‘It feels so much more evolved and like a normal motorcycle’
This is an enormously impressive bike, and not just because it’s impressively enormous. From outside the Rocket bubble, it can be easy to assume this is little more than superficial, supersized silliness — a one-note joke of a bike that sells simply because its numbers are bigger than everyone else’s. To some extent, that was probably true with the previous Rocket. But this new model feels so much more evolved, so much more sophisticated and so much more advanced than what came before. It feels so much more like a normal motorcycle too, from the way it corners to the way it stops to the way it pleases you just running a cloth over it on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Of course, it’s not for everyone; it was never meant to be. More worryingly though, it seems this GT model doesn’t hit the mark for either of our Rocketowning readers either. Their common complaints are that the pillion space and factory luggage options are both far too small. They have a point. Hopefully an even-more touring-ready Rocket is in the pipeline, else Triumph may struggle to convince the thousands of owners who’re otherwise considering trading up to this newer (and bigger) model.
If you’re a solo rider looking for an endearing, excessive and exclusive plaything with an outrageous turn of speed, the roadster R version is probably more rewarding, thanks to its sportier stance and better ground clearance. But even if that leaves this GT a little lost, there’s no denying that it’s a phenomenal piece of engineering. You can understand why folk may question the purpose of a bike this huge, but the way the Rocket makes you feel before, during and after every ride really is unlike anything else.