Arizona , still looking

Hey everybody, I've been browsing the pages here for the last month or so due to an injury keeping me in bed. I am not an owner YET, but my old lady gave me the go ahead so with a little planning/research and help from the community here I know I can join the club. I originally was looking at a Diavel but was worried about ride comfort and seating position due to an old back injury(t12) . My biggest fears are the infamous Paint can rattling or mechanical issues when buying used. It's the pre 2010 models with the issues so my question is should I only shop 2010+ or can I get a first generation up to spec? I love tinkering and am mechanically inclined so a little wrenching doesn't worry me too much.
I could really use some knowledge and your expertise on the bike and what to look for when buying used as I have no experience with inline shaft engines . I know to look at the bottom of the engine for oil , leave it cold so I can start it , but only just basics . Almost everyone here seemed knowledgeable or at least friendly so I'm excited to meet some guys with a similar interest.

If you read through recent posts, you'll see 2012+ models having gears explode as well. No years are really exempt.

Thing about forums is you see issues more concentrated than out in the world. Many riders go years and tens of thousands of miles with no trouble. You just have to accept that something could go wrong with any bike, and not worry about things that haven't happened.

The great thing is there's nearly nothing that hasn't been seen before, and there's endless help here on the forum to get you up and riding again should anything go wrong.

Thanks for the advice. I figure no bike is exempt, nature of the beast in some ways , I had heard there was an issue (cams or cam chains?)that had been worked out on a soft reboot in 2010 and didn't know if this was entirely accurate.

Welcome, d@mn wish I had thought about joining the page before I bought. Oh well my heart was set on it anyway.

You are going to hear from people here having issues because this is the place to help make things right.

Also remember there are those on here taking this bike to it's limits so.........you know.

Anyway my bike has been trouble free for the last 483 miles so I don't see the issue. Oh ya it only has 483 miles. 500 mile service is June 1st.

Welcome from Florida hope you find an R3 to your liking

I was on my phone before, now I can type a bit more…

There were indeed some early flaws that were fixed after the first few years. Some of the bikes that had problems were improved by installing what they called the Update Kit. Among other things it included a new cam chain sprocket and sprocket key, updated 2nd gear and a couple other transmission parts, and a few other items. If you were looking at old models, you could get the VIN and check with a dealer if the kit was ever installed.

But again, many people have ridden tens of thousands of miles on the old bikes without the kit installed. That said, why take the risk if you're not eager to tear into the engine if something breaks. 2010+ is no guarantee of a problem-free bike, but at least you're avoiding known early flaws. Then again, if your budget was only $4k, buy an early model and ride the hell out of it until something breaks, which may never happen! There are just a lot of variables depending on what you want.

As far as what to look for when buying used… I just don't know if I have a very good answer. Others may come along with better specifics, and for sure the more searching and reading you do on the forum before buying, the better educated you'll be. But when I think about what I would look for if I were checking another Rocket to buy right now… other than the obvious of checking for leaks not just underneath but all around, including the final drive/bevel box… it's difficult to say if you don't already know the R3's. They tend to make strange sounds and shift with a clunk. There have been many discussions over the years of people worried about a sound or feel and everyone else replies… that's normal.

So, short of having a dealer check it out or getting someone from the forum who lives nearby to take a look… I think you really just go with appearance, VIN history from a dealer, any maintenance records, and the vibe you get from the seller. It's like buying a used house. If you check out the basics you won't go too far wrong and will have something workable, but you'll be finding clues and quirks about its past for as long as you own it.

Also if you haven't, take a look at the forum classifieds. I can think of a handful of bikes for sale right now from experienced forum members, in a range of years and prices.

welcome from arizona
when u get the time u might put your location (city state) in your avatar
if i was buying i would have an r3 rider get after it in second gear to make sure it is alright.
good luck with your purchase.

Oh and I almost forgot… Welcome From Montana!

Welcome, just buy the one you like. We'll help with any problems. My 05 has bout 40,000 & I just mod it, maintain it, ride da shyt outa it

Welcome Sterling from Maine! Yup like any other machine, there can be issues, but believe me the folks on the forum are number ONE! They will help you with what ever. They get off track occasionally, ok a lot! but they get it done in the end. I've only had mine on the road for about 6 weeks now, already 1500 miles, lots of rain here this spring. Good luck finding you lady, she'll be a joy,,

Hoopla