Triumph Explorer Alpine Edition – the biggest value Tiger 1200 yet?
Is the Triumph Tiger 1200 Alpine Edition really so special?
Triumph’s Tiger 1200 now comes in new exotic-sounding Alpine and Desert editions. This Alpine is based on the road-focused XRx model, while the Desert is a version of the spoked-wheel XCx. Fundamentals are unchanged, including the grunty 1215cc triple, substantial steel frame, plush semi-active suspension and useful electric windscreen. So is it worth £400 over a stock XRx?
1 Free change
The Alpine gains Triumph’s ‘Shift Assist’ two-way quickshifter for clutchless up and down gearchanges. The system works smoothly, blends in with the bike’s hi-tech feel, and normally costs £405 to add to a standard Tiger 1200. A fiver saved already...
2 White but no stripes
The Alpine Edition has suitably snowy white sparkly paint, some mountainthemed graphics on the tank and shiny ‘SE’ badges instead of the regular ‘XRx’ items on the radiator shrouds. If you want a white Tiger anyway, that colour choice would add £150 to the price of a regular XRx.
3 Pipe dreams
An Arrow slip-on silencer is also included. With its titanium body and carbon end cap, it’s a claimed 2kg lighter than the standard part. It’s still road-legal though, so don’t expect huge noise or power gains. But it is smaller and looks sleeker, and costs £760 to add to an XRx.
4 Bargain boxes
The three-piece black aluminium Expedition luggage fitted here adds £1552. But until the end of September Triumph are giving away silver Expedition panniers (plus mounting racks) costing £1015 free with every Alpine Edition.