2010 Triumph Rocket Roadster

2010 Triumph Rocket Roadster First impressions from the street... If you spend any length of time out of the country, you realize that most foreigners have some funny ideas about Americans. Jibes about fat asses, gas-guzzling cars and our various foreign policy moves end up like water off a duck's back eventually, but it's always amusing for your average American abroad.

They do get it right sometimes though. Like the Triumph designer who decided that since Americans "like everything bigger," we should be given the biggest cruiser possible. And so the Rocket III was born. A downright crazy piece of engineering, it had a 2,294cc three-cylinder engine that made 140 HP, and had enough torque to tow a Winnebago. But there was more to it than the engine: the chassis was pretty competent with USD forks, sportbike brakes and handling that would put even the sportiest H-D in a ditch. The whole thing was much more of a hoot than it had any right to be.

But sadly for Triumph, the Rocket wasn't quite the sales success it hoped - especially here in the States. Triumph shifted a respectable number of course, but it seemed that the sheer gargantuan nature of the bike put off many US cruiser owners. To make up for it, Triumph introduced the 1,600cc Thunderbird to better suit the more conservative yearnings of the US cruiser market.

Which is a good thing, because it means the Rocket has been turned into more of a musclebike/roadster than a cruiser. And that's exactly what the 2010 Rocket Roadster is. The changes seem simple: a more upright riding position and a new exhaust system increasing power to 146 HP. Torque is also boosted (like it needed it).

And that's mostly it. On the road, the new riding position does make sporty riding easier: you feel more in control, less like a laid-back passenger. The engine is simply monstrous and gives ejector-seat shove at all times, in all gears, at all revs. That's in spite of the huge 807-pound curb weight. Handling is as good as ever, ground clearance is reasonable, and even on twisty canyon roads you'll have a ball on the Roadster, especially if smoking the rear tire is your thing.