A huge thanks to Superbike Factory for their support! You can find all their stock here, including some great deals on almost new bikes like the GS featured in this video: tinyurl.com/2m7ydhaj

Tiger 1200 for me !! I think it’s the best looking ADV bike on the market today 👍

I went with a Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer and so far it’s a beast of a machine! Love it.

I went for the tiger Rally Explorer and no regrets love it 🏍👍🏍👍🏍

You also forgot that the Triumph only has to be serviced every 16,000 km, which is certainly a big argument for people who travel to buy a Tiger.

I’m definitely on the Tiger team. In respect to price, shouldn’t you have compared the Tiger Explorer model to the GSA? 30 litre tank and wire wheels for example. The GT Pro was probably a better comparison for the GS in the video. Just my opinion however I’m heavily biased to the Tiger 😁

Hi Bob. I got something to say.. This video is brilliant! Perfect light , perfect angels on the cameras, perfect lenght and you speak loud and clear and not so fast so us foreners can understand what you are saying. You are in my top 3 spot! Keep it up, im already excited for your next video 👍🏻

If Triumph had given me a better test ride/dealer impression, I probably would have bought one. They didn't though, and BMW were reasurringly professional and patient, so they got by business. With so little to choose between the bikes, the "living with" component and knowing that I'm going to get looked after if and when things go wrong, is worth the cost for me.

I think both are fantastic bikes, but the Tiger takes it for me. Regarding comfort, I've only taken both for a 1 hour test ride, but I found Tiger much more comfortable. I have quite large feet and kept kicking the boxer engine. I found my legs were much more bent on the GS, which caused a bit of cramping. Then trying to stretch out was difficult due to the engine being in the way.

Triumph is an iconic brand and one that I am proud to ride. That does not mean that there is anything wrong with BMW, they also build fantastic machines. I test rode both and felt that the Tiger had more grin factor and character.

*_Thanks for sharing the comparison. Just found the channel and enjoyed it. My heart is with the GSA just love that bike._*

Nice vid mate. Great info, proper review. I have the GSA and you still made me think about elements of its performance !

I've never owned or ridden either one and based on your review, I'd have a tuff time deciding between the two..looks like you couldn't go wrong either way!

it is getting close..... Love the two .. Top bikes. Nice review sir, greatings from Belgium, Good Mojo .

I own the 2023 Triumph GT Explorer and it is amazing! I've ridden the BMW and it is bland in handling and character. I traded my previous Tiger XCX for the new one. Vibration? Not an issue. Feature for feature, it is the best ADV bike out there.

Good review. I'm actually considering a one of these bikes next year or the tiger 900

Very informative and it backs up how I was thinking.

This is a quality review. It would be awesome to see you add lifetime cost to account for maintenance and reliability (e.g., maintenance intervals, etc.) as a criterion versus just the purchase price as well as extensibility (i.e., how much aftermarket support exists for each brand) as a criterion. I think there are tradeoffs for the latter--how much you have to spend customizing your bike to get it the way you want it (maybe feeling "nickle and dimed") versus how much you're able to customize your bike with aftermarket products.

Great review! Objective and professional. And I say this despite the fact that the Triumph won by a hair, while I'm actually a 1250 GS HP rider (my 7th GS, since "96). I stuck to BMW because of the better dealer support in the Pacific NW. Not many dealers, but they stand behind their product. No questions asked, never giving me a hard time, just going out of their way to keep me loyal to the brand for 26 years now.

I went for the Tiger RE and I definately don't regret my choice. What a machine!

I’ve owned 2 Beemer GSs and 1 Triumph Tiger Trail so I think I’d go for the BMW based on experience, reliability. Still wish I’d kept my R80GS Paris Dakar with its 32 litre tank. The R100GS off road was a classic case of bigger is not necessarily better.

Had four GSA's. Just traded a Multistrada V4S for a Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer - very happy, combines the best of both worlds nicely.

I don't have either but have had my eye on the Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer since it was launched. There's just something about the Tiger I can't explain but draws me in. Maybe because it's not so popular but I'd love to own one.

