Church Of MO – 2008 Triumph Rocket III Touring Review
Triumph’s Rocket III is a British interpretation of a classic American mantra: “there’s no replacement for displacement.” It’s huge 2.3 liter inline-Triple was a torque monster and ate up flat roads for breakfast. So for 2008, Triumph decided to civilize the Rocket III a tad by introducing the Rocket III Touring. Fittingly, Triumph chose San Antonio, Texas as the locale to host the international press launch for it, allowing the world’s moto-media to experience the expanse of Texas blacktop. MO’s European Correspondent, Tor Sagen, was at the launch, where he can’t help but compare the Rocket to a Harley big twin. Read his thoughts below and be sure to visit the photo gallery to see more pictures.
2008 Triumph Rocket III Touring Review
Rocket calling Houston; 207Nm about to rip up the tarmac! Not too far from Houston, in San Antonio, Texas we ride in the footsteps of Davy Crockett. Past the Alamo, we head out into the Texas hill country on a 200-mile ride on the all new Triumph Rocket III Touring. The message is clear, don’t mess with the Rocket!
We head into proper cowboy country – Bandera, Texas – and shortly after passing the small town we stop to admire a pair of genuine Texas Long Horns. This is the opportunity I’ve been looking for all day to wear my Stetson cowboy hat that Triumph gave us cowboys as a welcome gift.
The 2008 Triumph Rocket III Touring is an all new model based on the Rocket III launched in 2004. Only the engine, brakes, rear light and the mirrors are the same as on the original power cruiser. And the engine has been detuned for even more torque!
The R3 Touring gets an extra dollop of torque at even earlier revs than before. That translates to 209 Nm at 2,000 rpm. To enable this Triumph sacrificed a lot of horsepower as the Touring is down from 141 bhp to 107 bhp at 5,400 rpm.
The Rocket III Touring has more than enough motor, in other words, even if your girlfriend is a horse. Being a pure touring motorcycle Triumph has added a new clip-on/off windscreen as standard developed with U.S. firm National Cycle. It clips onto a brand new Kayaba 43mm conventional fork and is mounted with spring loaded bobbins to avoid any rattle noises. The twin shocks at the rear are chromed Kayaba items and the overall suspension settings are much softer than the standard Rocket for comfortable touring.
The wheels and tires are also brand new for the Rocket III Touring. The Bridgestone Exedra tires are made especially for big, heavy touring cruisers like the Rocket III. The new 25-spoke 16-inch wheels hold a 150/80-R16 front and a narrow 180/70-R16 rear tire. The standard Rocket III has a massive 240mm rear tire, but on the Touring better handling has been one of the goals and Triumph has achieved this as my ride confirmed. But there is one more reason to the change to a narrower rear tire and mudguard. To fit large 39-liter hard panniers (combined volume) the Triumph engineers needed the extra space a narrower tire would provide.
On our 200-mile ride I got the fuel warning light just after doing 114 miles. You have still got one gallon left in the fuel tank and considering the low revving nature the range is very good. The new and wide touring seat is 4 mm shorter than on the standard Rocket III. This enables even better slow speed confidence and the Rocket III Touring is very easy to ride at walking pace. Turning around at low speed is also much easier despite the fact that the Touring is 92.5 pounds heavier than the Standard Rocket. At a claimed dry-weight of 798 pounds it is still not too heavy in the big Touring Cruiser class. But more important than the dry weight figure is how it feels in the real world to manoeuvre. I found the Rocket III Touring really easy to handle at low speed. The turn in is quicker and easier and with a slight blip on the throttle the engine helps to stabilise everything.
The engine hums effortlessly at very low rpm on the highway. I missed cruise control on endless stretches of Texas highway, doing speeds between 60-70 mph. At these speeds the throttle is heavy and my right hand tired a bit. The throttle is chunky and for the U.S. the Rocket III Touring is begging for cruise control. Triumph told us that both Cruise control and ABS brakes are on its way for the big touring model.
On the right handlebar Triumph added a scroll button for the clock, trip 1 & 2 and fuel range functions. I found this to be very practical and I can’t understand why more manufacturers have not done this. I could see about 110mph on the speedo on a couple of occasions with more to go and the Rocket III Touring was well behaved and stable at high speed.
Both the rider and passenger get huge, comfortable teardrop shaped footboards. So that you don’t ruin the chromed look Triumph added wear plates for inspired riding. And it is easier than you think to get a bit inspired on the new and better handling Rocket III. The heel/toe gear lever is fully adjustable and the gearing is positive if not as refined as on one of the Tokyo cruisers.
The brakes remain the same as on the original 2004 and current models. That means that they are still powerful enough and the Rocket III Touring is one of a few big bruiser cruisers where it feels natural to only use the front brakes from time to time. For really hard braking or emergency the rear must be applied too, though. All the levers are new and chunky for a nice quality feel.
After having a proper cowboy lunch at the Steel Horse we all rode back to San Antonio. When entering the city centre it must have been 90 degrees and during the whole journey I was impressed about how little of the engine heat reached my legs. Heat radiation to the lower legs is a problem with various reputable makers of fine cruisers, but not on the big Triumph.
Conclusion
The 2008 Triumph Rocket III Touring is entering a very conservative, but lucrative market. The Rocket has lost some of its big, fat flare and that suits this market just fine. Triumph has built a classic touring motorcycle with class-leading engine size and torque. On the weaker side the Rocket III Touring would benefit from Cruise control as the throttle is heavy. The finish is still a bit away from a comparable Harley, but the big Triumph rules in the all important torque war and has done so for a while now. The detachable windscreen, good footboards and excellent manoeuvrability are all nice touches that will make the Rocket III Touring a winner.
| Highs: | Sighs: | |
| The engine (torque, torque and torque)Handling from a new chassis and wheelsLess horsepower equals a better price and better value for moneyAcceptable heat radiation to lower legs | Heavy throttle amplifies the need for cruise controlWith conservative styling elements it will not be as recognisable on the road as the original Rocket IIIWhy not add more readable info from the ECU on a Touring bike (such as average fuel consumption, outdoor temperature, average speed etc…)? |
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
More by Troy Siahaan
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had my 2009 rocket 3 touring for over a year now and use it every day. Best thing ive ever owned.
Just coming up on 50k miles on my 2009. I love it as much now as I did when I bought it new. And I still get just as many positive comments everywhere I go.