The ginormous Triumph Rocket III's claim to fame is its stonking 2,294cc three-cylinder engine. But thanks to tweaks by Carpenter Racing, the plus-sized cruiser now enjoys a land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Carpenter's performance kit pushes the mill from a claimed 146 hp to a whopping 240 hp, and additional tweaks to the 807 lb (!) donor bike helped it achieve an average speed of 174.276 mph while piloted by racer Jason DiSalvo, enough to claim a record in the Modified (normally aspirated) Fuel Class for up to 3,000cc displacement.
The record won't be official until it's ratified by the FIM in November, but suffice to say it's a solid endorsement for the folks who also sent a Rocket III through the quarter mile traps in a scant 8.99 seconds.
Rocket, indeed...
Source: rideatriumph.com
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Photo © Triumph
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not up on the technology that rolls in to Bonneville (love to see it), but let’s check a couple pertinent facts
- 2250CC
- “Fuel” What does that mean? Is that not pump gas?
- Tweaked
- 174 MPH …BIG F….. DEAL!
GSXR1000, S1000RR, R1, 1198, 1199, 1000RR, RSV4…those bikes, box stock, with turn signals and licence plates intact, will do that all day.
Granted they don’t weigh 800lbs, but that speaks volumes too..
Like I said…not up on LSR technology, but this just isn’t that impressive.
Yawn…
Well said Pete, I was thinking the same thing. There are so many bikes that can do this right out of the box.
And…! WSS 600′s are pulling 175MPH on race track straights, much less the Salt Flats. Fo that matter DiSalvos DSB 675 Triumph probably wasn’t that far off 174MPH.
…
Call me a spoiler, but I prefer swooping curves on a mountain road at 50 mph.
True, most sportbikes will spank these numbers… but an 800 lb cruiser moving that fast is noteworthy. Plus, an 8.99 quarter second time? Kinda ridiculous.
Basem
So many comments from people who don’t know what running on salt is all about , this is not asphalt….
If production sport bikes can do this “all day”. Then why don’t they have the record?
If production sport bikes can do this “all day”. Then why don’t they have the record?
Very simply? Because it’s no big deal.
174MPH is probably the slowest of the litre bikes … they don’t need a car motor to get there either.
It’s only a record for a half ton tank.
For an 800lb bike, this is impressive. Pete, since you dont understand what it truly take to go that fast and the flats, dont comment until you are educated. My valkyrie at 820 lbs ran 8.98 @151 mph. But it wont do over 155mph max. The amount of hp it takes to push a brick like the rocket 3 across something as unstable as salt is a feat that shouldnt be taken lightly. I am impressed, sice, i am INFORMED and EDUCATED as to the amount of work that goes into something like this. Some day, id like to get a goldwing to run 200 mph but not sure that will happen with some sort of boost. Naturally aspirated is definitely impressive.
Thanks very much ‘blown’… so glad to read you’re INFORMED & EDUCATED.
I’ll comment when and if I choose…
I couldn’t help but notice that it says the “average” speed was 174 mph. What was the high speed?
@pete, you can keep commenting but, seriously, you sound like a 15 year old who thinks that a busa is the baddest bike ever made. You kept comparing sport bikes to cruisers. Different class. The zx14 holds the world land speed record in its class. As does the cbr1000rr in the litre bike class. They are under 500 lbs. It is obvious you just havent a clue. But i tell you what, any day you feel froggy, bring your sport.bike down to englishtown or the delmarva pennisula and i will humble your inline with my 820 lb valkyrie. I can back up my mouth. And i will tell you since you havent a clue as to what is possible and what isnt, i have an old bandit 1200 that might possibly be the fastest( in terms meaning top end) stock wheel base sport tourer on delmarva. So, bring it on. Ill give you the schooling you need to make informed comments.
1 – I’m not comparing sport bikes to cruisers…pointless. I am very well aware of the diffences…odds are a good deal more aware than you are.
2 – That barge with a 2.2L car motor scraped it’s way up to 174mph. My comment stands – Big F…in deal!!
3 – I don’t care if your Valkyrie will out run John Force
4 – I wouldn’t be caught dead on a ‘Busa.
5 – I’ve been schooled by much faster than you.
Pete;
Your comments have put you in a hole. Stop asking for a bigger shovel: Please!
The motor in the Triumph was specially developed for that bike, it is not out of a car!!!
I’ve never been schooled on my 07 gsxr 1000 on the street. Corners staights. Wheelies. But this beast kicked my ass on a dyno drag in 05. torque!
And if you’ve ever road a fast cruiser not built to cut through wind, it’s all you can do to hang on at 130+. Muscle warroir…ect. give this bad ass yank its 15 min of fame.