Like the sound of the 135bhp, 1,215cc triple in the Triumph Tiger Explorer, but don’t want to sit up high? Well then, this new 2013 Triumph Trophy 1200 might just be the bike for you. Like the 2013 Triumph Street Triple, the Trophy was spied undergoing pre-production validation testing in Spain by Motociclismo.es. Where that Tiger Explorer is a cheaper, more powerful, more technologically advanced rival to the R1200Gs, this Trophy is is all those things to the R1200RT.

That all-new 1,215cc motor is a doozy. Not only does the liquid-cooled inline-three make 135bhp and 89lb/ft of torque, but it’s operated through a ride-by-wire throttle, facilitating the inclusion of traction control and switchable engine and throttle maps, and even cruise control. Not sold by its relative lack of power in comparison to 1,200cc superbike engines? Well, the Triumph’s service intervals are once every 10,000 miles. Perfect for a big touring bike. It also comes equipped with a 950w generator, meaning there’s plenty of power for accessories like heated grips, GPS, heated clothing, a phone charger and even the electrically adjustable windscreen seen on the trophy in these spy photos.

Like the Tiger Explorer, the Trophy sends power from its stacked-gearbox motor through a shaft final drive. Further reducing maintenance requirements. In fact, the two bikes — likely developed together — appear strikingly similar in more ways than the motor and driveshaft; the frame, too, appears to be similar. While its impossible to draw a definitive conclusion from these spy photos due to the Trophy’s all-encompassing fairings, the swingarm pivots on it look strikingly similar to those of the Tiger Explorer’s, possibly indicating that the tourer uses the same tubular steel perimeter frame as the ADV bike.

Parts sharing like that is part of the reason Triumph is able to beat BMW on pricing. The Tiger Explorer is priced at $15,699 in the US, including ABS, TC and cruise control. The 110bhp BMW R1200GS starts at $16,150 and includes only ABS. The BMW R1200RT starts at $17,350; expect Triumph to try and similarly undercut its price.

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