light and braking indicator could show up integrated into the turn signals, as is the case with BMW’s new R1300GS and Royal Enfield’s Himalayan

Triumph Tiger 1200 spied with new radar technology

The soft bag mounted on the rear of the bike could potentially conceal a relocated taillight, positioned higher than on the current model, though the cables running into the bag indicate that its primary function is to house data-gathering equipment, which would suggest new mechanical upgrades are being measured. 

Triumph Tiger 1200 spied with new radar technology

For example, the left side of the engine, near the rider’s foot, features a transmission cover with a raw alloy finish, hinting that it might be a prototype part. Above that, the exposed coolant tank shows additional pipework and attached sensors, while another sensor appears to be installed in the oil pan. An additional sensor is visible in the final drive at the swingarm’s end. The exact purpose of these sensors is unclear, but it suggests modifications affecting these areas.

The new front radar unit has been added by modifying the nose of the Tiger. The unit is housed within a cutout below a reshaped windshield, which features new wind deflectors for added protection. Other front-end changes include a restyled beak, repositioned turn signals, and new side brackets for the headlamp.

Triumph Tiger 1200 spied with new radar technology

We know a bike’s rear-facing radar offers the potentially life-saving function of alerting a rider to blind spot hazards, but what is the value of front radar, and why is this technology becoming so prevalent in modern vehicles? After all, some operators of cars and bikes with front radar often find themselves perpetually perturbed by adaptive cruise control and the preordained distance it insists upon maintaining between their vehicle and the one ahead.

But front-facing radar can be a life saver, especially in the motorcycle realm where the number one cause of fatal crashes is a driver not seeing the bike and crossing in front of it. So yes, there could be a visual and audible warning of a potential collision, and even some amount of intervention, as is the case with bikes like the Ducati Multistrada V4, which will apply up to 50% of the bike’s braking capability when adaptive cruise control is active and the rider does not respond.

Triumph Tiger 1200 spied with new radar technology

Another change spotted by the photographer who snapped these “spy photos”, Stefan Baldauf, was in the panelling on the Tiger’s tank, which he noted has been slightly modified, though any guess about a change in tank shape or capacity is pure speculation. And though it’s tough to see the seats in these photos, he suggested that both rider and pillion seats are new and that seating comfort and position will be improved. 

While the flagship adventure models packed with the latest in high-tech rider aids may not be everyone’s cup of tea, the high-end travel enduro market remains highly profitable for manufacturers, while the bikes themselves serve as a hallmark for the brand. 

With that in mind, Triumph is no doubt looking to stay competitive with the rapidly evolving market with this latest round of updates. When the changes will be announced has not been confirmed but we wouldn’t be surprised to see a debut before the end of the year.

Photos by Stefan Baldauf

Author: Jamie Elvidge

Jamie has been a motorcycle journalist for more than 30 years, testing the entire range of bikes for the major print magazines and specializing in adventure-travel related stories. To date she’s written and supplied photography for articles describing what it’s like to ride in all 50 states and 43 foreign countries, receiving two Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writer’s Awards along the way. Her most-challenging adventure yet has been riding in the 2018 GS Trophy in Mongolia as Team AusAmerica’s embedded journalist.

Author: Jamie Elvidge
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