All Duels – Duel of road bikes: BMW R1200RT Vs Triumph Trophy 1200 SE – Two strong opponents!

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Duel of road bikes: BMW R1200RT Vs Triumph Trophy 1200 SE

All Duels - Duel of road bikes: BMW R1200RT Vs Triumph Trophy 1200 SE - Two strong opponents!

With its new Trophy 1200 and its over-equipped SE version, Triumph intends to supplant the ultra-accomplished BMW R1200RT at the top of the road bike category. Does the Englishwoman have the means for her ambitions ? Answer in this new MNC duel !

Two strong opponents !

Once installed at the controls, close similarities in terms of driving position and comfort emerge. Taking the handlebars of these two road bikes does not cause any constraint, with the exception of the legs which are too much folded in the original configuration on the Trophy 1200 SE for a rider of 1.75 m and over. Fortunately, all you have to do is remove the saddle and move a wedge to raise the seat by 20 mm and get around this inconvenience in less than a minute..

The seat is then 820 mm from the ground, which is exactly the same height as the saddle of the R1200RT in the low position (840 mm at the highest). However, due to the larger width of its engine and tank, the feet touch the ground less easily on the Triumph because the arch between the thighs is slightly larger. The English also has a slightly wider handlebar, which increases the leverage to the benefit of low-speed maneuvers..

Impeccably balanced and brilliantly suspended, the Trophy 1200 SE offers an intuitive handling that quickly makes you forget its volumes and weight (301 kg all full). But that’s not enough, however, to match the BMW’s astounding handling! First of all, thanks to its engine architecture, the center of gravity of the R1200RT is located lower and this is felt from the first meters.

In addition, the German is mounted in 180 mm at the rear against 190 mm on the Trophy 1200, which influences both behavior … and the wallet when changing tires! Last but not least, the R1200RT weighs around forty kilos less (259 kg with 90% of the full), a particularly noticeable difference when it comes to moving motorcycles with the engine off and perching them on their central stand..

The ease with which the Behème performs this exercise leaves you speechless: some motorcycles with a smaller displacement – and the Trophy – require significantly more effort! The Triumph proudly raises its head when deploying the lateral. Not only is its crutch much more elegant, but it has a long lug making it easier to handle..

In town, the R1200RT turns with more ease in the flow of traffic, aided by a perfectly calibrated injection, a slightly shorter turning radius, powerful and controlled braking and a clutch lever smoother than that of the Trophy 1200. Less melodious than the "3-legged", the flat hums with enthusiasm and propels the whole with astonishing goodwill: if it emits a few reproaching pistons below 2000 rpm, the Boxer does proof of a simply incredible availability !

At this small game, however, the German must bow to her rival: the smoothness and elasticity of the three-cylinder simply have no equivalent in motorcycle production. Able to start again in the last gear at idle speed, the engine of the Trophy 1200 SE is reminiscent of its high-level athletes who never seem to put in effort when they lengthen their stride..

Its hoarse sound, punctuated by discreet backfiring when the gas is cut, also contribute to its charm. Especially since the intensity of this exciting soundtrack is perfectly in line with the spirit and the vocation of the bike: the Triple is present but never overwhelming. Only false notes: the traditional whistling of the timing chain and a slightly noisy gearbox when passing the first two reports, a small fault that it shares with the BMW.

The comfortable road…

Quickly, confidence settles on the handlebars of the Triumph and we appreciate its accelerator with surgical precision, its clutch admittedly a little harder to operate but easier to dose, as well as its completely transparent final transmission. A success that eclipses the German system, yet very efficient and discreet !

Coupled from the rear to the front and assisted by an efficient and discreet ABS, the braking of the Trophy is very satisfactory but it has neither the bite, nor the particularly fine "touch" of that of the R1200RT, which enjoys it also has excellent ABS and a coupling going from the front to the rear.

And if direction requires more effort to turn below 30 km / h, the Triumph turns out to have passed this course of staggering agility in view of its size. A definite asset when the first turns take shape! Despite its overweight and high wheelbase (1542 mm against 1485 mm for the BMW), the Trophy 1200 SE is also easier to tip from one curve to another than the R1200RT.

Well aided by a healthy and steering front axle, the Triumph spins (English style!) Taking advantage of its excellent traction and its delightful steering. Very well retained in hydraulics, its suspensions are more comfortable than those of the BMW, without slackening so far. Once configured in "Sport" mode, the British road vehicle even reveals pretty predispositions to very dynamic driving..

