The amazing Triumph Rocket III has been called a "Streetfighter on steroids" - and that sums it up nicely. It is a genuinely awesome machine in so many ways. The 2300cc 3 cylinder engine delivers awe-inspiring raw power to the massive rear tire - the largest tire on any production bike - 240mm.

This is a true rider's bike - a masterpiece of design and engineering - and to fully appreciate this beast you have to take it for a ride.

The Triumph Rocket III is manufactured by the British company Hinckley Triumph. It is most famous for the fact that is has the largest engine of any mass-produced bike in the world. What does this mean? Well, for one thing it means that the bike is quite heavy at about 704 pounds. In fact, it weighs about as much as 2 regular motorbikes. But in spite of the weight, the Rocket is often described as a well-balanced motorcycle that has surprisingly good steering and handling at all speeds.

Though the bike wasn’t offered until 2004, it had been in development for quite some time. In fact, the Rocket was one of Triumph’s longest running projects at just over six years. As we mentioned, the motorcycle was built by a British company, but it was specifically developed for the North American market. The reason for this was simple: the company had seen evidence of the fact that big bikes (cruisers) were selling well in America and they wanted to get in on the act.

Their main competition throughout the process was the legendary America brand, Harley-Davidson, which is known for large bikes. For this reason, the company was uncharacteristically secretive about the new model. In fact, there were no advanced promotions, reviews or screenings of the Rocket III.

The covert project would take another two years before it even yielded a prototype, but when road tests began, it was clear that the company had something special on their hands. The first test demonstrated that the aptly named Rocket could accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 2.8 seconds! That kind of speed is unheard of for large cruisers and it is even quicker than most sports bikes. The Rocket also comfortably achieved a top speed of 140 MPH, which was a record for a bike with an engine larger than 2000 cc.

But all this time we have been referring to the bike as the Rocket, as if that were its given name. The fact is that the bike was simply referred to as a prototype until after the road tests when it was clear that the engineers had designed a new breed of cruiser that they officially christened “the Rocket.”

The bike was finally offered for sale in the UK, and the initial sales and reviews were nothing short of astonishing. In the first year of sale, 2004, the bike was awarded the prestigious title of “Machine of the Year” by Motorcycle News. The model sold well in the UK and later in Australia.

Over the next two years, the bike would be awarded more titles and trophies than we can rightly list here. The sales were also quite impressive, as the model was made available for sale in North America in the spring of 2005. Later models have offered slight updates and compelling new features that have driven strong sales into the new decade.

Watch how the Triumph Rocket III motorcycle is actually built and tested

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