The Triumph Rocket’s a pretty special machine. Although it’s technically a cruiser, there’s actually nothing else quite like it on the market. That’s why we’re always pretty excited when we hear that there’s a new one (or two) on the way from the British factory.
They’ve had a slight rename for 2024, and they are now called the Rocket Storm. But other than that, things are largely familiar, with a pair of models to choose from each suited to different types of riding and rider. There’s the sportier, more stripped-back £23,195 R and the loaded £23,895 touring-oriented GT.
They’re not all-new machines, but Triumph’s made a handful of meaningful changes to the outgoing models, making them more powerful and more agile. Sounds good to us.
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The big news is the revised 2458cc triple cylinder motor, which meets Euro5+ emissions regulations yet manages to kick out even more power and torque. It’ll now kick out 180bhp at 7000rpm, too (which is a whopping 15bhp increase on the old model). There’s also been a less substantial, but still appreciated, 2.9lb-ft torque increase, which means there’s now a whopping 166lb-ft to play with.
Elsewhere, there’re new 10-spoke cast aluminium rims (17-inch up front and 16-inch at the rear) which Triumph reckons will help make the Rocket Storm more agile. Well, as agile as the 300kg lump can ever truly be…
There are some key differences between the two models, with the GT’s handlebars a substantial 125mm more upright than the R; the footpegs much more relaxed (with three horizontal adjustments across 50mm); and its seat height 23mm lower (at 750mm). In contrast, the R get more upright, mid-mounted pegs (and just two settings with 15mm of vertical adjustment between them).
Other than that, they’re very, very similar – with the same aluminium frame, the same 18-litre fuel tank, the same fully adjustable Showa monoshock and 47mm USD forks, and the same four-piston radially-mounted Brembo Stylema calipers grabbing a pair of 320mm discs up front and a single 300mm disc at the rear. There’re plenty of electronic goodies, too, with lean-sensitive cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control, a ride-by-wire throttle, and four riding modes.
Sounds like a winner to us. Here’s hoping we can get our hands on one for a spin soon.
