Triumph Motorcycles has added two special-edition models to its Tiger 1200 line-up – Desert and Alpine – indicating a major change in the range for next year.
It’s been a long time since the 1200 model had major changes, especially in the engine and it is now lagging behind models such as the BMW R 1250 GS, Ducati Multistrada 1260 and KTM 1290 Adventure.
Over the past few years, Triumph has dropped the “Explorer” tag from the Tiger 1200 name, updated the electronics and ergos, and reduced weight about 10kg, but the price also shot up by as much as $2600.
And just as the Tiger 900 dropped the confusing model names (XRx, XCx, XRt, XCa) for the more simply Rally and GT, we expect the same will happen when the big Tiger is upgraded.
Alpine and Desert models
Tiger 1200 Desert Edition.
But back to the new limited-edition models which will see out the last of the 1200 models.
Triumph says the edition is “inspired by epic adventures taken across the most inhospitable deserts in the world, from the Sahara, to the Kalahari and beyond”.
The Alpine is “inspired by the epic alpine adventures riders have made across one of the most breathtakingly beautiful mountain ranges in the whole world”.
Tiger 1200 Alpine Edition.
Ok, enough of the hyperbole!
They are based on the XRx and XCx models, but with an Arrow titanium exhaust, an up/down quick shifter, plus special paint, badges and graphics.
There is no word from Triumph Motorcycles Australia on when they will arrive or the price, but we can expect another hike, although less than the cost of fitting the extra gear.
Expect to pay about $1000 more than the current prices of $24,200 (XRx) and $25,600 (XCx).
An excerpt from the Monkey Manifesto: We believe the world is far too safe and organised, that we’ve come to live in ever decreasing circles of freedom. Fear of litigation, greed and a spineless refusal to take responsibility for ourselves have robbed us of one of the most interesting things in life: the unexpected. The Monkey Run rails against this. It forces you to be lost, to not know what’s around the next corner, to embrace the unknown.
“The Adventurists” are the people who first began organizing Monkey Runs, way back in 2017. The stated goal was to make life less boring, and with that in mind, they’ve been putting unsuspecting people on Honda Monkeys in Morocco, Peru and Romania ever since. The Romania edition comes highly recommended by their publicist; this year there’ll be week-long one in June and another at the end of August. What else have you got to do?
——————————————————————————————-
Monkey Run Press Release:
The best road in the world just got even better
Love him or loath him, it’s hard to argue with Jeremy Clarkson’s verdict of Romania’s Transfaragasan Highway as ‘the best road in the world’. The Adventurists believe they’ve found a way to make ‘the best even better’ by throwing miniature motorbikes into the mix in the latest edition of the Monkey Run series.
The Adventurists are, as their name suggests, responsible for some of the world’s most exciting adventures, ranging from The Mongol Rally (billed as the ‘Greatest Adventure in the World’) to the Mongol Derby, possibly the world toughest horse race, a 1000 km journey across the Mongolian steppe.
Three years ago they launched the Monkey Run, which saw participants dropped in the Sahara and tasked with crossing the Atlas Mountains and reaching the Moroccan coast on 50 cc Monkey Bikes. After just the right mix of thrills, spills and camels, the success of the Moroccan Monkey Run led to the creation of the Monkey Run Peru and now the Romanian Monkey Run.
The Adventurists are keen to show off the miniature bikes’ prowess on some of Europe’s most exciting roads and trails, surrounded by epic vistas, before Brexit means anyone with a British accent isn’t allowed near the Transfaragasan Highway.
Whilst there’s no defined route set for the Monkey Run, riders will saddle up in the city of Sighetu Marmatiei, close to the border with Ukraine, before travelling a few hundred kilometres to a location outside of Deva. In true Adventurists style, they’ll be parties thrown at either end so riders can meet fellow participants and then share heroic tales of adventure and compare battle-bruises.
The fact there is no set route isn’t a result of The Adventurists lacking a good roadmap, quite the opposite in fact. It’s at the heart of what they’re all about and they actively promote getting lost and heading off the beaten track.
“There are a few spots we’d recommend everyone tries to hit, such as the Transfaragasan Highway, Dracula’s Castle and Berca Mud Volcano, but beyond that we encourage riders to look at their maps as little as possible. The idea of the Monkey Runs is to give people a true adventure that allows them to get under the skin of the country they’re in in a way that a normal holiday wouldn’t. There’s no set route, no backup and no support. That’s the whole point. You could just rock up, enjoy the launch party, team up with another rider and ride in tandem the length of the country to the finish line and you’d have an amazing time. However, there’s nothing like a little mishap in the back end of nowhere if you want to experience something truly memorable that forces you to embrace your surroundings and the people in it. These are the moments that modern life is missing. We believe the world is far too safe and organised, that we’ve come to live in ever decreasing circles of freedom. Fear of litigation, greed and a spineless refusal to take responsibility for ourselves have robbed us of one of the most interesting things in life: the unexpected. The Monkey Run rails against this. It forces you to be lost, to not know what’s around the next corner, to embrace the unknown.”
