Triumph ' s all-new Tiger 1200 Rally Pro has become the world ’ s first large-capacity adventure bike to enter – and conquer – the gruelling 24hr trial , in South Australia , where the endurance of rider and machine is tested to the absolute limit .
Ridden by none other than Cameron Donald , a twotime Isle of Man TT champion and avid off-road rider and racer , the Tiger 1200 Rally Pro made for an unusual sight among a sea of lightweight enduro bikes over the weekend of July 9-10 .
“ Physically , that was one of the toughest things I ’ ve ever done on a motorcycle ,” Donald said . “ To ride out there in that terrain on these bikes over four six-hour laps for 24 hours was such a battle . It was brutal .
“ A lot of people told us we were crazy , not expecting us to finish a single lap let alone four laps to finish the race . Worse yet , an experienced competitor who ’ s finished the race 24 times said this year ’ s course was by far technically most difficult .
“ The weight of a 1200cc adventure bike didn ’ t make it easy against lightweight enduro bikes , but I was constantly amazed by how well the new Tiger 1200 got through the terrain . There was nothing it couldn ’ t do .
“ There were boobytraps everywhere including ledges four-feet high and bulldust two-feet deep , often hiding rocks and roots . But the bike ’ s momentum and off-road oriented 21-inch front wheel allowed you to point and shoot .
“ You had to be careful in the tight , technical terrain but , once it opened up , the Tiger was unstoppable . The transit sections were warm and comfortable for us thanks to heated grips , cruise control and semi-active suspension .
“ In a race as gruelling as the 24Hr trial , we threw so much at the Tigers , but they were supremely capable and absolutely shined . I had to laugh when I saw other riders lubing and adjusting their drive chains . I just smiled at the Tiger ’ s shaft drive – no maintenance required .
“ I ’ m gutted both bikes didn ’ t finish , though , and that just drives home the how hard the event actually is ,” Donald said .
The 24-Hour Trial , historically known as the 24-Hour Reliability Trial , has been running since 1924 and is Australia ’ s oldest motorcycle race . It comprises four six-hours laps with each lap consisting of 12 competitive sections , which are timed ( the rider with the lowest cumulative time wins ) and 13 transit legs . Three evenly spread fuel stops allow 15 minutes for basic motorcycle
NEWS MAGAZINE
11
TRAVERSE 11