Q What’s it like on British roads?

BACKROADS

A bike as wide, as long, as heavy and as low as the Rocket 3 should feel totally out of place on a twisty, rollercoaster B-road. But the Triumph growls along with impressive fluidity, changing direction intuitively, with no shortage of shunt whatever the gear.

The biggest issue is getting carried away, feeling the skrrch of a grinding footpeg early in the turn, and having a momentary panic that your confidence and enjoyment have bitten off more corner speed than the Triumph’s chassis can chew. Thankfully, the brakes are phenomenally powerful and the forks firm enough to stop sharply, so you can’t blame the bike if you didn’t scrub off enough speed in time. Suspension is firm though and the short-travel shock occasionally pings you out of the seat when pushing along undulating roads.

Overall though, ridiculous fun — and so much more capable, natural and engaging than the old Rocket.

MOTORWAYS

Given this is the GT version, the Rocket should devour motorway miles. But try too much cruising speed and the going is harder than you’d hope. The screen doesn’t give a lot of shelter and the feet-forward, wide-barred riding position won’t fit everyone’s idea of comfort. So chill out a bit, set the cruise control to 70 or 75mph and let the motor murmur along at well under 3000rpm. That’s better. Mirrors are crisp, clear and well positioned, if a bit tiny. The seat’s comfy, legs slot snugly into the tank, and while your lid still feels a bit exposed, there’s no turbulence or buffeting. No vibration from the motor reaches the bars either.

Tank range might disappoint dedicated long-distance travellers. Steady cruising sees economy creep north of 50mpg, which, in theory, scrapes 200 miles from the 18-litre tank. But in practice the fuel light comes on much earlier — around

140 miles, leaving more than the stated four-litre reserve in the tank.

TOWNS

A 2.5-litre cruiser is nobody’s first pick for a rush-hour commuter. The Rocket is wide, long and low, none of which lends the confidence or agility to nip through gaps or filter between stationary cars. But the clutch-lever action is relatively light, thanks to a slip/assist clutch, and the gearbox shifts easily. Fuelling is excellent, especially with the calmer Road mode. And you’ll never struggle away from a set of traffic lights…

What frustrates is heat, particularly off the header pipes on the right side. It’s more of a problem on this GT because the feet-forward pegs force your legs to run right alongside the motor.

‘Overall though, it’s ridiculous fun’