Ride modes are selected via a dedicated switch on the left-hand switch pod. Lean-sensing ABS and traction control, and four ride modes (Rain, Road, Sport and Rider-Configurable) are now part of the Rocket 3’s standard electronics. Unique to the Rocket 3 are the radially mounted front and rear calipers. Brakes are by Brembo, with twin 320 mm discs up front and a 300 mm disc in the rear. Wheels are 17- and 16-inches front and rear, respectively, and Avon developed the fat 150/80 (front) and 240/50 (rear) Cobra Chrome tires specifically for the Rocket 3. Showa suspension includes a 47 mm inverted fork that is adjustable for compression and rebound damping, and a single, fully adjustable rear shock.Ī long, cast tube forms the single-sided swingarm, which houses the drive shaft. The frame, engine and other major components have been lightened considerably, and the Rocket 3 has lost more than 40 kg. The aluminum frame is entirely new, smaller and more rigid. ![]() The gearbox has gained a gear – now numbering six. The engine redlines at 7,000 rpm and it pulls hard until it bumps off the limiter. The previous bike’s torque began dropping off as soon as it peaked at about 3,500 rpm, whereas the new bike peaks at about the same engine speed but maintains maximum torque all the way to 5,000 rpm before tapering off. While peak torque is the same as before, it now extends over a much broader rev range. The massive triple has a larger bore and shorter stroke (110.2 x 85.9 mm versus 101.6 x 94.3), and now displaces 2,458 cc (still the biggest engine on a bike), up from the predecessor bike’s 2,294 cc.Ĭlaimed output is 165 hp (up by 11%), and torque is a massive 163 ft-lb, which is the highest you’ll find on two wheels. On the left you’ll find the intake runners, and on the right is the Rocket’s signature triple-header, which is now artfully hydro-formed and hand-welded, and looks like it belongs on a vintage fighter plane. Look at the bike from either side and most of what you see is a big lump of sculpted aluminum. The Rocket 3’s most prominent feature, however, is its big engine. Both bikes feature cleverly hidden passenger pegs that disappear into the bodywork when folded up. The GT, while still quite the looker, is designed for more comfort and has a taller handlebar, a flyscreen, forward pegs, a height-adjustable passenger backrest and slightly lower seat (750 versus 773 mm).įoot pegs are adjustable in two positions on the R and three positions on the GT. The clean silhouette of the Rocket 3 R makes it my favourite, with its low handlebar, mid-mounted foot pegs and streamlined rear end. It attracts attention from all types of onlookers, from young sportbike riders to vacationing retirees. The bike is long, with a wheelbase of 1,677 mm, and it looks striking whether it’s parked or strutting down a boulevard. The Rocket 3’s renewed styling is much more contemporary, blending naked bike and power cruiser in a way that makes the bike appear more like an action-movie prop than a production bike. Tenerife is riddled with twisty roads, almost endless switchbacks, sweepers and a few speed-coaxing straights – and the Rocket 3 handled them in the most un-cruiserlike manner. ![]() Well, the first thing you should know about this new Rocket 3 is that it is no cruiser. I got a chance to ride both bikes at their launch in Tenerife, Canary Islands. There are two versions of the newly designed big triple: the stripped down Rocket 3 R ($25,900), and the slightly kitted Rocket 3 GT ($26,700). Things change this year, and the 2020 Rocket 3 (Triumph changed the Roman numeral in its name) gets its first real redesign – and everything is new. ![]() Triumph has introduced several variations over the years, but for the most part they have been based on the same platform. It did, however, break boundaries with its 2,300 cc in-line triple, which was the biggest engine you could get in a production motorcycle when Triumph launched the behemoth in 2004. It’s a big, fat cruiser with huge torque, but that isn’t unusual. The original Triumph Rocket III is an anomaly among motorcycles. The massive torque and horsepower were expected, but the finely tuned handling and braking propels this power cruiser to the top of its class and beyond
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