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APRIL 2012 -
SEXY X2
MAGAZINE -
9
dealers will be concentrated in the
most populated U.S. cities, with
about 500 bikes being imported
for the first year. By year five Van
Epps forecasts approximately
2,000 Nortons coming to America.
MSRPs should begin at $16,000
for a base model Commando to
upwards of $20,000 for the SE
Triumph Speed Triple R
One
of
the
more
con-
tro-
versial picks on our list, you might
be wondering what the Speed
Triple R is doing here. If you’ve
ridden the standard Speed Triple
then this wouldn’t be much of a
surprise. It’s no secret that we’re
big fans of the bug-eyed wheelie
machine from Hinckley. Its com-
bination of sporty yet comfortable
ergonomics, impressive handling
and an intoxicating 1050cc inline-
Triple engine has us fighting for
the keys whenever one makes it
into our fleet of test bikes.
This year Triumph has upped the
ante even further with the R ver-
sion of the ST.
Like the
Daytona
675R
introduced
last
year, the up-
rated Speed
Triple will receive an
Ohlins
NIX30 43mm fork and TTX36
shock, calibrated specifically for
the ST-R. Combine that with four-
piston, monobloc Brembo calipers,
Pirelli Supercorsa SP tires, optional
ABS and a redesigned gearbox,
and the ST-R is sure to elevate a
bike we already love to another
level.
The new Tiger Explorer model
makes a quartet of Tigers for 2012.
The 1215cc, in-line 3-cylinder
Tiger is a big adventure-touring
bike meant to go head-to-head with
Yamaha’s Super Ténéré and the
archetypal BMW R1200GS. The
Tiger Explorer’s MSRP has yet to
be announced, but outfitted with
a comparable electronics package
– including ride-by-wire throttle,
switchable ABS, cruise control and
traction
control – to the
$13,900
Yamaha and
$18,600
BMW, expect
the
Explorer to carry
a
price somewhere
between those
two.
Tri-
umph
claims
the
Explorer’s new
triple produces
135 crank
horsepower and 89 ft-lbs
of torque which wallops the 108.5
hp of the Ténéré’s parallel-Twin
and 110 hp of the GS’s apposed
twin. With a curb weight of 575
lbs, the new Tiger is only five
pounds less than the Yamaha but
carries nearly a gallon less fuel.
Considering the successful design
of last year’s 800 Tiger models,
Triumph will likely have another
winner for 2012.