Triumph Explorer....test ride

A recent test ride on the Explorer from Webbs in Lincoln left me a bit cold and wishing i was back on my GSA 1200 TU. The seating was hard and uncomfortable, the suspension was nowhere near as good as BMWs esa setup and appeared vague on the front end particularly under hard braking. The screen was too small and offered only moderate protection and the digital dash was over complicated and distracting. The thing that bothered me most tho' was that the throttle was way too keen, the slightest bump in the road and you can feel the bike lurch forward as your hand moved on the twist grip. I really wanted to like this bike as it looks a good potential rival for BMWs GS/GSA but for me to consider buying one it needs to be better. Nice try but as is not too much for BMW to worry about.
 
Had a Cross tourer out last week for a demo, could'nt wait to give it back! i could'nt find one thing about it i liked and i wanted to like it!!
 
I also tried out a Crosstourer and did not like it at all - bought an Explorer instead which I immediately felt happy with.
 
Time moves on......

I know this is the GS forum and I have been on it for the last 7 years happy GS ownership.

I understand that 'preference' is subjective.

However -

I've put my money where my mouth is and bought a 12Ex. It gives me the same feeling that the 12GS did back then. Its very quick and completely footsure. Conventional suspension is not an issue when its as good as the Triumph set up.

The GS was not and is not perfect. The seat is cack, the riding position needs tweaking unless you are 5'10" and 15st. It has had faults over the years that have left riders stranded.

The Triumph also has some of the same issues, but you know what it still has 40BHP more and I'm pretty confident would kick any GSs ass. It has switchable traction control and CRUISE CONTROL something that has always annoyed me that the GS doesnt and cannot have. Fly-by-wire is fantastic and its not "too sensitive" as some have suggested, it is just right. If you can ride a GS smoothly you can ride the TEX smoother.

TT dont yet make loads of goodies but they will - and Triumph will sell 12TExs by the barrow load.

The 12GS was fantastic when it first came out, but BMW will have to go back to the drawing board to outshine this bike. I hope they do as the back up and accessories for the GS beat the crap out of the Triumph at this time, but the bike has to be 'that good' and it has just isnt at this time. It feels old and staid, kinda like the 1150 does compared to a 1200.

See it comes down to this, if you have something sooo good that everyone else wants to take its place on the perch, sooner or later someone will....! Sadly that time is now for the GS.

I was up until May a very happy GS owner. Now I am a happy TEX owner, and you know what, everywhere I park the TEX someone asks me about it. No-one does that to a GS anymore because they have become commonplace.
:rob
 
I know this is the GS forum and I have been on it for the last 7 years happy GS ownership.

I understand that 'preference' is subjective.

However -

I've put my money where my mouth is and bought a 12Ex. It gives me the same feeling that the 12GS did back then. Its very quick and completely footsure. Conventional suspension is not an issue when its as good as the Triumph set up.

The GS was not and is not perfect. The seat is cack, the riding position needs tweaking unless you are 5'10" and 15st. It has had faults over the years that have left riders stranded.

The Triumph also has some of the same issues, but you know what it still has 40BHP more and I'm pretty confident would kick any GSs ass. It has switchable traction control and CRUISE CONTROL something that has always annoyed me that the GS doesnt and cannot have. Fly-by-wire is fantastic and its not "too sensitive" as some have suggested, it is just right. If you can ride a GS smoothly you can ride the TEX smoother.

TT dont yet make loads of goodies but they will - and Triumph will sell 12TExs by the barrow load.

The 12GS was fantastic when it first came out, but BMW will have to go back to the drawing board to outshine this bike. I hope they do as the back up and accessories for the GS beat the crap out of the Triumph at this time, but the bike has to be 'that good' and it has just isnt at this time. It feels old and staid, kinda like the 1150 does compared to a 1200.

See it comes down to this, if you have something sooo good that everyone else wants to take its place on the perch, sooner or later someone will....! Sadly that time is now for the GS.

I was up until May a very happy GS owner. Now I am a happy TEX owner, and you know what, everywhere I park the TEX someone asks me about it. No-one does that to a GS anymore because they have become commonplace.
:rob

Excellent post. Always a subjective subject and often emotional too. Probably most will agree that the Ex12 is an excellent bike, some may say that it lacks a little 'character' though and I'm sure there are those amongst us that will never admit that anything is as good as their 2 wheeled dumper truck no matter how good it was.
 
