Believe it or not, Triumph’s Tiger line of motorcycles has been around since the 1930s, built back then under Triumph Engineering, and then later by Triumph Motorcycles Ltd from 1993 onwards.

From the present-day company’s rally-pedigree Tiger 900 in 1993 to various models in the interim, we come to the most brawny adventure bike in Triumph’s line-up, the Tiger 1200, here in Rally Explorer guise.

Folks, this is a big boy.

Sittin’ High

It looks mean, tough and ready to conquer pretty much any surface that can be thrown at it. Hand guards, an aluminium sump guard with moulded upper, engine protection and fuel tank protection bars mean you can bush-bash and not fret.

With ground clearance this good, the Tiger 1200’s go-anywhere credentials will not leave you wanting no matter the terrain. Jaunts up north and further off the beaten track are wholly doable.

Illuminating your path off the beaten track is a full LED headlight with adaptive cornering lights and a built-in daytime running light (DRL). If that isn’t enough, there’s also a pair of LED foglamps to further light the trail.

Just above it sits a manually adjustable windscreen. One simply needs to grab its handle and pull upwards or push downwards to adjust, and it’s simple enough to do on the move.

Part of its great ground clearance comes courtesy of the standard-fit Showa semi-active suspension with 220mm of travel.

The rear shock features automatic preload adjustment and can lower the seat height by up to 20mm by pressing the ‘Home’ button on the right handlebar controls for one second.

Wish I’d known about this sooner, for it would have made getting on and off the bike much easier. Not a biggie though, for it was easy enough to mount up via the foot pegs, and then retract the side stand once seated.

Oh, and the other part of its great ground clearance comes from the foot pegs themselves being moved up and closer to the bike.

Stopping duties fall to twin Brembo Stylema 4-piston monobloc radial callipers with 320mm floating discs up front, and a solitary Brembo single-piston calliper clamping down on a 282mm disc in the rear, aided by ABS. They’re strong and feel reassuring right out of the gate.

I like how the wire-spoke Akront rims add a classic touch to the Tiger 1200. Measuring 21-inches in front and 19-inches in the rear, they’re wrapped with off-road-looking Metzler Karoo Street rubber in 90/90-21 and 150/70 R18 sizes fore and aft respectively.

Even though they look off-roady, their on-road manners are impeccable.

Ergonomics on board are well executed, as are rider aids. Controls are well positioned, falling naturally to fingers, and easy and intuitive to use. A seven-inch full-colour TFT display can be customised to one’s liking and displays pertinent information clearly.

Them’s the basics. Let’s ride.

Flyin’ High

Riding the Tiger 1200 is easy, since it is very ergonomic and one can get used to it quickly.

Moving off requires little effort, thanks to its 1,160cc triple-cylinder engine putting out 150hp and 130Nm of torque. Drive is sent to the rear wheel via a low-maintenance driveshaft, so no worries about having to scrub and oil a chain.

Power delivery is very linear, and one is always aware of the driveshaft whirring away down below with the gearbox. It isn’t unpleasant in the slightest, and adds to the visceral experience that adventure biking is sure to bring.

Aiding the ease of riding is the Triumph Shift Assist quick shifter which lets the rider bang up and down through the gears clutchlessly while on the move. Use this to your advantage, and the engine note goes from gruff to a wail and into a howl at the top end.

Then bang in another gear and do it all over again.

Through it all, the Tiger 1200 remains unflappable. Straight-line stability is good, and the bike remains planted and solid-feeling. But it also cossets the rider, thanks to the semi-active Showa suspension.

Bumps and ruts picked up by other bikes are pretty much non-existent on this Tiger, and one can sail smoothly down the road.

Helping out the rider are some creature comforts. There are six ride modes to choose from, such as Rain, Road, Sport and Rider, to further fine-tune the throttle response and handling characteristics of the bike. Standard cruise control is there for longer and quieter stretches of highways.

There’s also a blindspot monitoring system that blinks amber below each mirror to warn of unseen traffic, and this is the first time I’ve seen this on a motorcycle. It’s not gimmicky and actually works very well.

There’s no getting away from this bike’s width. Lane filtering is best left to larger gaps, but it can be done if one is prudent and sensible about it.

Its 30-litre fuel tank means amazing range for a motorcycle between fill-ups, but it also adds to the heft of the bike.

