Spring roars in
Triumph’s Tiger’s made it through the wilderness of winter, and all is well…
YES, YES, YES. Whooshing across the edge of the Vale of Belvoir early on a Sunday morning, it’s the first ride of the year where everything is at last in place. The sky is blue, the air’s warm, the road is dry. Hedgerows display vibrant shoots, small woolly mammals frolic in fields and lanes are clogged with Lycra-clad pedallists riding five abreast. And there are flies on my visor. Yes, spring’s well and truly arrived. According to statistics I made up we’ve just had the longest winter since made up statistics began, so spring’s final in-with-both-feet arrival is a huge relief. No more dripping kit after every ride. No pungent odour from sludge baking onto header pipes. No more embarrassing chicken strips. Not that Triumph’s new Tiger 1200 has been unsatisfactory during the gloomy months. Far from it. With heated grips and seat, hugely effective screen, steadfast roadholding in salty slurry and all manner of electronic safety nets, the weighty 1215cc triple has been utterly dependable (especially if we gloss over the way it needs three prods on the starter when cold). However, now the seasons have woken up the Tiger also shows a new lease of life. The longlegged engine strides across the landscape, stereotypical Triumph crisp steering delivers a connected feel, and a wiggle of the new multifunction joystick on the left switchgear tweaks the ride from motorway-absorbing comfortable to back lane-carving firm. Inspired by crisp spring light and a sense of the summer to follow, it’s one of those mornings where I could just ride and ride. With its easy 200-mile range, day-long comfort and striding motor, the Tiger feels the same. Better let Mrs Armitage know I won’t be back for lunch.
‘Now the seasons have woken up the Tiger shows a new lease of life’