Triumph Rocket III review, test ride

The Rocket III's clutch is not overly heavy, although its reach is not well suited for smaller hands. Even after we set it to the closest reach setting, it still proved to be a strain for a small hand to stretch to. Pull in the clutch, slot Rocket III into gear at the right rpm, and you will hear a loud clunk, as the driveshaft-powered bike transfers power to the rear wheel. Don’t get that wrong, for this 5-speed manual gearbox is refined enough to make you believe that it belonged to a completely different class of motorcycle. Let the lever go, and it engages slightly higher up the clutch action. There is so much torque even at engine speeds of close to idle, that the Rocket III creeps forward even on slight gradients. While powering the motor in the lower gears, you will need to exercise some caution; feeding the engine any extra fuel can cause uncalled for wheelspin and will send the rear wheel stepping out, despite the power being electronically restricted in the first three gears. Control your throttle inputs well though, and the acceleration that the Rocket III rewards you with is tremendous. So long as you’re riding in a straight line, all you have to do is hold on.

Under flat out acceleration, the power delivery feels like it tapers off towards the middle on the rev range. However, if you push the engine further, there’s still some more in waiting, and the Rocket III goes ballistic, pulling strongly till the tachometer needle runs into its redline. Most surprisingly, even at those engine speeds, vibrations stay minimal, and the level of engine refinement will leave you wide-eyed.

The riding position on the Rocket III is well balanced out. Handlebars sit well within reach of the rider, and your legs do not feel overly stretched out, allowing you to sit up straight. The broad handlebars are non-intrusive while turning the motorcycle, however the large turning radius can be quite a problem on such a heavy bike as the Rocket III. To make a U-turn and negotiate through heavy traffic could take some practice, especially on narrow roads. Navigating in fast paced traffic on a highway is not a problem though, and the Rocket III is quite manageable on that front. Ride quality is decent, because the Kayaba USD forks on the front and Kayaba spring twin shock absorbers on the back are spot on, and allow minimum unevenness from the road to filter up to you. The frame and the suspension work quite well together to keep the motorcycle stable while negotiating corners.