Bob, great comparison of these two. One thing I hear time and time again is the notion that the T plane (or 270 degree in twins) somehow translates to more bottom end grunt. It doesn’t. All it does is give “character” and, in the triple, more vibration. I rode a Tiger 900 recently and that’s how it felt. The torque (and hence power) curve is determined by many factors such as compression ratio, valve timing and ignition timing, not the firing sequence. The GS is certainly smoother but feels thrashy in the higher rev range. I have an ATAS, by the way, and the 270 crank is actually annoying from a vibration perspective, not mechanical as such but the uneven power pulses at lower revs where it should be able to lug along. Keep up the great work. Cheers, Ian

Test drove both. I ended up with the GS. Three main reasons: - The Tiumph build quality wasn't what I expected - The vibration, reminded me my S1000XR. - The BMW keeps its price better. It was a hard call, as both are great bikes, yes, while adding running costs, insurances and depreciation the GS is a much better option (for me). Ride safe

Two great bikes, good vlog too 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Had a Tiger 900 RP. Best bike I've ever owned. Switched to a T1200 RP. Although the Showa system is much more sophisticated than the ESA, the T1200 RP seems to be unbalanced when it comes to stable driving. The bike has a tendency to shimmy (dealer tried everything to solve the issue but just couldn't find the problem), it's very difficult to get onto the center stand, difficult to get off the center stand when on a smooth service and the vibrations and lack of proper wind protection are really annoying on long tours. So I switched to a T1200 GT Explorer. Better road handling and cornering, no shimmy effect, getting it on and off center stand was much easier but the vibrations and lack of wind protection are the same (of course). For my type of riding (long tours) the vibrations, buffeting and the seats (too soft on both T1200's) were ultimately the reasons I switched to the 1250GSA. Doing 650 kilometers on a day with the 1250 is easy. You come home after 9 hours of riding only to want to go for just a few hours more. Where as the T1200 just doesn't offer the same comfort. I love the 1250GSA but I hate the BMW brand and the way BMW treats it's customers. If only Triumph would have given the Tiger a smoother engine and a bit more long touring capabilities I would have never switched to BMW.......

No experience on any of these but like the reviews 👌

Good review, many thanks. Is there any way that you could have incorporated say a year or two of servicing costs?, these days most vehicle manufacturers have programmed maintenance at a more or less fixed price and sometimes servicing can be hugely expensive. I remember doing valve check/adjust on Alfa Romeo cars with the v6 Busso engines at the 10k/6,000 mile service and it was an all day job, plus parts, customers were shocked when they got a huge bill for what was essentially the first service they had to pay for.

Triumph all day purely for engine sound and looks😁

great video. Thanks.

Pick up my new Tiger 1200 GT Pro this coming weekend, I can't wait!

I own a 2019 Tiger 800 XCa therefore my dream bike is a 2022 1250 GSA triple black. For long distance touring and a dash of off-roady-ish fun. 👍🏼

After three GSs, one a 1250 GSA I ‘downsized’ to a chain driven Multistrada V2S, I’ve had a Triumph Explorer too, but I still prefer the light weight and sporty handling of the Multi V2S, quicker handling too…

I'm into upgrading from my 750 GS to one of these. At the moment my eyes are on the 1250 GS, which I tested and I felt at home. I shall try the Tiger soon.

Recently switched from a KTM 1290 Super Adventure R to the BMW GSA, and I don't know how anything could be better. My personal opinion of course.

One other point: ease of picking up in the event of a drop? GS. I say this as an owner of a 2016 XCA Explorer, though to be fair the weight difference in this iteration is immediately evident in practice, not just in theory. That radar, though...it's a good thing to have.

Rob, great review, I'm now shopping on-line, dang you 😁👍. Seriously, having done weeks long trips on GS, can't say enough goodness about it. My only concern is the weight with gear since the bike is not a feather to begin with. The newer models have the cassette type parts design for rear suspension and shaft, so if either or those fail, I was told you are buying the whole assembly, is that accurate ? I'm looking at something more lightweight for off road. On and Off Road capable, in 700/800 Range, I like the Husq 701 a lot. Suggestions ??!!

As a GS fanboy the Tiger is the one bike that puts doubt in my fanboy heart.

