Trophy 1200 (2012 - Present) review

After a mere 250 miles there was a general feeling amongst the assembled scribes that Triumph have pitched the new Trophy’s manners and behaviour in just about the right parameters. After another 400 miles, their (and my) opinion hasn’t shifted.

We rode back from St Andrews via Edinburgh and then SW through Penicuik to Moffat. If you don’t know this road – the A708 -  there are very few nasty surprises. Visibility ahead is excellent allowing you to use the full width of both sides of the road in many places and thanks to a surface dressing of granite chippings, there’s a massive amount of grip on offer, even in the wet. Which was just as well. It was wet.

Along this stretch of asphalt biking heaven the Trophy was really impressive. On less than half a tank of fuel the tendency to sit up and run wide on the brakes was less pronounced than we’d experienced the day before. 26 litres is a lot of gas and a lot of weight so it’s probably not surprising that it can affect the bike’s behaviour. The 708 is the sort of wide open, twisty, undulating and flowing piece of road – especially in the rain - that makes you use mid-range, high gears and big throttle openings to keep your momentum up, to keep things smooth.

It was here the Trophy found its rhythm, or rather, I found the Trophy’s rhythm. With the guttural moan of the three throttle bodies as the soundtrack (I’d long since turned off the tinny audio system) and a really predictable, grip-sniffing wave of torque to ride, the road to Moffat was something of a revelation after the hideous rush hour traffic around Edinburgh.

Click here to read the full Triumph Trophy 1200 review.

After a mere 250 miles there was a general feeling amongst the assembled scribes that Triumph have pitched the new Trophy’s manners and behaviour in just about the right parameters. After another 400 miles, their (and my) opinion hasn’t shifted.

We rode back from St Andrews via Edinburgh and then SW through Penicuik to Moffat. If you don’t know this road – the A708 -  there are very few nasty surprises. Visibility ahead is excellent allowing you to use the full width of both sides of the road in many places and thanks to a surface dressing of granite chippings, there’s a massive amount of grip on offer, even in the wet. Which was just as well. It was wet.

Along this stretch of asphalt biking heaven the Trophy was really impressive. On less than half a tank of fuel the tendency to sit up and run wide on the brakes was less pronounced than we’d experienced the day before. 26 litres is a lot of gas and a lot of weight so it’s probably not surprising that it can affect the bike’s behaviour. The 708 is the sort of wide open, twisty, undulating and flowing piece of road – especially in the rain - that makes you use mid-range, high gears and big throttle openings to keep your momentum up, to keep things smooth.

It was here the Trophy found its rhythm, or rather, I found the Trophy’s rhythm. With the guttural moan of the three throttle bodies as the soundtrack (I’d long since turned off the tinny audio system) and a really predictable, grip-sniffing wave of torque to ride, the road to Moffat was something of a revelation after the hideous rush hour traffic around Edinburgh.

Click here to read the full Triumph Trophy 1200 review.