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5 reasons why the Triumph Rocket 3 is the ultimate power cruiser

It's probably more powerful than your car.

Earl Lee Earl Lee on Jul 08, 2021
Triumph Rocket 3

There are cruisers, and then there is the Triumph Rocket 3 which redefines what it means to be called a power cruiser. Mixed in with the Brit brand’s sensible styling, the Rocket appears to be very reasonable as long as you’re not looking at what it’s packing under the seat. 

That being said, the bike itself is far from reasonable. It’s an ultimate for many riders, and here are 5 reasons why it is a power cruiser that’s absolutely bonkers. 

Rear tires wider than a normal car

Triumph Rocket 3 Rear Quarter

Even sports cars don’t get rubber wider than this. The Rocket’s rear tire specs come in at a massive 240/50 R16, making it one of the hardest bikes to source rubber for unless you want to take a trip to the dark side. Yes, you could fit an expensive rear tire to this, or even a car tire. It’s just that big, and there are few bikes that really come close. Even supersport motorcycles with 200 horsepower come with tire widths of just about 200 mm. 

Oh, and just for context, the front tire is as wide as the rear tires of most 400cc motorcycles. 

Power that trumps cars

Triumph Rocket 3 Engine

If you thought that your car was pretty fast with its turbocharged motor and over 200 Nm of torque, think again. The Triumph Rocket 3 has a massive 2.5-liter inline 3-cylinder engine. Wait, 2.5-liters? To be exact, it has 2,458ccs of displacement. Its compression isn’t particularly high, but its bore measures in at 110.2 mm and a 10:8:1 compression ratio. This results in figures of 167 hp and 221 Nm of torque. For context, the engine will be pulling a fraction of the weight of a car. As a motorcycle, however, the Rocket is still hefty coming in at about 300 kg wet, and 291 kg dry. Still, that’s nothing compared to the weight of a car. 

Goes like its nameplate

Triumph Rocket 3 Riding

Also, we have to mention that all of this power and torque is coming from just three cylinders without the aid of a turbo. Cars like the Honda Civic RS Turbo make about 171 hp and 225 Nm of torque, but it has to lug around about 1,300 kilos of weight. Triumph calls it the Rocket for a reason, right? 

With a 0-100 km/h time of 2.8 seconds, it’s one of the fastest in its class. Riding modes help tame the power so you don’t get into too much trouble. Just think about it, you don’t need to be tucked in and looking like a try-hard. Just simply twist and row through the gears to go as fast as most sportbikes. 

It makes a statement

Triumph Rocket 3 Product Photo

If the size of the engine doesn’t make a statement, then the size of the bike itself will send shockwaves in the parking lot. Its wheelbase comes in at a massive 1,677 mm. It has a width of close to 900mm, and its height is at 1,065 mm. Most normal bikes have a wheelbase of about 1,400mm, while tourers and other cruisers come close. Perhaps the closes rival to the Rocket is the Ducati XDiavel, and even that has a 1,615mm wheelbase, still a few mills short of trumping the Triumph. 

Wild when you want it

Triumph Rocket 3 Product Shot

Ultimately, the ultimate power cruiser is still a cruiser. It’s classy when it needs to be sitting pretty at your garage or your local parking lot, and it’s a sight to see even when standing still. Triumph has keen attention to detail when it comes to their motorcycles. Even the sportier offerings from the brand are built well. Quality and workmanship are part of Triumph’s key selling points, and the Rocket definitely gets a heaping serving of build quality. On top of that, you will appreciate the bike even when you’re not riding. All the surfaces are finished exquisitely and can be appreciated from afar or up close. 

Then when you start its engine and get out on the road, you’ll find that this Bentley of a bike rips like it’s trying to launch you into the stratosphere. 

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