2018 Triumph Tiger 1200 XCA Photo Gallery

Triumph really knocks it out of the park when it comes to fit and finish. The first time I saw the Thruxton R in person, I was struck by the beautiful details: the brushed aluminum tank strap, the different metal finishes on the faux carbs, the red spark plug cap. Such attention to detail goes a long way in making the motorcycle feel special and increases the pride of ownership.

Triumph's designers didn't rest on their laurels with the 2018 Triumph Tiger 1200 either. Everywhere you look, the bike has little details that show how much care went into its design. Here are a few of our favorite touches.

All-LED headlights incorporate daytime running lights and adaptive cornering lights. The center strip of lights gives the bike a sinister look. Small turn signals are also LED and look like they could have come out of an aftermarket catalog. Note: clear airfoils beneath the turn signals.

Searching for Triumph logos all over the bike is like hunting for the bespectacled, striped shirt-wearing protagonist of “Where’s Waldo?”

Triumph mixes materials for visual interest and for practical reasons. Check out the rugged rubber/plastic inserts on the heel guards, swingarm pivot, and clutch cover. Crash bars come standard.

Offroad footpegs shouldn’t be this beautiful. CNC machined footpegs do the job and look pretty doing it.

Blacked-out WP suspension. Protective radiator cover sits above three brawny exhaust pipes. Why do exhaust pipes look good in odd numbers?

The XC range features spoked wheels for offroad preparedness. Another benefit of shaft drives is the single-sided swingarm look. You know you’ve got the moto bug when your idea of a nice evening is gazing at a single-sided wheel with a spoked hub shod in Pirelli knobbies. Is it any wonder invitations to dinner parties from non-riders are few and far between? We’ve only ourselves to blame

Hearty skid plate and titanium Arrow exhaust are standard equipment on the XCA. The exhaust features a carbon fiber endcap and strap. The exhaust is loud enough that it will have you revving your engine in the echo-y walls of your garage after a Saturday morning blast (we all do that, right?), but not so loud that it will be annoying on a long trip.

With keyless ignition and a pretty brushed aluminum-wrapped key, the Tiger 1200 feels fancier than many cars. The key can permanently live in a jacket pocket, except when using it to remove the seat and open the fuel filler cap.

Illuminated switchgear is intuitive and easy to operate on the move. Heated grip button is integrated into the left grip; no fumbling through menus to warm up the hands. The five-way joystick (right of the horn) makes it easy to toggle through menu options and adjust the windscreen and suspension settings on the fly. Another great use for opposable thumbs.

The 5” TFT dash angles up and down to suit rider height. The display can be set to different styles to suit individual rider preferences. As seen in the photo, rider modes are displayed at the bottom of the screen by pressing the mode button on the left grip. The same part of the screen also displays tripmeters, windscreen setting, suspension setting, etc.—all adjustable on the fly. At a standstill, the rider can delve deeper into menus to adjust, for instance, individual ride modes.