Back In The Saddle.....well Pretty Soon...

[bill widrig]

hello all


looks like ive found the right forum board here..

little history about me,,

im 43 , and according to my wife im too loud ,,too fat,, and too grouchy..

that inspired me to start bike shoping again after 19yrs. of family raising.

thanks to my wife and a propensity for things with way more power than i can ever use,,,i discovered the rocket 3 roadster...

took the wife to look at one and she said it seems this motorcycle is my mechanical counter part so to speak..

I havent bought it yet, and heres why

although i started riding when i was but a kid, iv had very little seat time in the last 19 yrs..

some.. but not alot..all on borrowed bikes

anything from HDs to sport bikes to mx bikes

so my question is this...

although i desperatley want a rocket 3... all things considered ..how feesable is it for me to start riding again on a rocket..

im well aware of the power ..however i do fully understand how to excersize throttle control.

is the bike a complete beast and neither safe nor fun for a guy like me?

im looking forward to some good saddletime with my wife and kids and want a seriously kick ass bike,,but i want to keep it real as far as saftey and so on

is the bike pretty user friendly?

is there any forgiveness in that wicked tourque and HP curve???

sorry so long winded..just want good info..so i can enjoy the ride

thanks

 

[Watcher]

I'd say you would be fine just dont go tiring to show off right a way once ya get it moving it is a good bike just looks overwhelming welcome to the forum

 

[Maelstrom]

I agree with Watcher, don't go showing off on the Beast...without much experience on it, you are likely to embarrass yourself, not to mention get seriously injured or killed. See if you can test drive one and then be very conservative with the throttle. Although the bike is considerably heavy, it is pretty well balanced. But respect it and get a good feel for how it handles before trying any advanced riding. The Rocket likes the open road with straight runways. It hates city traffic, tedious stop-n-go due to stoplights, construction zones, or any obstacle which prevents it from stretching it's legs. All this tends to get it pretty hot, and your thighs will get the message. Consider where you would be riding the bike, (perhaps you should test drive on a regular route). Hairpin and blind curves can increase your pucker factor if taken too fast and/or too upright, I would suggest clocking quite a bit miles riding straightaways and mild curves before taking on twistys.

 

[torchie]

HI and welcome from Pensacola Fl. I just started riding the rocket a 08 classic that isn't stock and I have found that as long as you don't act the crazy man on the gas, it is well behaved. I have caused the wife worries when she was on the back but that was me playing, not the bike. If you take your time and learn the bike you won't have anything but fun. It is safe and very stable at speed. I have to be careful at low speed, but that is just my inexperience with large bikes. I don't want to look stupid dropping the bike. From your post I think the rocket will be a great bike for you, I love mine.

 

[idk]

It is quite controllable, BUT, (and it is a big but) you do need to ride it properly. Things like countersteering and brake control. I would highly recommend that you do the MSF (or similar) riding course to brush up on your skills and learn some new ones. I came to the Rocket in a similar manner and found that I learned a lot from the course, and it has been extrememly useful when riding the RIII. 128,000 miles (107k on the RIII) and seven years later I still practice what I learned every day.

 

[Jim/Maine]

Never having taken much of a "break" from riding and had and still having a Speedmaster, my wife bought me an R3R for my 60th B-Day. Being January in Maine it sat in my garage for 3 months before I had my first ride. It seemed to look bigger by the day sitting next to my Speedy. First ride, down a steep rutted dirt road and through lots of twisties and a few throttle rolls, all my apprehensions went away, smiled ear to ear, and could not wait to ride again the next day. I would say that the "beast" is quit well behaved but she is a big girl and it took me a while to get use to slow parking lot maneuvers. Honestly, from what you have said about yourself (and your wife) I think you would love it and it will not take you long to get comfortable on it.

 

[peter k]

Welcome bill from Australia all of the above advice sounds good to me .buy the bike mate you will enjoy iti never even test road mine .i just saw it ,75,000 km,s later not one regret

 

[Watsonian]

My story is much like yours and my first bike back in the saddle was my Rocket. Take the MSF course and spend some time in a parking lot doing slow speed maneuvers to get used to handling the bike at low speed. Throttle control is not an issue on the bike for me as much as the back brake is what is really scary on the bike. It locks up very easily and should be avoided other than for slow stops or lightly in conjunction with the front brake (this is where everyone that rides on the Darkside chimes in and states their preference for a car tire). Basically takes some getting used to and again some time in a confined area like a parking lot will let you get a good feel for it prior to getting it out and opening it up. Go for it if you are confident in your ability to ride.

Other big issue will be that you will want to spend your life savings on mods once you own it because it is always fun to go faster, be more comfortable and look good while doing it.

 

[CanberraR3]

It's easy to ride them fast; not so easy slow. You need a little time to get used to the back tyre and you never get fully used to the power. It's the weight that will cause you the headaches. That and all the hoop n' hollering' that goes on inside your helmet for quite some some.

 

[Douglas]

Welcome from Alaska! I hope my story will put you at ease. I bought my 2010 Roadster in April of this year and had many of the same trepidations as yourself...I am 55 and had not ridden an MC in about 30 years. I am completely sold on the Rocket and wish I had made this purchase 5 years ago. I will say that I took an ABATE course and found it very valuable and confidence inspiring-I rode my own bike (the rocket) during the course which garnered some looks from the other participants who chose to utilize ABATES little bikes. I then started out slowly and moved on quickly...going around my neighborhood in second gear for a few hours (folks didnt care for that-must have been the Jardines the bike came with) and then hit the freeway.

I dont agree with some here that its not a "city bike." That was one of my concerns as I wanted a bike I could ride to work each day as well as bounce around town visiting. With practice I found the R3 to be very stable and responsive at slow speeds-I found I really like zipping between lights, and you get a lot more of "What the hell is that?" around town than on the freeway. As for the heat issue, well, I'm from Alaska so I rather enjoy warming my hands at stoplights. I love this bike and cant' ever imagine being without it...I just always try to remember that at 120 MPH it weighs nothing, but at 3 MPH it weighs over 800 pds. -Doug