All Comparisons – Comparison R1200GS 2013 Vs Tiger Explorer XC Vs XT1200Z Super Tenere – At the benchmark!

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Comparison R1200GS 2013 Vs Tiger Explorer XC Vs XT1200Z Super Tenere

All Comparisons - Comparison R1200GS 2013 Vs Tiger Explorer XC Vs XT1200Z Super Tenere - Aspi of the reference!

Even more powerful, the 2013 BMW R1200GS has on paper only to lean to cap the crown of maxi-trails motorcycles. But before pronouncing her coronation, MNC confronted her with the Triumph Tiger Explorer and the Yamaha Super Tenere.. Comparative test.

At the asp of the reference !

Approaching the bends, the Yamaha XT1200Z Super Tenere regains color: of course, its braking lacks bite, but no power! Its excellent chassis also gives it amazing stability. The main downside comes from the sluggishness of the suspensions when the pace picks up: the slider has obviously been placed on "Comfort" rather than "Sport" when setting its damping laws…

When entering a curve, the tubes of its inverted fork sink too quickly and too deeply into its pretty golden sheaths: the Yam ‘plays a "rocking horse", a phenomenon that does not help the lack of hydraulic retention of its mono-shock absorber. To go fast, the Super Tenere must actually be brought "gently" into the bends. !

More seriously, it is advisable to adopt a rather smooth piloting, by entering the momentum in the curves and by emerging on the torque of its engine. In this way, the insufficient ground clearance and the hardness of its clutch lever are also easier to forget..

On board the Triumph, the winding is not approached in the same way: very rigid, the English woman turns in one block once entered in curves. At the entrance of the turn, however, its front axle does not have the intuitiveness of the BMW, nor its ease to tilt quickly. Finally, if the Tiger Explorer enjoys powerful braking, it is not always easy to get the best out of it in all circumstances….

On the one hand, because the dosage can be improved at the front and at the rear, on the other because small movements around the steering column are felt when the lever is crushed at high speed. Nothing dangerous or frustrating in "normal" use, but rather a kind of benchmark indicating the limits not to be exceeded…

These limits, the BMW R1200GS seems to make fun of them as its first option pack! Fearsome brakeman and brilliantly suspended, the German delivers a score without false note. Firmer than before, its suspensions could, however, offer an even more comfortable configuration: even by engaging the "Soft" mode, its way of absorbing small shocks is less smooth than that of its competitors. Ze Chermanique rigor, mein Herr !

As in 2012, its Telelever front end casts without blinking entries in curves standing on the brakes with a maximum angle: never its 37 mm fork – which only provides a steering function – does not seem to stiffen and never its steel truss frame does not appear to suffer from the highest stresses. Result: his pilot never loses his serenity !

More lively to go from pif to paf, it emerges from the curves with an unsuspected vigor for a motorcycle of this size. The "Flat Flotte" always responds and transmits its ardor without a hitch via an acatene transmission which no longer stretches the rear suspension spring by a single millimeter when the go-around is done..

Still, at this level, the Triumph is the nicest of the three: the English cardan shaft is almost as transparent and flexible as a chain, while the transverse positioning of the crankshaft of the Triple nevertheless requires the use of two references. angle to transmit the movement of the motor to the wheel.

Verdict: change is not now !

Unsurprisingly, the Bavarian bestseller (almost a third of worldwide sales of BMW motorcycles in 2012!) Wins this new MNC comparison. Not only more powerful, the R1200GS 2013 displays an increased versatility thanks to the introduction of relevant electronic aids: thanks to them, it is possible to create a motorcycle "à la carte" by intervening on its engine behavior and the reactions of its suspensions. On the condition, however, "to opt in" at all costs…

Endearing and homogeneous, the Tiger Explorer and the XT1200Z Super Tenere are objectively less successful. Unlike their model, their high weight is never forgotten, in town or in the countryside, while a little more dynamism in fast driving would allow them to keep in contact with the German.

On the other hand, both offer "Pullman" comfort on bumpy roads, where the more marked overall firmness of the 2013 GS causes drier reactions. This must be seen as the result of its rigor, impossible to fault and its increased sportiness (yes: its sportiness!) Compared to its predecessor.

Finally, if the 2013 R1200GS is very correctly finished, some details deserve more care: the coarse welds of its rear loop and around its steering column, as well as its insufficiently camouflaged connections in the cockpit, are unworthy of a motorcycle of its "standing" and its price: € 15,150 for the base model, against € 14,890 for the Triumph (+ € 700 in XC version) and € 14,999 for the Yamaha.

Likewise, BMW Motorrad’s quality monitoring seems to lend itself to criticism: depending on the models tested (five since its release, including four unbridled), Site has not always found the same approval at the gearbox level. and injection…

In terms of build quality, the Triumph is simply flawless: the perfect integration of hoses, screws and cables around the engine are a feast for the eyes, as is the quality of its surface treatment. The rubber buffers covered with an aluminum plate on the sides of its tank and its chassis with generous tubes section complete this feeling of robustness. It’s a sturdy motorcycle, made to "explore" the world !

Also carefully crafted, the XT1200Z Super Tenere lives up to Yamaha’s reputation in this area: nothing sticks out, everything is perfectly in its place. In addition, its finely chiseled engine casings and serrated discs create a sensation, while its grainy saddle adds a qualitative touch. Only the slightly old-fashioned commodos slightly tarnish the picture.

Those resistant to the famous "duckbill" which its rivals seem to love will also appreciate that it dispenses with this appendage that appeared for the first time on a trail at the end of the 80s … on the Suzuki DR 750. From there to preferring the Yam ‘to the reference GS, whose beak has never been so wide and angular as in 2013, there is a leap that fans of the genre do not seem ready to take: the excellent commercial start of the R1200GS 2013 proves it (read in particular our).

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