THE BRADLEY REPORT
THE BRADLEY REPORT
Triumph Rocket 3 Storm R and GT
By Ben Purvis
It ' s been 20 years since Triumph launched perhaps the boldest bike ever to wear the badge - the vast 2.3- litre Rocket III cruiser that leapt into the early-2000s cruiser capacity war and annihilated its rivals in terms of size and power . Now in its second generation , the Rocket has just been given a substantial performance increase to become the Rocket 3 Storm . To decipher that name , the ' III ' of the original Rocket switched to ' 3 ' when the second-generation Rocket was
Triumph had previously offered a small run of handmade Rocket 3s , the ' TFC ' ( Triumph Factory Custom ) model from 2019 , with a similar output , but the Storm brings that performance level to mass production . As well as the power increase , peak torque rises fractionally from 221 Nm to 225 Nm with the new tune , but Triumph hasn ' t felt the need to make big changes to the bike ' s chassis , styling or equipment . The 2024 Storm models get a more blacked-out look , with less chrome than before , as well launched in 2019 with a new aluminium chassis and even larger 2.5-litre triple . The new ' Storm ' name is added to all 2024-on versions to denote their power increase , which takes them from 165 hp to 180 hp at 7,000 rpm . Both the sportier ' R ' and touring-biased ' GT ' versions get the Storm treatment , and that new power figure means they now outgun the 177 hp Speed Triple 1200 that was , until now , Triumph ' s most powerful fullproduction bike . Demonstrating one of the benefits of using a relatively low-stressed 2,458 cc triple instead of a highly strung , smaller-capacity motor , Triumph didn ' t need to make any mechanical changes to get the Storm ' s extra 15 hp . All it took was some remapping of the engine electronics , which simultaneously ensured the Storm meets the latest Euro 5 + emissions limits and , remarkably , makes the new version fractionally more economical than the previous Rocket . as new wheels that are claimed to be 1 kg lighter than the previous design , improving handling , but the Showa suspension - 47 mm USD forks and a rear monoshock - is unchanged , as are the dual Brembo M4.30 Stylema four-piston radial front brakes , with an equally large M4.32 caliper at the back . The Rocket 3 is still a heavy machine despite the 2019-on alloy chassis , and the 2024 versions come in at 317 kg for the Storm R model , with lower bars and mid-mounted pegs , and 320 kg for the more luxurious Storm GT with tall bars , heated grips , a screen , forward foot controls and a pillion backrest . Both have high levels of equipment , including cornering ABS and traction control via a six-axis inertial measurement unit , keyless ignition , cruise control and hill hold control , plus all the smartphone connectivity that ' s expected on modern bikes .
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