It was only fitting that Triumph chose to unveil the world’s most powerful production cruiser in Texas where nothing succeeds like excess. The Rocket III, the first production bike to break the two litre barrier, produces 140 bhp (105 kW) at 5750 rpm, which is pretty good for a cruiser, but what’s really astonishing is the torque figure of 200 Nm at 2 500 rpm. Triumph claims that 90% of the torque is delivered at a mere 1,800 rpm, meaning that the 320kg bike with a rider and passenger on board will accelerate faster than pretty much anything else on the road.
Triumph says that customers played an integral role in the development of the bike. Focus groups from around the world, particularly the US, confirmed that in the power cruiser world bigger is most definitely better. But they also made three other demands. The Rocket III had to be unmistakably a Triumph and not a clone of more conventional formats; it must be grounded in the real world rather than a flight of fancy, with the substance to back the style; and thirdly, it had to have presence.
The reborn Triumph brand has built its reputation upon an excellent range of three-cylinder engines, and the cruiser follows the recipe, although in an all-new engine with over twice the capacity. The Rocket III utilises a fuel injected longitudinally-mounted in-line triple displacing 2 294cc. Each of its pistons thus displaces over 750cc, exceeding the entire displacement of the units used in the original Triumph Trident and BSA Rocket 3. These two machines were both fitted with Triumph’s first three cylinder 750cc engine back in 1969, making the usage of the BSA model name on the latest Triumph offering very appropriate.
The Triumph Rocket III will be available at local Triumph dealers in around March 2004.