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Back in December 2018, a leaked image of an official Triumph design sketch revealed Triumph’s plans of reviving the Rocket III. Now, images of the motorcycle on test have surfaced online. These images reveal a lot about the upcoming bike and confirm last month's news. While the current model is still available in North America, the British bike manufacturer was forced to discontinue the motorcycle in Europe due to Euro 4 regulations.
The new images confirm that the Rocket III is going to get massive styling changes, with many contemporary design elements. While the bike continues to use its iconic twin round headlights, they don’t pop out as much as those on the older model. Above these lights sits a clear and adjustable windscreen as opposed to the body-coloured flyscreen seen in the leaked sketch.
The body work on the Rocket is a lot more contemporary this time around; for example, the tank and front fender looking like they have been taken off a sport-naked bike. The bike has completely dropped its classic American cruiser styling. The rear end is significantly different as well – it is now raked upwards and ends before the tyre does somewhat like that of the Rocket’s rival, the Ducati Diavel.
Triumph also appears to have switched to a monoshock and single-sided swing arm set-up on the new motorcycle; both these features are also seen on the Diavel. Going by this, it’s fair to expect a whole new chassis set-up, hopefully one that will be significantly lighter than the 367kg Rocket III previously sold in India. Not only does the fork on the new bike look more beefy but is also more steely-raked, so one can expect sharper handling. We also expect to see a revised riding posture, thanks to the wider handlebar and repositioned foot pegs.
Interestingly, the bike also appears to share a few components with other Triumph models. The Brembo M50 callipers brakes and the digital instrument cluster appear identical to the ones found the Scrambler 1200, which we recently rode. The bar-ends mirrors, meanwhile, look similar to the ones on the Street Triple RS. We expect the new Rocket to share its switchgear and electronic feature list with other new Triumph offerings too. One can expect the bike to have adjustable traction control, engine modes and more.
Reportedly, the Rocket is set to get a reworked three-cylinder engine. The new model is expected to go from a 2,300cc to a 2,500cc motorcycle. Along with this, the motorcycle will also get a reworked exhaust system that will enable it to meet upcoming emission regulations. If rumours are to be believed, the new bike will make around 180hp – 32hp up from the 148hp figure on the model still on sale in the US.
Back in 2014, the Triumph Rocket III cost a little over Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), so expect the new model to be priced slightly higher. Whether Triumph will bring it in as a CKD or a CBU remains to be seen.
Stay tuned to Autocar India for more updates!
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