Hello rocketeers!
I figured this would probably be a great place to pose some questions to experienced riders of the beast! I was looking at a R3 a few years ago as the bike I will eventually want to ride (only been riding for a couple years now) and own. I currently own a Yamaha bolt and love it to death.
However, I went to the Chicago bike show this past winter and they had the R3 roadster on the floor. I could spot it from a mile a way and my jaw hit the floor as this was the first time actually seeing it in person. I immediately shimmied over and sat on the bike and wanted to drive it home in the snow storm.
I have a few questions about purchasing/riding I was hoping you good folks could help me out with.
1. Price. What should I shoot for as a purchase price? MSRP in the states for 2014 is listed at $14,999 which I couldn't believe. So much bike for so little.. If I could get it out the door with dealer fees included to be 11.5-13.00, I think that would be awesome but I don't know if that is possible haha.
2. Insurance. Now I am under 25, not married and I called to get a quote from my current insurance provider (progressive) and they quoted me $146/ month which seemed insane to me. Granted I don't have a VIN# for them to run but I still felt as if this was very very high. Is this what should be expected?
3. Comfort. The seat was incredibly comfortable on the R3 but I am more concerned about the peg position. The bolt has a very similar riding position with your feet almost directly below you. While it is nice for handling, I find it to be a little uncomfortable for longer rides. Anyone able to comment on trip distance as to when you need to pull over and take a break?
4. Sound. The sound of the stock pipes are a little soft for me. Now the pipe I have on my bike is very loud, I am a fan of louder pipes, it doesn't have to be obnoxious but I typically like it for highway riding as I can see people turn and attempt to see where I am coming from. How does the stock pipe sound at high speeds? It sounds like the engine makes more noise than the actual pipe itself. I saw the TOR pipes around the net and they sound great, but wasn't able to find too much purchase info.
If I come up with more questions I will edit the post but I figured I'd try and get some info. Closest triumph dealer is about 45 minutes from me inside a Harley dealer so I plan on scheduling a test drive soon and see how it feels to actually ride.
Thanks again for all the help and I hope to be posting soon as a new owner!
I figured I'd throw a picture of my bolt in for kicks.
-Anthony