So much so that we end up forgetting his weight and his size as a Greek wrestler … at the risk of being called to order in the event of improvisation! It is at this precise moment that the BMW R1200RT displays all the assets that make it the benchmark for heavy-duty riders..

Thanks to its Telelever front axle which dissociates the functions of damping and direction, the German accepts to enter a pin "standing on the brakes" and to swallow full-angle hollows and bumps without flinching. Despite all its qualities, the Trophy 1200 SE can not boast of such behavior: in curves, it ends up locking in the grip of the right lever and its ability to absorb shocks on the angle is not as perfectly mastered.

Less subject to mass transfers, the "RT" is also very sensitive to the selected suspension mode, passing like the Triumph from a soft damping in "Comfort" mode to a very Germanic rigor in "Sport" mode. Both can really be assimilated to real "flying carpet" on which the road and its traps have almost no influence..

On the mechanical level, the two motorcycles have enough torque (120 Nm at 6000 rpm for the BMW and 120 Nm at 6450 rr / min for the Triumph) to avoid downshifting sessions in the winding. Supple and copiously filled from low revs, the three-cylinder pulls the Trophy SE out of bends with the vigor of a Russian weightlifter !

Alas, French legislation requires, this successful engine and completely free of vibrations loses almost 30 hp when crossing the border … This amputation is obviously not without consequences on its performance, especially in the last third of the tachometer. Thus, at 7000 rpm, the acceleration loses its force and settles down to the red zone placed at 10,000 rpm. The phenomenon is particularly noticeable on the last reports, which were originally quite long..

Barely affected by the tightening of the top of its 110 hp, the BMW R1200RT took the opportunity to pass in front, its lower weight also playing in its favor during the tests of times. More playful and efficient since the adoption of cylinder heads with double camshafts, the Boxer delivers its ardor in stages: a hook in the low revs, a very strong direct at 3500 rpm, followed by an uninterrupted series of "left" -right "until around 8000 turns. What health !

Apart from slight tingling felt on the handlebars a little above 4000 revs (exactly when the odometer indicates 130 km / h in 6th gear), this engine is a real success and fulfills its mission perfectly. In addition, it is sober with an average consumption slightly lower than that of the Triumph: 5.89 l / 100 km against 6.22 l / 100 km measured during this test..

Verdict: a successful trial run

On the motorway back to the Paris region, our two duettists continue and finish their confrontation by putting forward their key arguments: comfort and protection. That’s good, the cold and the rain were viciously invited to the trip, which will allow us to decide between them more easily !

Almost completely isolated from bad weather and drafts, a medium-sized driver (between 1.75m and 1.80m) enjoys excellent protection on the BMW and only part of the boots are exposed. Thanks to a firmer support, its saddle does not sag and retains all its qualities and comfort, even after several hours. MNC also appreciated its heated saddles and grips, whose efficiency is a little more convincing than on the Triumph..

On the other hand, the Trophy 1200 SE achieves the feat of offering protection a step above, especially at the lower extremities of the body: despite the rain, the feet remain perfectly dry! The bust, shoulders and helmet are perfectly protected, but remember, however, that our test model had a higher and wider screen.

Maybe a little too much, since it is better not to take it to its highest level on expressways so as not to feel an unpleasant phenomenon of pushing in the lower back. A problem that the R1200RT is almost completely free of up to around 150 km / h and which is much less pronounced on the Trophy 1200 equipped with the original windshield.

So, which of the two wins this thrilling duel? Thanks to its enthusiastic "price-services-equipment" ratio, its supreme comfort and its voluptuous motorization despite a castrating clamping in the towers, the Trophy 1200 SE undoubtedly scores very high points. The balance of this bike and its relative agility in curves – we’re talking about a bike over 300 kg! – is also to be welcomed: Triumph has really succeeded in its return to the heavy road bike segment !

From there to dethrone the formidable R1200RT, there is however a step that MNC will not take. Admittedly, the German suffered as never before during this confrontation and must squarely lower her eyes when one compares her (meager) original endowment to that (plethora) of her English rival. For some bikers, this may even be enough to tip the balance in favor of the Triumph road..

But between its perfectly studied ergonomics, its unparalleled handling and dynamic behavior, it is clear that the benchmark of the genre is still a few short steps ahead of the competition….

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