However, despite its 262kg wet weight, and by using the counter-steer method, the Tiger 1200 can smartly tip into a lean and carve-up curves with those Metzler donuts remaining grippy on the blacktop.

Practicality is catered for, with suitable mounting points already set up for panniers and a box, so your next adventure is but a ride away.

Should You Buy One?

At $58,800 before COE and insurance, the Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer offers a lot of kit for the money. Add to that its three-year unlimited mileage warranty and you have even more reason to consider it.

It looks rough and ready to rumble, but it remains really comfortable. It can sing throatily and set your nether regions tingling with glee. And it can do the daily-ride duties well. That’s a really compelling package if you ask me.

Head on down to the showroom and take a test ride. I’m pretty sure you’ll come back with a big smile on your face.

Only serious bikers need apply because the Tiger 1200 comes across as a serious adventure bike.

Photo Credits: Joel Tam (@carboy_365)

Technical Specifications

Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer

Engine:  liquid-cooled, 12-valve DOHC, 1,160cc inline 3-cylinder
Gearbox: 6-speed manual with Triumph Shift Assist
Clutch: hydraulic, wet, multi-plate, slip and assist
Driveline: driveshaft
Power: 150hp @ 9,000rpm (100hp in Rain Mode)
Torque: 130Nm @ 7,000rpm
Fuel Economy (combined): 5.1-litres/100km or 19.6km/litre (claimed)
Fuel Tank Capacity: 30 litres
Wet Weight: 262kg
Width: 849mm (handlebars), 982mm (handguards)
Wheelbase: 1,560mm
Unladen Seat Height: adjustable 875mm/895mm
Rake: 24.0-degrees
Tyres( front):  90/90-21
Tyres( rear): 150/70 R18
Brakes (front): twin 320mm floating discs, Brembo Stylema 4-piston monobloc radial callipers
Brakes (rear): single 282mm disc, Brembo single-piston calliper
Suspension (front): Showa 49mm, semi-active damping upside-down (USD) forks
Suspension (rear): Showa semi-active damping monoshock, with automatic electronic preload adjustment
Price: $58,800 (before COE and insurance, accurate at the time of this article)
Contact: Triumph Motorcycles Singapore

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV and on TikTok!

Triumph Motorcycles, in case you didn’t know, is British; hence the “tea and crumpet” reference above.

It started in 1885 as Triumph Engineering Co Ltd produced motorcycles since 1902, and went bankrupt in 1983, where it was bought over and briefly renamed Bonneville Coventry Ltd before being finally named Triumph Motorcycles Ltd.

The Street Triple, on the other hand, is a much more recent introduction in 2007 to replace the Speed Four. It carried on the dual-headlight design of the latter, but introduced an inline three-cylinder engine instead, and was well-received in the Streetfighter/Supernaked class of roadsters.

Fast forward to the fourth generation introduced in 2018 with an update in 2023, and we have the Street Triple 765 RS in front of us.

The Bike

Don’t know about you, but I just wanted to bite my fist when I first set eyes upon the Street Triple 765 RS. The twin round headlights of yore are replaced by full LED “angry mantis” mimicking items complete with daytime running lights (DRLs).

This is definitely a face which will send shivers down one’s spine when seen in the rear-view mirror.

The riding position is a good halfway house between a full-on sports bike forward-lean and my own KTM Duke 390’s rather upright riding position. This means those of us with hip and back issues need not fret, because the Street Triple 765 RS is comfortable for daily-riding duties.

More petite riders may need to choose the optional 28mm lower-slung seat for added comfort and stability. If that’s not enough, a dedicated rear suspension linkage adaption can lower the ride height by a further 10mm.

Also, being just a tad heavier than my Duke 390, it was easy to quickly get comfortable with the Street Triple 765 RS.

Once seated, twist the key and the five-inch TFT instrument screen comes to life with an appropriate greeting depending on the time of day. The instrument screen is configurable in a few different ways, although I wish the rev counter could have been more prominent.

The screen goes into a white-backlit ‘bright’ mode during daytime, but will invert its colour scheme when entering tunnels and when it’s darker outside.

Scrolling through the various menus and changing ride modes between Rain, Road, Sport, Track and a customisable mode called Rider is done via a button and toggle respectively on the left handlebar. Riding modes can only be effectively changed while stopped for the new settings to take effect.

