Next Triumph Tiger 1200 eyeing BMW R 1250 GS market

Triumph teases new and improved Tiger 1200

Triumph Motorcycles is about to update the Tiger 1200 with England’s take on what an adventure bike should be. The upcoming model is in its final testing stages, but that didn't stop Triumph from teasing it already.

Photos supplied by Triumph show one of their riders testing the camouflaged unit. Even with the wrap, the overall physical appearance seems to resemble the outgoing model albeit with minor updates on the headlight and its trellis frame.

The upcoming Tiger 1200 is rumored to share the Speed Triple’s 1,160cc inline three cylinder, which is 55cc smaller than the outgoing model. Don’t be deceived by such numbers, the smaller Speed Triple’s engine churns out 180 Ps of power vs the outgoing model’s 141 Ps. The upcoming Tiger 1200 will also have a shaft drive.

It’s a little hard to tell from the photos if they will keep the current 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel set up, or opt for a more adventure-spec 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel setup.

Triumph claims that the upcoming Tiger 1200 will be “significantly lighter than its closest competition.” For comparison, the BMW R 1250 GS that we tested tips the scales at 249 kilograms, while Honda’s CRF1000L Africa Twin tips the scales at 226 kilograms. The Suzuki V-Strom 1050 XT weighs in at 247 kilograms.

If what Triumph says is true, we might be looking at a 1200cc, three-cylinder adventure bike that weighs only 220 kilograms or less. That makes it both lighter, and more powerful than the BMW R 1250 GS, even with one more cylinder.

Would you switch to the allies if it's made available here or stick with the axis?