Triumph Tiger 1200 XCa test

Menus

• 3 cylinders in line, 1215 cm3, 141 hp at 9350 rpm, 122 Nm at 7600 rpm, 248 kilos dry, from € 21,150
• This variation of the Tiger 1200 family is intended to be the most versatile
• Presentation
• Getting started
• Engine and transmission
• Track keeping
• Conclusion
• The video test of the Triumph Tiger 1200 XCa

3 cylinders in line, 1215 cm3, 141 hp at 9350 rpm, 122 Nm at 7600 rpm, 248 kilos dry, from € 21,150

This variation of the Tiger 1200 family is intended to be the most versatile

Who started the fashion? Or rather who, after the ultra-specialization of the Dakar which has become a giant enduro, put the big trails back on the track ? A line of thought would take us to the duetters Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, who completed their famous Long Way Round, this tour of the northern hemisphere on the handlebars of BMW R 1150 GS Adventure.

Still, this is now a new fad. Not an epiphenomenon, no, rather a strong trend. On the one hand, events such as Paris-Dunkirk, March Moto Madness and others flourish; on the other hand, specialized media are taking advantage of the windfall, such as the recent bimonthly magazine Trail Adventure, whose editor is none other than the illustrious Patrick Boisvert, the aptly named. Obviously, the manufacturers feel the vein and go there: BMW has its GS Trophy, KTM has a travel offer with its Adventure range, Honda has opened a TT driving school, the Adventure Center in Wales and Triumph is in gear. this movement with a school of the same kind which will open its doors in South Wales in March 2018, the first step in a global program dedicated to adventure. And let’s not forget that travel agencies are constantly expanding their catalog with destinations designed for big trails.

Obviously, the manufacturers’ offer follows the movement. In addition to road trails, trails for traveling and sports trails for er, tanning the ass of muscular roadsters, a category of trails emerges that has not forgotten its roots. Even big ones, like the last delivery of the Tiger 1200 family.

One click is better than a long speech and to both avoid repeating yourself and be able to get straight to the heart of the matter, allow us to invite you to review the genealogy of the Triumph 1200 Tiger a bit thanks to the Den, your Wikipedia motorcycles and much more:

• Test of the 2012 version in Spain
• Test of the 2016 version, the Tiger Explorer XCa on the roads and tracks of Portugal
• Test of the 2018 version, in its XRt road version, in Spain

And that’s how Triumph gave us the opportunity for specific off-road driving, with an XCa mounted in a Pirelli Scorpion Rally. The scope of this article therefore remains limited to this use. After all, she’s not just here to sell dreams, she’s made for that too.

Presentation

Among the six models of the new Tiger 1200 2018 range, two are dedicated to a possible off-road practice. Let us remind our distracted readers that the "C" stands for "Cross" and that we can recognize them above all by the presence of the wire wheels and the aluminum belly pan. These models are, however, reasonably close to the road versions, the XRs, and a distracted mind may find it difficult to tell them apart at first glance. If criticism is always easy, however, remember that BMW differentiates its GS Adventure more clearly from the standard version, just like KTM with its Super Adventure 1290 S, R and T.

In fact, for 2018, there are two Triumph XCs in the catalog: the XCx (at € 18,850) and therefore, the XCa at € 21,150. In addition to the colors (white or blue for the XCa, white, black or matt khaki for the XCx), the high-end version is distinguished by its additional driving mode ("Off-Road Pro"), a gain of more assertive weight (a thinness of 10 kilos instead of 5, thanks in particular to the Arrow silencer in titanium and carbon fitted as standard on the XCa), the standard shifter, additional equipment (heated grips and saddles), anti -LED fog lights, notched footrests for easier off-road driving, 3 additional display modes on the TFT dashboard and a useful "hill control" function, which keeps the brakes on the side for your convenience the start.

Because for the rest, these two XC benefit of course from all the evolutions common to the range, evolutions which are classified in three different registers. First: the presentation and promotion of the machine, via new colors, better quality badges and logos. Then comes the technological aspect: adaptive LED lights, an entirely new dashboard, entrusted to a 5-inch-diameter color TFT digital panel and the presence of new electronic functions. And in three, a general weight gain.

Getting started

Despite its revs, it’s hard to deny that the Tiger 1200 is not a big bulky motorcycle. A double-edged argument, moreover, since this allows it to offer excellent protection (the screen is electrically adjustable via the new backlit stems) and a consequent carrying capacity, allowing it to obtain and high the hand, in addition, her stripes of great traveler.

However, when it comes time to take your 270 kilos (with the full ones, with the ladle) on the paths, the challenge becomes different. We said it about the XRt and obviously this is verified here since the saddle height is identical being adjustable from 835 to 855 mm: the puny fringe of the biker brotherhood is asked to reconsider its priorities, on the handlebars of a Triumph Street Scrambler, for example.

In principle, the “Off Road” mode will be selected, keeping in mind that each time the ignition is switched off (an approach which is all the easier as the machine is controlled by a transponder), the safety legislation forces the machine to return to its “belt and shoulder straps” configuration and reposition itself by default on “road” mode with ABS. In fact, putting the "off-road" mode removes the ABS on the rear and leaves a nice latitude on the traction control..

In addition, there is also the mode "Off Road Pro": there it goes further, because the traction control is completely disconnected, as well as the ABS at the front and at the rear. Note, however, that the machine also allows you to fine-tune the settings thanks to an individual mode: you can then have the "Off-Road Pro" configuration while keeping a little bit of ABS on the front. This is the configuration we had in our trial.

