R1 be damned - howabout an R3

**SPman** · 24th April 2004, 19:24

Triumphs Rocket 3 will be out in June. The UK total has been sold out for this year with big interest world wide.
Triumphs Peter Clifford:-
"Compared with the Rocket III, the current crop of power cruisers aren't even close to the same league--it's not even the same sport," Clifford says. Clifford says that in direct acceleration comparisons, nothing can beat the Rocket III from 0–60 mph. The company claims its 0–60-mph time is quicker than even the Suzuki Hayabusa, to say nothing of king-speed cruisers such as the Honda VTX and the Harley-Davidson V-Rod.

"Acceleration is awesome," Clifford says. "The weight distribution and geometry make fast launches a piece of cake, making it one of the fastest bikes to 100 mph we've ever tested. My first ride on a prototype had no speedo, just a tach with markings indicating speed in top gear. At first I thought it wasn't that quick, until I realized I was traveling 135 mph and it was still pulling hard in top gear!"

More surprising, Clifford says, is how easy it is to ride the Rocket III. The bike's ergonomics were benchmarked against the company's own Bonneville America to insure that the radical styling did not compromise real-world ridability; Clifford actually calls the bike "agile." Both the seat height and center of gravity of the Rocket III are actually lower than that of Honda's Valkyrie, Triumph claims. And the bike drips with character, Clifford says, "A few weeks back we ran an open-piped version, which was just an aural overdose--imagine the sound and feel of two and a half open-piped Speed Triples!"

**6Chris6** · 24th April 2004, 20:25

Not my cup of tea, but hell it does look sexy and would certainly turn a few heads.
Very nice design.

**wkid_one** · 25th April 2004, 09:15

If I were going to buy a cruiser - that would be it

**Motu** · 25th April 2004, 10:08

Heh Heh,could be a few sports bike owners doing free left turns at the lights I think.Imagine the embarrasment of being shut down by one of those things!

**Milky** · 25th April 2004, 12:55

Alternatively, think of the cost of a rear tyre for one of them... it would be phenomenal

But i guess... each to their own

**madandy** · 25th April 2004, 17:54

good grief

**Hitcher** · 25th April 2004, 18:13

It looks good but I think that Kawasaki has got the lines of its new VN2000 pretty spot on...

**merv** · 25th April 2004, 18:20

Its an along the frame motor isn't it and at that size how are they keeping the torque reaction under control? Wouldn't want to blip the throttle and end up lying on your side.

**wari** · 25th April 2004, 19:23

Its all abit too much for me ...

I like things plain and simple ... much like me eh

**Motu** · 25th April 2004, 19:59

Originally Posted by merv

Its an along the frame motor isn't it and at that size how are they keeping the torque reaction under control? Wouldn't want to blip the throttle and end up lying on your side.

It has a counter rotating CD player.

**SPman** · 25th April 2004, 22:09

Originally Posted by Motu

It has a counter rotating CD player.

Probably! Touring Version.

**pete376403** · 26th April 2004, 12:52

Wait tilll that guy Allan Millyard http://www.classicmechanics.com/bissue/2003-10.htm gets hold of one and makes a 4.6 litre V6. Now THAT could be interesting

**What?** · 26th April 2004, 12:57

The R3 is the sort of thing that grows on you. I find it growing uglier and uglier.

**jrandom** · 26th April 2004, 14:37

Originally Posted by merv

Its an along the frame motor isn't it and at that size how are they keeping the torque reaction under control? Wouldn't want to blip the throttle and end up lying on your side.

Shaftie, too.

More like blip the throttle and end up with the back half of the bike pointing 90 degrees away from the front half.