It would appear that Triumph are using Sam Sunderland’s round-the-world record attempt as an opportunity to test a new version of their Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer – one that features a new headlight assembly to cater for front facing radar.
The bike used in the press shots for the attempt featured a Rally Explorer, that Sunderland told MCN was standard apart from slightly modified panniers and an Akrapovič exhaust system. “Otherwise the bike runs standard, right down to its Michelin tyres,” he said at the time.
That may be the case, but the bike he used to set off on the attempt was not the same one. The front facing radar can clearly be seen above the headlight in shots of Sunderland setting off.
When Triumph first unveiled the latest generation Tiger 1200 back in 2021, they said the decision to include radar blind spot detection at the rear but nothing at the front was based on customer feedback during development.
But the forward facing tech has become de rigueur on flagship models from the competition, and Triumph have clearly decided to follow suit.
The tech can be applied in several different ways, that range from automatic beam dipping and collision warnings at the bottom end, through to radar assisted cruise control and then on to emergency braking interventions at the top.
The Blind Spot Detection unit on the current Tiger was developed with Continental, but shots of the rear of Sunderland’s bike show that a different unit has been fitted. This might indicate a switch to Bosch tech, the supplier used by most of the competition.
The latest Bosch-developed Advanced Rider Assistance Systems developed with KTM can even stop and start the bike for you in traffic. If Triumph want to go this far, it’ll mean adding some kind of auto clutch option to the range, too. Exactly how the tech will be applied remains to be seen.
Inclusion of the radar has also meant a small styling update at the front end with a simpler beak, a completely new headlight and DRL arrangement and an updated screen, which extends outwards at the top corners can also be seen.
It’s difficult to tell exactly due to the nature of the shots, but the front tyre appears to be a wider profile than the current generation’s 90/90×21 and from some angles looks to have shrunk, too. Maybe it now matches the 120/70×19 used on the current GT variants. The use of wire spoke rims would suggest it wasn’t a wheel swap done just for the challenge.
Onboard shots from a video released on Monday, September 14 also appear to show Sunderland using CarPlay through the bike’s dash, suggesting an upgrade to that area that may also include Android Auto. The current model’s MyRide set-up was a regular grumble for owners, so this would be welcomed.
The DVLA’s record for the bike used lists the engine capacity as an unchanged 1160cc but it could well be that the motor has been breathed on, given it’s now five years since it was unveiled, too.
Triumph were approached but declined to comment.
It makes sense that Triumph would want to give their next-generation Tiger 12 such a gruelling test before it hits the market – presumably next year given that it would appear to be finished. The changes to the Rally Explorer will almost certainly be applied to other models in the range, too.
Ben Clarke began riding (legally) at 21-years-old when he passed his direct access one month before shipping his Yamaha XT660 R to Miami and embarking on a 13,500-mile tour of the USA and Central America. He&…