Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128331
than a Kawasaki ZX-IOR does at its 9500 rpm maximum, and it will wave goodbye to a Honda CBRIOooRR in covering 0 to 100 mph in just 7,2 seconds, pulling 1.2g in the process - with a passenger! Sounds like pink slips at dawn at a corporate level, on the two-lane blacktop of any rival manufacturer's choice, now that deliveries of the Hulk have begun and bikes are in the showroom. As they say in the world of drag racing, in wh ich the Rocket III would surely excel in street-legal form with lights and a license tag, just as it comes off the British firm's production lines - there ain't no substitute for cubic inches . Yet as a lBO-mile day spent riding the Rocket 111 around the hills and highways of California 's wine country during the press launch north of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge proved, the new Triumph is far from the daunting monster requiring skill and bravery to tame, which its appearance and specification lead you to expect. Inst ead, just like the comic strip Hulk, the two-wheeled version rather unexpectedly proves at first acquaintance to be an easy-going good guy. You can just putt around town or trail along in a line of traffic before coming over all muscular and transforming the Rocket III into the ultimate two-wheeled power missile when you gas it wide open. This is indee d a bike with "Hey, look at me " styling and the kind of massive presence that leads to success in the showrooms in the custom cruiser category, which accounted for a remarkable 40 percent of all motorcycles above 2S0cc sold in the world last year, or a massive 74 percent in the crucial American market, in which Triumph is now flourishing, w ith its U.S. sales up from 6000 bikes in 2002 to BOOO last year. But unlike many other cruisers, which are so much more show than go, the Rocket 111 has literally awesome performance available at the twist of a wrist from the lengthways dohc triple motor, no matter what gear or how many revs you throw at it. That massive 240/50-16 rear t ire isn't there only for appearances even though Triumph admits it was one of its design parameters for the bike, to appeal to the wider-is-better-as-well -as-bigger custom crowd . The fat rear Metteler fitted to the built to embody two-wheeled superlatives. Space was at a premium in installing such a big engine as a fully stressed member in the Rocket Ill's massive tubular steel dual-spine frame, and space had to be found not only for the large fuel tank, sturdy 1.5 bhp starter motor, and high-output alternator, but also for the massive, IS-pound, 18-amp battery needed to prime the fuel pump and crank such a large engine into life. The massive cell is able to deal with a large electrical load as a result of fitting some of the 51 different accessories available via Triumph's dedicated Rocket III after market catalog; the main airbox and filter are located beneath the rider's seat. Fresh air is drawn in through an intricate ducting system molded into the seat base then fed from the main airbox to a second plenum chamber beneath the chrome cover on the left side of the fuel tank, which in tum feeds the three throttle bodies. Triumph is justifiably pleased that the Rocket Ill'sengine is so clean that , with just a pair of catalysts in the triplesilencer exhaust system's collector mounted just in front of the rear tire, it already meets the forthcoming Euro-3 emissions standards (not set to come into force until 2007) without the use of secondary air injection, as was originally thought to be necessary. In the continued absence of the long-rumored Trophytouringshaftie,of which there's still no sign,the RocketIII is the firstTriumphmadelto be fitted with maintenance-freeshaft drive, employinga bevel drive box manufactured in Italy for Triumph by Graziano,the same firm that buildstransmissions for Ferrari, Maserati, Ulmborghini and Aston Martin. The stacked-shaft fove-speed gearbox employs a substantialbut refined cable-operated clutch,laying a power output worthy of the sportbike sector, as well as acres of torque to the massive 240/50-16 rear tire, complemented by a 150/80-17front. both fitted to distinctive cast wheels. Metteler and Bridgestone are suppliers of what at present is the only approved rubber capable of harnessing the Rocket Ill's substantial torque yet permitting high-speed cruising in safety on such a heavy bike via a carefullydeveloped combination of construction and compounds. As with the heavily chromed twin shocks, which are adjustable only for preload, the nonadjustable 43mm upside-down forks were specifically developed by Kayabafor the Rocket III. set at a 32-degree rake with a massive 152mm of trail combined with a 67.8inch wheelbase, in order to deliver the rangy build determined by the lengthways engine and the demands of the custom market . They're fitted with the same 320mm Sunstar discs as on Triumph's 955i Daytona sportbike, gripped by four-piston Nissincalipers, while the substantial rear 316mm disc and twin-piston caliper were instead developed especially by Brembo for the bike, helping to haul down a behemoth weighinga claimed 704 pounds dry from speeds of up to 140 mph. at which point the electronic limiter kicks in. This is a cruiser not like the others. Biggeris best... (Above) The analog speedometer and tachometer mimic t he twin headlights an the front end of the Rocket III. (Above left) Two of the t hree exhaust pipes exit on the right side, whi le the other p ipe exits down the other side. test bike proved to be a vital ingredient in harnessing the 140 bhp I47ft.-lbs. of torque the Rocket Ill's twin-cam motor churns out, combining three cylinders, each as large as the single one of a Suzuki DR800 enduro. In spite of the Rocket Ill's imposing bulk, it's easy even for shorter riders to get comfortable on such a massive bike, thanks to the well-pulled -back handlebars and the www.cyclenews.com fact you can put both feet flat on the ground when you sling a leg over the Triumph's low 740mm-high well-padded seat. The footrests are mounted pretty far forward , in keeping with the expectations of the North American cruiser customer, which together with the low seat means your ankles are folded all the time , so you'll want to stretch them and waggle them about when you come to a straight bit on a long ride . Triumph has a revised pedal set in the aftermarket catalog, which, mounted further back, should be more to the taste of Euro-customers - who until that arr ives may prefer to rest their toes on the pillion footrests on long runs that don't involve corners! The passenger seat is detachable without leaving any trace of its mounting points - further example of the attention to detail stylist John Mockett brought to creating the bike. Thumb the button to send the big engine purring into life, and it catches immediately with a whirr of gears, a whis- CYC LE N EWS • JULY 7, 2004 61