Where oh where are all the Rockets?

I’m 62, and get asked why now a Triumph Rocket. I simply say I’m no longer a follower.
I have been riding one in Phoenix for 3.5 years, haven’t seen one yet..
I keep thinking if I do, I will chase him down to chat.
Im very fond of my old Harley V-twins, the Rocket is just pure FUN…….
 
If I was rich enough I'd still have a Harley as well as my Rocket. I traded my 117 LRS to buy the Rocket because the LRS was just too uncomfortable. Other than the riding position I loved the bike and there were some things about it I prefered to the R3GT.
But there was no other bike in the Harley range that I wanted and which had the 117 engine. My ideal Harley would have been a blacked-out 117 Sportglide with the LRS's suspension and brakes, but they don't make one. I might have bought a Road King Special if it had the 117 engine but it doesn't and they're more expensive to start with.

I wanted a cruiser to go with my other bikes and a Harley seemed the real deal. Having switched to the Triumph, while I love the (very considerable) performance boost I still kind of miss the feel of a big thudding V-twin. And I loved the fact that the LRS was made almost entirely of metal with very little plastic anywhere. With the deep gloss paint finish it had a feel-good pride of ownership about it which I've never got from any other bike in quite the same way. But once you've experienced the power and handling of the Rocket it's hard to go back. I may one day buy an old 1200 Sportster just as a fun bike.
 
Enjoyed your post.
All the way up to the end.
Curious what Sportster fun is there you can't have exponentially more of on the Rocket???
Inquiring minds need to know . . .
 
1olbull said:
Enjoyed your post.
All the way up to the end.
Curious what Sportster fun is there you can't have exponentially more of on the Rocket???
Inquiring minds need to know . . .
Click to expand...
The current Sportster S has around the same power:weight ratio as the 165 HP Rocket 3 variants. That's what a full 200 lbs. less gets you. Yeah, compared to a 180 HP Rocket 3 and with a 180 lb. rider, it'll be down on hp:weight by about 14%, but it'll still be small, light, and fun. It's also narrower--better for splitting.

Hell, even minibikes are fun.
 
Love my R3GT but have missed my 2013 HD Switchback 103 since I sold it 5 years ago. I just replaced it with the same year and color. Very clean, 20K miles, $8450
 
IMHO a T120 kills the new ugly Sporsters.
 
My Indian Scout is similar at 550 lbs wet and it’s very quick and fun. However, you don’t really start getting into max hp/trq until 5-8K rpm and the trq throughout the power band isn’t even comparable to the rocket 3. When it comes to splitting, it is narrow and easier in that sense, but lacks the instant thrust forward that the rocket gives and the braking isn’t comparable either so I actually prefer my rocket for commuting and riding in heavy traffic.
 
1olbull said:
Enjoyed your post.
All the way up to the end.
Curious what Sportster fun is there you can't have exponentially more of on the Rocket???
Inquiring minds need to know . . .
Click to expand...
Millwaukee V-Twin character really. I have two other V-twins but in Italian and Austrian flavour. I'd give it a tune and rebuild it with some personalisation, upgrade the brakes and suspension and just have it as a fun soulful weekend bike.

Edit: that's an old air cooled Sportster I'm talking about, not the water cooled 1250.
 
Last edited:
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