Some Questions for Rocket Owners

[Bonnie06Tangerine]

Hello all,

I would like to ask for your help with some questions that I have. First off, let me explain my situation:

I love cafe bikes, always have and always will. I find a great joy rolling around on my Bonnie for several different reasons that I won't get into right now. Recently though I have been taking notice to some things that I do not like. This is not to blame the bike but rather, just like all of the lines of products that are offered, each has an area of specialty and an area that it is not so hot in. Well with that said, Bonnie is not the best of bikes when I am rolling her down the highway. I know that I am not saying anything new here that most of you already know but this has started to bother me where I get a strong cross wind that will make my line shift if I am going over 60 m.p.h. This is one of the pitfalls of riding a cafe bike and I realize this BUT in just a few short years, my son will be riding with me. Now I can adjust my line just fine when it is just Bonnie and I but I also realize that I would be a nervous wreck if my son was on the back of her with me. Because of this reason, Bonnie will always be the country road bike that my son and I take a three hour ride on just to get an ice cream cone.

I want to start taking touring/cruiser trips with my son as he gets older. This would mean rolling out to the on ramps, pointing the bike straight and start collecting serious miles. Bonnie is not the bike I want to do this on with my son riding on the bike. I have been looking at the Thunderbird as well; I have always been a huge fan of the parallel twins but it seems to me that function wise and what I am looking for, the Rocket might be my ticket. If I do make the purchase on the Rocket then it would be the touring model. I figured have it done at one go; the shield, hard shell luggage that locks, floor boards, etc. Now...onto my questions that I would like to ask:

1. How is the bike rolling down the highway?
2. How is the bike in keeping its line? Does it get shoved around on strong windy days, especially when a strong cross wind is involved?
3. How is the passenger comfort on the touring model? Keep in mind that my passenger will be my son so we are talking about a child.
4. Is there a good amount of space in the hard shells for a decent trip...say a week long?
5. How is the agility of this bike in your opinion?
6. What is the maintenance/cost like on this bike with that NASA-like engine that is housed on the frame?

Thank you in advance for helping me with this and I look forward to your input.

[justinrhenry]

1. like butter.. very smooth
2. the rocket is a beast
5. decent for a big bike, but it's definitely no sport bike

[Trapper]

Well I have over 10K miles on my R3T, ride two up 99% of the time and I believe it is one of the best touring bikes on the road. Just got back from a 3100 mile trip to Canada and never had any problems. It rolls down the Hwy at with little or no effort at all speeds, corners like a dream, I can’t say the wind doesn’t move it around a little but it is better than most other bikes I have ridden. The little Lady likes the ride and never complained the entire 3100 miles. The saddle bags have a lot of room but you will need the back rack with a bag for long trips or you can add a trunk like I did if you need more room. I do the maintenance myself except for the 10k deal because it require that you check the valves and it looks like a lot of work and for 250 to 300 bucks I thought I would let the dealer do it. I would recommend this bike to anyone who likes to take long rides; however I have added a throttle lock, different exhaust, heated grips, a trunk, tach, and a GPS. All of which make life just a little easier.
Trapper

[Ugarte]

If the Rocket is being shoved off its line by crosswinds then its either a Hurricane or a Tornado. I suppose a good gust front with 70 mph winds would do it too.

IOW, the Rocket is rock stable in crosswinds. One of the many fun things about the bike is the easy riding in heavy winds, passing up other bikes struggling for control, or to maintain speed. I like lightweight bikes too and the weight of the Rocket can be annoying in city traffic or in parking lots, but get it out on the open road and its pure joy regardless of the weather.

[Bonnie06Tangerine]

I really appreciate the input I am getting on this thread. I much prefer this to get information then scouring sites on the internet searches hoping to find the specific item that you are wanting. The winds are a major factor, more so with my son riding on it with me. The back rack does sound like a good idea as well; I figured a bike this side then an extra bag or two would probably be a good thing to carry your gear on. I have to admit, the Rocket is the type of bike that made me shake my head at first and think; "what in the heck are they trying to do?!" After looking more into it though, this bike is growing on me and the functionality of it can't even be questioned. I do love the twin but it is starting to like one type of each engine in my garage Just out of curiosity, does this bike have a rumble to it or is she pretty quiet?

[crazyman]

My R3T is very stable in the wind. Issues with higher speeds / crosswinds are not the norm, but I have been pushed around with high winds. Whether I'm riding solo or 2 up, there is ample power to handle most all situations. Slow speed riding takes a little getting used to due to the sheer mass of this bike.

Holding lines - no problem. I think for such a large bike, she's very agile.

Passenger comfort - with the stock seats, not that great. But for a child, probably not a concern.
Storage - the hard bags are very roomy. They hold a lot of stuff. Some owners (myself included) notice that the bags leak a bit in very heavy rain. Not all the time though.

Maintenance - expensive, but spread out over 10k mile intervals.

