Picked mine up last Saturday,it's my company bike and is replacing a 2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure,(coincidentally one of the guys at the factory said the 1290 and the BMW 1200GSA were the benchmarks the Tiger designers had to use). The XCA has all of the features of the Katoom has,but obviously with three years more development,(semi-adaptive electronic suspension/lean sensitive traction control-yada yada). The improvement is noticeable.The Tiger is heavier but doesn't feel like it,is marginally more,"flickable",and the suspenders feel a bit less harsh on bumpy back roads. Power comes in like a smooth creamy torrent,not as aggressive as Katy and not as much of it,but it's a lot smoother,the gearbox,(with some kind of shift assist,naturally LOL),is nice,short throw and positive...I think it's possibly the best I've experienced on a shaft drive bike,except for a CX500 years ago,which was also very good. The Trumpet is a big ol' beast though with a lot more grunt so maybe not a good comparison with the little Honda. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of ponies,under the vast marine blue,(on mine),tank,and they are very controllable: there are SIX engine modes on this model,of which I will probably explore...er...just the one. Fit and finish is very good,electric screen,wind deflectors and sculpted tank sides keep the wind off,footpegs are h-u-u-g-e and the ergonomics well thought out.Full colour LCD? display is very clear,informative and a massive improvement over the Austrian bike,and I love the wheels.Black with the spokes laced onto central ribs on the rims,with a single sided swinging arm should be easy to keep back wheel clean at least...and no chain grease yippee!. Negatives? I hate the keyless ignition already,because the bike is still switched on but the alarm arms itself at the same time...AAAARGH!! That is really going to piss me off until I get used to it. And although it's plenty punchy,the Trumpet doesn't have 150+ mighty Teutonic horses...I'm no riding god by any means,but there is something about all them lovely ponies straining at the reins. I've only done about 60 miles on the Triumph,and I'm fortunate that I get top of the current range and to tick all of the options boxes I want,so there's loads to Explore,(!) yet. If there's anything significantly good,(or bad),I'll write it up.
They're fine bikes. I very nearly bought a new one last year for touring. IMO it's easily the most comfortable adventure bike out there. 3X were offering cracking deals on the top spec cast wheel model loaded with extras including full aluminium luggage for £13,500 - I guess because they were clearing the decks for the relaunch model this year - but it was just too much for me so I bought a used 1190 for 9K instead. The 1190 is less refined and not as luxurious but it feels pleasantly uncomplicated next to the Triumph and the 1290 KTM with all their electronics and it's incredibly nimble and goes like bat shit so I'm more than happy. But the 1200 Triumph, even last year's model, is an extremely good bike which gets unfairly overlooked in the adventure class. The electric screen is a joy. Every other screen feels primitive afterwards. Its one of those bikes you could jump on and ride to the other side of the world. Haven't ridden the new one but I can only imagine its even better. Enjoy.
