The 2023 Triumph Rocket 3 R felt
right at home on
the mean streets of
downtown Los Angeles. (Photos by Kevin Wing)

The first thing you need to know about the Triumph Rocket 3 R is that its inline-Triple displaces 2,458cc (150ci), making it the largest motorcycle production engine by far. Nothing else even comes close. 

The Rocket 3 R?s cylinders are like a hippopotamus? teeth: It doesn?t have many, but the ones it does have are impressive. They have a bore of 4.33 inches ? wider than the cylinders in a 707-hp Dodge Hellcat ? and a stroke of 3.4 inches. Each one displaces 819.3cc, exceeding the engine capacity of Triumph?s Street Triple 765 sportbike.

Related: 2024 Triumph Street Triple 765 Range | First Look Review
Claimed output at the crank is 165 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque. You can buy a sportbike tuned to make more horsepower, but no production motorcycle churns out as much grunt. Again, nothing else comes close.

Take a deep breath and just soak it all in. Beauty and the beast, indeed.

The second thing you need to know is that, despite having such an enormous engine, the Rocket 3 R is not an overweight, bloated machine. With a claimed dry weight of 641 lb and an estimated curb weight approaching 700 lb, it?s as light or lighter than many cruisers and open-class sport-tourers.

Even taking its engine size and output into account, the Rocket 3 R remains a rare breed: a muscle cruiser that handles well and has sportbike-caliber components and electr...