Free 2 wheel is a monthly publication for the Southern California Motorcyclist. It's distributed free at locations thoughout the Southern California area.
GO YOUR OWN WAY Testing The New Triumph Rocket III
Touring In The Hill Country of Texas Story by Neale Bayly Photos by Riles and Nelson
Purring through Bandera County, Texas, with signs for dude ranches and horse ranches alongside the road, the vast vista slowly rises and falls before me. Out here, in huge country, there is plenty of time to let my mind wander. With the distant horizon almost blurred through my sunglasses the way the world distorts in a heat haze, lone trees and buildings transform into cowboys and wagons rolling west in search of gold. As an Englishman in a foreign land, the highly untypical motorcycle beneath me that is pulling these incredible scenes across the handlebars seems to be the perfect platform on which to explore this wild, rugged American land. All new for 2008, the Triumph Rocket III Touring is not just a warmed-over Rocket III. Starting with its own tubular-steel, twin-spine frame, the new machine also gets a new steel swingarm. The dimensions of the new frame differ from those of the original Rocket some, with a more relaxed rake and trail that give the bike a 67.2-inch wheelbase, compared to the previous 66.7 inches. This slightly lazier set up is not noticeable from the rider’s perch, though, as the Touring comes with much wider bars for increased maneuverability.
From the time of its launch last September to the present, the all-new Raider from Star Motorcycles has been earning high marks from enthusiast magazines conducting road tests and comparisons. Now it has won another important victory by taking the “2008 Metric Cruiser of the Year” award at the 9th Annual V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati, Ohio, in early February. In addition to the glory of beating out a host of competitors to take the win, this makes it three years straight that a Star Motorcycle model has won an award at the V-Twin Expo, coming hard on the heels of the company’s Roadliner wins for “Metric Cruiser of the Year” in both 2006 and 2007. The Annual V-Twin Expo is an industry only event that draws attendees from across the United States and overseas. “We couldn’t be more excited about receiving this award from V-Twin Motorcycles magazine,” said Derek Brooks, Product Planning Manager for Star Motorcycles. “Winning it for our all-new Raider means a great deal to us. Of course, we feel the Raider is a home run with its aluminum frame, 113 cubic-inch (1854 cc) engine, and radical styling. However, it’s always nice to have such a leading publication feel the same way. “It’s easy to make a bike look good, but the Raider handles and rides as good as it looks,” Brooks continued. “This truly reinforces Star’s vision to be a leader in the cruiser market and not follow convention.”
