Triumph Rocket III Touring Review

Good Points
General finish, Quality of accessories, riding position, touring saddle comfort, rideability, power availability.

Bad Points
Clunky gearbox at the start. Lack of cruise control.

General Comments
I took ownership of a new Triumph Rocket III Touring on the 10th May 08, trading up from an 06 Kawasaki VN1600 Classic tourer. I purchased the bike from GT Motorcycles in St Austell.

The VN1600 is a heavy bike but not as heavy as the Rocket. However, the Rocket rides about 100lbs lighter, or so it seems. I got astride the Rocket III outside the shop and started it up. It sounds very quiet, probably too quiet for many, however, as I am looking at long distance riding, the quieter the better for me. I have never liked the boom boom of exhausts in my ears for long distances.

The bike moves slightly from side to side as you rev it. Not suprising when you think of the power waiting to be unleashed. I pulled in the clutch and gently depressed the gear lever into 1st. It went in easily although with a clunk. As I pulled away from the kerb I was suprised at how well the bike balanced on the road. In fact by the time I was up to 30 mph and in 3rd gear (each change with a clunk), I was smiling broadly at the smoothness and handling at low speed. I came up behind some stationary traffic at a set of lights and came down through the box, revving at each change, which alleviated the clunking noise from the gearbox a lot.

Pulling away from the lights, I engaged 2nd gear and opened the throttle a little to overtake a car. The response from the Rocket was a bit like kicking a sleeping dragon. I was past the car and back on my side of the road long before the approaching van got to me. By this time, I was in top and approaching 70 mph, with a smile on my face that allowed clouds of gnats to coat my teeth as I ploughed through them. I didn't care, though, I was having fun.

I was fairly gentle and careful through the first bends. New tyres, new bike but the Rocket was whispering to me "Don't worry, I'll stick". It did too, almost to a fault. It stayed on line through some fairly tight twisties although I didn't push it hard. It felt that there was plenty more to come once the tyres were scuffed up a bit and when I was more used to the handling.

Don't get me wrong, this is a mega tourer, not a sportsbike. Its never likely to lay over and allow you to get a knee on the deck, not without you having parted company with the machine first but its agile way beyond its weight and looks and it gives you confidence from the word go. You don't have to fight it in and out of bends or between cars when filtering. Its as nimble as it can be for its size. Great design and great engineering culminating in a machine that does what it was made for. I think the smaller wheels and narrower tyres than those on the original Rocket make this possible.

On the open road the new suspension is as it should be for a tourer. Its softer than on the original, although not spongy. It rides bumps well without transmitting shock to the riders back but doesn't "over bounce" like some tourers. The new forks give a positive feel to the front end, whether braking in straight line or powering over a bumpy road surface.

In conjunction with handling and suspension, I had a Triumph Touring seat fitted, with sissy bar and riders backrest. This saddle is great. The riders backrest tilts and swivels as you ride. I did a couple of 200 mile days without any difficulties and got off the bike feeling as though I could go another 200 mile with no problem.A cruise control would greatly add to the comfort on long runs as the throttle is quite hard to hold open for long distances. An electronic one should be fitted as standard on a tourer like this. The riding position is good for me. I am 6' 2". The only issues I had were with the roadster screen that comes as standard. For me it was just a little too low and gave me a fair amount of wind blast off of the top edge. I will buy one the taller screens before embarking on any long journeys in the future. However the standard screen is perfectly good for round town and everyday commuting and the quick release attachment/detachment locks are a joy to use. Another super piece of engineering.

Having completed the standard 500 miles and been to the dealer for its tightening up and first service, I took the Rocket out for a little "see how it goes" spin and was delighted by its handling at high speed. On an old airfield runway I saw 110 on the clock with some still left to go. Handling was still good at this speed although I will say it was a very still evening with no wind at all. In motorway conditions, with air currents from other vehicles and wind, I cannot see that Rocket would be greatly different. It is a heavy bike and is not subject to much interference from passing lorries etc.

There are some nice touches on the bike, like an info button on the throttle housing that cycles through the electronic pages of the instrument cluster.

The petrol tank comes with a standard unlockable filler cap. In this day and age I would have thought a lockable one should be standard.

I was returning on average 35/38mpg during running in and around 35mpg averaged. This gives roughly 170/190 miles to a tank. Not too bad I feel, considering what you are sitting on.

The amount of torque available at low rpm gives relaxed riding. You are not constantly up and down the box and yet dropping down a cog and opening the throttle gives a response that has you hanging on tightly as you wait for your eyebrows to catch up. I am not saying that if you were given the choice between a ride on the Rocket III Touring and a guaranteed night of passion with Angelina Jolie, you would take the Rocket but it would be a close run thing.

I had the touring saddle, sissy bar, riders backrest, heated grips, protection rails for panniers, front engine bars, oval mirrors, locking filler cap, alarm/immobiliser fitted from new.

The clunking from the gearbox has reduced significantly as miles goes on but I read on other sites that this is normal?

To sum up my experience so far, with 800 miles on the clock at this time, I am delighted with the Rocket III Touring. It is everything I hoped it would be. It's a docile, easily to ride tourer around town and in traffic but on the open road it brings the best of its mighty brother in its genes and although slightly de-powered in its tourer guise, these genes allow it to do what it was designed to do. It makes me smile most of the time and when not smiling, its because I am full out laughing like a maniac, wondering when the fun will stop. Not for a long time I think.