Triumph Rocket III Classic Touring

Triumph's critically-acclaimed Rocket III Touring is a true mile eating custom tourer blessed with unique character and that memorable 2.3 litre motor. This iconic engine has been retuned for effortless low down torque. Coupled with high levels of comfort for rider and pillion with sumptuous seats, detachable screen and front and rear footboards this bike is designed to devour the miles with effortless ease. Now with ABS brakes as standard.

Suspension has been tuned to achieve high levels of comfort without compromising control, while the with 180mm rear tire and 16 inch wheels make for surprisingly agile handling. Comfort comes from sumptuous rider and passenger seats, detachable screen and footboards front and rear, while color matched, water resistant, hard cases and shrouded front forks with polished lower castings add more than a dash of style and practicality to this highly accomplished motorcycle.

Triumph Rocket III Touring

Combining classic touring cruiser style with the awesome performance of the legendary 2.3 litre
Rocket III engine, the Rocket III Touring has been designed specifically for riders who demand serious long haul capabilities.

With this in mind, Triumph has endowed the 2011 Rocket III Touring with its advanced anti-lock
braking system for the first time, making this range-topping tourer an even more attractive proposition.

At the heart of the Rocket III Touring is Triumph's iconic 2,294cc triple, which has been tuned
specifically for the needs of the touring rider. The engine delivers a mighty 203Nm of torque through
the low maintenance shaft drive system at just 2000rpm, making overtaking in any gear safe and
effortless, even when fully laden with passenger and luggage.

The Rocket III Touringfs chassis has also been developed specifically for its intended purpose and helps deliver a surprisingly nimble ride, thanks to the low centre of gravity, 16h wheels and 180 section rear tyre. Rider and passenger comfort is paramount with the Rocket III Touring. The well appointed seat is constructed using two separate layers of cushioning of different densities, with the pillion also benefiting from an additional gel layer for supreme comfort and eday longf capability. The finely tuned suspension has been developed with comfort and control in mind, while comfort and practicality are enhanced with the standard fitment of quick release screen and 36-litre panniers.

The high specification continues with the adoption of an analogue fuel gauge and LCD clock and
trip computer, all mounted alongside the speedometer in the stylish tank-mounted chrome nacelle.

Teardrop shaped rider and passenger footboards are also a standard feature, while a long list of
optional accessories allows riders to create the Rocket III Touring they want. Accessories include
alternative touring screens, sissy bars, racks and auxiliary lamps, as well as a host of chrome and
leather items to make this already distinctive motorcycle even more striking.

The 2011 Triumph Rocket III Touring comes in two classic colour options: metallic Phantom Black
with hand painted silver coach lining or a two-tone Phantom Black with Crystal White infills.

Accessories Included as Standard:

Drilled oval mirrors
Pannier Embellisher kit
Headlamp visor
Quick release sissy bar
Luggage rack
Rear Fender Rail
Auxiliary lamps
Long haul seat
Roadster windscreen
Engine Dresser bars
Pannier dresser rails
Highway pegs
Adjustable pegs mounts
Adjustable riders backrest
Passenger backrest

Triumph Rocket III Touring Highlights

Engine: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, in-line 3-cylinder

Rear Brakes: Single 316mm disc, Brembo 2-piston floating caliper, ABS

Instruments: Analogue speedometer featuring LCD odometer, trip information, clock and analogue tachometer featuring fuel level indicator, gear position indicator

- Bespoke tourer based on legendary 2.3 litre three-cylinder power plant, the worldfs largest capacity
motorcycle engine

- Standard ABS for 2011 model year

- 203Nm of torque for effortless two-up touring

- High specification includes bespoke hard luggage as standard

- Two year unlimited mileage warranty as standard

Triumph Rocket III Touring Features and Benefits

Rocket III Touring - Triumph's 2.3 litre tourer. King of the cruisers.

Over 15,000 sold since its memorable introduction. Mile after mile is eaten up by this beautiful machine. Designed with touring in mind. Powerful, precise, comfortable and well equipped. One up or two. No one will miss you arriving.

