2024 Triumph Rocket 3 Storm Review – More powerful than ever, but still surprisingly capable in the corners

The 2024 Triumph Rocket 3 Storm has the most torque of any mass production bike ever built. Period. A cruiser motorcycle like no other, it features a 2458cc in-line three cylinder engine in the middle, a car like 240-section rear tyre at the back, and clever lean sensitive electronics throughout.

Originally launched for 2004 as a 2.3-litre muscle cruiser, the Rocket family has achieved something of an iconic status and celebrates its 20^th birthday for 2024.

Triumph have toasted the big day with some skulduggery in the exhaust to achieve Euro5+ emissions compliance and added in a new engine map that boosts power by around 15bhp, to a whopping 180 horses at 7000rpm. There’s also new tyres from Metzeler to replace the old Avon Cobras, which wrap around fresh 10-spoke cast aluminium rims.

Surging forwards without hesitation in any gear, the motor (which is also the biggest displacement of any mass market bike in history) growls and gargles, before clearing its throat to perform a soundtrack reminiscent of an analogue early 80s Porsche 911. It’s simply unlike any other cruiser on the market, and draws attention from crowds wherever it goes.

Excessive? Yes. Aggressive? Absolutely. But in an age of parallel twin mass market middleweights, expanding environmental pressures, and speed camera culture, it’s a refreshingly bonkers break from the norm – and proof that big cruisers aren’t all about plodding along in the slow lane with a lumpy V-twin between your legs.

As has been the way since the arrival of the 2.5-litre engine platform in 2020, the latest Rockets come in a choice of R or GT flavours. Like before, the £23,195 R features mid mounted pegs, a slightly taller seat, and a more hunched forward position – with the £23,895 GT taking things steadier thanks to forward mounted foot pegs, drawn back bars, a fly screen, and pillion back pad.

Both share the same engine performance, frame, braking, and suspension components – with both also customisable to include parts from either bike. So, if you buy an R and fancy adding a screen then you can, and if you buy a GT and fancy a change of peg position, then that is possible too.

Alongside winning any game of motorcycling Top Trumps, the Rockets are also surprisingly nimble when things get twisty – highlighted by our circa 150 mile test route which incorporated parts of the Route Napoléon in the South of France.

They might weigh in excess of 300kg ready to ride, with raked out front ends, and a wheelbase of 1677mm, but both tip into corners predictably and hold the road mid turn with such composure that you’d think their tyres were covered in Loctite. Ground clearance remains typically cruiser, but both variations will still be able to hustle along your favourite back road as quickly as any of your mates.

Neither are perfect though and, as you might expect, the monster engine gets uncomfortably hot in traffic – cooking your right leg especially thanks to the girthy exposed header pipes. What’s more, if you drop off the tarmac into a gravelly or uneven layby then the immense weight quickly becomes apparent. I’d avoid this if you can.

Some of the switchgear can also be a stretch with small hands and should be back lit for this kind of money. Short arms (like mine) will also likely struggle with achieving full lock on the bars, and for such a big bike the pillion provision is fairly lacklustre.

Triumph don’t make bad handling motorbikes, and both the Rocket 3 Storm R and Storm GT are no exception to that rule. They set a standard that all performance cruisers should aspire to, with both flavours capable of munching through the straight line miles on cruise control, or tackling a tricky switchback at a surprisingly quick turn of pace.

Being only 5ft6in with a fairly scrawny build, I’m not afraid to admit I was nervous coming into this press ride. With their raised bars and typically lower seats, big capacity cruisers have a tendency to feel awkward and heavy round town for a shorter rider – with the lack of weight over the bars making it all too easy for the front wheel to flop to one side and transfer the full mass of the motorcycle onto one leg.

With the GT weighing 320kg and the R coming in at 317kg, I was fully expecting this to be more of the same – dreading the thought of U-turns and mentally preparing myself for the prospect of an embarrassing low speed drop.

However, I needn’t have worried. Carrying their weight so low, with the crank spinning at little more than 23cm off the ground, the Rockets feel balanced and stable from the get-go. The seats on both bikes also taper off nicely towards the 18-litre petrol tank, meaning you can get a better footing on the tarmac beneath you, despite the bulbous motor in front of you.

Once up and away, the big brutes are easy around town – aided by a light clutch and gentle early throttle response. You can chug between traffic lights, and filter between traffic lights like a conventional naked, with an easily accessed rear brake pedal (which controls a hefty four piston Brembo monobloc caliper) helping you to control slow speed manoeuvres.

You must be mindful of the bar end mirrors though, which sit at the exact same height as a car mirror – making it all too easy for comings together in the traffic.

Away from the town is where both Rockets really shine though. With a 17in wheel up front and 16in rim at the back – both shod with quality Metzeler tyres – plus Showa suspension at both ends, the bikes stop, turn, and go more like a stretched out super-naked than a conventional cruiser.

The R is the more engaging of the two here, with a marginally taller 773mm seat, mid mounted pegs, and flatter bars – presenting a riding position that’s very similar to being sat on a rowing machine, about to pull back on the grips for your next rep.

Drawing you into the front of the bike, it encourages you to let off the brakes and run into a corner far faster than you’d ever normally cruise at, with the front and rear Brembos (complete with cornering ABS) offering a progressive feel that encourages you to trail either end deep into a corner.

Once out the other side it’s time for another big handful of right wrist, with the whole bike raising noticeably as you do so. Being a premium Triumph, you get the usual suite of electronic aids including switchable traction control and ABS. With the traction off, both models are happy to spin the back wheel in first and second – even in the dry.