I have test c riven the Tiger 1200 Rally pro, for me it was a great ride, however there are a couple of issues. Vibration not really an issue but the bike was quite lame in hair pin bends. The fork dive in the Rally pro version was extreme to say the least when emergency braking. But for me the price would be the killer for the Tiger 1200. My normal bike is a BMW F 800 GS as I do a lot of mountain touring in the Black Forest region of Germany and Sud Tirol

Great review. Tough call. I purchased the Tiger 1200 GT Explorer for all of your reasons stated. Had a KTM 1290 which was a little too vibby and mechanical (noise) for me with less than sharp shifting. I hope the Triumph is comfortable and reasonably powerful. Love the sound of the triple. I am a little concerned about the vibby again though.

Tiger for me. Also, did anyone notice that GS has a stock exhaust with an Akrapovic decal on it? Weird.

I'd go with the beamer evry time, not because it's better but because I've had so many shite experiences with Triumph , their build quality and customer service that the last time was the last time I will ever buy a Triumph.

i ALSO HAVE THE 1200 RALLY EXPLORER, AND I LOVE IT. IVE HAD IT FOR A MONTH AND A HALF AND HAVE OVER 3000 MILES AWSOME BIKE.

I want that GS ergonomics and front end on a naked bike :) Lighter and ready for anything

I have never ridden a bike like this. I have to say, coming from the dirt bike world, the thought of riding and jumping! a 550 lb bike like these off road is hard to even imagine.

Great review! I have been riding the Tiger 1200 XCa for the past 5 years and have absolutely loved it! Never owned a bike that long before. I have a testride planned on the GT Exporer this friday and my gut tells me I will own one soon ;-)

Just put my deposit down on the Tiger 1200 rally explorer! Nice review, I think you nailed it. Thank you.

i find the telelever front end as on other bm's the further you lean the bike the more vague the [feel] on the front end becomes, rode the 1200 triumph its very very good plus it feels lots lighter than the bm.

I'm on BMW team. I bought a 40 years of GS with all the features exept the heated seats and I absolutley love it.

Hi i bought the the Tiger explorer in black and love it..... New kid on the block I think well done Triumph 👍

Good video been thinking of a GSA for highway traveling seems like the Tiger and Africa twin Are top contenders to no Gold wing or big HD for me all the videos make it tuff to deside

A couple of years ago I went to the local Triumph dealer to test a Tiger and buy one. I had booked a test drive but when I arrived they said sorry a journalist had taken the test bike out. I had driven an hour from my home town to get there: I was as mad as a snake and got back in my vehicle and drove home. But in a way I am glad, I think the new 1200 is a vast improvement and is back on my wish list.

Disagree on the T Plane Vibration, did 2300 mile trip to Switzerland and back on the triumph and can say i never had any tingling through the bars or pegs whilst touring. The bike i took was a Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer.

The Tiger for me. I've ridden 10,000 on a T plane crank Tiger 900 with speeds 80 to 85 mph without any thought about vibration being an issue. Trips of 1000, 1800 and 2500 miles. If the consideration for touring was dead smooth then the Goldwing is the best. Does the Tiger vibrate more than the GS? Absolutely but not in a bad or intrusive way. The GS vibrates more than a Goldwing but it doesn't disqualify it from being a touring bike. GS owners will never admit to any bike being better or even as good, it isn't in their DNA or the BMW mind set of being a cut above the rest of the world.

Very good video and I went for the new Tiger Rally Explorer. My seventh Tiger.

Beautiful bike beautiful rider beautiful video thanks you bob

At this level, both bikes are very nice but in the looks department I'd vote for the Tiger. And I agree, muscle memory not-withstanding, I think most bikes should have backlit switchgear. Also, most reviews don't even talk about this but I would like to hear about headlight performance. Kind of critical at night. Any thoughts on which of these is better in that regard?

Hi, How is the Engine heat on the Tiger if you are either crawling around the back woods or crawling through the city traffic jams?? 1 remember riding a... maybe it was a 14 model and the engine was not acceptable for my liking. I never had a problem with it on the GS or the Super ten.... Great reviews. Thank you 😁 🙏

Hi can you please do a review on the cfmoto 800mt touring I'd really like to see what you think

Hondas Africa Twin is killer of these bikes for someone who will ride it often, hard and long. Much less in numbers (kWs, Nm), but in feel how behave on/ off road - he is real winner.

