2013 Triumph Trophy 1200 SE - First Ride Review

It’s not exactly a case of David challenging Goliath, but it’s close—real close.  With its new 1200 Trophy SE luxury-tourer, Triumph, a comparatively small bike manufacturer, is challenging one of the industry’s giants when it comes to producing highly regarded over-the-road motorcycles: BMW. The Boys in Bavaria run a high-powered auto and motorcycle operation that has been building touring bikes of one flavor or another for many decades. So, when the movers and shakers at Hinckley decided to throw down the gauntlet against that powerhouse, it was like taking a knife to a gunfight.

But, as it turns out, that knife is a pretty sharp one. The Trophy 1200 is by far the most complex motorcycle that reborn Triumph has ever produced, and it takes direct aim not at either of BMW's K1600s but instead has its sights set on the R1200RT Boxer. Aside from its displacement disadvantage, the Trophy is not a luxury-tourer in the K1600GTL, Gold Wing or Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic sense; rather, it's a luxury sport-tourer. It allows you to enjoy all the amenities of those iconic superslab-devouring heavyweights—and a few features that even some of the others don't have—while you're ripping through the twisties as though you were on something far smaller and lighter than the Trophy's 662-pound claimed wet weight (without saddlebags) and 60.7-inch wheelbase would imply.

“We started working on this project in 2008,” said Simon Warburton, Triumph’s Product Manager. “We looked at three bikes that were considered the models of choice at the time: the Honda Pan-European (ST1300 in the U.S.), Yamaha FJR1300 and BMW R1200RT. Our evaluations proved that the RT was the best of the three, so that was the bike we targeted.”

This is why the Trophy matches the RT point for point, and then some. Its book-length list of features includes traction control, ABS, linked brakes, 31-liter detachable saddlebags, cruise control, tire-pressure monitors, electrically adjustable windscreen, adjustable seat height (by more than ¾ in.), electrically adjustable headlights and shaft final drive. Of particular importance are the Trophy’s electronically adjustable suspension (three positions each for preload and damping, some of which can be selected on the fly, some that cannot) and elaborate FM/Bluetooth sound system that’s fully iPod compatible and will also play other formats (FLAC, WAV, MP3, OGG, ACC).

Practically everything that is adjustable on the Trophy can be configured using the designated buttons on the left handlebar switchpod in conjunction with the LCD information screen between the tach and speedo. This includes the screen display itself, which provides more information than those of any other motorcycle currently on the market and can be quickly set up to display the specific info you want in a choice of locations on the screen.

A sizable list of available accessories for the SE includes a larger touring windshield, a 50-liter top box fitted with a 12-volt power port (and that uses a built-in sliding plug mechanism that requires no unplugging or reconnecting of wires when removing or installing the box), heated seats and grips, a tankbag, a lower seat (which, like the stock saddle, is two-position adjustable), bag liners and a GPS mounting bracket.

Inclusion of all this equipment, the 6.9-gallon gas tank in particular, has taken its toll in the perception of the Trophy’s physical size. When you first climb aboard, the tank/fairing stretching out ahead of your knees splays out so far and wide that you almost feel like you’re looking down onto the deck of an aircraft carrier. But by the time you’ve ridden the bike a few blocks and snapped it around a couple of simple corners, that perception starts to change. You quickly forget about the shape of the plastic in front of you and marvel at how light and agile the big Triumph feels when it’s moving. The tall, wide cast handlebars give you lots of leverage while propping you in an upright, standard-bike riding position, and the 1215cc, ride-by-wire inline-Three grunts out tons of usable torque (well, actually, a peak of 89 ft.-lb. at 6450 rpm, says Triumph, but it remains above 74 ft.-lb. from 2500 to 9500 rpm) that effortlessly whisks the SE away from a stop and off of corners. The overall effect is that you feel as though you are riding a bike that is at least a hundred pounds lighter than what its manufacturer claims.