This drive for genuine adventure is why The Adventurists specifically chose Monkey Bikes, rather than more comfortable or powerful rides.
“Monkey Bikes are a whole lot of fun and it’s hard to take a serious fall. Because they’re low to the ground they also feel much faster than they are, but in reality they’re slow enough for you to truly appreciate the landscape you’re travelling through. They’re perfect for this trip and they’re bound to break down at some point, which means you’ll be forced to engage with the locals and find out what the country and culture are all about.”
Get involved:
Head over to theadventurists to read more about and sign up for the Monkey Run (there’s also editions in Peru and Morocco), a week long adventure, which features two editions in 2020, one beginning at the end of June and the second at the end of August.
The idea was formed when Freddy Tacheny, the president of the Academy, learned of the new Northern Talent Cup and decided, along with President of the Belgian Motorcycle Foundation Michel Wanty, to begin this new project. As part of the Road to MotoGP™, the best riders from the Academy will have access to the NTC selection process in future and in 2020, there are already two young Belgian riders signed up to compete in the Cup – chosen after a selection day organised by the co-founders of the Academy. They are 16-year-old Lorenz Luciano, who has shown his talent in FSBK pre-Moto3 for the past two years, and 17-year-old Amélie Triffet, third in the FFM Women’s Cup in 2019. They were selected to race in the inaugural NTC and form the Junior Black Knights Team, managed by Christophe Chantrain.
“I still have a valid contract with the team, but I was forced to make this very important decision for my life,” continued Kornfeil. “I should have started the season on a different budget than what I thought, what I hoped to have, and I wouldn’t even have the certainty of reaching the race at Mugello. I still feel like a winner, even if I never won the title. I’ve always tried to do my best both on and off the track.”
The internationally awarded MotoCAP safety and thermal comfort ratings system for motorcycle clothing has added 15 more items to its list of tested gear.
It has now rated 186 items of clothing, including 50 pairs of pants, 90 jackets and 46 pairs of gloves.
Safety and comfort
Macna Vosges Nighteye
Of the newly rated jackets, two were leather which scored two stars for safety. All the others were textile and scored just one star for safety except the Alpinestars T-Core Air Drystar and Macna Vosges Nighteye which scored two stars.
The best of the newly added jackets for beating the current heatwave was the $500 Spidi Ventamax (top image on this page) which scored three stars for thermal comfort. The others scored from half a star to two stars.
Best of the newly rated pants are the Bull-It Covert Blue which scored two stars for safety and three for comfort and the BMW City denim trousers which only scored one safety star but four for comfort.
MotoCAP gives clothing two separate star ratings – one for protection and one for heat management or comfort.
Clothing manufacturers’ advertising is not an extremely useful resource for protection in a crash or from the extremes of an Australian summer.
Australian Motorcycle CouncilProtective Clothing sub-committee chair Brian Woodpoints out that MotoCAP tests the whole garment, unlike European Protective Clothing Standards which only tests samples of fabrics, fastenings and stitching.
“(It) gives the motorcycle community more information when they are making choices about the clothing they wear when riding,” he says.
MotoCAP is a partnership between Transport for NSW, State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), VicRoads, Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), Lifetime Support Authority (LSA), Western Australian Police: Road Safety Commission, Department of State Growth, Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Australian Motorcycle Council and Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand.
Testing is carried out by the Deakin University Institute for Frontier Materials on behalf of the MotoCAP partners.
The IMR Riders Club gives track day enthusiasts a chance to enjoy all that Inde Motorsports Ranch has to offer.
Begin Press Release:
Inde Motorsports Ranch announces the IMR Riders Club
Willcox, AZ – January 17, 2020 – Inde Motorsports Ranch announces the IMR Riders Club which offers the opportunity for motorcycle enthusiasts to enjoy a weekend of track riding at the ranch.
Inde is a private track near Tucson, Arizona, and member days are split between cars and bikes. Riders who join the new Riders Club will join regular members on these lapping days and can expect a minimum of 20 minutes on track every hour; however, if no cars are running that day the track will be open solely for motorcyclists.
Space will be limited, capped at only 20 non-members per event. In other words, this won’t be the typical three-rotation trackday packed with riders, but a chance to enjoy this incredible track with a few like-minded enthusiasts.
IMR Riders Club is open to any level of rider with fun and safety being the main focus of the day. Lunches and dinner the first night will be included with purchase of the event. The Winter/ Spring schedule is as follows:
January 25-25
February 22-23
March 7-8
April 11
May 30-31
Inde Motorsports Ranch is a 2.75-mile, 21 turn family-owned private racetrack in the Arizona high desert. Its country-club-like atmosphere includes onsite accommodations, gourmet kitchen, shooting range, game room, bathrooms with showers and much more.
Inde is also the winter home of the Yamaha Champions Riding School and any graduate of ChampSchool can rent a bike for the IMR Riders Club events. A YCRS senior instructor will be at all events in charge of safety and dual apex cones will be utilized to help riders navigate this technical track.
For more information or to register for events click here.