I think the re-sale value of the GS will give the Tiger a good hiding. I am amazed at how the GS's hold their value, and how fast the Triumphs drop in value. At least in markets outside the UK...

I've been on both the bikes and definitely know that tiger can no way come near a GSA. Tiger can catch up everywhere except in engine & the tele lever front suspension. Rest of the areas of course you can compare it. Also in hot weather only the boxer engines don't produce massive heat. When globe trotting it's really important ride a bike that produces lesser heat and makes you tired faster.

Traded my BMW GSA in May for a new KTM 1290 Super Adventure S. Thought this would be one for a few years. Then came along the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer. Well, just traded the KTM for one. Best bike ever owned (46 years of riding).

Just picked up my GS 1250 and watching this video to make sure whether I've made the right decision :)

Got the tiger rally pro 900 did Spain and Portugal on it last year not sure if upgrading to the 1200 would be a benefit?

Replaced my 2013 Triumph Trophy, which I put 97,000 miles on, with a GT Explorer earlier this year. Got 11,000 miles on that with no issues. Just never fancied a German Klunkenwaggon.

I don't ever want a T plane crank triple. If an engine is 1200 cc, it'd have enough torque, without making it lumpy and feel like it is misfiring . I love 120 degree triples .

Your such a Triumph fanboy. There is no way you would get better handling from the 21inch front end of the Tiger. I had the Triumph 900 GT Pro which was excellent. I now have a 1250GS Triple Black. I love it more every time I ride it :)

I have a '17 versys1000LT right now and I am looking for an upgrade. The wife and I ride 2up 99% of the time the bike leaves the garage. I plan on getting a 1250GSA for the large fuel/luggage capacity. I don't do much off-roading so the 21" front wheel on the tiger isn't for me. I would rather have the torque and the sound of the opposing twin, paired with the lower center of gravity. I used to have an '09 sv650sf, and the engine breaking of the GSA is great, reminded me of the SV. I recently test rode both and I greatly appreciated the suspension and the ESA of the BMW.

Impressive review, i'm a Triumph fan.

Just bought a 2023 Tiger Gt Explorer 1200. It's a lot of fun. The throttle mapping at low speeds is kind of tricky, but I have no regrets. The dealer also sells and services BMWs. The service manager recommends Triumph over BMW for mechanical reliability.

On the switchgear, I had a previous gen Tiger 1200 and now have an R1250RS. The backlit controls were nice on the Triumph, but the little joystick wasn't nearly as nice as the control wheel on the BMW.

Great video I don't like the beeked look on these or other ADV Bikes hence why I have an Africa Twin Adventure Sports.

Excellent review. I've done many touring miles on hired GSs, but own a Gen 3 Tiger. Tried the Gen 4 but for me they've made a big mistake with the T-plane crank. Compromising road ability for better traction on dirt simply feels wrong, and if they'd made the new triple with a 120 degree crank, I'm sure Bob's scoring would have given the Triumph an easier win. And maybe tempted more buyers away from the BMW showroom.

Great comparison Bob. GS for me, just barely though.

Hi,good show guys. iv just test road the GS.. love it .. but iv going to book a test ride on a triumph now... 😅🎉

Despite it is a very good comparative video between those 2.. has a real Adventure rider... with a lot of off-road riding... i would like to have feed back is specific riding segments. Like, for example ; after 4 hours on the road... what's the feedback of the rider... dose the engine feel to noisy ? In technical off-road sections... wich one opetate the better.? At high speed crusing ... Like 140 145kmh... what's the handling look like with full luggage ?? See? Thanks for yhe review

I own a 2019 r1250gs and based on this I would have been liable to walk into Triumph and buy the Tiger. But at this price point it's the whole package. It's reliability, MPG, aftermarket support, parts value, servicing deals/intervals and most of all customer support. Triumph don't have a good reputation (nor do BMW on the whole) but in my location the BMW dealership are great. I've been to Triumph and had a poor experience. So while I agree that on these categories alone the tiger nudges out in front; when you take it all into consideration I think BMW still have the market...and my money.

