Two-time Dakar Rally champion Sam Sunderland departed London on September 5 in an attempt to set a new world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by motorcycle, riding a Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer. The challenge will see him cover more than 18,000 miles (around 29,000km) across five continents, and he will have to average close to 1,000 miles (1,609km) a day to make it happen. While that is an incredible feat in itself, the more immediately interesting detail is the bike he is doing it on.
- Sunderland aiming to beat the 19-day, 8-hour, 25-minute round-the-world motorcycle record
- Route spans six legs and starts and ends in London
- Appears to be riding the next-gen Tiger 1200
Next-gen Triumph Tiger 1200: What we know so far
The Tiger 1200 that Sunderland is riding reveals details not seen on the current model
It is no secret that Triumph is working on an update to the Tiger 1200, with the next-generation model having been spotted testing a few months ago, revealing design and feature changes. The bike Sunderland is riding appears to share those same hallmarks.
Key visual differences from the current Tiger 1200 include a new front fascia with a mono-projector headlight and a more seamlessly integrated beak. Most significantly, it also appears to feature a forward-facing radar sensor positioned above the headlight.
The current range-topping variants of the Tiger 1200 feature a rear radar system for blind-spot assistance, but a forward-facing unit would point to adaptive cruise control capability, similar to what we have seen on the Ducati Multistrada V4. Previous images of the test bike also revealed a new tail-light setup with the brake function integrated into the indicators, along with a redesigned exhaust end-can. However, the images of Sunderland with the bike reveal only the front end, so it is difficult to comment on those changes or identify what else may be different.
Triumph has made no official announcement regarding a next-generation Tiger 1200. In fact, the press release images for Sunderland’s challenge show static images of the current-generation Tiger 1200, and it’s only in images from the ride’s flag-off that he can be seen riding what appears to be this next-generation bike.
The record Sunderland is attempting to break – 19 days, 8 hours and 25 minutes – has stood for more than two decades. His six-leg route takes him through Istanbul, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and across North America, with ocean crossings not counting towards the official clock. Under the rules of the record, Sunderland and his Tiger must complete the entire riding route together, travel in a single direction, touch two antipodal points and complete the attempt on the same motorcycle throughout.