R3 GT owner

[Gimlet]

Welcome along from across the pond in the emerald isle. I bought mine without a test ride also. Went to the dealer saw it and shelled out €30k on an R. I didn't like the forward........ and what a bike - incredible - pity the same can't be said about the dealer

Tim

I haven't ridden an R. I think maybe it's best not to now I've bought a GT.. The R is better looking but I wanted to keep a cruiser in the garage to complement my other bikes so I saw the GT as a direct replacement for the Harley.
The other two bikes are off the road at the moment following a house move. I'll get them fettled over the winter and ready to go for the spring. It will be interesting then to see how much use they get and how they feel after riding the Rocket.
On paper the Rocket should be a niche bike, an indulgence but not an only-bike. Actually, when I've got it how I want it, I think it could be an only bike.

 

[Gimlet]

Welcome to the forum, from the Derbyshire peak district.

I don't think the pillion insert thingy will ever become comfortable. Especially on a long ride.

I keep meaning to do something about it myself, but it's only really the longer runs where it gets proper annoying for me, and so far, I haven't tended to do all that many long (non-stop) trips so I keep not getting round to resolving the issue.

I guess it will be just a case of peeling back the vinyl covering and sorting out the padding and then rolling the vinyl back etc... but it could also be influenced by the hard plastic moulding part of the unit. I must get round to doing something this winter, or before I do another proper long day in the saddle.

That's just what I'm finding with the seat. For the first hour it's fine then I start to feel the pillion pad digging. It's not terrible and when I get off and walk around there's no aches or fatigue in the rest of my body like there was on the Low Rider, so the riding position is good. Just needs a different seat pad with a bit more wriggle room and no pillion pad jabbing me in the back.

 

[Gimlet]

Welcome. I myself came off of a Street Bob 114, which is close to the same dry weight to the Rocket 3 GT. In my case it had more to do with the rear suspension, which had less travel than the Rocket's. They handle identically in the twisties.

Yes, Softails don't have a lot of suspension travel. With cramped hips and all your weight on your spine, if you've got lower back problems, you're one good jolt away from trouble.
I remember riding the Triumph Bobber at a dealer open day years ago when they first brought the bike out. I loved it and would happily have bought one just as a toy. But during the test ride I hit a pothole, and not a particularly bad one. The suspension bottomed and the jolt went right up my spine and snapped my teeth shut. I got away with it that time and my back didn't react but I made a mental note that this bike was a no-no for me.

I do find all the Harley Softails under-damped compared with metric bikes, especially lacking rebound. The baggers are OK but if you hit a rough patch on any of the softails you can find the limits quite quickly. If I'd been able to keep my LRS I'd have fitted Ohlins at both ends. On a smooth surface the LRS handled great and I could really chuck it around, but I think the Rocket flicks side to side easier, especially if you trail a bit of rear brake through bends. Triumph suspension is always stiff and I get a lot of road ripples transmitted through the bike but at least the suspension is fully adjustable and never comes close to bottoming out. I'll be getting mine set-up properly at a pro suspension shop.

 

[Jagster]

That's just what I'm finding with the seat. For the first hour it's fine then I start to feel the pillion pad digging. It's not terrible and when I get off and walk around there's no aches or fatigue in the rest of my body like there was on the Low Rider, so the riding position is good. Just needs a different seat pad with a bit more wriggle room and no pillion pad jabbing me

I think the seat insert is resolvable without any significant cost. It's just a case of making a start and seeing what's underneath the skin.
The GT seat is extremely comfortable and the shaped rear form of it is a key contributor as it helps support your pelvis which in turn supports your spine etc...
Almost perfect, but not quite due to that hard bit of insert.

 

[Gimlet]

Welcome from sunny North Texas. I know the need for lighter bikes, I've been going down that rabbit hole for the past two years as my knees get worse, finally ended with buying a Speed Triple RS. At 158kg full of fluids it's the lightest bike with 150HP I'll ever own.

I have an old analogue Ducati 1098 SF. It's been blue-printed and race tuned and had loads of carbon and weight savings thrown at it. It weighs about the same as your Speedie and when moving my bikes around, compared with the Triumph and the KTM the Duc feels like a toy that I could pick up and put under my arm. And then there's the small matter of a power to weight ratio of nigh on 1000 bhp per tonne...

 

[Gimlet]

I think the seat insert is resolvable without any significant cost. It's just a case of making a start and seeing what's underneath the skin.
The GT seat is extremely comfortable and the shaped rear form of it is a key contributor as it helps support your pelvis which in turn supports your spine etc...
Almost perfect, but not quite due to that hard bit of insert.

A good auto upholsterer could probably fix it. I've had seats reupholstered before very successfully at a fraction of the price of an after-market seat. Personally I'd like to sit a little further back but probably with the jutting pillion pad smoothed out you'd get that extra bit of room.
It's tempting to buy a Corbin but they are expensive.

 

[atomsplitter]

I have an old analogue Ducati 1098 SF. It's been blue-printed and race tuned and had loads of carbon and weight savings thrown at it. It weighs about the same as your Speedie and when moving my bikes around, compared with the Triumph and the KTM the Duc feels like a toy that I could pick up and put under my arm. And then there's the small matter of a power to weight ratio of nigh on 1000 bhp per tonne...

Yup, been slathering the carbon fiber on the RS myself, also put on lightweight lugs:

 

[Mike188]

Welcome from South Australia