Triumph’s flagship adventure touring machine is heavier, wider, and more derivative of its competition following a major update for 2027. It’s also more expensive.
On the plus side, it is packed to the rafters with technowhizzbangery, peak torque now arrives lower in the rev range, and claimed peak horsepower is 8 bhp greater. And it seems Triumph is finally, tacitly, acknowledging that this platform is not actually very good off road.
One wonders if the boys and girls at Hinckley aren’t also tacitly acknowledging something that people have felt about the Tiger 1200 platform ever since it was launched way back in 2012 (when it was known as the Tiger Explorer), which is this: perhaps Triumph doesn’t really know who or what this bike is for. Except to say that it is the brand’s very blatant attempt to siphon some of BMW’s GS success with a “like that but this” motorcycle.
The 2027 version lays that truth on the table by offering up a Tiger 1200 that seems to be risking intellectual property violations in its copying of the R 1300 GS aesthetic. This update, by the way, is the third major overhaul of the platform in just four years.
“This is a real step change for the Tiger 1200,” says Chief Product Officer Steve Sargent in a media release. “It’s more powerful, more accessible and more advanced, but most importantly, it’s brilliant fun to ride.”
That last part is probably true. I used to own a Tiger Explorer XRx and was largely a fan of it but for the fact that it was infuriatingly top-heavy. That aspect eroded confidence in wet conditions or on other loose surfaces, but when conditions were right it was, as Sargent says, brilliant fun to ride.
RELATED: 12,000 miles on a 2017 Triumph Tiger Explorer XRx
I have been critical of the Tiger 1200 platform ever since Triumph introduced its so-called “T-Plane” firing order, which bastardizes the character of the bike’s 1160cc inline triple engine, trying to make it feel instead like a twin-cylinder. But I retain enough love for the platform that I’m still interested in it; I’d still happily have one in my garage if I had the money to afford such a thing. Which I most certainly do not. This update ensures the four flavors of Tiger 1200 are more expensive than ever before.
What’s new on the 2027 Tiger 1200
Triumph says it is seeking to offer a machine with “top-tier technology,” promising such whizzbangery as SHOWA EERA HEIGHTFLEX, a suspension that automatically lowers the seat by 30mm as you come to a stop. Sure, Harley-Davidson’s been offering that sort of experience on its Pan America 1250 since 2021, but now it’s on a Triumph.
Paired with the low seat option, you can apparently get the seat height down to 790mm – the same seat height as that of a Vespa GTS 300 HPE.
On the suspension front, Triumph also offers “Center Stand Assist,” which somehow cranks up rear preload to make it easier for you to shift the bike onto the center stand – something that I remember being oh-so-slightly challenging when the panniers were full of stuff.
The Tiger 1200 platform also boasts Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Again, Harley’s been offering that sort of thing on its touring bikes for almost a decade, but now it’s on a Triumph.
The most obvious changes are in the look. All four variations of the Tiger 1200 platform are markedly wider and boxier, with even the headlight mimicking the controversial look of the BMW R 1300 GS. To this end, it seems Triumph has gone back to its good ol’ days of not even trying to hide its influences.
Remember the Trophy SE (2012-2017)? And how it was as obviously designed to copy the BMW R 1200 RT as an obvious thing can be? Yeah, we’re doing that again. The 2027 Tiger 1200 platform is now just a few hairs shy of a meter wide – and that’s before luggage is attached. Don’t plan on doing any filtering on this thing.
Nor any navigation of off-road trails any smaller or more challenging than a fire road. To that end, Triumph has abandoned the 21-inch front wheel that used to adorn the Rally Pro and Rally Explorer models. Now, you get a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear across the board. Rally models still wear spoked wheels, while GT models boast cast aluminum alloy wheels.
RELATED: Alloy vs spoked: Which is the right wheel for you?
Engine and transmission
Engine-wise, all four variations of the Tiger 1200 platform offer exactly the same powerplant: an 1160cc liquid-cooled inline triple (that annoyingly doesn’t have the smooth goodness of a triple), claiming 155.8 bhp at 9250 rpm (Let’s say 156 bhp to be kind). In yet another clear sign of where Triumph’s head is at, it gives power figures in PS. Which, you may be aware, is short for Pferdestärke – it’s a German measurement of horsepower.
