+ Click to Enlarge MONSTERBIKE: It's built around a 2294cc inline three-cylinder motor that kicks out 106kW at 5750rpm, with an industry-leading 200Nm of torque way down at 2500 revs. For a screen-filling picture of this bike, e-mail dave.abrahams@iol.co.za with "Triumph Rocket III" in the subject field. Pictures: DAVE ABRAHAMS

October 12, 2004
By Dave Abrahams

It's only when you ease out the clutch and 320kg of solid Leicestershire metalwork pulls away with its three-cylinder motor growling gently at just under idle that you realise just how much torque Triumph's 2294cc Rocket III has at its command.

And how big it is; superlatives are always invidious because no matter how fast or how big a bike is there's always one somewhere that's faster or bigger – so I'll draw a few comparisons.

It's double the weight of my little 750cc sports twin and about 300mm longer; it produces double the power and more than three times the torque.

Its 25-litre fuel tank is wider than the handlebars on my 750 and the distance across the forward-mounted footpegs is even wider – which is why there are some situations in heavy traffic with which it just can't cope.

But it's only when you crack open the throttle that you realise just how fast this relatively unsophisticated lead sled is. American muscle car enthusiasts have always held that "there ain't no substitute for cubes" and this machine has more of them than anything else in production.

There's not much on two wheels or four that will stay with it in the Stoplight Grand Prix – in terms of straight-line acceleration its weight is more a help than a hindrance because it pushes all that power down on to the tar to discourage wheelies and wheelspin.

It just surges forward with a display of sheer muscle that must be most demoralising to anybody who thought he had some hot wheels.

Triumph claims it will get to 100km/h from rest in less than three seconds - and I believe it. Complaints about a slow gearbox are irrelevant – it'll do 100km/h in first gear. I know I only felt my heart thump twice during that intense first rush.

After that it just keeps going; the power tails off rapidly after 6000rpm and there's no sense in chasing the red line at six-five. Keep short-shifting at just under 6000 and the Rocket gets up to 200km/h in less than 400m.

It tops out at a (governed) 224km/h with the motor just past its power peak at 5950rpm and the rider flat on the tank, feet on the rear pegs. Be aware, however, that in this configuration the Triumph is unsettlingly sensitive to cross winds.

There's some primary vibration but generally the 18kg crankshaft does a good job of damping out the shakes – and the intake roar from the big triple is spine-tingling.

The clutch, on the nose of the gearbox as per Honda's notorious CX500, is a little heavy in operation but surprisingly progressive, taking up smoothly and predictably - even after a half-dozen full-bore launches.

Mind you, hot launches aren't much of a strain on the clutch anyway – you can dump it just above idle and that mountain of torque will pull you out of the hole like you're about to go into orbit. There's power from 900rpm without snatching and it comes on strong from 1800 on.

There's surprisingly little "spritzer effect" from the Keihin multipoint fuel-injection – a little lash made itself felt in heavy traffic (walking pace) but the fuel system handled the transition well.

Trickling about in town, the complaints about the five-speed box are justified; it's slow, a little notchy and very vocal – and there's a distinct final-drive clonk on take-up.

Then, get the revs above 3200 and the heavy cogs shift as slick as you please.

For most of the test I routinely shifted up without the clutch, although I almost always used it going down – the consequences of getting it wrong were just too intimidating. Remember, 200Nm translates to a ridiculous amount of engine braking.

During the time I had the Rocket III it slurped 8.75 litres/100km, which may sound outrageously thirsty for a bike but is more accurately comparable to cars such as the Ford Mondeo 220 and BMW 525.

Running gear

The fashionable inverted front suspension on the test bike was firm but well damped – noticeably firmer than the pre-production model I sat on at the KMSA launch in June.

The twin-shock rear suspension is much more conventional and, as on all cruisers, handicapped by a too-short travel and high unsprung weight so that its action is harsh and bumpy

It rattled my teeth in a few places on my bumpy test run but, thanks to its huge weight, seldom moved off line.

The four-pot brakes are as powerful as they need to be but well modulated – although, due to the long wheelbase, there's a strong tendency to push the front wheel.

Before I rode the bike I heard horror stories from other journalists to the effect that if you touched the brakes anywhere except in a straight line the front wheel would wash out and dump the bike.

Well, it's not that bad. Two fingers on the lever are all it takes to scrub off speed without upsetting the bike's equilibrium, although there's not much feel. Nevertheless, for the quickest stops, I used both brakes, just as on a Harley – and for much the same reason.

You can brake into a corner, but you need to avoid panicky grabs at the lever and it's wiser to use the rear brake as well.

The steering is light (thanks to the wide bars) and accurate above 30km/h; below that speed the long wheelbase causes directional instability and makes the bike a handful in heavy traffic.

At cruising speed the Rocket III is reassuringly stable, although it does have a tendency to shake its head gently if it hits a bump on a long, fast corner; once again this is a product of the bike's long wheelbase and stretched steering rake rather than a suspension weakness.

At the risk of sounding like a used-car salesman - they all do it, guv.

There's enough ground clearance for any speed the suspension geometry can handle and I didn't touch down any part of the bike during the review period – much to the relief of its owner.

Cruise in comfort

The seating position is relaxed and stretched out, real posing stuff with feet well forward and comparatively far apart due to the width of the sump. The pilot's seat is comfortably spacious, relatively flat and well padded but the pillion perch is fashionably primitive.

It slopes down at the back and there are no grab handles – ride gently when you're two-up or you'll continue solo.

Nevertheless, the bike is comfortable at the speeds for which it was intended; it seems to cruise best at an effortless 120km/h at 3200rpm – any more and you'll have trouble holding on.

The switchgear is chunky and very positive and the instruments clear and readable but they tend to dance around on their rubber mountings above 4000rpm. The warning icons inset in their faces are actually LEDs; they're small and difficult to see in direct sunlight.

Both round, chromed headlights are on all the time, unlike most Hinckley products that use one for the dipped and the other for main beam. The lighting is great and riding the big Rocket at night is a pleasure.

Fit and finish are generally very good but the makers have fallen into the Milwaukee trap of using beautifully chromed but flimsy sheet-metal covers over some components, inadequately hiding the relatively poor finish beneath.

A case in point is the chromed exhaust header covers on the right side of the motor – after less than a month the neatly welded but unpolished stainless steel pipes underneath, which are subjected to a lot of heat while the bike is being ridden, had already oxidised to a beautiful phosphor-bronze colour.

I've always felt that it's somehow more honest to put a proper finish on the component itself rather than pop a pretty chromed cover on it - but with stainless exhaust pipes in particular that may be committing the owner to more hands-on physical maintenance than he's ready for.

On the limit

In terms of weight and sheer bulk you get the feeling that the Rocket III is right on the limit of what current technology - and human physiognomy - can handle.

It will never be a mainstream motorcycle; it's not a good commuter because the rider must always be conscious of its huge width and it's too "cruiserish" for a tourer. It seems most at home blasting away from the lights to show other road users the meaning of the word power.

Like so many things English, it's magnificently eccentric and the world is a more entertaining place for its presence.

Thanks to Peter Ordway for letting me play with his new toy.

The Triumph Rocket III costs R159 500.

Triumph Rocket III specifications