Engine and transmission

Hey, what did you expect ?, would have said the delicious Nicole K.: we obviously find the good big 3 cylinders of 1215 cm3, therefore developing 141 horsepower and 122 Nm of torque, coupled to a 6-speed gearbox, a transmission by gimbal and an up & down shifter as standard.

For off-road use, the Triumph reveals another side of its personality. Here, the three-cylinder seduces first of all with its flexibility and elasticity, the excellent progressiveness of its response to the accelerator, which allows efficient relaunching despite the power. As a result, traction is one of its qualities, while it is important to note that only the "Rain" mode reduces the power to 100 horsepower. In "Off-Road", it remains 141. Plenty of fun, no ?

Another good point: the shifter. We had found it a bit slow in action in road use, but here we do not attack with the same intensity. As a result, its operation is in line with the use of this machine on the track and we even take pleasure in downshifting, even in first gear, without using the clutch while observing with delight a beautiful smooth operation.

Track keeping

Okay, we have to go. As with the XRt test, we’re in southern Spain and it’s floating. No luck, but at the same time, it’s perfect for giving it a real try. The organizers have planned a few tens of kilometers of tracks with three levels of journalists: beginners, intermediates and confirmed. It is in this last group that your servant is located and we will therefore be entitled to the full program of celebrations: climbs in scree, successions of rapid curves on the track, sandy valley bottoms. No crossing in the program, but taken by a nice downpour, we will end with a very muddy and frankly breakneck passage. Very cool.

In fact, it started off pretty well. We are dealing with a beautiful baby, but the smoothness of the controls, the engine and the balance of the chassis make you quickly feel at ease on board. The standing position is quite natural, although with my size, I would have liked a slightly higher handlebars (and an esteemed colleague, having a few ten centimeters shorter, had the same remark); nothing that is not impossible, however, handlebar risers being available, possibly as accessories.
After a few short kilometers of road, we attack the track. From the start, it’s fat. First impression: we are going to play it in the “very soft, little pony” mode! ". And this for two reasons: first, you have to warm up, take the measure of the bike, its reactions, its weight, its size. Then, because there is weight on the front, the bike engages a bit and we will wait a bit before taking out the big attack.

Then things are sorted out. Unwind the festivities: the engine is an ally, round, smooth, progressive. But on ground that is not super grippy, we retain traction. In "Off-Road" and "Off-Road Pro" mode, you get the feeling that the throttle response is a little softer below 6000 rpm, but the power comes full force afterwards. Second good point: the gearbox, RAS. Third: the quality of the suspensions. Admittedly, the Tiger is not made for the Roof of Africa, even if a talented enduro rider will manage to do amazing things with it, but within the framework of our test, already selective, the machine does not follow behind neither of the fork nor of the shock absorber. We increase the pace, load the rear a little more and we discover a reactive machine that can swallow bumps with a little gas and then rests well flat and progressively, while there is briefly had more than 360 kilos in the air, pilot included.

In short, confidence comes gradually but we never completely free ourselves: the front axle is involved (a 21-inch wheel would have made it possible to gain on this playing field, but it would have been necessary to redefine the geometry and with this level of weight and power, on the road, it would have started to get complicated). With the Tiger 1200 XCa, I always kept a little, if not a lot of headroom, so as not to be taken on by the front end. On the other hand, it remains stable on its supports and, once again, the excellent balance of the chassis and the great progressiveness of the engine make it possible to rotate it with a strong gas stroke, which is easily controlled and very useful in pins.

Note that we got out of this journey with an average consumption of 7.1 l / 100 on the on-board computer, or 280 kilometers of autonomy, or the low range of what large typical trails offer. "adventure".

Conclusion

Is this really reasonable? This is the question we ask ourselves, given the weight, the price, the size … Off-roading with the XCa is of course possible, but it ultimately seems as eccentric as going to look for mushrooms with a Bentley Bentayga, with its 600 horsepower W12 and its € 250,000. Still, it is possible, on two conditions: first, to have a little level because the whole is heavy and powerful, although easy to control. Then, prefer rolling in sections that are too technical. That said, it already makes it possible to cross a beautiful part of southern Africa, Mexico or Central Asia by the tracks and in doing so, the XCa can meet the desires of escape. But if the conditions get complicated, with rain, mud, the laws of physics will remember you faster than with other machines.

But whatever: adventure is also a state of mind…

Strong points

• Linear motor and perfect for traction
• Efficient shifter
• General equilibrium
• Quality of suspensions
• Complete and efficient electronics
• ABS well calibrated at the front
• Easy to take when all is well…

Weak points

• Handlebars a bit too low for the TT
• Weight still high despite technical developments
• Gender limits in the mud
• Still requires a bit of physics and technique

The technical sheet of the Triumph Tiger 1200 XCa

Test conditions

• Itinerary: a 60 km loop on the tracks of the Sierra Nevada, near the Almeria circuit (Spain), half in the rain
• Motorcycle mileage: 1700 km
• Problem encountered: RAS, even if the falls in TT, that does not count, but there, not even a small bowl. Yet the finish in the mud, it was rock-n roll !

The competition: BMW R 1200 GS Adventure, Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro, KTM 1290 Super Duke R

The video test of the Triumph Tiger 1200 XCa

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