2022 Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer | Sport ADV Touring Beast! 

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This is how every motorcycle road test should look. The big motorcycle magazines ignore so much important information it's amazing.

I just purchased an ex demo GT Pro, less than a thousand miles, less than a year old superb condition. Negotiated a heated seat, upper and lower crash bars, additional years warranty the deal was too good to miss! The BMW dealers (I also considered a GS) would hardly budge on their sticker price which I felt represented poor value when you take into account the anticipated launch of the new models in the near future. Finally, your reviews on this bike definitively influenced me (I haven’t even ridden one yet), coming from a V Strom 1000 I’m certain it will be a perfect fit - thank you👍

Hi Ian. Just a note to say that it is really helpful to get the wife/ passenger input, both visually and her comments about fit and comfort and position. Many of us have partners who ride along, or, more probably, whom we would like to have along, so Maggie's contribution is unusual and excellent. I, for one, really appreciate it. She gives information that is missing from almost all other motorcycle reviews. Bravo.

Bought a new Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer at the weekend. Absolutely love it. I am an ex BMW GSA and KTM 1290 Super Adventure owner and this thing pips both for me.

Truly, the passenger experience segment you have started to do is really worth developing. Helps set you apart and is great, important info especially on the larger bikes. On the Triumph the extra brake lights are a wonderful add. More manufacturers need to put more emphasis on larger/more brake lights, and preferably decelerating sensors to flash the brake lights.

I own the 2022 1200 GT Explorer. It want to say that this bike is excellent for the daily commute, both the 10 mile in town and the 50 mile highway journey. This bike does it all.

I own the ‘23 Rally Explorer and love it! One thing I believe worth mentioning is how well Triumph has addressed the heat coming off the engine. My GS would bake me every time I stopped at a light, but I can’t feel a thing on this Triumph. I’m 6’2” and agree with your comment about the wind screen inducing some buffeting.. I have over 6K miles and the engine does indeed get smoother. Thanks for the review Ian.. awesome as usual!

I bought the gt pro, after 4500 miles I can only say it rides and handles sooooo well , its not top heavy at all and I'm only 5.6ft tall seat in low position , you can ride it like a sports bike and it will reward you with a glowing smile , well done triumph l say 😀

great review buddy spent 20 years on kawasaki switched to triumph and your so spot on with your review never had a better bike now gone to a ful 50/50 dunlop trailmax raid tyre great bike excellent ride and great for all modes stay safe and ride well brother

thank you thank you thank you... finally someone is including some decent passenger/pillion reports! I know Zach Courts includes a brief statement from his significant other, but you are actually showing how the passenger fits on the bike relative to the rider.

Best review of this bike I've seen so far. Thank you. Easy sub!

Excellent review on a stellar machine! I was surprised that you didn’t mention any maintenance intervals while comparing the different contenders. Love my 17 AT DCT, but thinking something like this as a retirement gift to myself in a few years would be sublime! Keep doing what you’re doing! Cheers 👌

Partly due to your review, I now own a '23 Tiger GT Explorer and after one day on it, I am in love. My previous riding experience has been on the "couch"..... Harley touring models. Not sure if I will ever ride my Harley again!

I owned a 2014 Triumph Trophy SE. It was an amazing sport touring motorcycle with semi active suspension, cruise control, electric windshield, and all day comfort.

One of the things that Triumph gets right all the time is carrying capacity - the previous generation was 224 kg, this one is 222 kg, 6 kg above that of the GS but 8 kg less than the MultiStrada. I have the 2016 1200 XCA and, yes, everything everyone says about it being top heavy is 100% accurate, but once you're loaded up and moving, it's such an incredibly comfortable touring bike even on the twisties.

For a larger sport touring/adventure bike, I think Triumph has nailed it. Very nice bike with functional tech that riders can use. Nice review, thanks.

Excellent review Ian and very informative. I'm in the UK and seriously considering getting one of these. Those wide twisty roads seem to go on forever over there - motorcycle heaven!

Got myself a Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer. Loving it so far. Full of character and BACKLIT SWITCHGEARS. Apart from the stalling issues, its better in every way.

I really do love the subtle flexing with the different high end jacket every video, go off Ian, show us the drip. So good 😂.

That left-hand switch gear is busy. But being illuminated is awesome. I wish other manufacturers would take the hint, BMW and Honda I’m looking at you!

Super Film👍 Sprzedałem FJR 1300 AS z 2008 roku i kupuję Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer. 30 litów zbiornik na paliwo, możliwości terenowe, to duża zaleta. Pozdrawiam👋

Awesome review. I did not know about this bike. The shaft drive is very desirable IMO. Thanks for this.

