Face to face Kawasaki VN 1700 Voyager / Triumph Rocket III Touring: 4,000 cc for the holidays !
Do you like to go far, long and on the couple? But you don’t know (or don’t want to) travel light ? No problem: Site has tested two ships on the road for you: Kawasaki VN 1700 Voyager and Triumph Rocket III Touring … Duel XXL !
Long-term duel: a little taste of America !
Intended above all for the American market and its cult of excessiveness, our two motorcycles of the day have nothing – but really nothing! – the hot roadster or the practical road that European bikers favor. Their imposing silhouettes exude the "cruising attitude" while their monumental displacement unashamedly displays the American card of "always more"….
Between them, the Triumph and the Kawasaki line up no less than 4000 cc … and more than 800 kg all full! And if the 1,700 cc of the Japanese twin are almost common nowadays, the 2,300 cc of the English three-cylinder are unmatched in mass production motorcycles..
Intimidating, the Rocket III Touring is however not only a "simple" emanation of the monstrous English roadster to which one would have simply added a pair of suitcases and a windshield: the motorcycle, unveiled by Triumph in 2008, is almost 100% new.
Of course, it shares its extraordinary mechanics with the Rocket, but the monstrous 3-cylinder has been considerably moderated. If the brakes are also identical, everything else has changed: the frame, the wheels, the instrumentation, the reservoir, etc. All this to respond to the new mission of this Touring: to suggest long escapades into the unknown, driving smoothly but dynamic thanks to the torque … while ensuring the cushy summer trips to the Coast in duo !
Alongside the Rocket III, the Kawa reminds us that just like sports cars, customs have always been in the tradition of the Greens. At the start of 2009, the Japanese manufacturer upgraded its entire range from VN 1600 to 1700 cc. But the big news is this VN 1700 Voyager, which intends to compete directly on the American market (but not only) with a certain Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide … Yes, just that. !
If, like all customs, it respects a certain tradition (mainly in its line and its engine), it is also packed with technology to enhance driving pleasure and safety. The dashboard, particularly rewarding, is complete even if it overlooks some practical information, such as the outside temperature.
We have therefore chosen to oppose the new Kawasaki to the impressive Triumph, because they advance a philosophy and prices quite similar. The Harley Electra will be less of a competitor in our territory, because its price swells enormously when crossing the Atlantic: 8,000 to 9,000 € separate it from the VN 1700 !
In addition, in Europe perhaps more than in the United States, Harley customers are loyal to the brand and could not fall back on a Japanese copy. However, the two rivals are all the more credible alternatives, as our long trip to the Morvan demonstrated. !
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