There are some motorcycles that, through their looks and their noise, command the attention of passersby and fellow road users alike, and Triumph’s Bobber and Rocket 3 are two such examples. These are quintessential modern classics: beautifully designed with nods to cruisers and vintage bikes, and engineered with features that make them much easier to ride than those old-school styles. 

On paper, neither the Bobber nor Rocket are city bikes – both hefty with large-capacity engines and, thanks to their length and cruiser-style frames, have wide turning circles. In practice, though, it’s a different story, as Brummell discovered over a week in London this summer. 

Fitted with the marque’s ever-popular Bonneville twin engine, the Bobber has the reliability and power output that long-time Triumph riders have come to expect, but it also has a character that harks back to the days of real bobbers, when a certain riding skill and a bit of hard work were required to really get the best of them. True to the originals, this bike is built for revving hard and riding hard, which is most noticeable on faster roads. There are few of these in the city, so Brummell escaped to the greenery of Epping Forest in Essex to blast up the straights and take on some rural cornering.

The Bobber is inspired by an era of “chopped” and customised motorcycles that could’ve vibrated your boots off, so expect to feel the buzz and the bumps of the road more so than on any of Triumph’s other models. In Brummell’s opinion, all of this only adds to the charm of the bike and makes for a genuinely fun ride out in the sticks. 

Inner-city riding, meanwhile, feels easy because of the low weight distribution and high torque, which is great for getting out of trouble. And while you might struggle to do a U-turn in one on some of Shoreditch’s narrowest streets, the ground clearance is enough that you won’t have to worry too much about scraping the pegs on a corner. 

Another great thing about the Bobber is its innovative floating seat – perhaps overlooked by some for the bike’s overall looks. With just a few adjustments, this leather-topped aluminium seat can move forwards and backwards and angle differently. And for shorter riders, like this 5’1” Brummell writer, those small tweaks can make a huge difference to ride quality.

And what of the Rocket 3 – the largest-capacity motorcycle on the market? 

Admittedly, Brummell was a touch apprehensive, particularly because we were scheduled to take it along on the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride – a 500-strong group ride-out through central London that, with an average pace of 20mph, is a test of both a biker’s skills and a motorcycle’s capacity for overheating. What a nice surprise, then, to discover that the Rocket 3 R model is an incredibly agile bike. Five minutes on this machine will have you looking past the numbers, like that 2,500cc engine, and going into a fast corner with full confidence thanks to the lean-sensitive traction control and beautifully regulated power delivery.

At 291kg, it’s certainly not the lightest motorcycle, but the cast aluminium frame of this 2020 edition has taken the weight down by 40kg versus earlier iterations. And once you get moving, it’s barely noticeable, which is where that inner-city riding comes in. There is no shortage of other Rockets taking part in the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, and owners attest to Brummell’s verdict that this bike is much more versatile than it gets credit for. 

Like the Bobber, the Rocket 3 has a real presence, and its cool design gets a lot of attention – even during the morning commute, when most are laser-focused on getting to their destination, there are compliments aplenty for these bikes. And we’re not even embarrassed to say that it made the journey that much sweeter. 

triumphmotorcycles.co.uk