08 Rocket III Touring

[Noumenon]

Hey all,

I rode a Rocket III Touring this past weekend and I have to say that I was left under whelmed. This obviously is a personal opinion, but there you have it. I won't comment on the looks because to each their own, but here's my feedback on my riding experience with a passenger.

1st off the bat, the front brake was non-existent. In fact I had a brief moment of panic wondering if there were any brakes at all. Obviously this can be adjusted, but believe me it was a little scary at first.

Floor boards are spacious. I never used the heal shifter because I'm not used to having one and honestly forgot it was there. I had troubles finding neutral on more than one occasion, but I attribute this to being on an unfamiliar motorcycle. The rear brake pedal is larger than the one in my car (just kidding... i think).

Riding position was certainly comfortable for both me and my passenger. Not much of a surprise I guess but the road just disappears beneath you. Very comfortable... with exception to the wind.

Windshield - I'm 5'11" and the windshield sent dirty air right up to my head. On the expressway my head was buffeting like a balloon would tied to the back of a car... I sincerely hope this thing is adjustable... My passenger on the other hand reported no discomfort and just enjoyed the ride.

Range - I would be concerned that the smaller fuel tank is going to limit the range of this bike even more than the current Standard/Classic. This seems to go directly against the philosophy of this being the Touring model.

Soul - Where did it go? I had spent the night before telling my girlfriend what a thrill ride she was about to experience. This being the newest version of the most insane/amazing motorcycle ever built. Not so, the Touring model does not have the same bite that the current Standard/Classic have. Not even close... in fact, I'm now starting to second guess if the unbelievable power I experienced on a Rocket III standard years ago isn't just my wild imagination working over time. I know, they detuned the motor a bit, but guys/girls this is night and day.

Any how, as you can probably tell by the above I'm no expert on reviews, but I am a long time rider. And I do love my memories of riding a Rocket III standard. So much so that I'm considering buying one soon... but I will definitely have to take a Standard for a ride again just to make sure it's still the same fire breathing dragon I have such fond memories of...

Best regards,

[GPMAZ]

I think your review is pretty accurate.

Your experience with the brakes is a bit surprising. While using the front brake alone on a bike weighing close to 800 lbs is asking a lot, I find that I can haul the bike down pretty fast using both brakes. Not as fast as my ABS equipped R1200GS, but pretty fast nonetheless.

I'm 6'2" and hated the stock screen for the reasons you pointed out. The Roadster screen is six inches taller and works very well for me.

I normally get around 150-165 miles on a tank with around 30-40 miles to empty showing. I have stretched that to 200 miles keeping the speed down to 65 or less.

As to the power, well a loss of almost 40 hp while adding weight is certainly noticeable. From what I understand the rear tire and the windshield's effect on handling were considerations in the de-tuning. I have experienced a bit of a weave at 110 mph (the bike is speed limited to 120). Given the Tourer's intended purpose, and the increase in low speed torque, I think the trade-off is reasonable. I read somewhere that the accessory pipes and accompanying re-tune will get 12-15 horsepower back. I'd suspect that a Tune Boy or a dyno tuned Powercommander could gain even more.

[krothnbrg]

I took a look at the new Tourer when I bought my R3. The first thing that went through my head was "If I wanted a Road King I'd have bought a Road king." Granted it doesn't really compare on the technical side but it's clear what this bike is meant to do. That is to grab the Hardley wannabe's.

I don't like the single head light, flattened tank, they removed the tach to make tank-mounted speedo, Harley-like bags and sitting on it is like sitting on a horse on steroids! But ultimately, it just didn't feel like a Rocket...

[GPMAZ]

And I rode the Standard model when I bought my Tourer. Now granted, you can't see the twin headlights from the seat, but in my opinion they look totally wrong on the Rocket. I like the look on the Speed Triple but not on the Rocket.

If I'd wanted an underpowered tourer and wanted to invest in a totally new wardrobe, I could have purchased a Road King. But, I wanted a capable, long haul Tourer with a proper set of hard bags. I know a Standard Rocket can be equipped for touring but I personally don't care for a set of leather like saddlebags that look like they belong on a horse.

I too thought the lack of a tach would be an issue, but after a few thousand miles I don't miss it. After 20+ years of BMW ownership I find the Tourer to be great fun. It is comfortable, handles very well for its size, has a wonderful torque curve, and from what everyone tells me, is a very good looking motorcycle.

It's not a power cruiser like the Standard Rocket. What would be the purpose of introducing a new model just like the old model?

