Motorcycle specifications Triumph2500 Rocket III R Evel Knievel Limited Edition 2025 In stuntwoman's outfit

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two words with contradictory meanings. The dictionary gives as an example of an oxymoron: "a gentle violence" ... that's the thought that came to my mind when I saw that Triumph was associating its biggest motorcycle model with the name of Evel Knievel, the historic figure of very long-distance motorcycle jumps ... jumps that he would, no doubt, never have been able to perform behind the handlebars of a heavyweight like the Rocket 3!

However, Triumph has chosen this model to unveil a special series that pays tribute to the flying tightrope walker. In fact, it's not one but two new Rocket 3 motorcycles, each limited to 250 units worldwide.

Why Evel Knievel?

The name of this stuntman must evoke something in your motorcycling ears, just like Agostini or Rossi. In the 60s and 70s, this rider loved to fly his motorcycles in jumps that are still described today as trompe-la-mort. Some of the jumps were more than 45 meters long, over buses or the fountains of a famous Las Vegas hotel. On this last jump, he fell hard on landing and spent a month in hospital in a coma.

Of course, we'd advise you not to repeat these "feats", and they'd be impossible to achieve on a Rocket ... though? Evel Knievel, though an American, couldn't find any motorcycles among American manufacturers capable of keeping up with his exploits. So he turned to Triumph and the Bonneville T120, which he promoted on TV shows, helping to raise the British brand's profile in America.

It's this connection that Triumph celebrates today. These special series can be identified by their distinctive livery. The motorcycles feature fuel tanks combining chrome and a paint scheme based on Evel Knievel's costume. These include Knievel's stars and stripes in the colors of the American flag. The rest of the bodywork follows suit, and a leather saddle with the Evel Knievel logo embroidered in gold pays homage to the driver. The windshields are treated to a matte sapphire-black finish to give the beasts a villainous look, and to match the all-black front end, from the wheels to the fork covers and headlamp caps.

The homage continues right through to the start-up screen, where a special animation comes to life before starting the engine. Evel's signature and serial number are laser-engraved on the upper fork crown.

Two rooms, two atmospheres

Whether you opt for the R or the GT, don't be fooled into thinking that it's all about kif-kif. Each Rocket has its own personality, with the R taking on the role of power cruiser in bobber sauce, and the GT leaning a little more towards the custom tourer. The position of the rider and handlebars on the Rocket R takes you a little further forward, while the GT offers a slightly more rearward-leaning position, with a 125 mm difference in the more upright handlebar position. Each model also has its own seat. The Rocket 3 R features a roadster-style rider and passenger seat with a saddle height of 773 mm, while the Rocket 3 GT Evel Knievel Limited Edition offers thicker padding and a matching leather passenger backrest. The GT's seat height, however, is reduced to 750 mm.

Feet forward, feet back!

No, that's not a verse from a famous song, and there's no need to start waddling. We're talking about driving position here. The R has controls in the middle of the foot, with two 15 mm vertical adjustments, while the GT is equipped with forward foot controls, with three horizontal positions offering 50 mm of adjustment, for cruising with legs stretched out on the long ribbon of black asphalt.

Both models feature a color TFT screen with a five-way backlit joystick for menu navigation. The inclination of the screen can be adjusted to optimize its angle, so that readability can be adapted to the altitude of the user's forehead. A USB charging socket is located in a dedicated compartment under the seat.

The world's largest production motorcycle engine

While the bike's size and weight would probably not have seduced the stuntman, the engine of these Rocket 3s remains a moment that every biker must experience in his or her life.

The enOOOOOOrme 3-cylinder 2500 cm3 engine develops a whopping 225 Nm of torque and 182 hp! An engine that tears up the asphalt on start-up, catapults the crew with force, and if repeatedly abused, is enough to smoke a clutch! The distinctive triple-outlet exhaust creates a unique soundtrack.

Around this mechanical masterpiece, the chassis is solid. We start with the Showa fork, 47 mm in diameter, with adjustable rebound and compression damping. At the rear is a Showa shock absorber with piggy-back reservoir, fully adjustable for preload, rebound and compression. Given the weight of this mechanical thunderbolt, ad hoc braking is a must. Brembo Stylema radial calipers bite into two 320 mm discs at the front. The rear echoes the front, with a large 300 mm disc pinched by a Brembo M4.32 four-piston radial monoblock rear caliper. The Rocket 3 R and GT Evel Knievel limited editions retain all the features of the cornering-optimized ABS.

Both models feature four driving modes: road, rain, sport and driver-configurable, which adjust throttle mapping and traction control settings. Electronic cruise control is also fitted as standard, as is hill-start assist, in case the 300kg-plus crew in running order makes you want to back off ..

Do I need a cape?

The story doesn't say whether you'll need to wear a cape, as Evel Knievel was so fond of donning before taking to the skies with his machine. What we do know is that you'll have to shell out a few hefty euros to ride one of the two versions from March 2025. The new Rocket 3 R Evel Knievel Limited Edition will start at €28,995.

As an added treat, each owner will also receive an exclusive collector's edition book recounting the history of Evel Knievel and his Triumphs, individually numbered to match the bike.

Vincent Beaucousin - Manufacturer's photos