Top Gear - Triumph Rocket R review: does a crazy 2,500cc bike work?

[Phenix3939]

Here's a pretty funny and accurate review of our bike from the boys at Top Gear.

Triumph Rocket R review: does a crazy 2,500cc bike work? Reviews 2023 | Top Gear

What in the name of suck, squeeze, bang, blow is that?Behold the Triumph Rocket R. And that’s not some namby-pamby marketing name, either. It’s actually incredibly relevant. Namely, because this two-wheeled whopper currently holds the 0-60mph production bike record, completing the sprint in just...

www.topgear.com

Bet bit:

What’s it like to ride?
Intimidating at first, mainly because there’s so much of it. The fuel tank is the size of a Barbadian twerking champion, the engine is hot and heavy and the wheelbase long. Being such a heffer, low-speed manoeuvring is a chore. And scary. Because if you’re anything but Popeye, if you drop this thing you’ll need a small army of helpers to help you get it back up. Which is even more people to point and laugh at you for dropping it in the first place.

I don't think I'll be able to get that image out of my head when hopping on board!

 

[maurice]

Faster, faster, FASTER! If I could only make it FASTER!
I disagree with a couple of points. Hard to slow manuver? Coming from a vrx 1800 this is easy.
Bad gas mileage? Checked twice, 1st 45 mpg. 2nd 47, mostly hwy but hitting it hard several times each. 90 mph a good amt. Sounds great to me.

 

[Daytonastar]

Why are they all so obsessed with picking it up if it falls over? What kind of fatheads do they think ride these things. (More or less guaranteed myself I drop it next time out, but hey ho.)

 

[aquilla]

They know they would.

 

[ChicagoRocket]

terrible review...small gas tank? massive engine heat? lol. This is why random guys on youtube have put these places out of business. Years and sometimes decades of terrible reviews! It's almost like they are given talking points and never even rode the bike.

 

[Phenix3939]

Rose-colored glasses this morning. The guy mentions two flaws and you hang on that?

Actually, those points are valid. The tank size is decent but for a cruiser most of the competition have at least a gallon more. Plus if your testing a bike you're more likely to run through a tank pretty quickly having fun with the performance. As for heat, it's definitely a hot bike when stopped. It's a massive lump of a motor! The heat was the first thing I noticed comparing it to my other bike. You may not experience it as much being on a GT with your forward controls but it's there.

 

[maurice]

I have a gt and rode with 105degees, with shorts no problem. Warm but not horrible. With jeans non issue.

 

[bootworks]

Seems odd to select the biggest, baddest motorcycle in production and then criticize its size and the fire which propels it.

It was intended to be an unapologetic exclamation point. This is not 'Taiho', it's 'LeBron James'.

Let us praise the engineering which brought its weight down to 640 lbs dry from its previous iteration and the thermal management which rendered a 2,500cc motorcycle even rideable. The world is awash in 250cc-300cc motorcycles, and some are a hoot. But there is only one King-Kong Rocket. It is a remarkable achievement regardless of what the petty detractors may say.

 

[Dr.D]

If you come from the old Rocket this is easy to maneuver at slow speeds. I find the heat minimal. I can get 150 miles to a tank and that is not great for a cruiser but acceptable.

The bottom line is this is a fun machine with gobs of looks and styling. I have passed the 8000 mile mark on mine so I’d say I know a bit about the bike.

 

[Daytonastar]

The heat thing is really if you get stuck in traffic, which is why most of the US correspondents don’t see it as an issue. I rode it on a really hot day here and was ok until I arrived back in a London jam. Was so snarled I couldn’t even get through on a bike. It threw off so much heat it transcended hot and became painful. It’s not really a complaint, just an observation. On the tank size, there’s this weird effect. The faster I go, the smaller the tank gets. Very odd.