Well I am in no way an expert and I will admit the following information is anecdotal in that I have only ridden a grand total of two Rockets. The first is my 2015 R3T, the second is my recently purchased 2020 GT. But this is as fair of a comparison as is possible from an admitted non expert. I must make clear I absolutely loved my 2015 to which I added Carpenter exhaust, Commander 5 controller and many other non performance enhancing mods. I put 43,000 miles on it.
Performance: No comparison, the GT would absolutely walk away and leave the Touring. Keep in mind I rode the Touring hard, not to brag but I had never been passed in the tight twisties by any other cruiser and have in fact passed many sport bikes in those twisties. But any decent rider on the GT would have left me jaw dropped and humbled. It is that quick and powerful and maneuverable. Along with a buttery smooth transmission the package is awesome. Thats not even including the cornering ABS which is unobtrusive and very user friendly allowing a more aggressive riding style for those who are not quite so normally adventurous.
The sixth gear and cruise control on the GT make freeway riding much more enjoyable in comparison to the Touring. Add to that, due to the lower overall weight, working your way around the suburban shopping mall parking lot with the motor off is so much easier with the GT. It seems 300 lbs lighter in that situation rather than the 88 lbs Triumph claims.
The things I prefer on the Touring are the one, the windshield, the GT does not have one. Well it does have a patch of plastic the could almost fit in your pocket but it hardly provides the protection and comfort of the Touring windshield. Also the seat on the Touring is more comfortable but I must admit any new seat would probably feel awkward compared to what I was used to. Additionally I am one that prefers floorboards over pegs.
One, probably weird side note, I somehow love the sheer mass of the Touring provided compared to the slimmed down version the GT offers. But the increased maneuverability that compactness provides is for sure a plus.
I was ambivalent in the least, and actually fearful about selling the Touring and getting the GT, but a few hundred miles later I am in love with this new product of British engineering. Fit, finish, and aesthetics are also off the charts, everyone is in awe of the machine, well done Triumph.
Anyway my opinions only, but do yourself a favor and ride one of the 2020 rockets. They are a hoot.
Performance: No comparison, the GT would absolutely walk away and leave the Touring. Keep in mind I rode the Touring hard, not to brag but I had never been passed in the tight twisties by any other cruiser and have in fact passed many sport bikes in those twisties. But any decent rider on the GT would have left me jaw dropped and humbled. It is that quick and powerful and maneuverable. Along with a buttery smooth transmission the package is awesome. Thats not even including the cornering ABS which is unobtrusive and very user friendly allowing a more aggressive riding style for those who are not quite so normally adventurous.
The sixth gear and cruise control on the GT make freeway riding much more enjoyable in comparison to the Touring. Add to that, due to the lower overall weight, working your way around the suburban shopping mall parking lot with the motor off is so much easier with the GT. It seems 300 lbs lighter in that situation rather than the 88 lbs Triumph claims.
The things I prefer on the Touring are the one, the windshield, the GT does not have one. Well it does have a patch of plastic the could almost fit in your pocket but it hardly provides the protection and comfort of the Touring windshield. Also the seat on the Touring is more comfortable but I must admit any new seat would probably feel awkward compared to what I was used to. Additionally I am one that prefers floorboards over pegs.
One, probably weird side note, I somehow love the sheer mass of the Touring provided compared to the slimmed down version the GT offers. But the increased maneuverability that compactness provides is for sure a plus.
I was ambivalent in the least, and actually fearful about selling the Touring and getting the GT, but a few hundred miles later I am in love with this new product of British engineering. Fit, finish, and aesthetics are also off the charts, everyone is in awe of the machine, well done Triumph.
Anyway my opinions only, but do yourself a favor and ride one of the 2020 rockets. They are a hoot.