Triumph's new Tiger 1200 XCa resides comfortably at the top of food chain with all the fandanglery the British marque has to offer and it comes billed as its ultimate adventure bike. That sets a fairly high bar, but at a glance, it seems like the factory is on-point with oodles of goodies to include an off-road specific addition to the riding modes, a clutchless shifter and a keyless ignition to name a few. Today I'm going to dive into this globetrotting machine to see what else Trumpet stuffed in there, so join me while I check out this state-of-the-art adventure bike.

Triumph Tiger 1200 XCa Design

British designs tend to trend toward the pragmatic, and the “XCa” is no exception with its exposed frame and bird's-beak front end that uses a full front fender for the real spray containment. Large dual headlights split the night with a DRL feature to increase your visibility to the rest of the world during daylight hours through the miracle of LED technology. Can't say I'm a fan of the standoff-style turn signals; I think the factory missed an opportunity here since they could have integrated the blinkers with the mirrors, or even the handguards that come with the stock equipment package.

Now, what else comes stock? Heated grips and seat, and with that the XCa becomes, potentially, an all-year bike, ya know, if ya got the stones for it. A short-rise handlebar puts your hands close enough to your body to allow for an upright riding posture or even a standing one if you like, but however you ride, you'll be able to read the new color TFT instrument display.

The 5.2-gallon fuel tank gives the XCa its adventure-style flyline ahead of a steep tumble down to the seat set at a low 32.87 inches off the ground or jacked up to 33.66 inches high, but no matter where you set it, the saddle pulls the rider down into the swale between the tank and the upward-swept subframe to put you in the bike more than on it.

Subframe-mount, fold-up footpegs and a robust J.C. handle makes up the points of contact for your passenger, and the P-pad itself is actually pretty generous, definitely not an afterthought-class seat, that's for sure.

A short mudguard extension and license plate help contain the spray out back, and though you can't readily see it at a glance. There's actually a full rear fender tucked up under the subframe to finish off the fling protection. The taillight is well-protected in its spot at the terminus of the tail, and the factory opted for another pair of standoff winkers to wrap up the rear lights.

Longtime cycle folks will likely know what I mean when I say that the XCa “looks like a Brit,” and while that may seem like an obvious statement, it nevertheless carries significant weight 'cause Triumph has a flavor all its own, and I for one, am a fan. Bigly.

Triumph Tiger 1200 XCa Chassis

There's very little mystery surrounding the frame; the Trellis skeleton is plainly visible for the most part, and it's largely responsible for the aforementioned look. Sure, it's a little “industrial looking,” but it's exactly that same pragmatism that gives it the British charm.

Variable-diameter steel tubing makes up the frame, and the steering head is remarkably steep with a 23.2-degree rake that makes this Tiger very agile indeed. That is backed up by a 3.93-inch trail, and I can't help but wonder if the XCa might be a little bit squirrely in a crosswind, 'cause those are some strongly biased numbers that indicate a ride that's nothing if not nimble.

A one-sided cast-aluminum swingarm finishes out the skeleton in an effort to keep unsprung weight low, and the new laced wheels run with aluminum rims for the same reason, though I'd offer that you never need a reason/excuse to run wire-spoke wheels in my humble opinion. The Tiger rolls on a 170/60-17 with a 120/70-19 up front to lend it a bit more in the way of terrain-conquering capability when the blacktop turns to brown.

Dual, 305 mm brake discs and a pair of four-pot, Brembo monobloc calipers slow the front wheel, and out back, a 282 mm disc and twin-piston Nissin caliper takes care of business with switchable cornering ABS protection at both ends. Plus, the stock Hill Hold Control will hold the brakes for you so you can keep both of your training wheels on the ground in dicey steep-grade situations.

The real gravy is in the suspension control. WP products support the XCa on a pair of 48 mm usd forks and a monoshock that falls under the management of the electronic suspension control feature. It provides semi-active damping and automatic preload adjustments at the shock, and continually tweaks the dampers in the front forks so you never have to fiddle with it, just ride the thing.

