Grmblz
It is what it is.
Hi Guys, 5 yrs without wheels (my 1100 Virago died) house reno's etc but the itch finally got me, was looking at VTX 1800's but a R-111-T came up, ashamed to say I'd never heard of them, well not exactly true, I knew of the Rocket three, it was made by BSA, and the Triumph version was the Trident, I was a bit confused to say the least, anyway much Googling later and I learned the Rocket was now a Triumph bike and the T was a detuned version of the others, 30% less power but a bit more max torque at 500 lower rev's, sweet, just the job for an old fart, my days of Hailwood replica Dukes, Z900's are long gone, fond memories of a 750 T3 Guzzi (inline crank) came flooding back, so organised a trip to see the bike, Christ it's big Mutha, nothing you read really prepares you for it, I had a Heritage springer in the 90's and thought that was large, 5yrs out of the saddle and there's this guy handing me the keys to a Mack truck, honestly if I hadn't been 3hrs from home I think I might have bailed (run away) very carefully I got it rolling, WOW! 4 or 5k's (2 or 3 mph) and feet up, this thing is Balanced! and I don't know how they've done it but none of the longitudinal reaction you get with Guzzi's/Beemers etc, cool!, did a couple of laps of the industrial estate and paid the money, riding home with wife in tow, she gave me a lift there just in case I bought it I was grinnin, half way home and we hit the Clyde mountain (going down) Aussies in SE Aus will know it, for anyone else think Ducati country (no offence meant to any sport bikers) long sweepers interspersed with hairpins, going UP! no prob, coming down on a behemoth was intimidating to say the least (remember I've been on this thing 1 1/2hrs after a 5yr lay off) well it's true, you never forget, half way down the mountain a pair of car boy racers came screaming past, WHY! is it that I can sit in a performance car at 5k's under the speed limit all day long, but my wrist and right foot obviously answer to different parts of my brain, just couldn't help myself, every brain cell in my head was screaming 90k's IT'S THE LIMIT! AND! you're on a ten ton cruiser going DOWN! hill, well I managed to stay with them, not on the tight stuff obviously but the sweepers were sort of ok, and the straights is where I made up the deficit, **** I hadn't actually opened this thing up before this, bloody hell it's got some grunt.
A bit of history: when we retired my wife wanted a little convertible sports car, I'm an ex mechanic (not a fitter!) and looked around, in Aus we're a bit bit limited with convertibles but I settled on a BMW 123D, pretty rare here but I found one, a quick ECU flash, a "throttle box" and I had my "track car" ask the Mustang drivers at Sandown track day how they felt about being thrashed by a "diesel" ROFL (they thought it was hilarious until they came second)
To continue: Yes my beloved was in her little Beemer (ECU flashed to sport not track, but still stupidly quick) and a quick glance in my mirrors showed her doggedly hanging on, I suspect like me her lack of cornering skill, my ability was more than made up for by straight line grunt, next glance a left hand indicator flashing (pulling over for the US) SHIV! Oh well stuff happens, anchors on, find a pull over spot thinking "what light has come up on the dash" Weeeell by the time I stopped there were blue lights behind her, long story short, he didn't get a radar read on me but of the three cars involved, the 2 I was behind and her behind me she was the quickest @ 159 kph, I know some will think it's wrong but when your 67 yr old wife turns in a performance like that I know I made the right choice for me. Yes it's instant loss of license so I'm now her chauffeur.
Just thought I'd share my rather unique experience of buying a "slow/detuned Touring Rocket" I'm aware the T is a tiny percentage of Rockets out there, why the heck you would need more grunt is beyond me, outside of a drag strip, but to each their own.
PS: My initial choice was a Ducati, man I loved mine (Hailwood rep #153 of 200 hand built) the wife said "sure go for it, and HOW long do you think you will have your license for. The irony is she's lost hers keeping up with a Rocket ROFL.
Stay safe people, I hope my little story has raised a smile rather than a frown
A bit of history: when we retired my wife wanted a little convertible sports car, I'm an ex mechanic (not a fitter!) and looked around, in Aus we're a bit bit limited with convertibles but I settled on a BMW 123D, pretty rare here but I found one, a quick ECU flash, a "throttle box" and I had my "track car" ask the Mustang drivers at Sandown track day how they felt about being thrashed by a "diesel" ROFL (they thought it was hilarious until they came second)
To continue: Yes my beloved was in her little Beemer (ECU flashed to sport not track, but still stupidly quick) and a quick glance in my mirrors showed her doggedly hanging on, I suspect like me her lack of cornering skill, my ability was more than made up for by straight line grunt, next glance a left hand indicator flashing (pulling over for the US) SHIV! Oh well stuff happens, anchors on, find a pull over spot thinking "what light has come up on the dash" Weeeell by the time I stopped there were blue lights behind her, long story short, he didn't get a radar read on me but of the three cars involved, the 2 I was behind and her behind me she was the quickest @ 159 kph, I know some will think it's wrong but when your 67 yr old wife turns in a performance like that I know I made the right choice for me. Yes it's instant loss of license so I'm now her chauffeur.
Just thought I'd share my rather unique experience of buying a "slow/detuned Touring Rocket" I'm aware the T is a tiny percentage of Rockets out there, why the heck you would need more grunt is beyond me, outside of a drag strip, but to each their own.
PS: My initial choice was a Ducati, man I loved mine (Hailwood rep #153 of 200 hand built) the wife said "sure go for it, and HOW long do you think you will have your license for. The irony is she's lost hers keeping up with a Rocket ROFL.
Stay safe people, I hope my little story has raised a smile rather than a frown