Why I bought a Rocket III

Why?

Just got back from stateside rotation first post in awhile. I grew up in a motorcycle family, my Dad and his Brother always had bikes harleys, nortons, bsa, moto guzzi, triumphs and even some hondas. Beside many mini bikes, my first ride was cb 160 up and down the sidewalks of neighborhood. Always had outlaws stopping by the house on harley's, because Dad and his Brother went to school and were childhood friends with a guy who became one of the more famous presidents of and international outlaw club. They never joined just would ride together and hang out at the local waffle house with them... I grew up watching Happy Days and thought the fonz was cool. The triumphs always had a good sound in Dad's garage and has I got into middle school and High School, I fell into the biker wanna be crowd because I was rebelious, as a matter of fact to be even more rebelious I would talk about triumphs instead of Harley's even though I was a walking harley billboard. Anyway went in army bought FLH(AMF) many poblems but much fun. Always wanted a triumph, but I am 6- 1 and big even when I was in the military. Fatboys look small under me. Plus hated the fact I was obligated to buy a harley or a harley clone to ride like I wanted to ride, don't get me wrong imitation is the highest form of flattery. When I read about the Rocket III, I was sold, I had to have one. Yes I will probably get another harley or harley type bobber for playing on, but so far, for day in day out, ride to eat, ride to sight see, ride to live motorcycle freedom, it's exactly what I wanted and more, it's powerful it's different unique and goes against the whole clone R-U-B biker look at me I am a biker clique. I can say this because I ride with Harley's, Goldwings, Kawasaki's, Outlaws and straights. I just ride and for me the Rocket III was built just for that, just to ride.
 
Back in 06 I already had the best, biggest tour bike (Honda Gold Wing) and started to want a bike that might be used for other than "comfort" touring. Since I was already on the Gold Wing I didn't want to "downsize" I wanted the biggest cruiser I could get. I started surfing the websites and the Triumph Rocket just sort of grew on me. I started hanging out at this website, found a pretty good bunch of friendly Rocket riders who put up with my inane questions and...well, after Pianoman sent me a Christmas "care" package I decided that the Rocket was going to be my next bike. So I made all the arrangements over the phone (was in Afghanistan for my first tour over there with KBR) and in March while on R&R I picked the beast up...I haven't looked back since.

Since I also decided to get a Mustang GT/California Special the same year in October I was kind of given an ultimatum by my wife and she said that I could have two but not all three (pretty fair in retrospect) so I had to give one up...the Gold Wing lost since my wife doesn't ride much with me.

I haven't been able to ride as much as you guys during the last three years (this March) but I have a lot of memorable riding on the Rocket to keep me dreaming while I am over here...wishing for the next R&R. After my great trip to Nashville on RAAII (in 07) and my 4 day 2,000 mile ride to Daytona and Key West and back to Molino (in 08) I have a lot good memories to think back on.

Now I'm looking forward to selling the 'ol girl and getting a new one as soon as my time over here is done.

Thanks guys for putting up with me these last three years.

Dennis

71 dtg Kuwait
72 dtg Home
 
my rocket story.....

Seems im the first UK guy to post in this thread, and possibly one of the younger ones at 33......

So why did i buy a Rocket? Well i have a Hinckley '92 900 trident, which i love to bits. I was 15 when they first came out, i was knockin about with some mates (all a lot older) and a couple of them bought the tridents. Eventually when i was about 25 i had scraped enough cash together to buy one.

So i gets the bike, then i got the girl, and at the same time i was doing loads of rallies with tents sleeping bags etc all on a rack, plus me n the missus made for a somewhat hard ride. So this continued and as time passed the trident started to show its age, to the point last year where money was going to be needed to get it through its next MOT. So i started looking at a bike that would be comfy two up and that i could load up to do my rallies on. I decided on a nice BMW 1200 adventurer at about £8.5k. So with my mind made up, i set about researching said bike, looking on owners forums and alike n most importantly talking to owners.

I met one owner at a rally who owned a 1yr old adventure who said i could have it for £8K cos it was **** (He by now had owned 3 and was planning a 4th)

He said they had big reliability issues with everything behind the engine (G/bos driveshaft diff) so if i were to buy a BMW get one with waranty and flog it before the waranty run out. Not really what i wanted to hear!!!!

So i went home n hooked up to the net and put in how much i was wanting to spend on a bike uk bike sales website (Autotrader if your interested) and had a look at what i could get for my money. Quite a few rockets came up in my price range which supprised me, but one in particular caught my eye.

