Rumour has it that Triumph is about to unveil a new adventure bike.
Triumph already has the pretty well-regarded 800cc and 1050cc Tiger adventure motorcycles in their line-up, but the expected machine will be bigger than those. Supposedly, the new bike will be competing with BMW’s big bore dual sports, with a three-cylinder 1200cc engine and about 135 horsepower.
Online gossip has the bike being unveiled at the EICMA show in Milan in November. Whether all this is true or not, we can’t say, but we do know there’s been a spy photo going around the interwebs for a few weeks now that certainly looks like it confirms the rumours.
I have ridden my Moto Guzzi Stelvio on some very rough roads and it is perfect for the task, just as it is perfect for high-speed expressways. I have yet to see an Escalade on the cow paths I have taken with the Stelvio. Just sayin’…Â
1200 cc adventure bikes look right at home parked next to a Cadillac Escalade with low profile chromed rims. What kind of ‘Adventure’ can you take these things on? Where can they go that say a 250 or 400 can’t?
They are very capable and enjoyable road bikes.
Like you say though, they are not really off-road bikes; much like a 250 or 400 is not really a great road bike.
The DRZ does make a great motard, but it’s not the kind of bike I’d want to ride long distance.
Riding two up, on the Dempster, on a 250 or 400, is just not adviseable. Hence the desire for larger bike, with a larger fuel tank, shaft drive (for ease of maintenance). Riding to Inuvik or Ashuaia, thats my kind of Adventure. You are quite correct in that when the bike is laying on its side, no one is wishing they had a bigger bike!! Wish the darn thing could be strong enough for all day two up riding, but only weight 350lbs – that of course is just a dream!!
I’ll buy into the two up riding thing needing a bigger bike. My 250 barely has room for me and my luggage on long trips. You can get an aftermarket tank to take you 450+ km between fill-ups and still have $10,000 leftover in the bank over a 1200 cc beast. A good 250 can go 150 km/h so unless you need to take a passenger or are cruising the Autobahn, I don’t see the point in a big bike.
It really needs to have a shaft drive as well, if Triumph hopes to compete with the likes of the GS, the Super Tenere, and the Stelvio.
Hopefully this is true…..hopefully it will have a LARGE fuel tank. I’m thinking at least 33L or more…..
Really??….why bigger?
 Bring it on!!