Triumph Rocket 3 Storm R 2026 — Specifications

The atmosphere is heavy… sweat drips down the rear rim… The thunder has been unleashed in three oversized cylinders and the rear end knows it’s going to have to absorb a terrible force. The Rocket III is becoming even more vicious, more powerful, more megalomaniacal, and making sure everyone knows it, now bearing the name Storm.

A very ambiguous noun, which the English brand had already wielded with similar ferocity for a special version of the 1700 Thunderbird in the 2010s. With its large parallel-twin engine and Speed Triple-inspired look, the T-Bird Storm was truly a mean machine. The new dimension of the Rocket III follows the same desire, with a storm in its belly.

Much darker, the large Triumph cruiser exudes even more growl. The entire exhaust line has been blackened, as have the brake caliper supports, the front mudguard, the headlight surround, the fork legs, the controls, the handlebars, the rear frame and the radiator cowls. Only the backrest and fuel cap escaped the night. The Storm receives almost the same surface treatment as the 2021 “Black” series, but with a colored coating on half of the fuel tank. Even so, it’s impossible to quell this feral tension.

This motorcycle is in a category all its own. Its own, in fact. Everything is appreciated in dimensions of another plane. This immense fuel tank, its wide tires like those of the most eloquent show-bikes, this crazed look of falsely wise innocence, this finish. Detailing the Rocket III is always a phantasmagorical moment. Especially this enormous engine, so large that it had to be placed in a longitudinal position. It doesn’t have the swagger of a Wisconsin twin American, but it crushes it with the slightest acceleration. And that’s where the Rocket III Storm truly distinguishes itself. Its power has been increased by 15 horsepower, reaching 182 horses!

It already had plenty of girth, with a torque that devastated everything. That has also been increased, by 4 Nm. Almost 23 mkg come to lend a hand to the 182 hp of this monumental 2458 cm3 engine. But it already knew all its watts. Only in its TFC version. Since then, all other Rocket III models have been limited to 167 hp at 6,000 rpm. Today, the Storm pushes its madness 1000 rpm later. To spit out its handful of extra horsepower, the large engine increases its compression ratio, revises its valves and modifies its camshafts. As a bonus, it passes the enormous Euro5b.

As long as a cruise ship and not particularly light, the Rocket III has always surprised by its much more alert handling than its dimensions would suggest; without being a mid-size roadster either. The Storm aims to improve this a little with new lightweight wheels, one kilo lighter, redesigned, and equipped with Metzeler Cruisetec tires. No more, no less. No chassis modifications are planned for the Storm. Given the look of the hardware, you understand that there’s nothing to touch. The robust aluminum frame firmly holds a 47 mm inverted fork. The suspension components are signed Showa. The tires measure 150 and 240 m wide and the braking is formidable. Given the power of the beast and its weight (317 kg), you really need Brembo Stylema with 4 pistons per caliper to clamp the 320 mm front discs. The rear also doesn’t hold back, with a Brembo caliper and 4 pistons as well, around a large 300 mm disc.

Present on the market for 5 years, the 2500 Rocket IIIs have been equipped from the start with a good package of driving aids. New ones have appeared since, but the Storm doesn’t care. It is very happy with the retained equipment, namely ABS and a traction control system sensitive to angle, a cruise control, a hill-start assist and 4 Riding Modes (Road / Rain / Sport / Rider configurable). The quickshifter is optional, as is the connectivity system, heated grips, luggage, and more than fifty accessories.

The rider is still seated at 773 mm from the ground, with foot controls adjustable in height by 15 mm. While the GT version offers a very custom Softail attitude, our R Storm puts the body in a more vindictive position. So much the better: this isn’t a Trident 660; here, the throttle releases hell. Enough to scare the arms, the eyes, the spine, and the tachometer needle. The latter virtually agitates on a color TFT display. On the side of “pleasure” electronics, the Storm also takes over the solutions of the old Rocket III R, namely keyless ignition, a USB port, all LED lighting and backlit switches.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Rocket III unleashes all its power under the guise of a new designation. A still exceptional, expensive and surprising machine, for sensations of another world.

M.B. - Photos constructeur