I want to buy one, I have had the gs from new and I love it. But... the reliability issues have finally got to me. In my 4 years of ownership I have gone through 3 fuel gauges, fuel pump, pressure sensor, esa, rear crown bearing, front steering bearing and now it is popping out of fifth and occasionally not indicating what gear i am in until 3rd.
All this is from a bike that mostly commutes 24 miles a day and gets every service on the button. But for the money i am being offered on a p/x I could buy a 2009 gsxr AND keep the gs for the same price as getting the TEX!!:blagblah
 
They were thinking, quite correctly, that under your left bumcheek is the best location for a power socket in which to plug your electric heated vest.

But if they had really been thinking correctly, they would have spec'd said socket to supply enough current to power e.g. a Gerbings heated vest at 6.5A...
 
My conclusions......It was a great fun ride, but for me, strange as it sounds, too fast and the throttle way to sensative ( and far to sensative for off roading should it ever see any gravel!). I felt that i could have got it to the 130mph mark with no effort, but if i wanted that i would have a k1300 or similar. The GS uses it power in a much nicer way, and whilst you may have to plan that overtake a bit more carefully, is that such a bad thing. I like my ESA, my intergated fog light switch, & intergrated heated grip switch ( yet another switch on the Explorer). The GS has a bit more rider involvement, a bit more character, and so, for now, i will remain faithful to the cause, but is suspect that there will be a big following for the new kid on the block. It IS a great bike, just not for me.

Hope this helps

Richie

That more or less sums up my experience with riding the Triumph recently.
It just felt like riding a 1200 Bandit with a tall screen...:augie

So i'll be keeping my trusty GSA for a while longer then..:thumb
 
I liked the Ex12. A much better bike than my Tiger 1050. It had the same solid feel that my 1150 had but with a better engine. Unfortunately I'd have to find £6.5k to make the swap (that's on a year old Tiger) so it was out of my price range.
 
EXP V GS

I looked at the Triumph but although I ve owned a few Triumphs before, I feel the quality of the fittings on the new machine are lacking. Items such as the Indicators,screen support and engine bars looked very cheap.

I did'nt get as far as a test ride as I was put off by the above.

I think the 800 XC looks a nicer bike.

Someone at Triumph said they copied the GS, in my mind they should have tried harder.

Yeah okay I own a GS so am biased.
 
I'm not sure that BMW will be too bothered about the Explorer.
I personally think it looks horrible.
A mate rode both last week, and much prefered the 800XC.
All subjective of course.
 
GS vs Explorer

Two weeks ago i test rode the GS and the Explorer back to back.
Owning a CBR Blackbird and just back from a trip to Scotland I decided i wanted something different and i hope i was as open minded and neutral as i could be.
Both are very capable bikes but I felt the GS put its power down better than the EX even with its additional 30 ponies. It also has a great track record that the EX will only match in time if it is to be the 'GS beater' as the Triumph dealer told me :blagblah:blagblah:blagblah
I was not keen on the exhast note on the EX as it tended to scream as you open it up (which Triumph have designed into the package!) this is however the strong point on the EX as it beats the GS on raw power. But on the twisties I felt the GS was a better all rounder.


I am now the very proud owner of a Triple Black GS :D:D:D
 
Since my test ride I had a good think about changing and I have decided I can't. The thoughts of leaving my beloved gs(even with all it's faults) in a dealers and riding away on a triumph is killing me!It would be like giving away my dog!!

The gs ticks all the boxes and is quick without drawing attention to myself, I know if I had an explorer I would be doing 100mph everywhere. I haven't chatted to a policeman roadside since the cbr daysand would like to keep it that way. The tex is missing something that I can't put my finger on.

Who would have thought the germans could engineer a soul into a bike?:barf
 
I did ride the triumph explorer, compared to a gsa1200 i thought it felt cheap and a bit basic, the switchgear was tacky.

The ride was lso quite poor and harsh, its worst feature, whereas the gsa floats over bumps (mine had esa)

Acceleration wise the triumph was a big step forward, i could sense the snatchy throttle mentioned but that wouldnt bother me it wasnt an issue.

All in all, other than the superb engine i thought it was very ordinary.

Only my own impressions others may think different.
 
Went to the Triumph dealer with a view to testing the Ex, but after a good look at it, and sitting on it, took the 800 out instead. That is a cracking little bike with a lot going for it. Engine is quick enough, handles well and is quite comfy. Between the 2 if I was buying, I'd save 4k and buy the 800.
 
I've seen an 800XC ding its gear lever in a low-speed accident on a trail. The resulting damage shore off the gear shaft and the bike now needs to have the cases split to repair the mechanism. A similar accident with a 1200 last weekend was fixed at the side of the road with an adjustable spanner.

One of the other riders last weekend had just been to Morocco and a 1200 Explorer had a relatively minor accident but it left fragments everywhere and the bike was out of action for the rest of the holiday.

They look like they would be great bikes to own, unless you take them off tarmac, in which case beware.
 


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