It’s much the same story with the GT, although the small fly screen helps to reduce buffeting from the wind. It might not look like much, but being sat so low in the bike at 750mm means it makes a real difference to how fatigued you feel at the end of a long ride.

Further to this, the feet forward position means you’re more likely to touch the heels of your boots on the deck with heavier degrees of lean – which is a good indicator of how much ground clearance is left to go before things start grinding as you push on the drawn back flat bars.

Quite simply the star of the show. A 2458cc in-line three cylinder engine pumping out 180bhp and 166lb.ft of torque, it’s the centrepiece of both variants and dishes out dollops of pulling power in any gear at any time.

It’s been achieved via a new engine map, which can’t be applied to the 2020-on bikes. It’s also not the same state of tune as the short lived Rocket 3 TFC limited edition first shown in 2019, which boasted a claimed 179.5bhp @ 7000rpm.

Turn off the traction control and it’ll light up the back tyre on the throttle in the dry – delivering a gurgling mechanical soundtrack reminiscent of an early Porsche 911. It’s silly fun, and an indulgent excess done in all the right ways.

But it’s not just about performance, it’s very civilised too. For such a big lump, there’s next to no vibes on the move, and it’s barely revving past idle at motorway speeds in top. For solo touring and covering big distance without drama, it’s perfect – wafting past cars like a matt black two wheeled Rolls Royce.

Unlike a conventionally mounted triple, the Rocket’s motor sits sideways in the bike as it would otherwise be too wide and compromise ground clearance. By placing the engine this way as a stressed member, engineers were able to keep the weight lower – with the crank spinning just around 23cm off the floor.

We rode both the GT and R over an eight hour, 150-mile mountain loop and not once did I get bored of twisting the throttle. Overtakes are dispatched with ease and you can afford to leave in a high gear almost anywhere – dining out on huge doses of torque whenever you fancy.

In fact, you have to recalibrate the way you think about riding – especially at speed – thanks to a redline of just 8000rpm. At the start of the day, I’d find myself shifting down a gear too far and running out of steam almost immediately on the other side, and it quickly becomes apparent that it’s better to be lazy with the box and let the pull of the engine do the work for you.

When you do come to change gear, there’s no quickshifter as standard. Some might say it’s not needed, but for this price I’d want it chucked in just in case I fancied using it. Instead, it’s a £510 optional extra.

Back to the bikes as tested and each gearshift must be drawn out and considered. It doesn’t thank you for trying to change up quickly, and I’d advise using the clutch going both ways through the box.

It also gets very hot in traffic, which is especially noticeable on the GT model thanks so a seat design that rests your right inner thigh on top of the cylinder head. There’s no reverse gear either, making parking a little bit of a pain, and there’s a soft limiter in neutral that prevents you from yobbishly revving it past 1500rpm.

The 2024 Triumph Rocket 3 Storm range is much the same as the bikes that first arrived in 2020 – barring an engine map, new tyres, and fresh new 10-spoke rims.  As such, we can take a look back at owners’ reviews of the previous incarnation to get an idea of how the latest model will stand up over time.

Twenty MCN readers have reviewed their 2020-on Rockets and award their bikes an average of 4/5 stars in this category. However, while some have glowing reports of their time so far, others have shared their frustration of corrosion, electrical gremlins, clutch problems, and flat batteries.

Triumph offer a two year warranty, and a 10,000 mile/12-month service interval – whichever comes first, with a substantial UK dealer network to carry out any work should it be required.

Triumph Rocket 3 models hold their value incredibly well, with used examples from as far back as 2010 still commanding over £9000 on MCN Bikes For Sale. There’s no reason to believe these Storm models will be any different either.

From a day to day running cost perspective, you can’t expect a 2.5-litre 180bhp triple to be frugal. Triumph may claim 169.5 miles from a tank of unleaded, but the reality will be less than that when riding at regular speeds. Don’t expect all that torque and weight to be kind on rear tyres, either.

That said, both bikes will come with a two year warranty, plus an expansive Triumph dealer network to fall back on should anything go amiss. Service intervals are every 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes sooner.

In terms of rivals, cruisers of this kind are few and far between. The most obvious competition is the £23,595 Ducati Diavel V4, as well as Triumph’s own 2020-on Rocket 3 that shares the same tech and running gear as the 2024 bikes with a little less power and torque. If you can live without 180bhp, this option could save you some serious cash.

Those craving big capacity could also look at the £17,480 BMW R18 with its 1802cc boxer twin, as well as the last generation V4-powered Yamaha V-Max models – that still hold good money on the used market today.

The 2024 Triumph Rocket 3 Storm range starts at £23,195 in R trim – a serious outlay for anything, let alone a leisure motorcycle. However, I am pleased to report that both variations get an impressive level of trim as standard for that fee.

This includes lean sensitive ABS and traction control, with the latter capable of being deactivated in the customisable ‘User’ rider mode. This setting sits alongside mapping options for ‘Rain’, ‘Road’, and ‘Sport’, plus standard fitment cruise control, and an excellent set of heated grips.

You also get a mobile connectable TFT dash which can be adjusted for position without tools. The peg placement can also be altered too, with Brembo stoppers and adjustable Showa suspension at both ends.

What you don’t get as standard though is a quickshifter, which comes as a hefty £510 option, and it would be nice to have backlit switchgear for the money being charged. Those buttons are also quite far apart in places, making it hard to operate some features on the go with small hands.