The forgotten dirt trail that goes for miles. A perfect camp spot in the middle of nowhere. As an adventure biker, that is what I look for on a ride. After putting many miles on my 2019 BMW R 1250 GS, I was wooed away by the seductive triple engine of the 2024 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro. Having attended a few press launches for the big Tiger and owning a 2017 edition, I knew I would enjoy it. Triumph’s fit and finish are top-notch, and the triple-cylinder engine has a fantastic powerband and terrific sound. The Tiger 1200 Rally Pro is a great adventure touring motorcycle that acquits itself quite well in the dirt.
However, no bike is perfect, so there were a few things I wanted to modify to make the Triumph Tiger 1200 perfect for me.
The Tiger 1200 flagship has almost everything you need for adventure riding off the showroom floor. The Rally Pro ships with a 21-inch front wheel, fantastic Showa semi-active suspension, heated grips, cruise control, lower crash bars, an adjustable windscreen, and basic handguards. My list of changes and additions wasn’t long.
Conveniently, the Triumph Genuine Accessories catalog had almost everything I needed. Best of all, Triumph makes its line of accessories easy enough to install myself. First, I wanted to add some protection to the bike for off-road riding.
While the Tiger 1200 Rally Pro’s standard lower engine crash bars are nice, nothing is protecting the upper bodywork and tank. Adding the Protection Bars – Upper stainless-steel crash bars ($375) was pretty simple, taking about 30 minutes to complete. The bars are sturdy and will definitely protect the bike if dropped.
The luggage situation also needed some attention. The Tiger 1200 Rally Pro lacks integrated panniers like the R 1250 GS. Integrated panniers are great—when they’re off the bike, you don’t have the bulky steel-tube racks ruining the bike’s lines. That being said, the advantage of having racks is that I can swap between the solid aluminum panniers and lighter soft bags. I prefer the latter when doing more off-road riding.
Without integrated panniers on the Tiger, I needed the Pannier Mounting Frame – Stainless Steel ($370) for the Rally Pro. My 2017 Tiger 1200 had the aluminum Expedition Pannier boxes, and I really liked them for touring. When I sold the bike, I wisely kept the panniers. As it turns out, they fit on the 2024 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro. The aluminum panniers are $1100 a pair, so I was thrilled to find that they did indeed fit!
The last major modification I wanted to make was to improve the seating. Although the Tiger 1200’s seats are incredibly comfortable, they are not heated. While heated seats are a luxury I don’t necessarily need, Mrs. Safety Third definitely likes them. If I want to avoid pushback on motorcycle purchases, I need to keep her happy.
I opted for the Heated Seat (Low) – Rider ($250), which lowered my seat height by about three-quarters of an inch. I also added the standard Heated Seat – Pillion ($225) for the missus.
Once again, installation was a breeze. The Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro is pre-wired for the heated seats, including an integrated handlebar switch for the front perch. Both the front and pillion have two heat settings. While I have not done multi-day trips yet, the low seat is comfortable on all-day rides, despite less padding. Winter temperatures have revealed that the heating elements work terrifically.
The last two items I grabbed from the Triumph catalog were a pair of CNC-machined aluminum Rider Footrests ($174) and the plastic Headlight Guard ($98) to improve the off-road riding experience. While just about everything from the catalog installed easily, the light cover turned out to be the hardest thing for some reason! It was probably user error, but what a pain it was!
A change to the bike, not from the Triumph catalog, was tires. The stock tires on the Rally Pro are the Metzeler Karoo Street tires. I rode them in the dirt a little bit before swapping them out. They were surprisingly capable and are a great choice to keep on the bike if you only occasionally ride in dirt or loose conditions.
Because I do more off-road riding than the stock Metzeler Karoo Street tires are designed for, I opted to upgrade to the Karoo 4 50/50 tires for better grip in the dirt. They have proven stellar in the dirt and very good on the road. Having had a pair of Karoos 3s in the past, the 4s are a definite improvement over what was already a good tire. Their only downside is a loud howl from the rear tire’s block tread at higher freeway speeds on some pavement configurations. The list price for the 90/90 x 21 front is $167, and the rear 150/70 x 18 lists for $390, though discounts are easily had.
I needed one final piece to finish the Triumph Tiger 1200 Project Bike. Whether I’m riding long stretches or hitting off-road trails, I want a tank bag that’s big enough for small essentials but doesn’t hog the whole tank top. It had to be waterproof, too—no messing with rain covers. The Giant Loop Diablo tank bag ($289) nails it. It’s the right size, fully waterproof, and zips off the harness fast for tank access or to grab and take inside at night. Plus, its shape matches the Tiger’s tank slope perfectly.
There are many aftermarket options available for the Triumph Tiger 1200 line. This time, I kept it simple, knowing that the Triumph Genuine Accessories catalog would have products that fit right the first time, and they did—except for that pesky headlight guard. After spending just over $2k—not counting the panniers I had in my shop—my Triumph Tiger 1200 Project Bike is ready for adventure and touring, on- and off-road, and that’s exactly how I plan on using it.
Photography by Don Williams