Hello Maggie and future camera operator baby 🤗❤️ long time subscriber over here howdy howdy 🤠❤️ eagerly waiting and looking forward for that rally explorer review 👌🏼 good job by the way ian 👍🏻❤️

Triumph has come a long way since when I owned a 97 Sprint.

Best bike reviews on the tube. Greetings from Greece

Very nice video. I love the Triumph brand. However, for that price, I think I will be sticking with my Versys 1000 LT SE+. 6K cheaper and the bags come standard. Plus it has a true key! I am not a huge fan of keyless machines. The Triumph has a ton of bells and whistles, like blind spot indicators, but I still don't know about the price difference. Also, the rear tire is odd. the Versys has a 180 which seems better for the road and the goal of what the machine is made to do. I have owned a Triumph and will probably have one again in the future, however, it will not be the GT Explorer unless the price drops 5K. Keep up the great work. Your reviews are well worth the time to watch.

Thanks for this review Ian. I'm struggling with choosing between this and the GT pro and the Versys 1000, but after this, probably leaning hard to the Explorer. Keep up the good work.

Went to test the 2023 BMW GSA. The sales guy asked if I ever rode the Tiger. I said I heard they were too heavy. He pulled them both out to test. After riding them both I need to say I was undecided about the GSA. Went back the next week to test again, walked out with a Tiger Rally Explorer. Added top case and panniers. It’s always interesting to me when a buyer has two close competitors creating a choice dilemma and subsequently a debate on who’s is doing it better. The truth is, even the esteemed BMW GSA has a big aftermarket for improvements. No one bike is perfect for all. I’m 6’4” and for my purpose the Tiger is awesome and so far is a boatload of fun. Also my cost of ownership appears to be very low. 10k/annual services.

Your review has solidified why I have bought the GT Explorer and I agree with your sentiments including the pillion view which my wife also agrees with. Just need some better weather here in the UK to finish running it in!

Thank you for review. I may pick this up on monday well see. Much appreciated

i made a test drive and i found a great machinne. I have a GS with 110000km and i liked a lot the ciclystic of T1200. However, the clucht ratio for first, second and third gear i found very short. Very different from the GS....and this caracteristic linked to the torque in low rotation i like a lot and its very diferent in tiger 1200 that have a more sport motor. One more great video....very complete.

Just found this channel and I love it. Great review 🙌🏽

Once again Ian, another excellent review… I would prefer that the manufacturers stop or at least limit the over saturation of electronic gimmicks…. The vast majority of these sales gimmicks are very rarely used with any regularity.. cruise control for the highway droning community may be the only exception… blind spot detection?.. that now raises the level of absurdity…which is approaching @$30k out the door with luggage…and with a dealership network akin to Aprilia…virtually non existent… There is a reason as to why the T7 is virtually impossible to find on a dealer showroom floor… As a suggestion, please consider expanding your review criteria to more affordable ADV bikes for those “less fortunate” … such as the “off brands” : Benelli 502/702/800TRK or the CfMoto 800MT…

Have done around 10,000 miles on my GT - almost identical to the one in your excellent review. Fantastic machine - love it! Only bettered by my Rocket 3 TFC (but that thing has no peers). Highly recommend the Triumph Explorer GT!

After 2500 miles I traded mine on a 2023 GSA. I could not stand the vibration in the bars, pegs, and mirrors. If it didn't vibrate, I would still have it. There are 3 right now all with under 1k miles at my dealership. They were all traded for the same reason. I guess it bothers some more than others. The transmission in the Tiger is far superior.

Triumph is working hard on closing the gap to a company that defined the ADV market decades ago. I think that’s worthy of recognition. It’s slowly coming to a point where it’s just personal preference and willingness to spend for brand. As far as ability and capacity of ADV bikes go - 99.9% of all riders/owners will never get close to maxing out their bikes. We run out of talent long before the bike runs out of ability.

I would love to buy this bike in the future over the BMW 1250 GS.

Thank you for all your hard work you do for us. With all these new A D V bikes we can buy. Also more Maggie Please. So cute when she got on the bike and slapped your shoulders. And said I am on. outstanding.

The big gap in Triumph dealerz in EU market make me choice all the time BMW no matter what they could improve in this bikes. Big thank you to this channel for all amazing reviews.