This didn’t matter during my ride, for I simply left the bike in Road mode and got on with it. Road mode is plenty for someone of my experience level.

Bruisin’

Single thumpers, twin cylinders in parallel, ‘V’, ‘L’ or boxer layout, and four cylinders inline or as a ‘V’ are commonly found in motorcycle engines. Three cylinders, on the other hand, are rare, and that’s what the Street Triple 765 RS has got, hence its name. All 765cc of it.

It puts down 130hp at 12,000rpm and 80Nm of torque at 9,500rpm. While not a screamer unlike sports bikes, what it has going for it is its flexibility in everyday situations. Power delivery stays linear throughout the rev range.

The engine starts up and idles with a ‘zing,’ which stays in the background as the predominant exhaust note until around 5,000rpm.

Pass that threshold and the ‘zing’ turns into a howl. Keep the throttle pinned and the howl morphs into a glorious wailing crescendo as the engine sings throatily toward the top end. Snap the throttle shut, and the exhaust starts to boom while satisfyingly popping on the overrun.

Then you get to do it all over again!

Aiding this experience is a quick-shifter called Triumph Shift Assist, and is life-changing. One can bang up and down through the gears without pulling the clutch lever, and the way it is executed is easy, yet sharp and purposeful.

Not only can it sing gloriously, but dance with flair as well.

Twin adjustable Showa 41mm upside-down Big Piston Forks in front and adjustable Öhlins STX40 mono-shock with piggyback reservoir in the rear work extremely well together, being supple and comfortable during a cruise, yet solidly hunkered down and precision-controlled in corners.

Combining its suspension with its 1,399mm wheelbase and super sticky Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V3 tyres, the Street Triple 765 RS encourages you to take bends and corners much quicker and with supreme confidence. Which I did.

Stopping duties fall to monoblock four-piston Brembo calipers clamping down on twin 310mm discs up front, and a single-pot Brembo with 220mm disc in the rear.

They’re aided by cornering ABS, cornering traction control and front wheel lift control, which can be selected via the different ride modes.

I’ve got nothing but praise for these brakes. They’re strong, well-judged and easy to modulate.

Words are not enough to describe this viscerally auditory sensation. You need to try it for yourself.

Cruisin’

Once you’ve had your fun, it’s time to settle into a gentle cruise, which the Street Triple 765 RS does with ease. Given how torquey the engine is, one can pootle along at 70-90km/h on the highway in sixth gear without the engine being lugged.

Owing to its relative narrowness, lane-filtering in heavy traffic is also a cinch, and I was able to slice through rows of slow-moving vehicles as deftly as kapchais.

Street-riding is also easy to do. No worries about a hot bum or crotch either, for the cooling system works well and keeps things under control.

Should you buy one?

It’s got the go to match the looks. Boy, can it sing and dance. It stays planted, keeps things well in check and most importantly, doesn’t break the bank to purchase.

If there was a song to describe the Street Triple 765 RS, this would be it:

I think you already know what my answer to the “Should you buy it?” question is…

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

Technical Specifications

Triumph Street Triple 765 RS

Engine:  liquid-cooled, 12-valve DOHC, 765cc inline 3-cylinder
Gearbox: 6-speed manual with Triumph Shift Assist
Clutch: wet, multi-plate, slipper
Driveline: X-ring chain
Power: 130hp @ 12,000rpm
Torque: 80Nm @ 9,500rpm
Fuel Economy (combined): 5.4-litres/100km or 18.52km/litre (claimed)
Fuel Tank Capacity: 15 litres
Wet Weight: 188kg
Width: 792mm
Wheelbase: 1,399mm
Unladen Seat Height: 836mm
Rake: 23.2-degrees
Tyres( front): Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V3 120/70 ZR17
Tyres( rear): Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V3 180/55 ZR17
Brakes (front): twin 310mm floating discs, Brembo Stylema 4-piston monobloc calipers
Brakes (rear): single 220mm disc, Brembo single-piston calliper
Suspension (front): Showa 41mm upside-down Big Piston Forks (BPF), adjustable compression and rebound damping, and preload adjustment
Suspension (rear): Öhlins STX40 piggyback reservoir monoshock, adjustable compression and rebound damping, and preload adjustment
Price: $31,800 (before COE and insurance, accurate at the time of this article)
Contact: Triumph Motorcycles Singapore

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV and on TikTok!