The Triumph Rocket III Roadster - The Torque Beast
You can't argue with a 2,300cc motorcycle. It is always right, no matter what you think or say. Bigger is better. Try to get a word in, and the Triumph Rocket III Roadster will simply crush you with its mind-blowing torque. Two 224Nm of torque to be precise. Enough to make almost anything else on two wheels look downright weak.Bullying other motorcycles is the Triumph Rocket III Roadster's thing. Its 145 horsepower output is brutal and it carries its 367kg rolling mass with pride, as if it'd relish the chance to stop a MotoGP motorcycle dead in its track simply by getting in the way. That'd be sport for the monstrous Triumph Rocket III Roadster.
You can have a Triumph Rocket III Roadster in any color you like as long as it's shiny black or matt black. There's a bit of chrome, but Triumph has purposely blacked it out to reinforce its meanness, ant the effect works. An older Rocket III rolled up nearby one afternoon, and its silver suspension springs and other less night-like components gave it a much nicer, friendlier look. If the guy who climbed off it hadn't been so big, I might have teased him....
I'm not as tough as the Triumph Rocket III Roadster, but still reckon the Roaster is not the toughest two-wheeler on the street. It's close, but no really. The Triumph's engine is fearsome, for sure, but it is nothing compared with the psychopathic Yamaha Vmax when it comes to sheer power. And therein lies the disappointment. Why wouldn't Triumph pull 201 horsepower out if its 2297cc triple when Yamaha gouged that much from its 1679cc V4 engine?Power is the ultimate corrupting influence between the two titans. The Yamaha Vmax has a mere 166Nm of torque yet is completely mental. The Triumph Rocket III Roadster is far more gentlemanly.
Maybe next time Triumph will release the dogs of war and give us a 2300cc engine that is completely mental. Meanwhile, get over your disappointment and take the Triumph Rocket III Roadster for what it is – a true beast, even if it's not the beast. The disappointment is all relative. After all, this is a motorcycle that'll swallow nine 250cc's and still squeeze in a little scooter for dessert.