An '05 with less that 8000 dry Miles on it (12.8K) and loads of extras (Spare tank spare seats screen and other bits) all fo the amazingly cheap price of £7500. I spent a week musing, made the call, went and had a look and shook hands.

So now i got two triumphs (three if you include a 73 spitfire) and my mates say that if you cut me in half it would say triumph throiugh the middle

Dont get me wrong, i like the rocket, (I love the trident) and i had ridden one a few years before i bought one, but they are odd beasts, requiring big arm muscles for counter steer. Scarerly fast and very shiny. Dunno if its going to be a long term relationship, but each time i get out on it it gets better.

That said if i do keep it, the next bikes(s) will be a bonnie for the missus n a thruxton for me.

So whoever started this thread, after reading my life story, is now probably wishing they didnt....

Dazzy:D
 
Daz

I started this thread because I am about to go stir crazy waiting for a break in the weather and I thought this would make for some good reading to hear all the different stories behind the bikes and guys that own them. Its funny that over on the other site this thread took off and there are a lot of great stories as to how guys wound up with a Rocket.
I myself can not think of another bike that I would want to own right now at this point in my life. It does almost everything that i could want in a bike and the things that it doesn't do, I can add. And thats part of the fun adding toys to it and making it truely yours. I have 2 other items I am going to add to the Rock. One is some hard mounted tunes and the second is electronic cruz.
I don't think you can find another bike that can do what this bike can do. Where can you find a bike that has a nice big fairing, hard bags, riders backrest, hiway pegs, great tunes, electronic cruz, and the ability to run 150 mph and then settle down and set the cruz at 65 and kick back put your feet up and turn the tunes up load and just cruz. Granted, the bike doesn't come that way from the factory and you have to add most of this stuff and yes you can by a Street Glide or a Wing and get everything that I have mentioned with the exeption of a few things. Where you going to find a Harley or a Wing that can run with a Rocket? Yes you can be in the in crowd and ride one of the many thousand Street Glides or Wings that are out there. But I have yet to see or hear of one being able to run up to over 150 mph.
Most people don't have a desire to run that fast and could care less if thier bike can run that fast. But I have a need for speed and an adreniline junkie. I need to be able to know that I can jump on the scoot run out to the edge of town and find a long open stretch of road and roll the throttle and see just how fast I can see 150 mph. As soon as I get there, I let off of it and drop back and enjoy the rush I was able to give myself.
I used to ride the Boss Hoss and could crank it and smoke the back tire from 0 to 100 mph. Run er up to 125 mph, hit overdrive and roll back into it and watch the speedo run up to 145 or 150. Then I would let my buddies catch up and I was fine the rest of the day. But the Boss didn't have hard bags or any tunes or cruz. I think thats why I am liking this Rocket more and more. Because it will do it all for me and I don't think I can find another bike that can for under 15k. I could probably add all the extras to a Boss and make what I am looking for but certainly not for no 15K
But hey, thats just me and thats what makes these stories so great to hear. Because we each have our own needs and wants and hearing what those are concerning this bike is a pretty cool way to spend watching it frigin snow.

Big T
 
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I was spellbound the first time I saw it in a brochure. Two months later I took a test ride. The salesman was right when he told me that a test ride was costly. It wasn't until I got back it hit me by what he meant. About a year later I purchased my black "06" . I rode many bikes in the 70's & 80's then took along break "raised kids". The R3 is still the mostly awesome & fun bike I been on.

Be Safe! Thanks JP
 
Why

i have owned 4 truimphs, speed triple, trophy 1200, sprint 1050 and the rocket 3 tour. i feel triumph is a good european product. i currently have the sprint 1050 and the tour rocket, each has its own riding style and i like them both.
 
T I like your need for speed.... thats just what the R3 is missing, Over drive! A sixth or even 7th gear would be wonderful. There is no reason in the world why this bike wouldnt be tugging along at 1900rpm going 90. If only it had the gearing................
 
Saw the R3 i Kingston, Ontario at a dealership in 06. That was it saved up and got a R3T in 09. Best purchase ever. |Friend got an 09 HD Streetglide, great bike but not close to mine. Leave him in the dust.
 
Speed

T I like your need for speed.... thats just what the R3 is missing, Over drive! A sixth or even 7th gear would be wonderful. There is no reason in the world why this bike wouldnt be tugging along at 1900rpm going 90. If only it had the gearing................
YOU just need to a few mods and youll get all the speed you can stand:)
 


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