Page 116 - Motoring World (January 2020)

Tiny pod a stark contrast to super-sized Rocket 3 Forward ‘pegs may be relaxed, but that motor... Storage space for belief, sense, modesty, etc

effective flyscreen, and an power of 165 bhp delivered at 4000 rpm — but there’s a vastly
adjustable backrest behind a more 6000 rpm — a serious 14 per cent wider spread of grunt all the way
accommodating passenger seat. hike from the old bike’s 146 bhp. through the rev band, with 95 per
The Rocket 3’s all-new 2458cc More to the point, though, is cent of available torque delivered
Euro 5-compliant motor is actually that the larger-capacity new engine over 60 per cent of the rev band,
a short-stroke design measuring weighs a massive 18 kg less than says Wood. ‘Between 2500 and
110.2 mm x 85.9 mm, versus the the old, smaller one, 11 kg of that 5500 rpm, we have more than
101.6 x 94.3 mm format of the thanks to a new crankcase assembly 20 kgm constantly available,’ he
outgoing 2294cc engine. This allows (Triumph didn’t have the capability states. ‘The new Rocket 3 delivers
Triumph’s R&D team led by the to make its own crankcases for 70 per cent more torque than
firm’s chief engineer, Stuart Wood the Rocket III, but it does now for its closest rival. Our aim was to
(whose favourite ride-to-work bike its new-gen version), with the rest produce an even more effortless
is a 180-bhp Rocket III hotrod he down to a new dry sump lubrication and more refined power unit,
concocted himself at home!) to use system with an integral oil tank, thanks to the extra capacity, and
shorter conrods to reduce the height and new balancer shafts. Plus, while revised internals.’
of the motor. This also allows a peak torque is the same as before at Riding the pair of new bikes for
heady 7000-rpm redline, with peak 22.43 kgm, this is delivered at half a day each along a 200-km

116 MOTORING WORLD | JANUARY 2020