It's okay as a different version, as long as the standard Rocket stays in the mix. Also, why drop the power? Unless they wanted more fuel mileage, but for that, they should go ahead and comeout with the rumoured 1500 twin..
 
Hope it's better in person

Are you going to like it??

Single headlight and two pipes??:cool:

IMHO -

In reading the article in Motorcycle Cruiser the Triump guy kept talking about responding to the customer, saying the customer wants a single headlamp and the instruments on the tank.

I doubt the customers were asking for that .... Customers are people who already bought the original - the people they are targeting are POTENTIAL customers (aka, the market).

I doubt, very seriously, that changing the original character of the bike will get any significant piece of the harley market. The target should be the jap cruisers ... and focus on what's different (i.e. what's not harley) rather than trying to make it look like all the rest.

I do not like the tank instruments and do not like the single lamp, at all. Dropping the pipes to allow more room for bags is probably a good thing and making big hard bags is a good thing.

I don't know s*** about bike engineering so I don't know if frame changes will make a better bike or not.

I keep seeing that you have to "muscle" the Rocket but I've never experienced that ... a subtle finger light press counter-steers mine just fine. Perhaps the people who have to muscle it don't know how to counter-steer (i.e. don't know how to ride).

It seems that going from 240 to 180 rear tire is pretty extreme, but using a size that is available from multiple manufacturers is a good idea (what happens when Metzler decides to stop the 240?).

It seems the original Rocket is more impressive in person than in photos so I hope the same is true of the tourer.

To me, a better response to "the market" would be to build a version that follows the idea here:
http://www.triumphadonf.com/galeries/displayimage.php?album=topn&cat=-22&pos=13
The actual image numbers seem to change but I'm refering to the green goldwing looking version. Fat passenger seat, big hard bags, full fairing, screen, etc.

I would seriously consider a big tourer like that, if I were looking, but I'd keep the one I have to go out on the occasional harley feeding frenzy.
 
I like it. Wouldn't want the drop in power though. I hope Triumph is able to get a small bit in the huge cruiser market with it.

They said it was the same engine and gearing. 106 hp at 5400 rpm and 150 ft lb of torque.

If 5400 is a cut off, it could be raised with Tuneboy. Otherwise, the exhaust must have more back pressure. Nothing that different mufflers and Tuneboy couldn't fix.
 
IMHO -

I keep seeing that you have to "muscle" the Rocket but I've never experienced that ... a subtle finger light press counter-steers mine just fine. Perhaps the people who have to muscle it don't know how to counter-steer (i.e. don't know how to ride).

Bingo! The Rocket is a very nice handling cruiser, and the most enjoyable motorcycle I have ever ridden through the long sweepers.
 
5400rpm is the revs at which the new motor makes maximum power not the cut off. current R3's make 140 hp at 5750 yet rev to about 6300 before the cutoff. The new Tourer has different cams to produce more torque (presumably because the present model is lacking in this area?) at lower revs which has the effect of making less horsepower too.
 
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