I already knew that the dohc, 12-valve engine in the Trophy is based on that of Triumph’s 1200 Explorer, but I was surprised to learn that, as far as camshaft specs, compression ratio, valve sizes and throttle body dimensions, it is in the very same state of tune, yielding a claimed 132 horsepower at 8900 rpm. The only differences are the exhaust system and the programming of the ECU for fuel delivery. The Trophy also has a taller sixth-gear ratio more suitable for its sport-touring mission.

Those small changes are intended to slightly soften the throttle response, which some people felt was too abrupt on the Explorer. No such problem with the Trophy, which reacts to changes in throttle position predictably and smoothly. The bike isn’t exceptionally fast by today’s performance standards, but that strong, linear torque output allows it to accelerate crisply and steadily in any gear, at any rpm and at any speed. Just give the throttle a twist and the Trophy moves forward, never pinning your eyeballs to the back of your skull but always rushing the bike down the road with enough authority to be satisfying.

As I learned during the Trophy’s world press introduction in northern Scotland, that power delivery is even more lovable on a twisty backroad. Along with a half-dozen other American motojournalists, I spent a full day chasing along some of the finest, most isolated and challenging two-lane (and even a few miles of one-lane) roads between intriguing and beautiful little towns with names that seemed to have come from a Dr. Seuss book—Forfar, Tullybelton, Bankfoot, Aberfeldy. Some roads were mirror-smooth, others choppy and uneven. But the Trophy always remained agile and flickable; yes, it will snap into a deep lean and bank over into a turn almost instantaneously with only light pressure on the grips. And combining that outstanding cornering ability with an engine that pulls hard in every gear allowed me to arc through many corners without the need for a single downshift. But no matter if the corners were tight, first-gear hairpins or fast, high-speed sweepers, or if I attacked them at peak rpm or just cruised through in a taller gear, the big Trumpet sliced through with amazing ease. Plus, the shaft drive never jacked the bike up or down, even during hard throttle applications and abrupt braking.

“That’s what we wanted to accomplish,” said Warburton. “It was our top priority. Triumphs are about excellent handling, and we wanted the Trophy to be no different.”

Ergonomically, the SE is configured more like a big-rig touring bike than a sport-tourer, but that’s just one of the things that contribute to the bike’s “luxury” role. The rider sits upright, the seat-to-footpeg dimension is uncramped (especially with the taller stock seat) and the seat itself is well-shaped and reasonably wide. The area below the very front of the seat is a bit wide, which may prevent some short-legged people from getting both feet firmly on the ground at a stop, but the ¾-inch lower seat should be a remedy for many of those riders.

One day of riding is insufficient to evaluate the long-distance comfort of any motorcycle, but I never found myself squirming in the Trophy’s seat or wishing for a coffee stop, and I thought the handgrip location just about perfect for me. My bike had the optional larger windscreen, which did an excellent job of shielding me from the occasional chill when raised close to its maximum height and routed turbulence-free air at my head and chest when at its lowest; I was unable to try the stock shield, so I can’t comment on its effectiveness.

On some of the rough roads, the ride was just a bit on the taut side but far from harsh if the suspension was set on Comfort; on Normal, the ride got a little choppier but the stability in fast corners was better; and on Sport, the SE was rock-steady through the turns but a lot closer to rock-hard in the rough. Overall, the suspension calibration is close to ideal for the Trophy’s calling as a sport-tourer.

But not your typical sport-tourer. This bike is a complement to Triumph’s other sport-touring model, the Sprint GT, which favors the “sport” part of the equation more than “touring,” whereas the Trophy SE reverses those priorities. Neither is it a serious challenger for the Gold Wing or other bikes of that ilk, but I did get the sense that it would probably hold its own on long runs on the open road. We’ll find out when we get a test unit and can do a thorough evaluation.

Triumph has set the MSRP for the SE at $18,999. On one hand, that’s a pretty tall stack of money. But when you assess all you get on a motorcycle that can do what the Trophy SE can do, 19 Large seems like a bargain.