impression . And yet , it ’ s a pussy cat down low in the revs with very smooth and excellent manners when a delicate touch is required . It is surprisingly manageable , happy to cruise around town and does tight manoeuvres with relative ease , especially considering its size . Triumph engineers have taken what is a wild and raw machine and worked a subtle ease of use into it . As the gears are clicked through , the motor ’ s punch softens to seamless , unstoppable thrust with plenty of engine inertia from those three huge pistons . Adding to the rotating mass is a solid looking driveshaft and diff that help keep the big Storm rolling on after the throttle is chopped . There is clutch assist that stops the inertia becoming a problem on the down shift where pesky rear wheel lock ups could otherwise have been a pain . Top gear ( sixth ) is reasonably high with our pitiful 100km / h legal cruising speed reached at a little over 2000rpm . 2000rpm ! This bike has seemingly unending torque and truly effortless power on tap - everywhere .
NEWTON ’ S THIRD LAW The British physicist stated that for every
action there is an equal and opposite reaction . To ensure they didn ’ t break one of the fundamental laws of physics , Triumph ’ s engineers knew this hugely powerful engine needed to be spec ’ d with equally hugely powerful brakes . Twin 320mm discs are gripped by Brembo Stylema four-piston , radiallymounted calipers . These are top shelf stoppers , Superbike level , with immense power and great feel . A large 300mm rear disc also with a fourpot caliper offers strong braking performance too ! To keep you upright there ’ s quality ABS that is optimised for learn angle control . However , it is worth noting that physics can ’ t be beaten here , and 300-plus kilos of British metal takes a fair bit of stopping , even with the best brakes on the market .
RIDING ON THE STORM For a heavy and long bike , and it is long at almost 8 feet in old units , the Rocket 3 is nice to ride . Of course , that length mixed with an almost 28-degree steering rake and the huge wide rear tyre means it will never be particularly nimble . However , I live out in the country and the Rocket 3 flowed along our twisty , bumpy ,
60 KIWI RIDER