How fast is a Triumph Rocket 3? BikeSocial Members find out

“Wotsit do Mister?” It’s a question as old as motorcycling, and behind the schoolboy enquiry is a truth that, whether we admit it or not, powers all who get on a powered two-wheeler and press the start button. Don’t we all, secretly, want to find out – how fast does it go, really?

As the reddening sun dips toward a defocussed tree-lined horizon, shimmering in autumnal heat haze like a ripe tomato in a Dolmio advert, the last Triumph Rocket 3 of the day launches itself away from Elvington’s start line. It rips down the 1.8-mile tarmac in a blaze of frantic gearshifts, leathered rider clinging on like a Dainese limpet, tripping the timing beam a mile later with meaty pistons bouncing off the rev limiter at an indicated... well, we don’t want to give the game away just yet.

How Fast Is A Triumph Rocket 3?

Forty BikeSocial Members and Rocket 3 owners Run Wot They Brung to find out how fast it goes

Welcome to BikeSocial’s Triumph Rocket Launch where, to celebrate 20 years of the Hinckley bad boy being one of the most awesome bikes you can buy, we’ve hired Elvington’s near two-mile former RAF runway and invited existing Rocket 3 owners and any BikeSocial Member who fancies trying one to come and have a go wringing out the world’s largest production motorcycle engine. No charge, it’s on us. I’m sorry, why aren’t you a BikeSocial Member yet, and when would you like your head examined?

We’re running the day in conjunction with the Triumph factory, who’ve brought along three new Rocket 3s – the Storm R and Storm GT models – for BikeSocial Members to try out; plus, of course, a healthy selection of existing Rocket 3 owners keen to see what their bike can do, unleashed from the constraints of pesky speed limits. Timing services across the mile-and-a-bit are provided by Trevor, boss of Straightliners (the UK’s leading drag racing, straight line and sprint organisers), and his crew of trusty timekeepers.

First order of the day is Trevor’s rider briefing, peppered as ever with a healthy dose of banter, but laying out the law of the land. Riders are given a number, they ride to the start line at the top of the runway, then they’re given the go to complete their run, breaking a timing beam at the mile and then again at a mile and a quarter – then they have a generous braking distance before returning to the holding area to wait for their next run, and where they can check out their speed on a printout. It’s not hard – and it’s so not hard, no-one gets it wrong all day. Which is slightly disappointing because it’s always fun when they do.

Among the first out of the traps are Gavin Watnuff on a new Rocket 3 Storm R, followed by brothers Graham and David Gatenby; Graham on a new Rocket 3 Storm R and David piloting a new Rocket 3 Storm GT, both in one-piece leathers. Gavin’s top speed of the day is 138.781mph at the mile, with Graham posting a best of 138.688mph, 0.595mph ahead of David.

It's quickly apparent the Rockets bang into their rev limiters in very short order – it’s what happens when the 2458cc triple is laying down some 166 lb.ft of torque at 4000rpm and is geared to use it. Anyone else wish we’d been measuring quarter-mile launch times? Maybe next year!

But it’s not all new Rockets – among the Rockets owners is an interesting pair of Rockets modified to go a bit faster.

Alan Murray’s supercharged Rocket 3 Touring

Al’s Rocket 3 Touring got its supercharger upgrade when Triumph released the Mk2 Rocket with a 2.5 litre engine in 2019. “I realised I no longer had the largest production motorcycle engine in the world,” says Al. “And I thought, I’ve got to do something now. And I didn’t quite like the look of the new breed – so I thought I know, I’ll get a Stage 2 supercharger on there and that’ll give it a bit more oomph.”

How much more oomph has it given it?

“It now runs 280bhp at the back wheel. When I took it into TTS, who fitted the supercharger, it was only putting out 80bhp at the back wheel! It should’ve been about 110bhp because the Touring was detuned.”

So it’s now 200bhp more than it was! How’s it go up the runway?

