Triumph Rocket III (2005-current)

After 40 odd years of bikes,this is the best bike for the so called grin factor.It may not be as fast or handle as good as some of my previous bikes but what a lot of fun.I have now crossed Spain twice, toured Northern France and am about to cross France down to Salou this year.And no i do not have a screen they all look a bit naff. The last three trips i had the wife on the back with no complaints unless i opened up the throttle a bit to far. I started with Triumphs back in the 60,s and it looks like i will end up with one.Good luck to Triumph.

Had the rocket for 3 years , have had fun riding as well as modding No problems . A keeper

Bought on e-bay in the spring. I can't stop smiling every time I ride it. Contrary to Arrow's view mine came with the fly screen which keeps you comfortable to over the ton (in Germany of course!). No it is not the smoothest ride ever and no it doesn't handle like my Sprint but that is not the point. The bike is a beast that turns goes and stops better than any cruiser anywhere ever. You can ride it slow like a Rolls and a little twist of the throttle in high gear takes you past most everything. I'm not into image really but it is a bike that cannot be ignored on the road. No-one could dare say "I didn't see you mate!" could they? Mine is 2004 reg. with 23K on the clock and still looks immaculate - so keep it clean and it'll retain its shine. If you want a smoother comfier version try the new RII Touring, the sensible older brother - which is a beauty - but I'll stick with the original thanks...

This might go against the grain but unfortunately after 4,000 miles I dont rate the Rocket (mines an 04 bought a few months ago) as highly as others. Yes, the engine is awesome with a terrific induction sound even in standard trim with catalytic convertor but it has a gruff feel to it the faster it spins which can be annoying on long motorway runs. Considering the size of engine the fuel consumption isn't bad though with 45 mpg attainable on 70-80 motorway runs. The bike's handling totally defies its look though to overcome the natural tendancy for the large back tyre to control direction ie. straight ahead only, you have dig that back tyre into the corners using the throttle; back off and it runs oh so wide. Diving into corners on the brakes doesn't unfaze the bike. Whilst the suspension may give it superb, relatively speaking, handling the ride comfort is very poor. If you want to feel every line, bump, rut and pothole on the road this is the bike for you. The rear shocks offer very little damping probably in order to keep the back end handling firm and the seat hight down. (The Yanks like low seat hights.) Braking is good but remember without the rider's weight this is 320+ kilos of solid mass your trying to stop. A screen is a must for those not built like a gorilla but unfortunately whilst the fly screen looks good it offers little protection. At the other end Triumph's tallest screen produces such severe wind turbulance the fillings in your teeth feel as if they are about to go on vacation. (My brother-in-law thought I was joking until he road it.) Open helmets for some reason are not so badly affected or at least my Nolan isn't which for me makes the bike rideable. My greatest disappointment though is the finish or to be more precise the chrome plating. In this day and age I don't expect the chrome plating to be peeling off on a nearly 3 year old bike with 6500 miles on the clock as it was when I bought it. Whilst the paint on the chassis and body parts is standing up well the front of the engine takes the full force of the shite off the front wheel and suffers accordingly. Any one thinking a riding with a pillion would be well advised to take them on any test ride because of that hard rear suspension. Thankfully the bikes hold their price well.

Great Bike