How is the Rocket3 on the highway?

vtrider

Standard Bore
Joined
Aug 19, 2007
Messages
3
I have my sights on an 07 Rocket3 Classic Tourer and wanted to know how she rides on the highway/interstate.

What is a comfortable cruising speed? (Low RPM, low vibes). I like to cruise at about 80mph. Are there any additions to the bike that would make highway riding a more pleasant experience?

I plan on doing much more with the Rocket but this is the type of riding that I need to fill at this time.

Thanks for the help/info.

Bob.
 
You need to go test ride one. I have the standard Rocket and have been on several 2-4K mile trips with her and she handles it all just fine. 80 MPH is nothing and the Rocket is happy to cruise along at that speed, with PLENTY in reserve if you need to pass.

The Classic already comes outfitted with bags and shield. I would recommend the Triumph windshield lowers to keep air from coming up under the windshield. Also, if you've read around a bit, the rear tire lasts about 10K miles. Some people get less, and a few get a little more. Since there's not a Triumph dealer or a 240/50-16 rear tire on every corner, it's good to make sure you've got good rubber before a long trip.

I still have the stock rear shocks, but that is something I do want to upgrade and others will recommend this as the first change, I'm sure.
 
I have the Classic and love it on the Hwy. At 80 I'm turning about 3200rpm. You could easily cruse at 100mph with no problems except from the law
 
vtrider

I have found the R3 is very smooth till around 68 then you start to feel vibration and the faster you go the more vibration you feel but it is nothing compared to most bikes at that speed. Has anyone else noticed this?
I took an accidental 9.5 hour trip 2 up and was OK with it. I think mostly because it is so fun to drive.
 

Mine did this for the first 1000 miles then it just smoothed out and stays smooth to 100+ mph. I was not nice to my Rocket on break-in......and apparently it enjoyed the beating
 
I will say I didn't care for the stock grips after a while, they were just too hard, and I did feel some buzzing. I've switched to Kuryakyn grips now and am pretty happy.

There are smoother long distance rides than the Rocket. My Harley Road Glide was a smooth as glass, but.. it wasn't a Rocket. It was happy cruising at 80 also, but there wasn't a whole lot of reserve left..

Shoot, you may want to try out the new '08 Rocket III Touring. With a new frame, new suspension, etc, I bet it does have a really smooth ride..
 
Ridin' Down the Highway


I haven't been on extensive road trips and I have nothing to compare the Rocket to but ...

I find the ride quite comfortable and don't feel exhausted at the end of the day. I don't know what other bikes do, but I don't have noticable vibration. I can't imagine how Harley's feel but when I'm sitting next to them a lights, the whole HD bike shakes. I don't think it's possible for that vibration to go away when it's moving although it might not be felt.

I do, however, get enough wind noise to bother me. I am 6'2" and have the Roadster screen but still get wind noise. I don't feel buffeting but the enough of my helmet is in the air stream to get noise. If I slump down 2 - 4 inches, I get a fairly quite ride.

I'm 230 and push 420 when 2 up & luggage but 80 is **not** a problem. Steep hills (mountains) are not an issue for power.
 
When Joe, Scot in exile, HeR3tic and myself went to Nashville in July we easily did 80 - 90 mph on the interstate...ahem...occasionally more than that. The Rocket barely felt it. To Joe's credit he did keep up with us on his Harley but I have a feeling he was at his "limits". The good news was he took a test ride on a Rocket the next day and bought it/traded in his Harley. That was the good part of the day. Everything after the Bikini Bar left kind of a bad taste in our mouth for Nashville (or at least that part of it) when Joe's stuff on his cycle (Helmet, bag, etc...) was stolen while we were inside at Hooters. But he did get to do a nice night ride 30 miles west on I-40 (from our motel) to get a helmet at a local Walmart.
At least me and Dave got him back to the hotel (with no helmet) safely and without getting any notice from the law.
Dennis
 
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