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Triumph’s offi cial verbiage for their new Rocket Roadster goes like this: ‘The world’s ultimate

motorcycle roadster moves out of pure cruiser territory and transcends into that of the ultimate muscle streetfi ghter with the new Rocket III Roadster.’

It was a Roadster before it was a Roadster?…I’m confused, but only by the hyperbole, not by the bike.

I ‘got’ the bike after fi ve minutes riding it. This is the best Rocket Hinckley has produced so far.

It’s like the Ed and his new-found appreciation for the Daytona 675. A few modifi cations for 2010 have enhanced his appreciation of the machine. I was already a fan, but same with me and the R3.

You wouldn’t think that so much could be changed by a tweak to the engine, the footpeg position and the rear shocks, but the big beastie

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ROAD WARRIORFirst came the custom cruiser, then the full-dress tourer. Now Triumph completes the three-card Rocket III hand with the aptly named Roadster.is a noticeably different ride to its predecessors.

The engine has been tweaked to the tune of power output up 4.4 kWs (six hp) and the already generous torque is bumped a further 21 Newton metres (16 ft lbs).

THE DADDY!

This is THE Daddy if you like top gear roll on. There is no other standard motorcycle that feels as ‘strong’ as the Roadster.

It’s generally not worth revving the engine to anywhere near red line, because that is well past the maximum torque zone, and where it is just a thing of great beauty.

It gives an inkling of what a high

performance electric motor must be like, with instant, enormous torque.

The Roadster also has improved cornering clearance via its mid control and it corners very nicely (for the size of the machine).

It hasn’t got as much leg room as the other variants but the peg position means you can use pretty much all of the huge rear tyre. The ergos are better suited to chucking it around.

When it’s going it’s all very predictable. There’s a lot of it, but it all behaves like it should.

I really like the look of it too. It has that Speed Triple-like menace about it and much of the engine has been blacked out, which enhances the chromed exhausts and other

WORDS & PICS: Big Dave

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embellishments.

The large, 3-2 exhaust system is also an improvement over previous models. In appearance and note. The song it sings on board now is unique and quite pleasant. You can kinda’ hear how big it really is down there now.

I did several day rides that included cruising around the city and environs as well as a 200km sporty jaunt around the Northern Waikato.

Every time I came away thinking ‘what an absolutely fantastic motorcycle.’

I rode from Rangiriri to SH22 and up that way home on one outing and only scraped the pegs once. I wasn’t hammering it, but wasn’t mucking about either. The ground clearance is still that of a very large, wide bike. It needs some body English to get the best from it, but it’s quite real-worldly in the twisties.

FIRST RATE

Engine, gearbox, drive are all fi rst rate. Power development is smooth, strong and the defi nition of ‘grunt.’ Twist the throttle at 100km/h – 2,200rpm – and it just surges on the 221Nm of torque.

As you’d expect with a 2,300cc engine, fuel economy isn’t its strong

point, and you’ll need to be a bit cashed up to keep it in rear tyres, but WOW, what a ride!

Back in the days before Facebook and Twitter we used to get our gossip from email lists and digests. I remember that when the fi rst rumours of the Rocket III began to surface in my in-box it was going to be a road warrior, like the Roadster is now. But Triumph said that by turning the original into a Cruiser they would limit the potential for riders to come to grief on it – and they governed the machine in fi rst and second gears.

THE MARCH OF TECHNOLOGY

I guess the technology has come a long way since those days. Seven model years later ABS is now standard and the ‘tightness’ of the whole package has improved signifi cantly since I was doing clandestine laps to the airport late at night to get the Press bikes shaken down for their national release in 2003.

Now it’s a large ‘standard’ motorcycle.

I found it was a real pleasure to ride in the glorious conditions in the early North Island autumn.

I appreciated a large motorcycle that suits a big bloke which isn’t a feet-

More power and torque plus mid-ship placement of footpegs and foot controls gives big-bore fans a Rocket III which slots half-way between original custom-style cruiser and later full-dress tourer models.

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SPECIFICATIONSTRIUMPH ROCKET III ROADSTERENGINEType: Liquid-cooled DOHC 12-valve in-line 3-cylinder 4-strokeDisplacement: 2294ccCompression ratio: 8.7:1Bore x stroke: 101.6 x 94.3mmMaximum Power: 109 kW (146bhp) @ 5750rpmMaximum Torque: 221Nm (163 ft.lbs) @ 2750 rpmStarting system: ElectricEngine management system: CDIFuel system: Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injectionClutch: Wet multiplateTransmission: 5-speed constant meshFinal drive: Shaft

FRAMEType: Tubular steel twin spineSwingarm: Steel shaft driveFront suspension: USD-type 43mm Kayaba telescopic forksRear suspension: Twin Kayaba coil-over shock absorbers w 5-position preload dampingBrakes: Nissin ABS-equipped twin 320mm fl oating rotor discs w/Nissin 4-piston calipers front & single 315mm rotor disc w/ Brembo 2-piston fl oating caliper rearWheels: Cast aluminium alloy 5-spokeTyres: 150/80 R17 front & 240/50 R 16 rear

DIMENSIONSWheelbase: 1695mmRake: 32°Trail: 148mmLxWxH: 250 x 970 x 1165mmSeat height: 750mmWet weight: 367kgFuel tank capacity: 24LRRP: $25,990Test bike: Triumph NZ LtdMore information: www.triumph.co.uk/

newzealand

forward affair. It has all the benefi ts that an upright riding position offers when punting the bike along in typical NZ conditions.

It cruises beautifully yet won’t be found lacking in any company on the open road.

It’s not a particularly hard bike to manage once mobile, but I really think it’s a machine for a steady and experienced hand. For instance, you do have to watch how fast the corners come at you, as it gets between them so quickly and without apparent effort or the need to change gears.

I found it an altogether delightful torque-fi lled ride.

It’s stable, quite predictable and well mannered – for a 367kg unit. The gel seat is comfortable and I had no trouble doing all-day rides with no saddle soreness evident.

It turned a lot heads and has the sort of presence you’d expect from the world’s largest production motorcycle.

At $26,500 + orc (including ABS) the Roadster is some WOW! Machine. KR

Unique in-line three-cylinder engine remains the biggest two-wheeler powerplant in (volume) production. Bike has found a ready market here in New Zealand and new Roadster model broadens the appeal, providing a similar platform to that of the late, lamented, limited edition Honda Valkyrie.