Hello from Missouri !

[Jag]

Welcome from NJ, buy one you won't regret it!!

 

[idk]

Get the RIII. Valve adjustments are at 20,000 miles - and usually don't need it. If you can do it yourself then you are good to go. Check the manual to see what you think about the checking and/or adjusting.

60 is not a problem with the RIII - at least I hope it won't be.

 

[C908]

Get the RIII. Valve adjustments are at 20,000 miles - and usually don't need it. If you can do it yourself then you are good to go. Check the manual to see what you think about the checking and/or adjusting.

60 is not a problem with the RIII - at least I hope it won't be.

I forgot to mention my Ultra actually looks more like a Streetglide after removing the tourpack and few other parts. With the tourpack the bike felt to top heavy,being 5'7 it feels much better without it. I use to do one long road trip every year but lately I find myself enjoying just going in the country for several hours at a time.

 

[JoseyR3Wales]

Welcome, I reckon.

 

[alpental]

Welcome from sunny Southern California! I just bought a new '14 R3 Roadster last week and love it! There was even a guy at the dealer trading in his HD for a new Triumph. Attached is the Owner's Handbook for the latest R3R. You'll see the maintenance schedule on PDF page 61. First valve adjustment at 10,000 mi, then every 20,000 mi after that.

 

[wildchild]

Hello and welcome from Minn

 

[Bedifferent]

I just found your forum and signed up so I can learn about the Rocket. I currently own a 2010 Harley Ultra Classic but am considering getting a Triumph in the near future. Let me say this, I am not a die hard Harley person. I started riding in 1974 and have only been riding a Harley for the last 5 years. Before the Harley I spent 10 years on a Honda Valkyrie. I guess riding the 6 cyl Valkyrie is what makes me think I might like a Rocket. My Harley has been a good bike but I guess I'm just a little bored with the whole Harley scene. Unfortunately the two closest Triumph dealers are 76 and 100 miles from my house. This spring I'm going to check them out and look at some bikes. One concern I have on the Rocket is maintenance. When I had my Valkyrie I ended up doing my own valve adjustments. I didn't do my research before I bought the bike and then found out valve adjustments were $300.00 every 12,000 miles. It was a pleasant surprise when I found out the Harley has self adjusting valves. I'm hoping you Rocket owners can educate me on anything else that is a concern. I actually haven't decided what direction I want to go next. I just turned 60 yesterday and I'm starting to think about downsizing. I could even possibly get a Bonnie T100 and add some bags and a shield to it. On the other hand I think I may be good for one more big bike. I'm 5'7 165 lbs in pretty good shape with no hip or knee problems. I ride solo 100 percent of the time since my wife hates to ride.

Welcome! Whoa...are you sure we are not related in some way. I have been riding again since about 1994 but I had numerous bike into my late 20's. My last bike was a Harley Fatboy which I bought new in 2009. I owned it for 5 years and enjoyed it immensely, but I wanted a change. Before that it was a new 1996 Valkyrie, which I also loved. I had it for over 10 years, before I decided to try a Harley again. I had my eye on the Rocket III for several years, so I traded my Harley in last fall and bought my Rocket 3 Touring. Never had a Triumph before, but I did have an Ariel, Norton, BSA, two Harley Sportsters, and a Kawasaki. So far I love the bike, but I'll know more after a full season of riding. I don't see my feelings changing! The Roadster is really cool, but I wanted floorboards, hard bags and a lot of the things that come standard on the touring model. It would have cost a fortune (in spite of its appeal to my inner self) to bring the roadster up to what I wanted. I especially like being able to carry all the gear I want in my bags on a ride....I wanted something big for touring. My wife doesn't like to ride at all...seems she is afraid of being hit and injured. The Triumph dealer (where I bought my bike) is over 95 miles away, but I will probably switch to a dealer who is 50 miles away for some of my service. I just turned 68 and I also am in good health. I workout everyday, so I don't worry about handling the bikes mass for at least a few years yet. So do you see any similarities here? Go for the Rocket and enjoy the ride...worry about all the other crap later.

One note....I did buy an extended warranty/insurance, because a major repair could be expensive and although I could do much of the work, it just doesn't appeal to me like it did when I was a kid. Back then, I had practically every bike I owned tore down to nothing and then put back together again a one time or another.

 

[C908]

Welcome! Whoa...are you sure we are not related in some way. I have been riding again since about 1994 but I had numerous bike into my late 20's. My last bike was a Harley Fatboy which I bought new in 2009. I owned it for 5 years and enjoyed it immensely, but I wanted a change. Before that it was a new 1996 Valkyrie, which I also loved. I had it for over 10 years, before I decided to try a Harley again. I had my eye on the Rocket III for several years, so I traded my Harley in last fall and bought my Rocket 3 Touring. Never had a Triumph before, but I did have an Ariel, Norton, BSA, two Harley Sportsters, and a Kawasaki. So far I love the bike, but I'll know more after a full season of riding. I don't see my feelings changing! The Roadster is really cool, but I wanted floorboards, hard bags and a lot of the things that come standard on the touring model. It would have cost a fortune (in spite of its appeal to my inner self) to bring the roadster up to what I wanted. I especially like being able to carry all the gear I want in my bags on a ride....I wanted something big for touring. My wife doesn't like to ride at all...seems she is afraid of being hit and injured. The Triumph dealer (where I bought my bike) is over 95 miles away, but I will probably switch to a dealer who is 50 miles away for some of my service. I just turned 68 and I also am in good health. I workout everyday, so I don't worry about handling the bikes mass for at least a few years yet. So do you see any similarities here? Go for the Rocket and enjoy the ride...worry about all the other crap later.

One note....I did buy an extended warranty/insurance, because a major repair could be expensive and although I could do much of the work, it just doesn't appeal to me like it did when I was a kid. Back then, I had practically every bike I owned tore down to nothing and then put back together again a one time or another.

Very interesting and yes we do have a similar story. Since you were a fellow Valkyrie owner I might add I was the Missouri State Rep for the VRCC. By chance did you belong to the VRCC ? I actually test rode a couple of Triumph's before I bought my Harley. I live in a small Midwest town where the only real motorcycle dealership is the Harley dealer. The majority of riders here are Harley riders and I have three riding buddies that I take road trips with and they all ride Harley's. So there you go I bought a Harley and joined the rest of the sheep. My first mistake was trading the Valk for a new Harley Wide Glide. I bought it at the beginning of model change and soon discovered I need floorboards, bags and a windshield. After 7,000 miles I traded it at the end of the model year for a new Ultra Classic. This time I went all out getting a tourpack and the works. As much as I liked the tourpack for storage I hated the top heavy feel. I'm 5'7 165 lbs so top heavy is not a good thing. I removed the tourpack, rear passenger floorboards, saddlebag rails, bumper guards and installed a custom low profile seat with backrest. The bike feels totally different and I've been pretty happy with it to this point. It actually looks a lot like a Streetglide which is probably what I should have bought instead of the Wideglide. I kept the Valk longer than any other bike I've ever had. I can see myself probably keeping my Harley another year or two. I've always thought I would like to try a Triumph so that's probably going to be my next choice.

 

[Idaho Red Rocket 3]

Welcome C908 from Idaho. I'm short at 5' 7" too. 60 yo ain't nothing on this forum. Plenty of gray haired grandpas on this site. Some riding Rockets that are stock and some riding Rockets that are rodded out very nicely. I've made my "ripper" into a dresser sleeper. It is a 2006 standard. If you buy new today it would be the Roadster.

PS: Take your checkbook with you when you go to take a test ride.

 

[flyreels]

Another Aussie welcome mate