Now owing Rocket 3, how do you tolerate other bikes? What would your next bike be?

Si3RBlack said:

If I had to get another I would go the other way and get a Honda SP2 VTR1000. That's another dream bike.

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For sure!

OldBiker72 said:

I have a "tuned" Gen 3 Super Duke R as well. It smokes the Rocket in each and every gear! It is 190+ hp with also very high torque and it weighs nothing! Only issue is to keep the KTM's front wheel near as possible to the ground till fourth gear. The Rocket is way too heavy and clumsy.... After two hours of spirited riding the Rocket I feel it!

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IDK if mine qualifies as tuned, but I did swap out the blinkers for sequential leds so I could get the full akra exhaust with the akra map. My gen 1 with a bodis, sas delete & akra map tapered off around 145 mph while this 22evo is still pulling like an angry beast at an indicated 160 mph. (Zumo xt mph is within 1 mph of my escort max mk2.) That said

A stock 2500cc Triumph Rocket 3 can complete a quarter-mile in about 10.5 to 10.7 seconds at over 126 mph.
The 2022 KTM 1290 Super Duke R Evo achieves a quarter-mile time of 10.59 seconds at 139.08 mph
A standard 2022 Super Duke R can achieve a quarter-mile time of 10.21 seconds at 144 mph. All ai generated

So there really isn't anything in it. The added weight of the R3 helps traction at launch while the lighter weight helps the sdr on the top end.

steve59 said:

IDK if mine qualifies as tuned, but I did swap out the blinkers for sequential leds so I could get the full akra exhaust with the akra map. My gen 1 with a bodis, sas delete & akra map tapered off around 145 mph while this 22evo is still pulling like an angry beast at an indicated 160 mph. (Zumo xt mph is within 1 mph of my escort max mk2.) That said

A stock 2500cc Triumph Rocket 3 can complete a quarter-mile in about 10.5 to 10.7 seconds at over 126 mph.
The 2022 KTM 1290 Super Duke R Evo achieves a quarter-mile time of 10.59 seconds at 139.08 mph
A standard 2022 Super Duke R can achieve a quarter-mile time of 10.21 seconds at 144 mph. All ai generated

So there really isn't anything in it. The added weight of the R3 helps traction at launch while the lighter weight helps the sdr on the top end.

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The weight of the rocket is certainly considerable compared to the SD. For me ,the rocket is going to be a comfortable (hopefully) mile muncher for long highway rides. I've been doing all I can to make it that way. That's where I hope it "outperforms" the KTM. When I jump on my 1290 after the rocket, it feels like a feather. So fun to throw around in the turns. The first long trip next summer will tell the tale. I've done all I can think of to dump weight off the rocket.

rick danger said:

The weight of the rocket is certainly considerable compared to the SD. For me ,the rocket is going to be a comfortable (hopefully) mile muncher for long highway rides. I've been doing all I can to make it that way. That's where I hope it "outperforms" the KTM. When I jump on my 1290 after the rocket, it feels like a feather. So fun to throw around in the turns. The first long trip next summer will tell the tale. I've done all I can think of to dump weight off the rocket.

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Not much one can do about the weight of the Rocket... For its size and weight it does rather well. I took mine through some twisties today and I could push it right down in left and right corners till where the bikes starts to tell you it is getting nervous (not something old "uncles" should be doing anymore!).... The SDR is a delight to ride with its low weight, high torque and excellent WP suspension. I dropped a tooth in front and added 2 at the rear making it the king of the twisties! Enjoy both your beasts and ride safe!!

atomsplitter said:

If you'll note A1A I have 6 bikes in my garage. The Rocket is NOT the fastest or lightest, that belongs to my Speed Triple RS: It dyno'd at 150 RWHP and weighs 437 pounds.

For just taking the mail down to the post office and cruising around town, it's hard to beat my Bonneville Bobber with all its suspension upgrades:

If I'm headed out of town and doing a highway drone for hours on end or doing 2-up duty, my Thunderbird Storm is just the ticket:

For blasting around the suburbs and being a general nuisance the Thruxton R in SPORT mode is just the ticket:

And for those days I just want a light weight easy handling fun ride with adequate everything it's the T-120:

The only drawback to this is how crowded my garage is:

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Please tell us more about the Speed Triple RS. Looks very interesting to me.

Like women, they're all different and they're all good, I love em all.

My next bike will be a used goldwing so my wife can go for rides longer than an hour at a time and be comfortable. I've had a couple goldwings in the past (77 and 84) and really enjoy them once I cut the exhaust on them.