Firstly Ian, for me your bike reviews are by far the best on the internet. The work you put in to them is clear to see and very refreshing compared to some out there. I love your objective view of things. I haven’t tested the Triumph and own a R1250GS, so not at all well placed to comment too much. My GS is my only form of transport (in the UK) between early April to mid November, the car gets parked in the garage and used winter only. This is where the GS scores heavily and is difficult to understand on a 1 hour road test. The usability of the GS for day to day chores like grocery shopping, commuting, camping trips and a little offroad, is for me it’s biggest strength and the more you use it like this the better it gets. I’m sure you would get used to using the Triumph in the same way, but for me it’s hard to see how it can be significantly better than the GS when used like this. The low CofG, mountains of pulling power from low engine speed, all day cruising and enough offroad ability as long as you ride it like a massive trials bike rather than a massive enduro bike are all great features of the Beemer. These are seriously expensive machines and so I really need to use it and not just for a sunny day or once per year touring holiday. It’s interesting that Triumph decided to go so directly after BMW with this bike. KTM have gone to the offroad side and Ducati to the sporty road side so that’s clear, they are doing their own things. Triumph looked to have just tried to build a better GS, have they done that. It’s development is 4 years after the 1250GS so it should be better, just bench mark everything and boom you have a better bike. Difficult when the thing you are trying to make better is already very good. Anyway I’m going to keep an open mind and give one a try at some point, I’m interested to see how the Triumph is. Keep up the great work and happy New Year

I love triumphs but cause they re too top heavy for me never bought one. Love the sound engine makes and in addition there was a thing where you could control your GoPro from the screen couple MYs back. It’s a great bike overall and as you said Ian, it’s for more experienced riders no doubt. Riders that ride far and with lots of weight on their bikes. Great review once again Ian.🤘👏👏

Ian Mine was the first in the USA! YAY! Love the bike. I traded my previous 1200 Tiger XCX for the new one back in March. Had to wait until late July. I love the all red lights in the rear but they are only legal in the USA. I love the character of the new T-Plane engine! I have the MRA X-Creen wind deflector on mine and it is the best. I can ride with the windshield all the way down and the wind is 2 feet above my helmet. Nice video Sir!! Quality stuff man. Peace

ahoy! Great sounding bikes, these Tigers. You mentioned the Super Tenere.. Is there any posibility to review that often overlooked beast? :)

Great review. I'm a Tiger 1200 RP owner and I agree with everything you have said in both reviews. I basically don't buy a bike these days until I have a chance to see you weigh in on it. I very much trust and value your opinion.

I bought a GTX1200 last week. It’s n the shop gettin the clutch checked out. I could gas it and the tach would hit 9k rpm before I could let off. 350 miles on it.

Thank you for the great video. They are the best out there. I’m riding from St. Louis to Prudhoe Bay next year. I’m having a hard time choosing between Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer and GS Adventure. 90% highway, 10% hard pack gravel. If you were doing same trip, which would you choose?

Very similar to the Yamaha super tenere 1200. Best motorcycle I've ever rode !

Can you touch on the thing that concerns me the most, Triumph's long term reliability? 50,000 miles to 100,000 miles out? Especially compared to Japanese makers. Ive had 2 Super Tenere's with over 120,000 miles combined and zero issues. This is the only reason I've never bought a Triumph or BMW.

Just test rode today. I'm 6'3" and set the seat to the highest position. My knees tend to keep hitting those radiator exhaust ports....otherwise it was very comfortable with the seat in the higher position for my 240lb size.

I love the area where you live, it's very beautiful.

BMW is the direct target for Triumph and not such a bad aspiration, the only 2 with the front fender beak, even the gas cap is the same. They have done an excellent job of engineering a bike that is the same but different and I am sure lots will choose it. The build quality is superb, you are getting what you pay for. I chose the GS because I like the torque of the boxer. These really are the only choices in my estimation simply because of the shaft drive. Super T when Yamaha re-does it will be in there too, it’s just long in the tooth compare to these 2. Thanks Ian, well done as usual.

Thanks Ian you have sold me.

I drove this bike last June at the Touratech Rally in Plain WA. I own a 2021 BMW R1250GS Adventure. I found the Tiger to be very nice although I only had it for 20 minutes and it was not the Explorer Rally which is the direct competitor to the GSA. The pricing is comparable to the BMW all in with hard luggage so I’m not sure if I would pick this bike over a well seasoned and proven machine.

I was seconds away from asking what gloves those were and I saw you had it in the description. Gained a new subscriber. Without further investigation into your channel, any input on the gloves as an adventure riding glove?

Really nice bike! Very good presentation man! I enjoy your videos! Keep up the good work mate!

Have a 2016 Explorer XRT and I love the bike. At some point I would consider this bike, but the seat height is too high. I’ve put the low seat on my 2016 and it brings it down to 820mm. Previous low models eliminated the center stand and that’s something I won’t accept. Being 5’9” and 73 years old I need to flat foot for confidence. Triumph makes wonderful bikes and I can attest to the reliability. Nice job doing a thorough review.

Hello Ian, I follow your videos, and really like and appreciate your views. Keep up the good work. A question: I tried Tiger 1200 GT Pro and Rally and really liked the GT. it suits my riding style - 95% asfalt. I am 1.84cm. All good. The only problem I had was the throttle response at lower speeds, in traffic. I stalled the bike few times and it revs high. After that it was a dream: quick and torquey. Love it. My question is: did you feel the same low speed problem I experienced and if you could compare it to Moto Guzzi Stelvio 2024, which one would you choose? Rideability, reliability and fun factor? (I didn’t see you Stelvio review by the way🤔) All the best from London

Love ur work Ian. Have you ever done a review on the Super Tenere. Keep it up we Riders out here appreciate Ya.

I just can't take the look of the bags. I know they've been all the rage for years now, but let's move onto bags that match the lines of the bike.

I think you're the only moto reviewer who talks about knee bend. It may seem like a small issue but if someone is tall having a cramped riding position is a big deal.

I need to ride a Triumph, Suzuki and Africa Twin. One of those has to be the best in class.

I really love my 2021 900 GT Pro. This one is to expensive and big for my 173cm small size. The suspension en 3 cilinders are really nice :)

Thanks for the in-depth review! Awesome review!! I currently have a 2020 Super Tenere. Love it! But looking for something with more tech and a bit more power.

Great review, thank you!

Great review Ian. I love it when you have your wife and daughter come by and yes, like everybody else is saying, SO valuable having your wife as the passenger on there to see how one fits. I always consider my passenger for every bike I buy. Good job. PS. I live in SoCal and am getting my first ADV bike (Rally Pro 900) and will likely be getting same gear as you since I'll be doing much the same riding in same climate and areas. I just have no clue what to buy so I'm looking at all your gear you're wearing lol. I wish you'd do a run through or better yet, suggestions for everything..boots, jackets pants, helmets etc... Yeah I"m a newbie for ADV riding.

Great info for my research! Ty

Quality review as always 👍👍👍

Schaff, who does raw sound onboard videos, recently did one of the Triumph 1200 bikes and kind of hated it. He puts a short text review on the bottom. Said basically these have no area at all where they're better than the Ducati, BMW or KTM. Seems legit, honestly. A comparison test would be hard for you to do as a single tester, and it would probably make at least one manufacturer upset when they lose, but there is something to it that all these bikes seem great in isolation, but when back to back tested there are deficiencies to be uncovered. If I'm dropping 25k on a bike, I want to get one that is the best and won't shit the bed for resale like some brands.

That’s a smooth looking bike! Tough call vs Beemer. Which has more soul, a Twin or Triple?

Another great review. Thanks!

Debating purchasing this bike and maybe trading in my Triumph trophy SE. it’s a huge bike up close and when you’re sat on it. But when I look at my Trophy it’s just has smoother lines unlike these ADV bikes. Another awesome reviews Ian 👍👍👍👍

Hey Ian, thanks for the great reviews! Can you compare your Klim Induction Pro and Baja S4 jackets sometime?

Omg your daughter is so cute!!!! Lol nice to see the family!

Hi Ian, very nice video. Triumph makes a motorcycle that looks very good....However, the Reliability, Cost to Purchase and Cost of Ownership are a Big, Big problem...I live in Alberta, Canada. My best friend bought a new 2021 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro in 2021. He put 3 hard bags on it, engine guards, skid plate and it cost him $25,500 out the door. By comparison my new 2019 Yamaha Super Tenere ES that I bought in 2020 with the same accessories was $17,500 out the door. In approximately 18 months of ownership he has ridden 22,000km. In that same time I have ridden 35,000km on my Tenere. In the first 18 months of ownership his Triumph has spent about a total of 4 months in the shop being fixed cause its always broken. Lots and Lots and Lots and Lots of Computer problems! Engine lights on, Limp mode, Quick shifter failures, Cruise control failures and the Bike dies for no reason, repeatedly. I now have 52,000KM on my Tenere and not one issue. The Quality of the Triumph Build is also a Big problem. At 20,000 km he had to replace his front/rear sprocket and chain. By comparison on my 2014 Vstrom 1000 I rode 42,000km before doing my sprockets and chain and rode that bike 68,000 trouble free km's before trading it in on my Super Tenere. Also, at 22,000km he developed a bad left fork seal leak necessitating the replacement of the fork seal. Replacing that fork seal cost $1000. By comparison I rode 68,000km on my Vstrom 1000 and did nothing to the bike and I have 52,000km on my Super Tenere and have done nothing to the bike. Triumph motorcycles in Canada are CRAZY Expensive to service to maintain the warranty. His Valve checks are due every 20,000km and with an oil change and service was $2000. By comparison my 2019 Yamaha Super Tenere Valve checks are every 40,000km's and with an oil change and service was $550. In the first 18 months he has spent about $4000 on regular maintenance to maintain his warranty + the cost of repairs that weren't covered . A Triumph motorcycle really is a rich man's motorcycle. Thank god he bought an extended warranty...he is going to need it. His 2021 Triumph 900 GT Pro is such an unreliable bike he will be selling it this summer and go back to a Japanese motorcycle so that he can actually ride it. It's disappointing that the dealer didn't tell him that buying a Triumph Motorcycle was like buying a Ferrari for maintenance costs or that they were such unreliable motorcycles. Anyways....Keep up the great work on your videos, I really enjoy them and ride safe.

Great review! I am very interested in this motorcycle. But I am concerned with wind buffeting and weather protection. Is this something that can be addressed with aftermarket products? This is my ONLY hesitation in not pulling the trigger and getting one.

That bike is definitely quick. Even in explorer trim with hard luggage.

I wasn't aware you could have red turn signals. Very interesting.

I sat on one of these machines with a full tank of fuel and was impressed by how heavy it DID not feel. Now 75 pounds of luggage makes any of these bikes heavy. But having a 300+ mile range is just too good to pass up so I lean toward the Explorer over the GT. Did you, by chance, ever ride this bike with only 5 gallons of gas in the tank? Many folks complained about how top heavy the GSA is with a full tank of gas but if filling the bike with only five gallons of gas makes the bike feel like a regular GS then the point is moot. But maybe the GSA would still feel heavy for other reasons and the Tiger could be the same? Curious if you have any insight into this.

This is such a great review format! I appreciate all of the effort you're putting into these reviews Ian. I own a 2018 AT which I think looks good, but the Triumphs styling is just about perfect for this class of bike. I definitely need to test ride one. Oh, and those lighted switches; why aren't the other manufacturers doing this? It's such an obvious feature.

I'm going to take a look. I don't really need a new bike but this and the 1290 adventure s seem like nice upgrades to me.

Another great review, I hope you’ll be testing the Yamaha MT10sp 😉.

So 13:1 compression says i am not leaving the States because i need premium gas?

Spot on Ian, the only thing I will add is that I am about 2 inches taller than you and I find the stock windshield is not very good, I get a lot of wind noise. It does help to move the screen down (yes down not up to the max) a bit to get better airflow but I will still have to get something taller from the aftermarket. Oh and if you use the My Triumph app you have a built-in GPS.

has a rowdy sound to it , id love to ride one not my kinda thing to purchase but would love to ride one

Sense the Triumph tiger 1200 is not for shorter riders. What is your thoughts on the tiger 900:gt low for shorter riders ? I know of the BMW 750 gs for shorter riders! Thank you for always giving incredible reviews on new motorcycles and gear!!

i like your channel your reviews and honest feedback, but why didn’t you review the KTM 1290 adventure vs bmw gs ?

How good is this for 5 feet 5 inch rider? Any thoughts?

excellent review. Is there a long term reliability review in the future?

Would the vibration settle down with a few thousand miles like (they say) the Harleys do?

Ian is the engine exhaust too quiet? I’m a firm believer in being able to hear the engine to be in tune with what how the bike is performing.

Obviously need to revisit this in a year to see Tiger sales numbers. I am sure if it will be of no major concern to BMW.

Give this guy some oxygen

How about more “used” bike reviews? You have done guides on the 1000cc Africa Twin and discussed the KTM 790/890, how about the previous Tiger 800 line. More of your insight and detailed guides for bikes for some of us looking in the used market to find good options?

A VERY compelling bike but I wouldn't give up my GSA for one. On the other hand, I certainly wouldn't mind owing BOTH of them.

Great review. Except the RedlineReview tagline.

Is the quickshifter smoother than the GS?

Do these high compression engines adapt to riding with low octanes abroad? Problems with riding in the altiplano at 4000meters high? Maybe a short video about this could be interesting. You'd have to investigate, not just ask manufacturers, regards, good job.

At 4.44 I actually thought it was a bmw r1250gs triple black ! Says a lot about the design.

Curious, upper weight feel comparison vs a gsa, your thoughts?