Canceled my 2020 R3 TFC and .....

Lamonster

#Rocket3Lovers
Joined
Jan 7, 2020
Messages
260
Location
Nixa, MO
Ride
2020 R3 GT
Went for the GT.

When the R3 TFC first hit the internet it was love at first sight. Being a BIG bike cruiser guy I loved the power numbers I was hearing but what I really liked was the looks of this bike. It reminded me of my M109R and that was one of my favorite all time rides. A few days after reading everything I could about the bike I went and dropped a $1000 deposit on it not know when it would show up or how much the total cost would be. I did figure it was going to be $25K to $30K and I was good with that for a limited production bike.

I figured there would be some new models coming out at some point based on this platform but I didn't figure that would be till mid season. For sure I figured the TFC's would be the first to hit the streets to give us a little bragging rights and to help stir some interest. Back then there were no other options and if there had been I would have looked real hard at the GT instead of the TFC. My problem is I have a hard time leaving anything stock and to have a bike that I really couldn't mod like I do all my other rides was going to be really hard but I was willing to try seeing there were no other options then.

Fast forward a few months and we see that there are two new platforms in the mix and they are much cheaper with about 20hp less and no carbon bits. What they did have is options. I really like the forward controls of the GT and I fell in love with the silver paint scheme. The fact that it's going to save me around 8K is a plus too. I'm sure I could get that 20hp back and then some with that kind of savings and I can mod this bike without worrying about effecting the stock value. Not a huge fan of carbon fiber anyway so I won't be missing that.

I will say what I love about this bike most is all the ride reports. Most of my bikes handled okay but none of them handled great. My Valkyrie and 109 handled the best of all of them but this R3 is made to handle. The reviews from real riders that have spent a lot of saddle time on great handling bikes were impressed and that says a lot about this bike. I can't wait to drag a peg.

So a dealer about 3 hours away has the bike I want and if my dealer can't make a local one happen pretty soon I'm going to pull the trigger on the one north of me on Tuesday. I think Triumph marketing could have done a better job of the release of this bike and they should have taken care of the guys that put down cash without seeing the bike or knowing the price. I'm not sure if I'm the only guy that feels that way but it is a bad first impression for a first time Triumph owner. I'm sure once I have one between my legs I'll forget all about it. Here's to a great 2020 riding season.
 
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I went from a M109 to a R3 Roadster. If you thought the M109 handled well you won't be disappointed. My Roadster handles much better than the M109, and the power was way above the big VTwin. This new release is supposed to be more powerful and handle better. You'll have a Rocket owner's permagrin from the first twist of the throttle.
 
Congrats Lamonster.... Glad you got at least one of the new models. Expect lots of pics and a detailed comparison of the new Rocket to your former rides. Much appreciated.

Have fun.
I have a bunch of mods I'm dreaming of doing already. That's how it was with my 9. If you're on Facebook you can see the pics of it here.
Lamont Bryden
 
Went for the GT.

I think Triumph marketing could have done a better job of the release of this bike and they should have taken care of the guys that put down cash without seeing the bike or knowing the price. I'm not sure if I'm the only guy that feels that way but it is a bad first impression for a first time Triumph owner. I'm sure once I have one between my legs I'll forget all about it. Here's to a great 2020 riding season.
Nor to be obtuse but you put down money on a TFC and then pulled that money from a deposit made. That was not the original deal you made with them so why should they be extra considerate of you? Honestly is it a company and it has no feelings for any of us. Congrats on the new bike and it looks like you may have made the best decision for yourself.
 
Nor to be obtuse but you put down money on a TFC and then pulled that money from a deposit made. That was not the original deal you made with them so why should they be extra considerate of you? Honestly is it a company and it has no feelings for any of us. Congrats on the new bike and it looks like you may have made the best decision for yourself.
Not sure what you're saying but I put $1000 down as a place holder. It was NOT a nonrefundable deposit. If the bike turned out to be $100K should I still buy it because I had a place in line? This was Feb. of last year.
My understanding is there is at least 100 guys waiting for guys like me to drop out so they won't be sitting on the bike long. I'm even willing for them to hold my deposit till the bike sells. It's not about the money as much as it is about the timing.
 
Went for the GT.

When the R3 TFC first hit the internet it was love at first sight. Being a BIG bike cruiser guy I loved the power numbers I was hearing but what I really liked was the looks of this bike. It reminded me of my M109R and that was one of my favorite all time rides. A few days after reading everything I could about the bike I went and dropped a $1000 deposit on it not know when it would show up or how much the total cost would be. I did figure it was going to be $25K to $30K and I was good with that for a limited production bike.

I figured there would be some new models coming out at some point based on this platform but I didn't figure that would be till mid season. For sure I figured the TFC's would be the first to hit the streets to give us a little bragging rights and to help stir some interest. Back then there were no other options and if there had been I would have looked real hard at the GT instead of the TFC. My problem is I have a hard time leaving anything stock and to have a bike that I really couldn't mod like I do all my other rides was going to be really hard but I was willing to try seeing there were no other options then.