Peak torque remains an impressive 95.8 lb-ft (or 130 Nm) at 6750 rpm. That puts torque just a little bit lower in the rev range; peak torque on the 2024-2026 Tiger 1200 arrives at 7000 rpm. Triumph says it has also made some internal tweaks, in the form of redesigned cylinder head, new pistons, lighter valves, and a freer-flowing exhaust. The crank, balancer shaft, and quickshifter have all been refined, according to Triumph.
Ratios in the first three gears have been tweaked, with first gear receiving the most obvious change. Triumph says “crawl speed” in first has been decreased by approximately 3.7 mph, making low-speed maneuvering easier.
Technowhizzbangery
It’s been my personal observation that rider aid tech, such as TFT screens, have been a weak point for the Tiger 1200 platform since 2018 or so. I get the sense that it’s not KTM levels of unreliable, but that it’s simply not robust enough to take sustained abuse.
Triumph never stated exactly what the “technical issue” was that scuppered Sam Sunderland’s round-the-world attempt, but I’d put money on it being related to this aspect of the Tiger 1200’s tech offerings. (In September 2026 two-time Dakar champion Sam Sunderland attempted to set a record for circumnavigating the globe, aiming to ride a pre-production 2027 Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer some 18,000 miles in less than 19 days. Setting out from London, the whole thing went bust in Australia when the bike suffered a “technical issue,” the repairs for which would have taken too long to make the attempt viable).
But, I suppose if you’re not riding around the world – and staying relatively close to your Triumph dealership – you’ll be happy enjoying the aforementioned Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, adaptive cruise control, blind spot assist, group ride assist, and forward collision warning (which vibrates the rear brake pedal if you are about to rear-end someone). You also get adaptive LED cornering lights and multifunction rear LEDs.
One feature that I really like, and which is the sort of thing that should have existed on adventure-touring bikes decades ago, is the presence of a waterproof phone compartment at the top of the gas tank. Again, that sort of thing has been on touring bikes since before anyone even had smartphones (Honda Gold Wings had waterproof compartments back in the ‘80s), but this is the first I’ve heard of such a feature being available on an adventure-touring bike. If you know differently, please correct me in the comments below.
Weight, service, and at least 18,000 reasons why I won’t own a Tiger 1200
Fuel capacity remains 20 liters for the GT Pro and Rally Pro. Explorer models boast a 30-liter tank. Service intervals are every 10,000 miles. All of the bikes have gained weight and price.
The GT Pro now weighs 250 kg wet (up from 246 kg) and costs £18,295 (a full £1,000 more than this year’s model.
The GT Explorer now weighs 260 kg wet (up from 256 kg) and costs £19,795 (some £900 more than this year’s model).
The Rally Pro now weighs 255 kg wet (up from 250 kg) and costs £18,995 (an increase of £700 over this year’s model).
And the Rally Explorer now weighs 268 kg wet (up from 261 kg) and has a starting price of £20,495 (an increase of £800 over this year’s model).
Triumph has finally started giving wet weights, after years of misleading dry weight figures, but goodness knows what the company means by wet weight. Such figures are a dark art in the motorcycling industry, but they definitely don’t include luggage.
The optional Evo luggage system – developed by Givi – includes a voluminous 58-liter top box. So, I’d say you can add at least 18 kg to the wet weight even before actually putting stuff in the luggage.
Good luck navigating slippery roundabouts.
2027 Triumph Tiger 1200 specs
| ENGINE | 1160cc Liquid-cooled, 3 cylinders, 12 valve, DOHC |
| POWER | 156 bhp at 9250 rpm |
| TORQUE | 95.8 lb-ft at 6750 rpm |
| TRANSMISSION | Six-speed (w/quickshifter) |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 810-860 mm or 790-840 mm with accessory low seat |
| GROUND CLEARANCE | n/a |
| WEIGHT | 250-268 kg (see above) |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 20 liters for Pro models, 30 liters for Explorer models |
| FRONT TIRE | 120/70R19 |
| REAR TIRE | 170/60R17 |
| FRONT BRAKES | Twin 320mm floating discs, Brembo M4.30 Stylema 4-piston monobloc radial calipers, OCABS, Magura HC1 span adjustable radial master cylinder with separate reservoir |
| REAR BRAKE | Single 282mm disc, Brembo single piston axial caliper, OCABS |
| FRONT SUSPENSION | Showa EERA Heightflex, 49mm upside-down forks, semi-active damping. 200mm wheel travel |
| REAR SUSPENSION | Showa EERA Heightflex, monoshock RSU, Semi Active Damping with Auto Ride Height, 200mm wheel travel |
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