For more information please email [email protected] or call Chris Peris at 520-907-3833
Stoner explains that it is the first-ever racing suit that has been released to the public from his own private collection and comes with an autographed certificate of authenticity by Alpinestars. All proceeds raised, which currently sits at above $10,000 (Australian), will go to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund.
After a six-year absence due to a lack of specialized materials, Aerostich’s Transit waterproof/breathable leather suit is back and better than ever. The new Transit 3 uses 1.2mm perforated leather with a special impregnation that prevents it from absorbing water, and underneath is a breathable waterproof membrane. A complete set of TF5 impact armor is included. Jackets ($987) are sized 38-52 and pants ($897) 30-44, both available in Short, Regular and Long lengths.
Thinking of an international motorcycle tour in 2020? Edelweiss Bike Travel has released its complete 2020 catalog of tours. There’s something for everyone, including guided, self-guided and private options to bucket-list locations like the Alps, Ireland, Africa, New Zealand and Thailand, from seven to 14 days and more! Or if you’re feeling very adventurous, join one or more legs of the World Tour, covering six continents and countless unforgettable encounters.
Getting licensed to ride is the first step toward a fulfilling life with motorcycles.BMW
So the time has come. Maybe you’ve been dreaming of rides to far off locales, pricing used bikes on Craigslist, reading review after review to find the perfect bike for you. Maybe you have some friends who ride and you’re tired of being left out. Or maybe you’ve realized life is exponentially more rich and satisfying behind the bars. Whatever your reason, it’s time to make the dream a reality. It’s time to finally get a motorcycle license.
The problem is, getting a motorcycle license isn’t glamorous and probably hasn’t factored into your two-wheel fantasies. I don’t blame you—sitting around at the DMV, waiting to hand over paperwork doesn’t raise the pulse, but it’s an important part of getting legal.
Getting a license also gives you the chance to learn some fundamental safety rules, to practice basic skills, and to decide if riding really is something you want to pursue.
That’s all to say that there’s a process to getting licensed in America. It varies slightly from state to state, but the general steps outlined below will have you on the road to riding freedom in no time
Where To Start?
The open road awaits.Harley-Davidson
First, you’ll want to check your state’s DMV requirements for a motorcycle permit or endorsement. Requirements vary state to state, so be sure to follow the procedure outlined by your state in order to make the process as simple as possible.
Just about any new rider looking to get licensed should expect to take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse or equivalent program. Some states, like Oregon, have their own rider training programs. But the format is similar across the board. There will be two to three days of instruction, both in class and on a closed course, where you will learn the fundamentals of motorcycle operation and safety.
Triple check your state’s DMV requirements before signing up for a course however. There are lots of online courses and riding schools that promise to get you into riding shape that won’t be accepted by the DMV as proof of your riding qualifications.
When you find the right course, start at the very beginning too. Even if you’ve never swung a leg over a bike before in your life, you will have the chance to learn how to turn a bike on, how to engage the clutch, how to switch gears, and a lot more. By the end you’ll need to pass both written and riding skills tests.
In some states, successfully completing a basic rider course like this will allow you to skip an on-bike skills test when it comes time to go back to the DMV. If that’s the case, you’ll have to pay a fee, pass a motorcycle knowledge test and a vision test before getting the endorsement to ride.
And that’s about it. Getting the endorsement is pretty easy as long as you pass the prerequisite training program and knowledge test.
In some states you can bypass the weekend MSF course by taking a written and on-bike skills test at the DMV or approved location.
Permits Are Another Option
There’s no better place on earth.Kawasaki
In some states, riders as young as 14 can apply for a riding permit. With a permit, riders can be out in the daylight, riding without a passenger within eyesight of a fully endorsed rider above a certain age/experience level. You will still need to take a motorcycle knowledge test and pass a vision test in order to get the permit, but it’s a great way to get some experience if you have a bike and a mentor rider available.
Many states still require successful completion of a basic rider course or supervised skills test even if you’ve been riding with a permit. Again, be sure to know your state’s requirements thoroughly before you make any decisions.
The 10,000-Foot View
Getting licensed is straightforward and definitely worth the effort.Yamaha
Getting a license (endorsement) to ride a motorcycle is not confirmation of your superior riding skills. Rather, it’s the start of a potentially lifelong relationship with motorcycles that can be extremely fulfilling if you take it slow to start and nail down the fundamentals.
MSF has additional rider training courses that teach more advanced skills in a controlled environment and there are some great written assets out there from guys like Keith Code that drill down into all aspects of the mechanics of riding. Getting a license is an opportunity to develop your skills as a rider, in the real world where there are real consequences.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll be completely stoked when you get that endorsement and itching to hit the road. But remember to take a breath, use your head and the skills you’ve learned, and ride within your limits. Speed and ability will come, it just takes time and practice.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkNoPrivacy Policy
Tiger 900 GT Pro and Rally Pro
Tiger 1200 Desert Edition.
Tiger 1200 Alpine Edition.
Macna Vosges Nighteye
Getting licensed to ride is the first step toward a fulfilling life with motorcycles.
The open road awaits.
There’s no better place on earth.
Getting licensed is straightforward and definitely worth the effort.