Triumph Rocket 3 Storm R and GT
By Ben Purvis
It's been 20 years since Triumph launched perhaps the boldest bike ever to wear the badge - the vast 2.3-litre Rocket III cruiser that leapt into the early-2000s cruiser capacity war and annihilated its rivals in terms of size and power.
Now in its second generation, the Rocket has just been given a substantial performance increase to become the Rocket 3 Storm.
To decipher that name, the 'III' of the original Rocket switched to '3' when the second-generation Rocket was launched in 2019 with a new aluminium chassis and even larger 2.5-litre triple. The new 'Storm' name is added to all 2024-on versions to denote their power increase, which takes them from 165 hp to 180 hp at 7,000 rpm. Both the sportier 'R' and touring-biased 'GT' versions get the Storm treatment, and that new power figure means they now outgun the 177 hp Speed Triple 1200 that was, until now, Triumph's most powerful full-production bike.
Demonstrating one of the benefits of using a relatively low-stressed 2,458 cc triple instead of a highly strung, smaller-capacity motor, Triumph didn't need to make any mechanical changes to get the Storm's extra 15 hp. All it took was some remapping of the engine electronics, which simultaneously ensured the Storm meets the latest Euro 5+ emissions limits and, remarkably, makes the new version fractionally more economical than the previous Rocket.
Triumph had previously offered a small run of handmade Rocket 3s, the 'TFC' (Triumph Factory Custom) model from 2019, with a similar output, but the Storm brings that performance level to mass production.
As well as the power increase, peak torque rises fractionally from 221 Nm to 225 Nm with the new tune, but Triumph hasn't felt the need to make big changes to the bike's chassis, styling or equipment. The 2024 Storm models get a more blacked-out look, with less chrome than before, as well as new wheels that are claimed to be 1 kg lighter than the previous design, improving handling, but the Showa suspension - 47 mm USD forks and a rear monoshock - is unchanged, as are the dual Brembo M4.30 Stylema four-piston radial front brakes, with an equally large M4.32 caliper at the back.
The Rocket 3 is still a heavy machine despite the 2019-on alloy chassis, and the 2024 versions come in at 317 kg for the Storm R model, with lower bars and mid-mounted pegs, and 320 kg for the more luxurious Storm GT with tall bars, heated grips, a screen, forward foot controls and a pillion backrest. Both have high levels of equipment, including cornering ABS and traction control via a six-axis inertial measurement unit, keyless ignition, cruise control and hill hold control, plus all the smartphone connectivity that's expected on modern bikes.
