2005 Triumph Rocket III
The first ride was on the 2005 Triumph Rocket III. This was my first experience riding a cruiser. I guess if you're going to try something new, you might as well start at the top right? And I do mean the top. In case you have been living in a cave for the last 18 months, the new Rocket III from Triumph is the biggest and baddest production motorcycle around today. The monstrous 2294cc motor pours on the torque like a freight train. This bike pumps out an amazing 147ft-lb to the 240 rear tire.
The Rocket III has been out for a little while now and there have already been some conversations here at TMW about the bike as well as some ride reports from other members. I won't try to recreate those reports or rehash old information. What I want to do it point out what I noticed about the bike and give you a perspective from a first time cruiser rider.
Before taking the Rocket III out for a spin, I got aquatinted with one of the bikes in the showroom. I knew going in that this bike tips the scales at 704 pounds and I wanted to get the feel for the beast before I took it out on the road. I must admit at first I was a little intimidated by the shear mass of the Rocket. I threw a leg over and pushed the showroom bike off the side stand and I was instantly surprised. The bike did not feel all that tough to manage. I let the bike tip back on the side stand and then picked it up again, just to be sure, but the result was the same, it seemed quite manageable. I looked over the controls a bit and I was ready for a ride.
The test rides were scheduled once per hour and were led by reps from Triumph corporate as well as employees from the local dealership. There was a set route and a number of rules to follow to make sure no one got hurt. There were about 10 riders in each group. We were given a quick lecture on safety and the rules for the test ride. Next we got an overview of the ride route and it was time to saddle up.
I was setup on a Rocket III that featured Triumph's Flame Red Custom Paint scheme. This accessory kit from Triumph replaces your stock solid colored tins and body panels with a red and gold flame paint scheme. This kit will set you back $2550. My tester was also outfitted with the upgraded exhaust system from Triumph. Which I'm told pushes the both the horsepower and torque over 150. It also played a nice exhaust note with some sweet sounding pops when you were off the gas.
When I fired up the engine, it was a quick and simple affair without any drama that you might expect from a 2.3 liter engine. There was a nice deep roar from the bike as the motor came to life. Of course a couple of quick twists of the throttle were in order. The Rocket responded again with a nice deep growl. Right away I noticed the lack of torque pull from the motor. There was just the slightest sensation from the motor from side to side as I pulled the throttle back. So slight it was almost unnoticeable. Nice! We pulled out of the parking lot and we were on our way.
The ride route was a great combination of city streets, open roads and freeway travel. Our demo loop lasted about 20 to 25 minutes, not quite as long as I would have liked but still a good amount of time for a demo. It gave me just enough of a chance to get familiar with the bike.
Riding the Rocket III proved to be about the same as what I felt lifting the bike up from the side stand in the showroom for the first time, it was very manageable for bike weighing over 700 pounds. The first couple of times I took off from a stoplight proved to be a little bit of a challenge as I wasn't able to find the foot pegs. Having never ridden a cruiser, I had to hunt a little for the pegs. My instincts told me the pegs should be below my knees or a little behind. Before the end of the ride this was already becoming less of an issue as locating the pegs started becoming second nature. A few hours in the saddle should be long enough to get used to the position. Cruising along at 65 mph on the freeway in 5th gear the tach showed about 2500 rpms. This bike is quite relaxed at highway speeds. The Flame Red custom paint package from Triumph that was outfitted on this bike includes a small fly screen that comes up just over the instrument cluster. I know a lot of people like a taller windshield for touring but I felt quite comfortable at 65 mph on the Rocket with the rather small screen.
I also expected controlling the bike would feel different with the bars upward and outward and my legs stretched out in front. The feeling was different but not uncomfortable or difficult at all. I am more comfortable with my feet below my knees because that's how my bike is built and that's what I am used to, but I could easily get used to the cruiser riding position.
I found the seat on the Rocket III to be quite comfortable. The controls were pretty common. There's no funky BMW like switches and signals on this bike. You'll find controls much like any Japanese bike on the market today. I found the turn signals easy to operate and there was a nice positive click as you press the center button to turn off the signals. I could feel this click through my gloves and it provided a nice positive reinforcement that the blinker was shut off.
I didn't really get to put the engine to quite the test as I would have liked, riding in a group with just a little freeway time. Off the line though it was quite evident that this bike has loads of torque in reserve that you can roll on whenever you desire. Even with my moderate twist of the throttle I could feel the the torque and the power of this enormous engine. Power delivery was smooth and very linear from way down low. The power plant delivers a nice flat torque curve.
What about the transmission? I almost forgot about the transmission altogether because the need to switch gears isn't such a big deal with all that power. There's no need to worry about bogging down this motor. A rolling start in 3rd should be no problem for this beast. The gearbox was quite positive and smooth in operation, should you feel the need to shift this thing.
My only complaint about this bike and it's a small one is the engine sticks out a bit far on the left side of the bike. I could tuck my knees in on the massive gas tank on the right side but there was a small protrusion on the left that prevented me from doing that. I feel like this wouldn't be much of an issue though after getting used to the riding position a little bit more.
At $15,990 the cost of admission is lower than a number of Harley Davidson models. So if you're in the market for a new bike and your considering a cruiser, have a look at the Rocket III. Even if your not in the market for a cruiser, take a ride on the Rocket III anyway. Maybe you'll change your mind.
Check out the Triumph Photo Gallery to see more images of the Rocket III
Stay tuned, I'll report on the 2005 Sprint ST from Triumph soon.