Both of these are absolutely awesome to take into the city in full leathers during 100° heat

I like the look of the previous triumph tiger 1200

Love the Akra sticker on the OEM silencer. Adds 10 hp, atleast.

Am important aspect of these bikes is their ability to ride long distance with a pillion fully loaded with luggage - I cannot comment on the Tiger having not been able to test it under these conditions yet, but having done numerous such trips on the 1200 and 1250 GS I can confirm that it is sublime. The Telever/paralever combination with automatic ride height adjustment and dynamic damping makes such trips a breeze. What is the Tiger like fully loaded with pillion and luggage on 400+ mile days?

Hi, which of this two is suitable for daily riding?

As a Speed Triple owner, I love Triumph... But it needs to be 120 degrees firing order. That's the way a triple is supposed to be. You can't beat it! Such a beautiful sound!!

Does bmw have esa on the front suspension or only at the rear shock?

Love em both but I'm leaning towards the Tiger! Maybe a bit bias as I already love the Speed Twin, my 3rd Triumph so far 😂

Good video, but after having three tigers I given GS a go . Resale value on triumphs for some reason drop like a brick, so before you part with your money wait for year or two, you could save a lot of money. I do biking holidays and haven’t got small kids , so bmw this time gets the thumbs up 👍 for me . Maybe in future I may go back to triumph,. But it’s personal choice at end of the day. Both manufacturers give three years guarantee, and road side assist so either way you get a good bike, worried free. But triumph have definitely improved the tiger range by giving it a weight loss. Hopefully that hasn’t compromise the engine long-term only time will tell.

After test riding a tiger yesterday i found compared to my gsa was the throttle around town was really snatchy also the gearbox felt quite sloppy the bottom end compared with my bike was none existant. The tft looked better in real life than on videos but the buttons were not that good i also felt like i was leaning to the bars the qs was i would say ok at best. Also whilst it felt better than older triumphs it still didnt feel special like the bmw

I own a gen 3 Tiger(2019) and it is better than this latest version so I don't know why they had to mess with it, other than to compete in an existing market with the BMW brand. Here are the things they didn't need to change: Engine - why make the engine more vibey when it was already smooth as silk and just needs a few more revs lower down than the thumper GS. Windscreen electric adjustment gone, plasticky brake and clutch pots, clutch lever hydraulics exposed, rear wheel extra swing arm, and front end looks ( they've made it look more like a scooter), honestly why mess with perfection?

Vanakam from India 🙏. Here the Gs is a huge hit. We get two types off the production line. One via Thailand that ships with the seat lowering kit and the full stock from Germany. The tiger 900 is a bigger hit in that segment. But the Gs comes with it’s own sickness which is the throttle body clogging due to the excessive dust all over the country. Requires cleaning every 2k kms. Otherwise I even use it as a everyday commuting bike and it handles like butter. Cannot say the same for the tiger. Excellent review bob. I pretty much dream of putting content like yours in my mother tongue Tamizh .cheers bro 😎

I have a 2018 tiger 1200 xRT With 96000 miles I do oil changers filters and tires And I'll beat all of my friends with the BMW GS BMW you pay for the name that's it

I tested a Rally Explorer, even with the bridge mounted 2,5 cm lower it's hard to touch the floor. I'm 1.80m.

1st one to comment... Always have been a fan of MotoBob channel. Being a Triumph Street Twin owner brings me back to this channel all the time.

Fair comment sir....

looks tempting to get a Triumph tiger GT for a future bike..

What kind of headlight guard was on that GS?

Bom trabalho bons modelos

Even though I do off-road riding on much smaller dirt oriented ADV bikes (DR 650 and AJP PR7 600) the BMW would take my vote over the Tiger due to the vibrations at higher speeds with the Tiger. I have fellow riders that have extensive experience on both models. Even though I am 6 foot tall and 200 pounds, both bikes are way too big of a mass for me to consider them.

Payed a visit to my local BMW dealer today to have a look at a GS with a view to looking at both these bikes , they had two nearly new Tigers in stock taken in part ex low miles , when I asked the salesman why he sail they were unreliable (well he would ) but it still seems a bit strange , anybody else no about problems with them before I try one , thanks