Advice Needed For A New Tiger 1200 (2022)

Hello everyone!
I’m new to Triumph but not to motorcycles.

I recently switched to a 2022 Tiger 1200 Rally Pro, and overall, I’m quite happy with it. The last software update is from 2024, which is great. However, I’ve been experiencing a few "issues" with the bike, and I’m not sure if they’re caused by the bike itself or me.

To summarize, I’ve been riding motorcycles for over 10 years. While I’ve never owned anything quite as big as the Tiger 1200, I’m used to handling fairly large bikes.

With the 1200 Tiger, I’ve had some "bad feelings" while riding, and I’m not sure if it’s the bike’s behavior or just something in my head.

Issue 1: Stalling
The bike stalls a lot, even when I’m maintaining the clutch and throttle. For example, I stalled during a U-turn and, fortunately, managed to cushion the fall with my body, so neither the bike nor I got damaged.

I’m not sure if this is specific to Triumph bikes, adventure bikes, or something else. The frequent stalling at low speeds has made me quite nervous about U-turns, which is unusual for me. I’ve been riding in mountainous regions for years without fear, and I still plan to do so. Maybe its me and I need to refine my clutch control, but I have been riding for 10+ years, and something about it doesn’t feel right.

Issue 2: "Jumping" at Constant Speed
When riding at a constant speed, whether with steady throttle or cruise control, the bike feels "jumpy." The RPM fluctuates slightly (within a range of 100–300), but the "jumps" I feel happen more often than the RPM changes.

For example, when riding at 40–50 km/h in any gear, the bike rocks back and forth slightly, which makes my head wobble. It doesn’t feel right. This issue mostly disappears at higher speeds, but since I mainly ride in cities, on country roads, and in the mountains, I rarely cruise at 120 km/h.

Issue 3: Vibration
I’ve grown used to very smooth bikes, such as Kawasakis Versys, where vibrations are minimal unless I’m pushing into the red zone of the RPM range.

On the Tiger, the majority of its power kicks in around 6,000 RPM, but when I approach 5,500–6,000 RPM, the vibrations become unpleasant. They seem to originate from the front of the bike, travel into my arms, and reverberate into my back. This makes it quite uncomfortable.

What I’ve Tried
I took the bike to a Triumph mechanic, and he mostly dismissed my concerns, saying, "It’s all in your head, mate," or "That’s normal." Honestly, I doubt it. The bike is still under warranty, but only for three more months, so I’m feeling a bit anxious about resolving these issues.

My Questions

• Are these behaviors normal for a Tiger 1200 or for adventure bikes in general?
• Do I just need to acclimate to this kind of bike?
• Are these known issues that require proper fixes?

I’m posting this here because I think there might be both mechanical and psychological aspects to these issues. Apologies if this isn’t the right sub-forum for this kind of discussion.

Thanks for taking the time to read this! Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you for your answer! I don’t remember the exact tire names, but they are categorized as 80% road and 20% off-road (so basically made for road use).

Yeah, I feel the same way about the jumpy/stalling issues — that they are linked — but the bike behaves so strangely that it’s hard to identify a pattern. For example, today I had absolutely no problems: no stalling or "jumpiness." However, I experienced both issues yesterday.

It seems that the colder it is outside (last week it was below zero), the worse it gets, compared to this week (10°C). But again, it’s hard to pinpoint a clear pattern, and because of that, the mechanic tested the bike on a "good day."

Unfortunately, I will have to go back to the same mechanic because Triumph doesn’t have many official mechanics here. I wouldn’t say Triumphs are a rarity, but I would estimate that 80% of all adventure bikes here are BMW GS models.

 

Thank you! Unfortunately, the last software update was done in October 2024 (right after my reported fall), so, according to my official Triumph mechanic, everything is up to date.

I mostly believe him when he says that, but the last update didn’t resolve the stalling/jumpiness issues, nor did it address the vibrations.

As you mentioned, my bike is virtually new — less than 5,000 km, with 1,000 of those done by me — and all services have been completed properly.

 

Thank you so much for sharing this article! I can really relate to some of the points mentioned, or at least to half of the issues I’ve experienced with my bike.

Regarding other problems I’ve faced, like the shifter occasionally becoming really hard to use (literally impossible to change gears unless I use the clutch, even though the shifter is activated), it’s quite random. For instance, I might use the shifter three times in a row with no problem, and then on the fourth attempt, it becomes as hard as a rock.

I initially thought those issues were my fault, as I’ve never used a quick-shifter before.

 

Wow, beautiful beast!

I believe I have another version of the Tiger 1200, the 2022 model. It seems they have some different builds, especially motor-wise, so maybe that’s the reason?

From the 2022 bike review:

"Like the Tiger 900 models, the Tiger 1200 has the firm’s 'T-plane' crank with its irregular 180, 270, and 270-degree firing order, whereas the old Tiger 1200 models used an even 240-degree firing order."

Could the changes in the motor be causing the issue?

I don’t have a picture of my bike on my PC, but here’s a picture of the model I have.