Triumph Tiger 1200 XCa Drivetrain

The electronic yummy-goodness continues with a ride-by-wire throttle control and a set of six riding modes that now includes an “Off Road Pro” mode as well as a rider-programmable profile for those who'd like to try their hand at tuning up some custom power delivery. Said power comes from an inline-triple engine that delivers 90 pounds o' grunt at 7,600 rpm, and if you wind it on up to 9,350, you'll be rewarded with the full 141 horsepower the plant has to offer.

Since the Tiger 1200 weighs in 22 pounds lighter than before, that tuned-up power really makes itself felt at the old heinie-dyno. A cornering-optimized traction control feature helps you safely get the most out of that power, in theory anyway.

Dual over-head cams time the 12-valve head, so yeah, that's four poppets per jug, with an 85 mm bore and 71.4 mm stroke to give it a total of 1,215 cc and a compression of 11-to-1. Needless to say, this mill will require top-octane pump champagne, no doubt about it.

Power flows through a torque-assist clutch that prevents rear-wheel hop on hard downshifts, then in turn through the six-speed transmission and down a drive shaft to the rear wheel.

Triumph Tiger 1200 XCa Pricing

Triumph looks to get $21,750 for its 2019 Tiger 1200 XCa. Naturally, the factory offers a full line of accessories, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to inflate that figure.

Triumph Tiger 1200 XCa Competitors

Oh, I knew I definitely needed something off the top shelf to square off against the Tiger, and Ducati was happy to oblige with its Multistrada 1260 S. Gotta love those Italians; they're so passionate about their bikes.

Rather than owning its utilitarian nature as the Tiger has done, the “S” swings the pendulum to the other extreme with a straight up sex-on-wheels panache. Duc leads off with its angry-bird fairing that isn't quite what I'd call a proper bird's beak. It has vented glass like the Tiger, but seems to lack the push-button adjustment the Tiger brings to the table.

The rest of the bodywork largely conceals the Trellis frame as it flows back and up to the tip of the tapered tail. It just seems to have an almost feminine quality to it, doesn't it? Oh well, looks will only get you so far. Duc matches Trumpet with electronic suspension yummy-goodness in the form of its own Ducati Skyhook Suspension. Cornering ABS is a constant across the board, as is cornering ABS and shift augmentation, but Ducati ultimately comes with a tad more in the way of gadgetry; I'm talking about the wheelie control feature.

Six-speed gearboxes and slipper clutches abound, so neither gain an edge here, either. Too bad the same can't be said for the engines. The S puts out 158 horsepower and 95.5 pounds o' grunt against 141/90, so Trumpet falls behind at the dyno. It gets worse. Ducati turns loose of the Multistrada 1260 S for $20,995, and that's a skosh less expensive than the Tiger 1200 XCa.

He Said

“Will it be enough to steal buyers? Not on price alone; we're talking about less than a grand on a twenty-thousand dollar bike, so that won't be a dealbreaker. As for the power, I don't know. If you're that worried about it, perhaps you're looking at the wrong bikes? That said, I'd go with the Trumpet, and I admit, it's based purely on looks. I know I said the Duc was sex on wheels, but maybe I don't want to look like that.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “I would have expected a larger fuel tank. Five gallons seems a bit small for an offroad-oriented adventure bike nowadays. It's stable at slow-speeds, surprisingly, because it does feel a bit heavy when stopped at a light, but the weight goes away once you're underway. The seat is a bit wide, so the seat-height spec alone doesn't tell the whole story. Unless you're fairly tall, you'll be tippy-toeing at stops, which is uncomfortable with weight in the panniers and if you're carrying a passenger. The front dives a bit when braking, but overall, it's a very nice ride.”

Triumph Tiger 1200 XCa Specifications

Further Reading

Ducati Multstrada 1260 S / 1260 S D-Air

See our review of the Ducato Multistrada 1260 S / 1260 S D-Air.

Triumph Tiger 1200 XCx

See our review of the Triumph Tiger 1200 XCx.

Triumph

Read more Triumph news.