Triumph completely overhauled its range-topping Tiger 1200 platform, revising the engine, chassis, electronics, and more for a lighter, more powerful, more agile adventure bike. (Photos by Kevin Wing)

The 2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 lineup, which includes five variants ? three aimed at street riders and two at those who like to get dirty ? represents the high-water mark of Triumph?s 30 years of experience building adventure bikes. When John Bloor, the deep-pocketed real estate developer who bought Triumph after it went bankrupt in 1983, resurrected the iconic British brand, he wanted to compete on the world stage. That meant a broad range of contemporary models, not just rehashed Bonnevilles.

2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro in Lucerne Blue. Photo by Kevin Wing.
Back to the Future

In the early ?90s, modern-era Triumphs that rolled out of the new factory in Hinckley, England, included Trophy sport-tourers, Daytona sportbikes, Trident roadsters, and Adventurer cruisers powered by inline three- and four-cylinder engines rather than the parallel-Twins Triumph had been known for. In 1993, Triumph introduced the Tiger 900, an adventure bike powered by an 84-hp 885cc inline-Triple designed to compete with the BMW R 100 GS, Honda Africa Twin, and Yamaha Super Ténéré.

The Tiger 1200?s power-to-weight ratio is much improved with a gain of 12.4 hp and a loss of 55 lb. Photo by Kevin Wing.

The ?Tiger? name first showed up on Triumphs in 1936 when company director and ch...