MEET the Triumph Rocket Touring. It’s big, bold and unashamed, and it’s an almighty shot across the bow at the lucrative American cruiser market.

Aimed squarely at the likes of Harley’s Road King and the Kawasaki VN2000, Triumph is out to show you can’t beat a bit of British pedigree. And with the Rocket Touring, you can’t help but feel the Bulldog spirit is alive and kicking.

The original Rocket III is renowned for its brutal performance and tricky handling, but in Touring form it’s a completely different motorcycle. Initial thoughts that Triumph might consider just slapping on a screen and some panniers proved unfounded. The Hinckley firm has played a much smarter game than that, taking all the good bits (like the vast 2.3 litre engine) and weaving in changes that go more than just skin deep for a more user-friendly, yet equally compelling ride.

So let’s start with the looks. It’s remarkably 1950s with endless chrome and sweeping fenders. The twin headlights have been replaced with a single bucket-sized unit, and the clocks have moved from bar-mounted to tank-mounted - just where the Americans like them. Wheelbase and trail have been increased to make the bike more stable and the frame is narrower at the rear end to accommodate a pair of quick release 36-litre panniers. The exhausts have changed from three-into-three to three-into-two for neatness, and instead of footpegs the Touring is kitted out with footboards the size of park benches for rider and pillion alike.

Initial disappointment at the replacement of the Rocket III’s 240 section rear tyre with a distinctly sensible 180/70R16 was assuaged before I‘d even reached Temple Meads. Two sharp right handers at the bottom of the road that leads from Fowlers showed that the Touring actually had respectable handling - a compliment that could never be levelled at the Rocket III. In fact, with its low centre of gravity and impressive amounts of lock on the bars, turning on a sixpence is the Touring’s party piece. And it’s comfy beyond belief. On the move the screen really does send the worst of the windblast way over you, allowing you to cover the miles effortlessly.

But let’s get to the heart of the matter, the vast 2.3 litre, three-cylinder lump that powers the Rocket Touring along. Again, the emphasis is on user-friendliness while retaining the phenomenal physical strength needed to shift 362kg of machinery. As speed is never likely to be the most important element of a cruiser, some of the top end power has been taken away to be replaced with additional torque. The Rocket Touring will still bounce off the electronic limiter at 115mph, still feeling strong, but the manner in which it picks up speed is awesome. Despite being twice the size of most motorcycles, it boasts a caravan-pulling 154 ft lb of torque at a lowly 2,000 rpm, and this, in layman’s terms, means thunderous acceleration.

Of course more importantly, what it also means is that riding the Touring is a breeze. It will pick up from virtually no revs in any gear with no fuss. It surges forward effortlessly, the triple offering none of the torque lash so often associated with the big V-twin motors that usually power this type of bike. Sitting at 50mph in top gear feels like bobbing along on a yacht - it’s complete unhurried tranquillity. And that’s how a cruiser should be.

Obviously its sheer girth means it’s not a practical bike for day-to-day use. I certainly couldn’t recommend commuting on the Touring and clearly you’d raise more than a few eyebrows at the track. It’s also expensive, coming in at just shy of £13,000. But where it excels is in its grin factor. As a high days and holidays machine there can be few finer. The Rocket might in fact be even more amusing in its Touring guise because no one, but no one, expects quite such a flourish from a cruiser, and yet with a whole brochure of accessories to choose from you could take this bike all around the world in ultimate comfort.

Article written: May 13, 2008

The Rocket Touring was kindly loaned by Fowlers of Bath Road, Bristol

OUR STEER ON THE ROCKET TOURING

Price: £12,799 (@ May 2008)

Engine: 2294cc, inline triple

Power: 106 bhp @ 5,400 rpm

Torque: 154 lb ft @ 2,000 rpm

Transmission: five-speed, shaft drive

Weight: 362 kg

Top speed: 115 mph (limited)

Fuel capacity: 22.3 litres

Seat height: 736 mm

by Jon Bennett