2024 Triumph Rocket 3 Storm Is Here, Still Has the World's Largest Production Bike Engine

From the get-go Triumph made no secret about the bike's capabilities. It called it Rocket because it was supposed to be blistering fast, and used the 3 in the name to reference the number of cylinders in the engine. But it somehow omitted to put in th name perhaps the most important trait of the motorcycle: the size of its engine.

That mattered little in the end for customers, who have been flocking to buy the insane piece of engineering for the past few decades – a total of 18,000 bikes have been purchased since the new engine was introduced five years ago alone, as per the company's records.

And Triumph gladly answered, offering until this week a number of six variants of the model, including in the Special Editions category and as a member of the Chrome Collection.

The main Rocket 3 lineup however has been reduced to just two models this week (previous special versions are still available), when Triumph released into the world the 2024 variant of the motorcycle. It also changed its name a bit, as the ride will, from now on, be known as the Rocket 3 Storm, with two variants, the R and GT.

So, what changed for the roadsters this year, aside from the obvious name alteration? According to Triumph, we are to expect "more performance, better handling and a dark, moody colour scheme."

We'll start with what hasn't changed, and the list opens, obviously, with the bike's engine. The relatively new aluminum frame that makes up the skeleton of the ride still holds in its embrace the massive 2,458cc engine, but its power levels have been beefed up a bit.

In both new storm models the powerplant now develops 15 horsepower more than before, bringing the new levels to 180 hp, which are achieved at 7,000 rpm. As a result of the power increase torque levels went up a bit as well, with the 4 extra Nm bringing the total to 225 Nm, arriving at just 4,000 rpm.

The wheels on the motorcycle remain the same as before, sized 16 inches front and 17 inches rear. They now come with a new design, featuring a ten-spoke cast aluminum layout that contributes to bringing the weight of the machines down - the R tips the scales at 317 kg (699 pounds) while the GT does the same at 320 kg (705 pounds).

The two bikes are equipped with Showa suspension gear in the form of a fully adjustable monoshock at the rear and a 47 mm fork at the front. Brembo hardware is on deck to supply braking power.

The two new Rockets retain all the safety and rider assistance attributes of their predecessors. That includes lean-angle sensitive ABS, traction and cruise control, and even a hill hold function.

There are four riding modes for each motorcycle (road, rain, sport, and a custom one) that modify throttle map and traction control settings depending on needs.

From a design standpoint, Triumph decided to go with the flow and follow what the success of recent Rocket editions has made clear people want: blacked-out components. As a result, that's what the Storms will bring.

For the R version Triumph is throwing onto the market three color choices, namely Carnival Red with Sapphire Black, Satin Pacific Blue with Matt Sapphire Black and Sapphire Black with Granite. The GT comes in the same colors, but in its case the split of the 18-liter fuel (4.7 gallons) tank is reversed. LED lights all around complete the impact of the two motorcycles on the passerby.

All of the above points to the two motorcycles being largely the same. There are differences, though, that may make one more suitable than the other for people in the market for a Rocket.

The GT model sets itself apart from the R through a more upright riding position, achieved thanks to a 125 mm difference in grip height. It uses a touring rider seat with an adjustable pillion backrest that sits lower than the rider and pillion seat used in the R (750 mm vs. 773 mm).

Last but not least the GT comes with forward foot controls instead of the mid-foot controls installed on the R.

Triumph has already listed the two new Rocket models on its configurator, meaning they can both already be ordered. For the Rocket 3 Storm R Triumph is charging $24,995, while the Rocket 3 Storm GT is a tad more expensive, coming in at $25,795.