Anyone Else with a Triumph Explorer

Bought a 2012 Triumph Tiger Explorer 2 months ago and have yet to see anyone else talk about or ride one. Any body out there I can compare notes with?

My $.02, very fun and comfortable bike with lots of power. Also, really like the cruise control and upright seating. Only downside is the throttle is VERY touchy, so have to be careful when going over the bumpity bumps.....

I would love to have one so we could compare notes but I haven't even seen one. . . Yet.


Posting with Tapatalk for iPhone.

<---- Jealous.

Oh, you need to change your avatar and put that beast in there!

Avatar has been changed.

Was deciding between this and the BMW 1200GS. This came out less expensive and liked the options. A friend has the 800XC and loves it, so that got me thinking about the adventure touring side of riding and the Triumph. (Totalled a Wing in February and had almost pulled the trigger on a newer GL1800.)

Went for another ride this evening. Have 1,400 miles and still confident I chose wisely. (Even though the BMW would have been great also.)

Any engine heat issues? The radiator looks like it is positioned to dump the heat strait at rider's knees....at least that's how it looks to me from the pictures... I hear the engine is awesome, though and the throttle is drive by wire, so the "snachy" throttle would likely get cured by software update....

I have had no heat issues. When you are stopped and the fan kicks on, it does dump hot air in front of your left knee. However it is far enough in front it doesn't bother me. I have had several bikes that have caused some heat discomfort (in particular a 2000 Connie that would singe your leg hair on your right shin). My 2005 ZZR1200 gets slightly warm on both legs, but much more noticeable than the Triumph.

The heat from the bike isn't a problem to me whatsoever.

I have a little over 2500 miles on my new graphite explorer. Traded in my trusty Tiger 1050 for the explorer and have loved every minute on the new bike. The Explorer is a much more refined bike than the 1050. I'm sure it will make a much better touring bike than the 1050 with better wind protection, cruise control, and the turbine like engine. I have not noticed any problems with heat coming from the machine on hot days. All in all, it's a lovely machine.

What's basic maintenance like on it? Changing air filter, oil, oil filter, tank removal?

<----- has one. Rode her home from the dealer the other day. only have 26 miles on her so far. Gonna try to increase that this afternoon.

I test ride one last Saturday at RPM Cycle in Carrollton. They have 4 plus a demo in stock. Quite a fun ride. I totaled a Gold Wing in '08 and bought a BMW GS Adventure which I have 86,000 miles on now. I love the GSA and wanted to compare. The Explorer was impressive and I could get used to the cruise control!

I have a Tiger 1050 and have been waiting to hear some real life reviews on the Explorer. I love the way it looks and have debated on pulling the trigger on one for a while now. I wonder how she compares to the wonderful handling of my Tiger 1050? I may have to put my white Tiger up for sale...? And the see what the Explorer is all about?

I've got 10,000 miles on mine since June 2012. Sweet bike.

Just had the cam bucket issue fixed. Added a Corbin seat, Arrow exhaust, & a few other farkles.

Cruise control is nice, as is the TPMS. I don't see how a bike could be any better!

photos please

I finally saw an Explorer, black 2013. The salesman is supposed to call me when they have information on an XC.





Posting with Tapatalk while riding my Tiger 955i at 15 over the speed limit.

I purchased my Explorer last August. So far, I have about 6,000 miles on the bike and I love it. I upgraded from a Tiger 1050 which was a very good bike. The Explorer is a beast compared to the 1050 and I loved it. My wife and I ride two up on trips and the Explorer is perfect. Cruise control is great and holds the speed without any problems. Wind protection, like the 1050, is not very good with the stock screen. I put a MadStad on both bikes and it made a huge difference in protection. Best addition for my money. The bike does generate a lot of heat. Kind of cooks your groin on the high way in the summer. The heat is much appreciated in the winter. Performance is dead on. Pulls like a tractor and continues to pull to much about the speed limit. The seat is a big improvement over the 1050. I have not problem with 400 plus miles a day where the 1050 was good up to about 300. I know this depends on the rider, but the wife really likes to passenger seat better on the Explorer also. I think it is a perfect bike for long trips and dirt roads are fine. Of course, this is not single track bike, but I did not buy it for that. I compared the KTM 990, R1200GS and Explorer and stayed with the Triumph brand. Maintenance costs are less than either and cheaper than the 1050 over time. I am very pleased with the Explorer and it will be in my stable for a long time.

the heat is not that bad on mine. i can feel some warmth on my lower legs while moving. mostly aware of it when the temp is around the 80's. the cruise is nice on long trips

innominate said:

the heat is not that bad on mine. i can feel some warmth on my lower legs while moving. mostly aware of it when the temp is around the 80's.

Click to expand...

He said he feels the heat in the summer. 80's in Texas is early spring.

80's in Cleveland was cause for much complaining about the heat.

Its a thigh cooker. I thought it would be better when moving but the heat actually got worse. It was a Triumph demo day and I test rode a 2017 on a 14 mile ride. The sales person said of the 3 other people who test rode, all complained about the heat hitting their legs. It was a hot Texas summer day, in the 90s, perhaps that had something to do with it, but then what good is the bike if its too uncomfortable for a long ride in summer? Ive ridden others bikes, DL1000, Tenere, in worse Texas heat and never had this problem.