Some might say it was well overdue but Triumph finally redesigned their Tiger 1200, and this latest round of upgrades were definitely worth the wait. It’s not a revision, it’s not an update, and it certainly isn’t just a set of spoked wheels added to a touring motorcycle. It is an absolute, 100% all-new machine from the ground up. Many of the improvements were designed to give dirt-loving adventure travelers more capability to go further and deeper into the unknown.

The most notable change for the Rally model is the 21”/18” wheelset, compared to the outgoing Tiger 1200 XC’s 19”/17” combo. Additionally, the new 1160cc T-Plain Triple copies the 1-3-2 firing order of the Tiger 900 and pumps out a blistering 147 ponies at the crank at 9,000 rpm and 95 ft-lbs of torque at 7,000 rpm. The big tiger also gets a purpose-built off-road suspension with 220mm of travel front and rear, new dual-sided swingarm, upgraded electronics, and a 55-pound weight reduction! 

How a bike looks on paper isn’t always a perfect indicator of how it performs on the trail though. After testing the new Tiger 1200 in Portugal, we got a clear understanding of its capabilities on a range of terrain. In this video, we give a rundown of its performance on dirt, asphalt, and more. 

Is Triumph’s new Flagship Adventurer the real deal or just a paper tiger? A serious off-road tool or dressed up street bike? Did they deliver for dirt fans? We have answers to all your burning questions and more on this highly-anticipated new adventure bike from the Hinckley manufacturer.

Thanks for checking out the video and leave us your thoughts and questions in the comments below. For those of you who prefer to read, you can check out our first ride review article of the all-new Triumph Tiger 1200 here.