A near-production model of the upcoming 2020 Triumph Rocket III has been spotted while undergoing test runs near the British brand's headquarters in Hinckley, UK. Until now, Triumph was supposed to unveil a special edition Triumph Factory Custom Rocket III, but the latest spy shot of a Triumph test rider leaves no doubt that a standard production model is also in the works. The 2020 Triumph Rocket III will be powered by an updated, longitudinally mounted three-cylinder engine with a bigger displacement (2500 cc) engine, compared to the 2300 cc engine of the now-discontinued Rocket III. The new engine will not only boast of being the largest production motorcycle engine, but it's expected to be even more powerful, putting out around 180 bhp of power and a massive 230 Nm of torque.
The 2019 Triumph Rocket III TFC will be unveiled on May 1
The bike in the latest spy shot also sports a pillion seat, unlike the TFC model, and this is what leads us to believe that this is indeed the production-model of the new Rocket III. The rest of the bike looks similar to the TFC variant, but the front suspension and brakes look a little different, suggesting that the production model will sport slightly lower-spec cycle parts than the TFC variant. The new 2020 Triumph Rocket III is also expected to get the second-generation, full-colour TFT display Triumph first unveiled on the Scrambler 1200, which has built-in GoPro controls as well as smartphone connectivity with turn-by-turn navigation.
The limited edition TFC Rocket III will be unveiled on May 1, and only 750 bikes will be offered on sale. The massive 2500 cc engine will have a lot of pulling power and we expect Triumph to introduce a completely new suite of modern electronics which will likely include lean sensitive traction control, cornering ABS, different riding modes, and a standard quickshifter. Other features will include heated grips, full-LED lighting and standard cruise control. The 2020 Rocket III sports a new chassis, and a single-sided swingarm which will house the shaft final drive. The standard production model is expected to be unveiled around November, possibly at the EICMA 2019 show in Milan. Expect an India launch by the first quarter of 2020.
