Triumph’s Rocket hits 20 – and 161mph!

Question: What has over 100,000cc and logged a top speed total of around 5,500mph?
Answer: the biggest gathering of Triumph Rockets ever staged in the UK and a chance for owners to blast their bikes up a two-mile drag strip! Dubbed the ‘Rocket Launch’, the event marked the 20th anniversary of the original 2,294cc Triumph Rocket III in 2004. That bike proved a huge (in every sense) hit, was the world’s largest production motorcycle for over a decade, produced a whopping 142 horsepower and lived on in various guises until 2016 before being succeeded by an all-new, even more powerful and far more sophisticated Rocket 3 in 2019.

To celebrate the shared history owners and afficionados were invited by Triumph to a free-to-enter gathering at Elvington Airfield near York, famed for its two-mile long runway where owners were able to ride their bikes flat-out, meet fellow fans and try out Triumph’s latest demo versions.
Over 50 attended, with 42 owners taking their bikes on the strip on a range of early Classic and Touring models right up to the latest Rocket 3 Storm R and GT. Among them were customised bikes belonging to owners for whom the standard power output still isn’t enough. One, Mickey Thomas from Derby, brought along his turbocharged Rocket 3 GT which he says now puts out a whopping 200 horsepower with 266Nm of torque, with more to come. Al Murray from Grantham meanwhile brought his supercharged Rocket III Touring, modified by TTS of Silverstone and now producing a gob-smacking 280 horsepower!

Highlight of the day went to TV presenter and biking personality Grace Webb taking Mickey’s turbocharged bike down the strip and posting a top speed of 161mph – the fastest of the day.
“I can certainly say that it was a whole-body workout trying to hold on to a Rocket at 161mph” she said of the experience. “I’m hugely grateful to Mickey for trusting me with his bike.”

2004-2009 Triumph Rocket III - Guide price £6,000-£8,000

The first Triumph Rocket was dominated by its all-new 2,294cc triple, produced 142 horsepower, had a whopping 240-section rear tyre, weighed 320kg (dry) and its roadster/hot rod style proved an instant hit, particularly in the American market it was aimed at.

With buyers in the US asking for a more laid-back, cruiser-style version Triumph came up with the Rocket III Classic with a different seat, footboards in place of pegs and pull-back handlebars.

2008-2009 Triumph Rocket III Touring - Guide price £8,000-£1,000

Further US demands for a ‘touring’ version led to this third variant in 2008 with screen, hard panniers plus also a detuned 106 horsepower engine, new swingarm and narrower, smaller wheels.
Find a Triumph Rocket III Touring on Auto Trader

The first major makeover saw revised engine internals and new exhausts resulting increasing torque to 221Nm and power to 146 horsepower. Two models were available, an updated Touring and a new, more aggressive Roadster.

2020 Triumph Rocket 3 R – Guide price £13,000-new

Three years after the original Rocket was killed off due to emissions regulations Triumph released an all-new model, now known as Rocket 3 rather than Rocket III and built around an all-new 2,485cc engine and (all things relative) significantly lighter frame, supported with all the latest electronics and rider aids. The R has a higher seat, mid-set footpegs and narrower bars…
Find a Triumph Rocket 3 on Auto Trader

2020 Triumph Rocket 3 GT – Guide price £14,000-new

…while the GT has a lower seat, feet-forward controls and wider, higher bars for a more relaxed, cruiser feel. Special editions of both since have included the Chrome and 221 editions, the most recent 2024 update to become the Rocket 3 Storm seeing further changes to the engine to comply with the latest Euro5+ emissions regulations and a further increase in power to 182 horsepower along with lighter wheels and various other tweaks.