All Duels – Yamaha Vmax Vs Triumph Rocket III Roadster: Clash of the Titans! – Last contact … before orbiting!

Yamaha Vmax Vs Triumph Rocket III Roadster: Clash of the Titans !

All Duels - Yamaha Vmax Vs Triumph Rocket III Roadster: Clash of the Titans! - Last contact ... before orbiting!

A 1700 cc V4 or a 2.3-liter 3-legged: whatever the engine choice, the recent Yamaha Vmax and Triumph Rocket III Roadster proudly assume their excess. Test of two loud-mouthed monsters for experienced bikers… and well-off !

Last contact … before orbiting !

The position is relatively "normal" on the Vmax, if it is not a tank which separates the thighs of the pilot appreciably. So, despite a reasonable saddle height of 775 mm, even bikers of one meter 80 will have difficulty putting their feet perfectly flat on both sides. And this is far from being a detail, because the Yamaha weighs its weight well !

Its center of gravity is higher than that of the Rocket and we can feel the 330 kg of the machine in working order. So beware when maneuvering with the engine off or at low speed! This is all the more true as the front axle is singularly lacking in neutrality and has a tendency to engage, even to show itself falling below the 15 km / h mark….

We can hardly help the handlebars, too narrow to handle the heavy weight and the very open hunting angle. It will therefore take a minimum of experience of heavy motorcycles to be perfectly serene on the handlebars of the Japanese.

welcome aboard !

The welcome is royal on the Yam ‘. The small digital window that sits on its fuel tank reminds you that you are indeed on board a Vmax – if by mistake you had the wrong motorcycle! – and invites you to take the road: "Time to ride – This is Vmax", warns the Japanese monster when powering up…

This window then displays all the traditional information from a dashboard: engine temperature, fuel gauge, trips, gear engaged, etc. The speed and tachometer are more present in the pilot’s field of vision, in a round counter placed above the headlight, paired with a huge shift-light.

The Rocket III is less blustery, but its dashboard is more complete since it also indicates the gear engaged and also provides information on the remaining autonomy. For speed and tachometer on the other hand, it’s all analog.

Basic equipment

Our two dragsters are rather stripped down for machines of this price. The Vmax still makes the effort to offer a coded key immobilizer to protect against theft, but when it comes to carrying a lock, it is as little planned as on the Triumph.

We still manage to slip a disc lock in a place not at all intended for this purpose on the Vmax: next to the gas cap, under the pilot backrest which hides the gas hatch (same on the old model). ) !

When it comes to attaching a bag or taking a passenger for a ride, it’s the same misery on both motorcycles: in the absence of passenger handles and given the truckish couple of our two monsters, it Madame is to lose between two fires, especially on the Vmax and its tiny pouf. These machines are not originally intended for the duo, but can lend themselves to it by investing in some accessories such as a sissy-bar.

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