My first rocket ride

[1olbull]

LOL..it's a Texas thing...everybody thinks they are a BBQ chef

And a Chili connoissuer!

 

[Randy]

Enjoy add a D and D exhaust and KN filter it will really wake it up and add big tone

 

[johnreeder]

Enjoy add a D and D exhaust and KN filter it will really wake it up and add big tone

I've owned two R3s, one standard and now a Touring. I never noticed it on my standard, but the Touring was a little hard to find neutral, but after a few hundred miles it became much less noticeable. Making sure your tire PSI is up to specs will improve handling a great deal. Replacing the exhaust and remapping will make wake up your beast. It can increase horsepower and torque by as much as 50 ft.lbs. of torque and 50 h.p. Jardine use to make a header system that did the best to improve performance and sound, but they're out of business (which is a real bummer). The D&D replacement mufflers will definitely improve it some and they sound a lot better than stock, they are more mellow in sound than the header system. Carpenter Racing makes a header system that is probably the best, but is very expensive. I've been riding a R3 since 2007 and have never ridden a bike I enjoy more. A lot of my riding buddies have bought into the Harley thing and I've ridden a few. After experiencing the power of a Rocket III, there's no way I would ever be satisfied with a stock Harley

 

[plongmire]

I've owned two R3s, one standard and now a Touring. I never noticed it on my standard, but the Touring was a little hard to find neutral, but after a few hundred miles it became much less noticeable. Making sure your tire PSI is up to specs will improve handling a great deal. Replacing the exhaust and remapping will make wake up your beast. It can increase horsepower and torque by as much as 50 ft.lbs. of torque and 50 h.p. Jardine use to make a header system that did the best to improve performance and sound, but they're out of business (which is a real bummer). The D&D replacement mufflers will definitely improve it some and they sound a lot better than stock, they are more mellow in sound than the header system. Carpenter Racing makes a header system that is probably the best, but is very expensive. I've been riding a R3 since 2007 and have never ridden a bike I enjoy more. A lot of my riding buddies have bought into the Harley thing and I've ridden a few. After experiencing the power of a Rocket III, there's no way I would ever be satisfied with a stock Harley

I am super impressed with my bike. Outside of racing motorcross and scuba diving this is some of the best times I have outside of subjects I wont talk about. Even though I am new to the world of R3, I love pulling up to biker joints. All the Harley look the same and when I pull in every head turns and they all walk over and stand around the bike. Mine is stock! And it turns heads, wherever I go, people want to talk about the bike. Some well even say they have never seen anything like this in there life..."what did you do, pull a car engine out and stick into a bike?"

As far as the exhaust, I want a deeper sound to the bike, all though it does sound like I am driving a Porsche. But I love the way the exhaust looks on this bike, and when I look at other exhaust systems, it just does not give the same look to the bike and its stance. I would not mind doing the Carpenter exhaust, but I dont like how it turns color...

Last Sunday I went riding with about five other guys. After about three hours on some back roads I decided I would take the lead...I barley hit the throttle and I was gone. The leader told me later he never heard me coming and all he felt was the wind...never heard a thing even as I passed him. This bike gets up and moves...But I know I will need to do some remapping on it, but really enjoying the ride...

 

[cr0ft]

Mine felt a lot more like a man's bike you had to tell where to go when it had tired Metzeler tires on it, by the way. It wouldn't hold a clean line in the twisties, it started vibrating when I let go of the bars and in general was way too much of a man's bike. New Avons on there and boy howdy it handled. Since yours is a 2012, even though you say "new" maybe you meant "new to me", if so look at the condition of the tires. And then buy Avon Cobras. With whitewalls. The V-rated radials. :-D

 

[dobro]

Mine felt a lot more like a man's bike you had to tell where to go when it had tired Metzeler tires on it, by the way. It wouldn't hold a clean line in the twisties, it started vibrating when I let go of the bars and in general was way too much of a man's bike. New Avons on there and boy howdy it handled. Since yours is a 2012, even though you say "new" maybe you meant "new to me", if so look at the condition of the tires. And then buy Avon Cobras. With whitewalls. The V-rated radials. :-D

If I was ready to spend the extra bucks I'd sure buy those whitewalls. My R3T with whitewalls would remind me of a 59 Eldorado--swanky and able to really haul a*s!

 

[CanberraR3]

As others have said the gearbox gets better after the break in oil is out and a few miles are on it.

It nearly caught me out a couple of times jumping out of first when new. Again, once it had some miles it's never happened again

Jumping out of first can be avoided by always disengaging the clutch in neutral BEFORE going into 1st. It will 'klunk'. No klunk and if could jump out. If it klunks, all is good. Get into the habit and do it every time (unless the bike is still moving, even very slowly) and you'll be fine.

 

[cr0ft]

If I was ready to spend the extra bucks I'd sure buy those whitewalls. My R3T with whitewalls would remind me of a 59 Eldorado--swanky and able to really haul a*s!

Yeah, the more traditional styling of the R3 Touring really lends itself well to using whitewalls. They're really not that pricey compared to any other tires in this size range though, might be something to consider when it's tire change time. I'm rea§lly thrilled with how mine turned out visually as well as how well it started handling.

 

[Punker]

Welcome buddy. Now you know what a true beast it really is. Best bike that I have ever owned but the question is, where do we go from here? Every other bike feels like a litle scoot now.

 

[cr0ft]

the question is, where do we go from here? Every other bike feels like a litle scoot now.

Need to buy one more and then store it away in case something happens to the primary bike! Though I guess there's a step one to that plan - like "rob a bank".