[R3T Convert]

I bought a 2009 Rocket III Touring last month; it's in the shop for its first service right now. Like the others mentioned, this is a completely different bike than anything you've probably ridden. I am comparing it to others I've owned, but it's just in its own class. Here are my opinions:

1. How is the bike rolling down the highway? Once it's moving, it rolls really nicely.

2. How is the bike in keeping its line? Does it get shoved around on strong windy days, especially when a strong cross wind is involved? Absolutely solid. No wind or breeze is going to move this bike around! And the larger tires assist in rolling over problems on the street or highway as if they're not even there. Super smooth.

3. How is the passenger comfort on the touring model? Keep in mind that my passenger will be my son so we are talking about a child. My wife isn't too comfortable on the stock seat. I've ordered the Comfort Pillion and Backrest Sissy Bar. That may help. She says the passenger footrests are located in a good spot.

4. Is there a good amount of space in the hard shells for a decent trip...say a week long? Not much space at all, I'm afraid. My Nomad had about twice the available hardbag space. You may have to find another option here, such as strap touring luggage to the sissy bar.

5. How is the agility of this bike in your opinion? This bike handles like a 250. Truly, it's made really well---the (substantial) weight is carried low. I can manuever this bike easily at low speeds or at a stop. And at speed, it's like a GoldWing.

6. What is the maintenance/cost like on this bike with that NASA-like engine that is housed on the frame? The first service cost me $260. That was for an oil change and once-over to retighten bolts, etc. The next scheduled service is at 10K miles.

Other costs to consider: I'm adding all sorts of accessories that really should have been included by Triumph. A higher windsheild, highway bars and pegs, a throttle assist (this bike has a tough throttle!), passenger and pillion seats, a helmet lock, fog lights, an accessory power plug. The usual.

I love this bike. However, you may want to consider soemthing more "touring" oriented. Like a...dare I say it?...Goldwing.

[xhdskip]

Rock solid in keeping its line.
Even and especially with a passenger.
back pileon comfort? thats an oxymoron right?
maintance cost?
I never charge myself more than what I can afford.
you can do about anything you want to yourself, just like on any other bike.
It ain't no crotch rocket, but runs like one, at least up to 140 or so, after that is anybodys guess.
good luck, IF you decide to take a test ride, take your checkbook, it'll save you a trip home..

[Bonnie06Tangerine]

This is awesome...I was hoping to get these kind of responses back but wanted to throw it out there before I did anything. It is one of the best things about this site in my opinion. I think I will head down to give one of the beasts a test ride and let that do the talking as well. It is starting to look like right now that Bonnie is going to have a big sister parked alongside her in the garage...oh God, life can be so hard sometimes

[bobebob]

I bought my 2008 R3T at the end of April 2009 and have put about 10k on it since then.

I'll try not restate whats already been said:

[QUOTE=Bonnie06Tangerine;1357255]
1. How is the bike rolling down the highway?
Straight and true. It is very stable, which isn't surprizing considering it wieghs almost 900lbs.
2. How is the bike in keeping its line? Does it get shoved around on strong windy days, especially when a strong cross wind is involved?
Strong gusts of wind will move any bike to some degree. However, with this bike's mass in motion you have what seems like forever to make corrections before it moves you any significant distance. I love that when a huge semi passes 5ft away from me in the oposite direction my bike just wiggles a little. Even when a really big gust of sustained wind starts pushing me from the side, it mostly just bends my upper body an inch or two before I correct the steering and lean into the wind. The central mass of the bike/rider doesn't really move more than about 4-6 inches before I can correct.
3. How is the passenger comfort on the touring model? Keep in mind that my passenger will be my son so we are talking about a child.
I'm sure a small kid's butt will be able to outlast yours any day. Make sure to get a sissy bar for the passenger.
But for yourself, I would recommend getting the touring seat so you can have the driver's backrest. For me, it makes all the difference for long haul rides. The engine guards are also a must to have highway pegs so you can stretch out.
4. Is there a good amount of space in the hard shells for a decent trip...say a week long?
It would depend what gear you bring with you on a normal ride and how much clothing you need.
Personally, I tend to plan for bad things, so my hard bags are stuffed with raingear, bike cover, first aid, tire pump/repair kit, ect,ect. About the only thing I have room for is some water and my ballcap!
Since you got the sissy bar for your passenger backrest (#3), you can get a bag from Nelson Rigg or T-Bag that will strap to the Passenger backrest and sit on the luggage rack. They should be big enough for a full weeks trip with your son.
5. How is the agility of this bike in your opinion?
When I got back into motorcycles in April 08, I picked up a used Kawasaki Nomad. I mention it only to contrast the two bikes. Both bikes weigh about 875. However I was amazed when I got the Rocket at how much more agile the bike is. The cener of gravity is so much lower than the Nomad that I can carve around corners much easier. For a heavy-wieght cruiser, this thing is light on it's toes.
6. What is the maintenance/cost like on this bike with that NASA-like engine that is housed on the frame?
I was told that the 10K maintenance runs about $700-$900. I opted for the maintenence contract and paid $2500 for 6 scheduled. I figure at those rates, it should save me at least $1300.
Just out of curiosity, does this bike have a rumble to it or is she pretty quiet?
With stock pipes, it is extreamly quiet. I got the TOR pipes from the dealer to increase HP and it has an acceptable rumble now. But it won't get you a dB limit fine.
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