As to the Hardley wannabe comment, I don't consider myself to be any kind of wannabe. I purchase what I feel is the best tool for the job at hand. After considering the BMW LT and RT, the Honda Goldwing, the Victory Vision, and yes the Harley Road King and Road Glide, I chose the R3T as my long distance touring bike. So far I'm quite happy with the decision.

[Steve - Alafia]

Bought my R3T in January and love it -

First - the front brake on the bike you rode must have been off - mine grabs like vice grip

Second, the heel shifter is fantastic - makes shifting second nature - yes finding neutral is touch and go at first but for me at least that is true for every unfamiliar bike I have been on - and now finding it is no problem

As far as wind - it was not an issue for me (6' tall barefoot)

Range - for me 200 miles if I am sane with the throttle - but usually less in the real world because I cannot help but gun it once in a while no matter how hard I try not to - I have noticed that dramatic wrist twists can sometimes result in seeing the gas gauge dropping in real time; fast = gas I guess

As far as comparisons to the R3 standard - GPMAZ is right - it is simply a different bike - for me the power is more than enough to put the fear of God in my bones - the pucker factor is 10+ when I give it a full twist imho; yes a standard has more power but for me the cost and time to do all the add ons needed to make a standard into a hardbag tourer did not make sense overall for my budget and patience (probably my ride time on a standard is not long enough to be enamored with its power) - it is true that I noticed that the touring did handle better than the standard in slow tight turns - less fear of dropping the bike for me at least

Finally - as far as the road king - the next time I park next to a road king I will take a photo and post the side by side and let ya'll decide/comment - unless someone else beats me to it.

[Noumenon]

Hello again,

I would agree, it's a great machine for a long distance rides with the caveats I mentioned (windshield, and tank capacity).

I knew the front brake thing was just an adjustment. Keep in mind my history is with a 2000 955i. I typically use 95% front brake and drag the rear. Once I realized I needed to rely more on the rear all was good.

I'm glad to hear the range is better than what I had feared. I will add that I dragged the right peg/floor board during less than spirited riding but the Tourer is a quick handler so it was a reminder that I wasn't on my Daytona. :-)

I suppose I'll close with the fact that I was under whelmed by the performance from such a large displacement engine, but (there's always a but) I would sacrifice performance for range on a "Touring" bike. With a taller windshield and your posts regarding range I would recommend the bike to anyone.

I think people get intimidated by it's size, but really it handles like a dream. I always giggle when I see people ride off on one for the first time... big turns and wobbly steering.

Best wishes to you who own this newest line of the Rocket III. I envy you... I hope that I'll soon be joining your ranks!

Best regards,

ps. out of curiosity, can someone explain why the fuel gauge read empty until after I was moving?

pss. I'm riding from the East coast to Dallas at the end of the month. It's either going to be on my Daytona or a Rocket III... I have to say my reluctance on the Rocket III is the concern on reliability. I'm over 20,000 problem free miles on my Daytona and I don't think twice about 700 + mile trips on it. Based on this forum and others I'm left wondering if that would be the case on a Rocket which makes me sad. I love my motorcycle and this brand... I do not want feel otherwise...

[GPMAZ]

The fuel gauge is a very entertaining piece of equipment. Mine can take up to a mile after a fill-up to move. It can read close to empty with at least a gallon and a half left in the tank, and the 'miles to empty' reading can actually go up if you slow down.

Certainly not one of Triumph's engineering high points.

[KingOfFleece]

Being in the powersports industry for many years I can tell you that nobody seems to be able to figure out the fuel guage issue! It's NOT just Triumph.

[Xhonda/harleyman]

I took a look at the new Tourer when I bought my R3. The first thing that went through my head was "If I wanted a Road King I'd have bought a Road king." Granted it doesn't really compare on the technical side but it's clear what this bike is meant to do. That is to grab the Hardley wannabe's.

I don't like the single head light, flattened tank, they removed the tach to make tank-mounted speedo, Harley-like bags and sitting on it is like sitting on a horse on steroids! But ultimately, it just didn't feel like a Rocket...

The day I purchased my touring bike, I had already ridden and Ultra, Road King, Super Glide, Goldwing, and a standard rocket. The touring bike was hands down the best of the bunch. As I am 6'4" this bike is a dream as I quit riding for a few years when Honda discontinued the 1500 valkyrie. Harley's have basically been the same small bike for years and the cost of ownership is horrific. Harleys are almost like a second job or a live in mother in law. I am know sure what kind of breaks the guy up above requires but i was running 95 yesterday and avoided a deer with out squealing a tire. THis is absolutely the best bike so far I have owned, it only has about 1000 miles on it now as I have only had it 5 weeks.