Hi from Moscow, Russia

[El Toro Rosso]

I agree. Rocket power seems forgiving. And the frame will do its best to help you keep it shiny side up.

I was amazed one time when I got into some trouble on a pre-abs R3T. The road was slick and down hill. The rear end came around like the back of a hook and ladder truck. I backed off both throttle and brakes, gripped the tank as hard as I could with my thighs and held the front to right it .... and it straightened right out. It did not want to go down.

 

[TURBO200R4]

welcome from arizona

 

[rocketjohn]

Yes, I got mine squirrely on a slick city road, it did a rear end ballet that would make Baryshnikov jealous, but stood right back up when proper throttle and braking were resumed. Very forgiving bike.

 

[Rick Morris]

Hello from Cape Cod. Buy the Rocket you will be extremely happy. I am not a big guy and I have never had an issue with my R3R. I have a summer place that is down a mile long dirt road, in the spring it gets pretty nasty and the only thing I am concerned with is getting my Rocket dirty. Seriously its a beast of a bike but easily tamed by the right riders.

By the way, let Putin know I appreciate all the help with our election over here.

 

[Mavreg]

The closer I get to the dream, the more "good samaritans" appear. More BMS GS pics sent to my Whatsup, more tricky arguments.
For one: you will never be able to fit Russian (i.e. European) bolts and nuts to R3, because (!) they use a different thread. Like Harley does.
Yes, because Triumph is British. I am not much of a tech guy, but as I understand it is about UNF and metric systems. Which one does R3 belong to?

They say if some part gets loose while on a long trip, I will never be able to fix it fast using standard European bolts - will need to order them from the UK. WTF?

 

[TriumPhil]

Okey dokey, then, Mav. Like somebody asked you before, how is it that you are so fluent in English?

You'll pardon my not providing you a proper greeting, yet, and for asking you that question, however many of us over here are not really feeling overly warm or fuzzy about your government or its leader. By the same token, more than half of all Americans are not feeling too crazy with the scenario over here, either, although it is hardly analogous to what's going on in Mother Russia.

Tell us a little more about yourself, if you will!

 

[Mavreg]

Come on, this forum is about bikes, not governments. I don't care about politics at all.
To answer your question: I am a lawyer, I work a lot with you guys, English speaking people and deal with documents written in English - this is why. I also travel a lot when I have time to.

Now tell me about the bolts and nuts, please.

 

[Rocket Scientist]

Most if not all the bolts on an R3 are metric. If Russia is on the metric system, you should be all set. I don't give a $hit about governments either. Let's talk bikes !

 

[TriumPhil]

Come on, this forum is about bikes, not governments. I don't care about politics at all.
To answer your question: I am a lawyer, I work a lot with you guys, English speaking people and deal with documents written in English - this is why. I also travel a lot when I have time to.

Now tell me about the bolts and nuts, please.

Fair enough - thanks for your answer. For starters, the nuts thread onto the bolts, not vice versa.

Regarding your initial concern(s), if you can maneuver a 1,000cc machine adequately, the R3 should not present any problems that you can't handle once you have learned and fully appreciated its performance envelop. You must take your time to familiarize yourself with this machine or it will eat you alive. I am a very aggressive rider with better than 50 years in the saddle and I did not feel fully comfortable with my R3 for several months. the giant brembo brake in the rear has caused more than a few newbies to stain their undergarments by virtue of their very aggressive stopping power when not properly applied. Therefore, you may be well advised to only purchase a Rocket equipped with ABS.

Those of us that have swapped out the OEM 150 front tire for a 140 (either to the Michelin Commander II or an Avon Cobra) immediately realized a huge improvement in overall handling, turn-in and tracking and low speed maneuvering. The bike literally will feel about 75+ kilos lighter and with better than stock rear shocks it is an enjoyably flickable beast, that is much more responsive to the rider's input. On non-ABS equipped R IIIs, you can go down to a 130 for an even more feather-light feel. IMO, unless you don't mind the front end getting squirelly (i.e., dancing around relatively easy when you really get on it hard) the 140 front tire paired with the Bridgestone Exedra Max 255 on the rear is the best combo for both performance and safety.

By the way, друг, at least half of my lineage is Russian - from Kiev and St.Petersburg. I just like to know who I'm conversing with a bit more than many.

 

[Mavreg]

Thanks. Good to know!