Engine

The Rocket III Touring shares the same engine platform as the Rocket III. Its increased torque at low speeds means that even two-up and fully laden it will accelerate effortlessly for easy overtaking. The engine management system uses sensors to determine the correct fuelling and ignition and tailors the torque curve for each gear ratio. As a result the Rocket III Touring responds quickly, cleanly and strongly at any speed, in any gear.

Seat

The seat has the generous proportion of being 18” wide. The three layer construction with taped seams ensures that water is kept out!

Hard Panniers

The colour-matched, hard panniers come as standard and are lockable using the ignition key. They are quick to detach via two quarter-turn fasteners. They have been designed to be free-standing, are fully sealed and water resistant.

Footboards

Teardrop shaped, chromed aluminium castings with removable wear plates, spring mounted with an anti rattle pivot and rubber down stops.

Screen

A quick release screen comes as standard with great care paid to the details: The polished stainless steel mechanism and unique spring-loaded mounting bobbins lock the screen solidly in place, while lower air deflectors work with the main ‘blade’ of the screen to deflect turbulence

Review

VALUE
The good news is it doesn't cost any more now with ABS. At $25,9990 it beats the American opposition (Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail $29,995 and Victory Cross Roads $26,990) and compares favourably with some of the Japanese "metric" cruisers. There is extra value in the fact that the windscreen is quickly detachable as this makes it more of an all-seasons proposition.

TECHNOLOGY
The Rocket has the largest engine of any production motorcycle in the world, bigger than most medium-sized family cars. It's 2.3-litre, three-cylinder heart has the lustiest beat of any bike on the road.
Don't be discouraged by peak power of 80kW which is down from 104kW in the Classic as it is tuned for a fat midrange of 209Nm from just 2000rpm. The transmission is via a faultless and smooth five-speed gearbox and shaft drive.

SAFETY
Have I mentioned it now comes with ABS? Not that the contact patch on the big front and rear wheel tyres lack for grip, but with the low centre of gravity, there is a lot more stopping power in the rear brake than on most bikes, so it can be easy to lock up the rear wheel, especially in the wet. However, ABS takes car of that. On a weekend two-up ride through country with some damp sections, I never felt the ABS come into play, but it was comforting for my nervous pillion to know that it was there if needed.

DESIGN
The Touring model turns heads wherever it goes. It looks like the Classic model with a windscreen and panniers, but the only parts they share are the rear light, mirrors, brakes and the engine. Even the seat is different, with two separate layers of cushioning of different densities and a gel pad in the pillion seat. These are among the 59 accessories designed exclusively for the Touring variant, including back rests, mufflers, heated grips and chrome parts.

It comes with hard panniers and a look-over windscreen, but you can replace these with after-market options. The top-loading and lockable 36-litre standard hard luggage compartment is neat and streamlined. However it is a bit narrow, so it won't fit much gear. Both the luggage and windshield have a quick-release system that is easy to remove and fit.

Riding position is good for long stints with your legs splayed around a fat tank and feet on wide footboards with an adjustable heel-toe gear shifter. However, I found the straight-out reach to the wide bars a little fatiguing.

RIDING
Not that I should refer to my wife as a load, but most of this test was spent two-up and the big triple didn't seem to notice the extra load. Gearing is tall and torque is huge so you don't need to rush through the gears nor do you find yourself in fifth looking for one more cog.

My wife commented that the gel seat is comfortable, but the seat sash is useless as a grab handle. Instead, she held on to me, which is nice, but not ideal. She would also opt the optional sissy bar for back support.

Handling is actually improved a little by the extra weight over the rear wheel as it prevents that bouncing feeling over big bumps. It could do with a little more rebound damping in the rear springs.

Small, high-frequency bumps are handled well and the bike never bottomed out over the big hits, even two-up. A pillion also helps the steering, making the front a little lighter and more nimble for counter-steering into corners. The narrow rear tyre also assists agile turn-in. Lean angle is good with the peg scraping only when your are pushing hard or hitting a mid-corner bump with a pillion on board.

VERDICT
It's called the Touring and invites two-up riding over long distances. The only limiting factors are the narrow panniers and the 22.3-litre tank which has range of about 300km when fully loaded.

Review: Cars Guide