When I decided it was time to shop for another bike, I knew I’d be looking to a

big cruiser. And initially my eyes were fixed on the Harley Davidson Heritage Soft tail. 

But, a year before, while out on my VT1100 riding through Down Town Long Beach, I was passed (in the blink of an eye) by what I would later learn was Triumph’s big beast, the Rocket III.

Before I made any decision to buy, I had to check this bike out.

First the specs (Taken from the Triumph website at http://www.triumph.co.uk/usa/2009_RocketIII_10169.aspx):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Engine

• Type Liquid-cooled, DOHC, in-line 3-cylinder
• Capacity 2294cc
• Bore/Stroke 101.6 x 94.3mm
• Compression Ratio 8.7:1
• Fuel System Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection

Transmission

• Final Drive Shaft
• Clutch Wet, multi-plate
• Gearbox 5-speed

Cycle Parts

• Frame Tubular steel, twin spine
• Swingarm Twin-sided, steel
• Front Wheel Alloy 5-spoke, 17 x 3.5in
• Rear Wheel Alloy 5-spoke, 16 x 7.5in
• Front Tire 150/80 R 17
• Rear Tire 240/50 R 16
• Front Suspension 43mm upside down forks
• Rear Suspension Chromed spring twin shocks with adjustable preload
• Front Brakes Twin 320mm floating discs, 4 piston calipers
• Rear Brakes Single 316mm disc, 2 piston caliper

Dimensions

• Length 98.4in
• Width (Handlebars) 38.2in
• Height45.9in
• Seat Height 29.1in
• Wheelbase 66.7in
• Rake/Trail 32 degree/148mm
• Weight (Dry) 704lbs
• Fuel Tank Capacity 6.3 gal

Performance (Measured at crankshaft to DIN 70020)

• Maximum Power 140bhp at 6,000 rpm
• Maximum Torque 147ft.lbt at 2,500 rpm

After riding the Harley I went straight to the Triumph dealership in Brea California and was hoping to ride their demo bike. But alas, they had sold it a week earlier. In the showroom however were the Rocket III and the Rocket III Classic. Unfortunately neither of these bikes were ready to ride. No fluids, low tire pressure, that sort of thing. We could not even start it. I was limited to sitting on it.

I stood it up from the side stand and grabbed the handlebars. Note here that my feet stayed firmly planted on the floor. You’ll understand later why I mentioned that. After engaging the sales guy for about 45 minutes, I took my wife outside and said, “I want to buy this bike.”

She was surprised since I hadn’t even ridden it. But being the wonderfully supportive lady that she is, she deferred to me and said “Ok.”

Two hours later after the mechanic’s bike-overview, I was ready to ride it home. And here is where the fun started! When I got moving and lifted both feet off the ground, planting them on the pegs, I realized that it felt like I was sitting on a horse! This bike is huge!!! And after grabbing a moderate handful of throttle I noticed two very specific things; first my arms were nearly torn away from my body!  I had never ridden such a heavy torque bike before and I’ll be honest, I wasn’t ready for that. The next thing I noticed was I actually giggled like a child when shifting from first to second… to third… to fourth… you get the idea. I don’t think my smile has gone away yet.

It’s a big bike with a monstrous engine.  In fact, right now this is the largest production bike on the planet at 2300 cc (for you non-metric-heads, that translates to 140 cubic inches)! But despite its size, it is incredibly nimble and very responsive. With most of its weight low it handles tight turns beautifully and with its wide 240 back tire, it loves to stay up straight when coming out of the turns. The dual front disk brakes and single rear disk give it incredible stopping power too! This is necessary if you ride like I do. With its impressive power, its handling, and braking it’s easy to forget that the Rocket III isn’t a sport bike.

But, like anything, there are bound to be things that… well… aren’t all that wonderful. The engine is big and runs really hot. Of course this comes in handy for cold weather riding but if you’re sitting in traffic on a hot summer day, you’ll feel the heat right on the back of your thighs. And because of its bulk, slow-riding, particularly around corners, is a bit of a wrestling match. The pillion seat is small (The Rocket III Classic has a much bigger pillion seat.) so if you’re into two-up riding, this is likely the first thing you’ll upgrade. And since the model is only a few years old (introduced in 2004) there still aren’t too many options available on the after-market parts and accessories market.

Ultimately, this bike has been one big grin-factory and I am beyond happy I chose it over the Harley. This is not to say I don’t like the Harley brand. But this bike rides great, turns heads and is in my humble opinion, a dam sexy ride!

Right now Triumph offers three models; The Rocket III, the Rocket III Classic and the Rocket III Touring. You can see more about each model on the Triumph USA website.

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