All-new Triumph Rocket III Spied Testing

The monster cruiser from the British bikemaker looks bigger than ever and is likely to sport a larger engine too

• The new Triumph Rocket III gets a complete makeover in terms of appearance.
• Its engine continues to be a triple-cylinder unit, but is expected to be Euro V-compliant.
• Likely to be unveiled officially at 2019 EICMA.
• India launch expected in early 2020.

The new Triumph Rocket III has been spied undergoing road tests. This is the first time the bike has been spotted on the roads since its pictures were leaked at a Triumph dealer meet in December last year. The spy pictures show a very advanced prototype of the bike, which is a sign that Triumph may launch the new Rocket III this year.

Visually, the new Rocket III looks nothing like the outgoing model. It gets a more modern and muscular styling, which is reminiscent of a certain power cruiser (read Ducati XDiavel). This is in contrast with the previous-gen Rocket III which was a lot more faithful to the traditional cruiser design. But it’s not just the looks where the newer bike is different from the older one.

While Triumph continues to use an inline triple-cylinder engine configuration, the displacement is expected to have been bumped up to 2,500cc. The engine now churns out a massive 182PS of power and 230Nm of torque at a barely believable 3000rpm! All that torque will be sent to the rear wheel via a shaft drive enclosed in a single-sided swingarm. The updated engine is also expected to comply with Euro V emission norms that are set to be enforced from 2020.

Also read: All-new Triumph Speed Twin Unveiled

The underpinnings of the 2019 Rocket III have also undergone major changes. It features a new frame and subframe suspended on fatter USD forks at the front and a linked monoshock at the rear instead of the dual-shock setup on the previous bike. Coupled with the sharper rake angle, these factors should make the new Rocket III more involving to ride. Braking duties are handled by Brembo discs with ABS at both ends. And while the previous leaked image showed the bike with two stubby exhausts, the spy shots show a third one routed on the other side.

Also read: Triumph Plans Series Of Events To Celebrate Return To MotoGP

In terms of features, the new Rocket III gets LED headlamps, bar-end mirrors and a new instrument console, which is similar to the one as seen on the new Scrambler 1200 with an in-built GoPro control. Also expect Triumph to load the bike with a host of electronic aids like traction control, wheelie control, launch control and multiple rider modes. Judging from the pictures, the 2019 Rocket III looks close to being production ready and Triumph could officially unveil the bike at the 2019 EICMA.

Also read: EICMA 2018: Triumph Motorcycles Stall Wrap-Up

We expect Triumph to bring the massive cruiser to India as well. The company had discontinued the previous Rocket III in India after the BSIV emission norms came into effect. As for an exact India launch date, assume an early 2020 timeframe.

Source: Motorcycle