Why I bought a Rocket III

[scottee]

I Bought mine to tour

I used to own a Honda VTX1300. Nice comfy and reliable bike but not that fast. 95% of my riding is done with my wife on the back (she loves it) and we like long rides (500+kms) and touring. The R3T is the perfect bike for us. Loads of power 2-up with panniers full and a bag on the back. The bike is very comfy (although the wife as a few issues with the back rest) and it handles better than any cruiser I have ever ridden. It is the ultimate long distance touring machine.

 

[TriumPhil]

All:
We have lurked on this forum for a while, but this is our first post. We started riding again in '05 after twenty years. Had to outlive our usefulness to our children...

We started back and rode (and thoroughly enjoyed) a Honda Shadow for a year and 10K miles, but felt we needed more bike. In early '06, a '99 Valkyrie entered our life, and that was/is one tremendous motorbike. However, while our Valk was aging gracefully, she was aging nonetheless; and we are not much of a wrench. As fun as the Valk was, we were restless for a new(er) mount.

Some may disagree, but for us, the problem (or at least the limitation) with replacing the Valk is there are not many options for "upgrading," as few cruisers equal a copy of Honda's mighty F-6 Valkyrie; and fewer still can surpass it for sheer power and "presence." (Most Rocket riders will understand what we mean by "presence."

Enter the Triumph Rocket. We became interested in the Rocket some years ago, and began lurking around this and other forums seeking information. We are old enough to remember when (pre Hinkley) Triumphs were great fun but not known for reliability (to put it kindly). This spring, armed with enough information to satisfy our concerns about reliability, we test rode a Rocket. We sold the Valk and bought the Beast.

The Beast is raw, but relaxed. She has the all important "presence" that we value (she draws a crowd). And she will (a) outrun the Valk; and (b) run off and hide from any other cruiser we have ever ridden. So far (six weeks and a bit over 1K miles), she is terrific. If (as we anticipate) she proves reliable, we will enjoy her tremendously.

Forgive this lengthy post, but we are enthusiastic about the Beast.

We trudge on.

What the hell is a wet rudgeon and who the fock is this "we" you keep referring to?
BTW, welcome to the site from New Jersey and do enjoy the ride!

 

[bigd34]

I first saw a Rocket a couple of years ago and knew right away that it was the bike for me. I'm 6'8" and around 300 pounds, and the Rocket was the first bike I had ever seen that looked like it was over the top enough for me. Everything about the bike is oversized, which drew me to it in a big way.

I like to be a little different, and the fact that the Rocket doesn't look like anything else on the road was really appealing. I finally found one in my price range a couple of weeks ago (2007 Classic), and I couldn't be happier. It is so much fun and a great attention getter.

 

[HellFire]

6'8"? .... Wow ... did you do any modifications to accomidate your size? Like risers, seat, pegs ... stuff like that?
I'm 6'2" with long arms and legs, I did rivco risers and Triumph Classic floor boards to make it more comfy. The Corbin Young guns saddle helped alot as well, your height makes me wonder if the R3 was made to fit tall or short more than the other.
Welcome to the site.

 

[jerry a]

because it reminds me of my wife they both have a big ass and small headlights

 

[bigd34]

6'8"? .... Wow ... did you do any modifications to accomidate your size? Like risers, seat, pegs ... stuff like that?
I'm 6'2" with long arms and legs, I did rivco risers and Triumph Classic floor boards to make it more comfy. The Corbin Young guns saddle helped alot as well, your height makes me wonder if the R3 was made to fit tall or short more than the other.
Welcome to the site.

I've only had it for two weeks now, so no modifications yet. It came with the Classic floor boards which are nice. I started on a VT1100C, so the Rocket is a big step up in the comfort department as it is. I like the more upright riding position, but could possibly see a modified seat down the road.

 

[bryon540]

Well, back in the end of September 2009 I had sold my 2007 Dyna SB. So I was looking around for a replacement for the Dyna, it sure wasn’t going to be another HD. My criteria for the next scoot was for it to have ABS and it had to be water cooled. Looked at another V-Rod, VTX1800, M109R, Vulcan Interstate, or a Gold Wing, also looked into a new V-Max but could not find (thinking of making a semi bagger out of one) quick disconnect bags for it.

All nice, but not what I was looking for and then looked at what Triumph had to offer. As stated in the past, the Rocket is unlike any other bike on the road.

So, I had made my mind up that I was going to buy the R3T even though it did not have the ABS option, than I saw the Roadster for the first time on the site after the second time I went back to look at the R3T. When I reviewed the spec’s and had a flat black paint option, my first reaction was WTF. I located a local Triumph dealer, immediately put a hefty deposit on a flat back Roadster back in February even though I never rode one or even sat on a Rocket period.

Ever since (May 6th) the day of delivery, I have been very confident/happy with my decision. Around here in the VA area we have a lot of the cocky HD riders that think their Wild Hogs or something, and most always stating how fast their HD’s are. Well, I am always happy to demonstrate to them what Rocket two wheel power looks like.

When ridding in a group, passer by’s most always look at the Triumph out of all other bikes I ride with.

I will mold this bike to the rest of what I was looking for.

Pros:

Great handling and balance, great looks, looks like no other, ABS brakes (cannot get them to lock up) works great, very quick acceleration off the line, this thing has no problem getting to 128+ mph.

Cons:

Not really made for short legged people, dealers are too far away (Triumph canned the dealer I bought it from) for getting service done in the future, I have the big urge to go 70 plus MPH over the speed limit every time I take her out. The Triumphs slogan “GO YOUR OWN WAY”, that is about what their customer service acts like. This might be a good thing I did not call them before the purchase of said Rocket, my business would of gone elsewhere.

 

[BigAl52]

always wanted one since they were released but couldn't justify the expense and the fact I have 2 other bikes and a drag car.
Was offered one that was at the right price and with a little shove from my daughters bit the bullet and grabbed it! I'm 6'2 and 120kgs and I dont feel I'm sitting on top of the tank like I do on my Shadow ACE.
I love the power and the comfort and was lucky enough to get it with all the accessories attached (saddle bags etc).
Needless to say one of my daughters now has the Shadow!

 

[anhouck]

After 24 years at about 1000 miles per year average - I got as close as I could to 3X displacement from my other purchased-new street bike - 1982 Honda CBC900. 30,000 miles of smiles since 2006.

 

[jaredmt]

This thread has been dry for a few months, but I wanted to stick in my two cents. I started my motorcycle career on a Honda 1100cc. Nice bike, really liked it, but wanted more power. Tried a Valkyrie 1500cc and decided yep, I need more power. I was going to look for a Valk, but recalled my brother once mentioning to me about a ridiculously huge 2300cc monster he had heard about.
I hunted down the dealership and took a test drive ... and holy sh**. That was that, I was looking for an RIII from that very evening. My current RIII is my 2nd one (Roadster).