Triumph Rocket III

Led by Triumph Product Range Manager Ross Clifford and started with a lot of research – especially in the US, where big cruisers were selling well. The main competitors were the Harley-Davidson Ultraglide and the Honda Gold Wing so the initial idea was to develop a 1,600 cc performance cruiser.

And Honda had launched the VTX1800, so Triumph decided to up the ante and go for a displacement of 2,294 cc. The first engine was built in summer 2002 and tested in the autumn.

The Classic version has rider floorboards, different shaped silencers (mufflers) and 'pullback' handlebars. More colour choices were added and the pillion seat was modified to improve comfort.