“It was doing 142 at the half mile, and 138 at the mile – I’d backed off a bit because I had a bit of a tankslapper, which got everybody in a flap. My instinct was to back off the throttle, but it didn’t like that so I rolled it back on and it stopped getting worse. So I increased it again gently and I powered through it.”

Al ran into few other problems too – on one run his flip-up screen visor came loose and started battering him round the head. He thought about popping the Touring’s massive screen off – being handlebar-mounted, it probably wasn’t helping stability much, and maybe not improving aerodynamics that much either. But the idea of clinging onto the Rocket with no screen at over 140mph didn’t appeal to Al. And who can blame him?

Mickey Thomas’ turbocharged Rocket 3

Mickey’s Mk2 Rocket isn’t shy about coming forward. Just in case the Rocket 3 isn’t distinctive enough in standard trim, not only has he fitted a turbo, he’s painted it bright yellow as well. “Triumph released a limited-edition Moto 2 Street Triple and I loved the colour so I copied it directly off that,” he says. “And the turbo was the idea of my mate Jim, who’s been persuading me for about a year to put one on it. Eventually I gave in and thought yeah, why not? So I took the exhaust off it, left a big chasm there where the catalyst was. So the turbo fit neatly in. Standard power of one of these is around 165bhp, this one is doing 200 at the back wheel – I’m on the limit of what my fuel injectors can supply, and it’s standard engine internals so it’s plenty safe and reliable – but still quite a bit more than standard!”
Mickey has a few runs up the runway through the day, and progresses from a 155mph to a final top speed of 157.540mph. But although his Rocket is the fastest of the day, he isn’t the fastest one on it...

Grace’s Amazing Machine!

“Wotsit do Mister?” might be a question as old as motorcycling, but it’s the wrong question. “Wotsit do Missus?” is the correct one. Top speed of the day is set by Grace Webb, clocking 161.588mph riding Mickey’s turbo Rocket. She has several advantages over the fellas at Elvington: she’s half the weight of most of them, presents way less aerodynamic drag, she’s half their age too, and can fold up on the bike to stay out of the wind blast.

“The standard Rocket 3 is great – I particularly love the R version because I get along with the pegs being a bit further back,” she says. “That’s the one I enjoyed riding the most of the standard bikes here – for me, being a little bit shorter, I find it more difficult reaching the gear lever because I have to move my leg forward, so the R suits me better.”

But they aren’t the only Rocket 3s you’ve ridden today?

“Yeah, he very kindly let me have a go his turbo Rocket – as I pulled up to the line to set off for the mile, I thought to myself, how have I ended up here? But Mickey’s done a brilliant job with the bike – it’s well painted, got a quickshifter on it and it’s really nice to ride.”

And it’s quite quick, too?

“Very quick. I managed to clock 161mph and I’d like to point out it’s the fastest time of the day!” she laughs. “But seriously, I felt very honoured that he trusted me with his pride and joy, because you know a lot of work has gone into the bike – it’s really beautiful.”

Grace also captures the feelings of everyone at Elvington: “It’s been such a good day – the weather’s come out for us, there’ve been so many smiling faces, and there’s been a range of speeds across the mile but everyone’s come back and said, that’s the fastest I’ve ever been! I’m buzzing! So even for me, my arms were shaking.

“The Rocket Launch event is such a good idea – because where else would you get this facility – a strip of tarmac to go as fast – or as slow! – as you want. It’s been a brilliant event – it’s just exhilarating, going fast in a straight line!”

And Grace has perfectly summed up point of the Rocket Launch Day at Elvington – lovely day, grab your bike, pop along to Elvington and see how fast it goes – for free, if you’re a BikeSocial Member. Goes without saying, we’re going to back here next year – and next time, we’re thinking of opening the event up to everyone, whatever bike you’re on! Watch this space – better yet, become a BikeSocial Member and we’ll keep you updated of future events by email.