I notice now though, riding other bikes I really notice the lack of torque. My dad has a new indian sport chief with what ever size there "big" engine is supoost to be and it just feels mediocre. Its fun but its just not the same.

I have a 93 honda 750 Night Hawk I'm about to rebuild the carbs on and get it going again. Its been probably 6 years since riding it. It will be interesting to see how it feels. I know back when it was going it was a pretty fun bike, it certainly is a ton lighter than the rocket. Everytime I have to move it around the garage it reminds me just how heavy the rocket really is even though the rockets weight is really well ballanced.

Idaho Red Rocket 3 said:

Please tell us more about the Speed Triple RS. Looks very interesting to me.

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I bought it when I was trying for a garage full of 1200's. Also in response to my son-in-law (Tom) leaving me in the weeds on his 1050 Speed Triple during Sunday rides on my Bonneville engined bikes. He can't run away from me now on either my S3 or Rocket. The difference between the two is the delta between a meat cleaver and a surgical scalpel. They both cut meat, one is just better at precision and efficiency. I was out last weekend with Tom and my brother Patrick for a ride. Pat was on my Rocket and I was on the Speed Triple, Pat had no problem keeping up, he was impressed with how much better my GT is than his old 08 Classic was. He also had no issue with keeping up with Tom's pace, even when he got all frisky in the tight twisty stuff. Pat's comment was he thought my Rocket felt like a sport bike compared to the juggernaut ride of the old Rockets. He really really needs to ride my Speed Triple above 6K RPM just once to know what a 'sport bike' really feels like. The immediacy of the power is breathtaking when the bike doesn't have to overcome mass. The only reason the front wheel doesn't head for the stratosphere every time I ride it is because the traction control system is on. Don't get me wrong, I have wheelied it, just not on purpose (OK maybe once). The steering is razor sharp and braking is super crisp. Again the less mass you try to stop, the easier it is. The braking is a combined braking system, the front lever pressure will activate the rear brake thru the brake ABS ECU when wheel speed and brake pressure are above certain limits. This feature also includes a separate rear brake option by simply using the rear brake pedal. In track mode the braking can be separated so each one is independent. The front brake lever has a travel adjuster for piston compression: The after-market levers I installed also include that feature, 19 to 21mm of throw as well as adjustable distance to the bar: It adjusts how hard the braking is, the longer the pull the 'softer' the braking. The really impressive piece is its seat; it weighs nothing and is the comfiest of all my bikes. (wide seat for a wide butt is a winner)


I replaced a lot of the cheap plastic with carbon fiber to keep it light and improve the aesthetics of the bike:





I removed the passenger pegs and had to buy a bracket to hold the exhaust so the bike is now a solo ride. I replaced the rear passenger seat with a hard cowl. I also replaced the rear sprocket hardware with lightweight aluminum pieces: Torque specs only require 29 NM for the original hardware.



Riding position is fairly comfortable even with my bad knees. I do point my toes down to keep enough blood flow so I don't have to straighten my legs out every few minutes (getting old sucks out loud). I've spent a couple hours riding it and my legs and knees are then only parts that complain. Seating is pretty upright so not a lot of pressure on the wrists. Overall it's just a lot of fun for blasting around the neighborhood and short trips (been to Forestburg on it). For all day comfort the Rocket (and Thunderbird) are better options.

A1A Rider said:

Being one of the lucky few with that absurd low-end torque, how do you tolerate bikes?
Is there any bike out there that could actually eclipse the Rocket in your eyes, what will be your next bike?

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I fancy the Triumph Bobber.

Steff said:

I fancy the Triumph Bobber.

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I have one. It's my favorite hop and go bike in the garage. The low low seat and easy steering are a real asset. When I bought it the engine was very punchy down low so I put a booster plug in to add some fuel above idle and that cured the engine jerks at take-off. It has limited cornering clearance so scraping the 'bank angle' feelers happens sooner than you want. Power is good if not overwhelming. The suspension is total crap. Non adjustable rear shock and under-sprung forks make for a jarring jolting, spine crushing ride until you upgrade it. I went with an Ohlins TR-729 rear shock and Matris full emulators with 10NM/MM springs in the front. Cured the harsh ride and now plush as the Rocket with lots of preload dialed up on the rear shock. There's only 3 inches of swingarm travel so the less static sag the better. The Vance and Hines exhaust makes a beautiful note especially when honking hard on the fun grip. Forward controls were a must because the mids were wadding my blubber buns too much. Had them powder coated before installation because I wanted to keep the blackout look. The wind pressure on my chest made my arms tired at highway speed so a Dart fly screen solved that and the custom Tom Hurley seat completed the comfort upgrade and now it's a day long pleasure to ride: