The British love to find humor in playing with the line between social norms and absurdity. The Triumph Rocket III Roadster is very British in this regard. This bike is huge. This bike is heavy. This bike has a crazy 2.3L triple coffee can sized engine. This bike is a Hawker Typhoon on two wheels. Everything else on the bike is also huge. The extra wide bars, the extra wide levers… It’s just an awesomely large bike.
At the same time… The bike is dang good looking. It’s not out of proportion in any part. It’s that tall dark and handsome thing. Muscular, not fat. Rugged, not girly. It has a good sound too. It’s a mellow, low rumble and not that loud burbling of certain American twins. Because this bike doesn’t need to be overly and artificially loud. It has nothing to prove to anyone. It’s a fact that it’s the biggest production motorcycle engine in the world. 
Riding this thing for the first time, a certain specific song popped into my head. Sitting on the bike, I felt just like what that song is like. The upside, is that this thing was super smooth and strong in the brake department. The bike is very stable. But that engine… MAN! This engine is right out of a Hot Rod. It feels like a hot rod, it shifts like a hot rod… and when you get on the gas… it’s a total hot rod. And that’s the whole point of the Rocket III. It is a two wheeled Hot Rod and it makes no apologies for that.
A lot of guys look at the Rocket III, grin at it, and wish. Because it’s just awesome… Some shake their heads. It’s not for everyone. Hot Rods are not for everyone. The Rocket is not for the timid. It’s a ride apart… And that’s what makes this bike so great.
Could I own a Rocket III? Yes. Yes I could. It couldn’t be my One and Only bike… but yeah, I could have a Rocket. See, I’m glad that we have gonzo bikes like this, just because they are excessive to the point they border on being absurd. This is why we have Dodge Power Wagon trucks, and Animal Style Burgers at In and Out, and music by AC/DC. Because we can. And I respect that.
That bike kinda reminds me of the Yamaha V-MAX, absurd power but with style. Personally I’d love to find a V-MAX as it’s something that I could ride without being in a lot of pain because of poor rider position.
The VMax might be a bit more comfortable. This one – you are spread kinda wide – might not be the best for you.
Where do I find yak butter?
Excellent video – thanks for posting that one. ( grin ) Back in the day, the Rocket III used to be a BSA and the Triumph version was called the Trident. I had one of them – a 1976 model in black. It was the closest thing to a Vincent I could own at the time and enjoyed it immensely. Today’s version is a radical departure from the original ( and a better machine I expect ). The only true “hot rod” bike I ever owned was a Kawasaki H2 750 . I think it was the distilled essence of hooliganism on wheels. Great fun.
The first street bike I rode(at 16) was my fathers Kawasaki H1, the 500cc baby brother of the H2. MY GOD that thing was scary. The engine was incredible once it reached its powerband but the chassis/brakes/tires were not near the task of taming it. I don’t think I’d ever be crazy enough to ride the H2. There’s a reason all of the magazines at the time dubbed it “The Widow Maker”.
I do miss the sound of 2 stroke street bikes though. If I could find an original RZ350, or a “grey market” RZ500, I’d be seriously tempted to pick one up.
No opinion on bikes, but now I’ve spent the last inning of the World Series watching A GUY ONA BUFFFFALOOOOOOO.
Hilarious.
many bikes but never a Rocket…
rode my pappy’s vmax a few but never really enjoyed it.
all muscle but little control. bareback on a bull down the streets of Madrid.
also a VTX1800 once: a monstrosity, like some love child of sochiro honda and… International Harvester.
and the rocket most likely dwarfs that bike. hmmm…
The Rocket has control. That’s what makes it great. Agree about the VMax. I’ve not cared for it after I tried it.
The Rocket – As big as it is… I could have one.
Send the Rocket to Carpenter Racing in NJ. Get the full 265+ HP treatment:
http://carpenterracing.com/sbp_TRIII.htm
…when only an 8 second bike will do.