We have ridden plenty of motorcycles over the years. From cranky 1-cylinders to mercurial twins to smooth inline-4s, and then some. But there is something about a triple that just… works. Singles and twins are torquey but mellow down at the top end. On top of that, they do not sound too good. Inline-4s are super peaky and have a tremendous top end but they are all almost anaemic in the lower revs. Triples though have none of those drawbacks and only the best of both worlds.
The application of triple-cylinder engines is not limited to sporty motorcycles only either. Triumph has perfected the three-cylinder recipe to the extent that some of the best motorcycles in their lineup are powered by a triple. From the Rocket 3 R to the Tiger and from the Trident to the Speed Triple. We have experienced the prowess of Triumph’s triples on various occasions but none more momentous than our last two pan-India roadtrips.
During #roadTripUnited2021, we had with us the mighty Triumph Rocket 3 R. Then in #roadTripUnited2022, we had the company of a Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS and the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer. Three amazing motorcycles, ridden over 10,000 km through the diverse landscape of our great nation. Needless to say, we have a fair few thoughts about these wonderful machines, and what powered them. In addition to the triple engines, another thing that was common in all three of these motorcycles was Castrol POWER1 ULTIMATE. The prowess of three very different triples in care of the best engine oil one can ask for; it rarely gets better than that.
We’ll start with the Rocket 3 R from #roadTripUnited2021. Before starting the trip, our Rocket 3 R had not even seen 1,000 km on the odo. Despite that, we jumped straight in for a 10,000+ km roadtrip on a motorcycle that displaces 2.5 litres and makes 167 PS of power and 221 Nm of torque. We trusted Triumph’s engineering prowess enough to lean on the Rocket 3 R but even more so, we trusted the 5-in-1 Full-Synthetic formula of Castrol POWER1 ULTIMATE to help us and our Rocket 3 R in seeing this trip through.
On the expressways, the Rocket 3 R was a revelation. The massive torque meant that regardless of which gear you found yourself in, you could just twist the throttle and the Rocket 3 R hauls a**. To put that into perspective, this is a motorcycle that weighs 291 kg and yet, goes from 0 to 100 km/h in under 3 seconds! That is performance worth envy but inevitably, it comes at a cost. With performance like that, it is not hard to imagine the intensity of the forces at play within the engine. And these, if unchecked, can spell disaster.
This is where our favourite engine oil comes in. The Full-Synthetic 5-in-1 Formulation ensures that the engine remains cool, protected, and ready to serve up all of the 221 newton metres at a twist of the wrist. Throughout #roadTripUnited2021, all our motorcycles chewed through the 10,000 km with ease thanks to Castrol POWER1 ULTIMATE but most of all, we’d like to thank our favourite engine oil for making the Rocket 3 R experience worth all the hype around the motorcycle!
Onwards to #roadTripUnited2022; this time we had not one but two Triumph Triples. First up, the then-new Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS. Right off the bat, the best thing about the Speed Triple 1200 RS is how organic and visceral it feels. It is loaded with electronics, everything you can ask for, but it still delivers a riding experience that is almost primal.
Now powered by a new engine that sports a displacement of 1,160cc, the engine is not only lighter but makes more power than its predecessor. At 180 PS, the Speed Triple 1200 RS is right up there with the superbikes. Because of the triple configuration and a healthy torque output, one word to describe the Speed Triple 1200 RS would be meaty. But with more compression and more revs comes more stress. And the same can be said about the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer.
An overhaul in nearly every aspect, the new Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer is a force to be reckoned with. And a fair bit of that is because of the engine. With 150 PS of power and 130 Nm of torque, it is not about outright power when it comes to the Tiger, it is about omnipresent power. Grunt that is available everywhere in the rev range to get you out of hairy situations; ‘when in doubt throttle it out’ won’t really work with an engine that does not provide power on demand.
In the case of both the Speed Triple 1200 RS and Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer, Castrol POWER1 ULTIMATE works like a charm. By ensuring cooler operation and ULTIMATE protection, it ensures that the Speed Triple 1200 RS is able to be the hooligan it was meant to be. Despite some serious punishment during some spirited riding on the highways, the Speed Triple 1200 RS kept coming back for more. And a fair bit of that was because of Castrol POWER1 ULTIMATE and its 5-in-1 Formula working on the five key fronts of performance and protection. On the other side, the Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer got to see some rough roads and a motorcycle like that leaps at opportunities like those. Dirt means slides and slides mean fun. And again, ensuring that the power needed to pull those off was available on demand was the engine oil.
Triumph knows they have nearly perfected the triple recipe. With that, they also know that wringing every bit of performance from their engines requires stellar engine oil. We are not surprised that Triumph recommends Castrol POWER1 ULTIMATE because we know firsthand what its liquid engineering feels like and it is just that, just what you need!