Fast forward a few months and we see that there are two new platforms in the mix and they are much cheaper with about 20hp less and no carbon bits. What they did have is options. I really like the forward controls of the GT and I fell in love with the silver paint scheme. The fact that it's going to save me around 8K is a plus too. I'm sure I could get that 20hp back and then some with that kind of savings and I can mod this bike without worrying about effecting the stock value. Not a huge fan of carbon fiber anyway so I won't be missing that.

I will say what I love about this bike most is all the ride reports. Most of my bikes handled okay but none of them handled great. My Valkyrie and 109 handled the best of all of them but this R3 is made to handle. The reviews from real riders that have spent a lot of saddle time on great handling bikes were impressed and that says a lot about this bike. I can't wait to drag a peg.

So a dealer about 3 hours away has the bike I want and if my dealer can't make a local one happen pretty soon I'm going to pull the trigger on the one north of me on Tuesday. I think Triumph marketing could have done a better job of the release of this bike and they should have taken care of the guys that put down cash without seeing the bike or knowing the price. I'm not sure if I'm the only guy that feels that way but it is a bad first impression for a first time Triumph owner. I'm sure once I have one between my legs I'll forget all about it. Here's to a great 2020 riding season.

My local dealer has a silver GT. Went and looked and was suprised how much I liked it. The foot controls location are very similar to my 09 classic and fit my 29'' inseam well. Handlebars are slighty less pulled back than on the classic. Seat height and width felt a little lower than mine even though I lowered the classic some with progressive shocks. Balance seemed good. Not top heavy,but slightly higher center of gravity compared to the classic. Sorry no test ride due to the 3'' of fresh snow.
 
Not sure what you're saying but I put $1000 down as a place holder. It was NOT a nonrefundable deposit. If the bike turned out to be $100K should I still buy it because I had a place in line? This was Feb. of last year.
My understanding is there is at least 100 guys waiting for guys like me to drop out so they won't be sitting on the bike long. I'm even willing for them to hold my deposit till the bike sells. It's not about the money as much as it is about the timing.
Believe me I understand. I told my dealer and the rep that it was be coming anticlimactic after the long wait and now additional delays. Being early giving a deposit before the regular run was announced and thinking you would be getting a great bike early and being on the front end of the new craze was cool but that has evaporated.

I’m sure I’ll enjoy it but it has become a little disappointing. The most important thing is that you are happy with your purchase.
 
What are you looking at for accessories?

I’ve started with
1. Bluetooth connectivity - Impressive addition only played around with the turn by turn navigation. The my Triumph app takes care of this.
Will be nice to check out the go pro, phone and music this spring.
2. Luggage rack - small and doesn’t take away from the look of the bike
3. Panniers - the mounting brackets are on back order
4. Knee pads - also on back order






Went for the GT.

When the R3 TFC first hit the internet it was love at first sight. Being a BIG bike cruiser guy I loved the power numbers I was hearing but what I really liked was the looks of this bike. It reminded me of my M109R and that was one of my favorite all time rides. A few days after reading everything I could about the bike I went and dropped a $1000 deposit on it not know when it would show up or how much the total cost would be. I did figure it was going to be $25K to $30K and I was good with that for a limited production bike.

I figured there would be some new models coming out at some point based on this platform but I didn't figure that would be till mid season. For sure I figured the TFC's would be the first to hit the streets to give us a little bragging rights and to help stir some interest. Back then there were no other options and if there had been I would have looked real hard at the GT instead of the TFC. My problem is I have a hard time leaving anything stock and to have a bike that I really couldn't mod like I do all my other rides was going to be really hard but I was willing to try seeing there were no other options then.

Fast forward a few months and we see that there are two new platforms in the mix and they are much cheaper with about 20hp less and no carbon bits. What they did have is options. I really like the forward controls of the GT and I fell in love with the silver paint scheme. The fact that it's going to save me around 8K is a plus too. I'm sure I could get that 20hp back and then some with that kind of savings and I can mod this bike without worrying about effecting the stock value. Not a huge fan of carbon fiber anyway so I won't be missing that.

I will say what I love about this bike most is all the ride reports. Most of my bikes handled okay but none of them handled great. My Valkyrie and 109 handled the best of all of them but this R3 is made to handle. The reviews from real riders that have spent a lot of saddle time on great handling bikes were impressed and that says a lot about this bike. I can't wait to drag a peg.

So a dealer about 3 hours away has the bike I want and if my dealer can't make a local one happen pretty soon I'm going to pull the trigger on the one north of me on Tuesday. I think Triumph marketing could have done a better job of the release of this bike and they should have taken care of the guys that put down cash without seeing the bike or knowing the price. I'm not sure if I'm the only guy that feels that way but it is a bad first impression for a first time Triumph owner. I'm sure once I have one between my legs I'll forget all about it. Here's to a great 2020 riding season.
 
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