How long.......do you keep your ride?

i was just thinking the other day of all the bikes I've owned over the years and for one reason or another I either sold them or traded up. Now that I own a Rocket I find that I have no desire to own any other machine. Don't get me wrong I would love to have a stable full of different machines but in the end I'm very happy with what this machine has to offer.

On a more technical side of the conversation, the three cylinder engine.....with normal maintenance how long do you figure this engine should last? I understand that there are a lot of variables and factors to this question...how you ride, how you maintain the engine...etc. I'm just curious on the concensus. if I put on 20 to 25k per year...after about 8 years I'm looking at having over 100k on the bike. My cars I usually run them up to about 200 to 300km on them before I consider replacement. Even then I replace them because of the majority of other parts that start to fail...not the engine. Anyone out there with over 200k on a rocket? Unlike a car, there is a lot less to go wrong with a bike, is there any reason the Rocket couldn't be one of those machines that just keep going and going, year after year?

Just a thought.

Owned my RIII since January 2009 .. never owned a bike this long. Always found some newer model I 'needed to have' and traded what I was riding .. hasn't happened with my Rocket.

I've been changing bikes every 2 years or so. I'm on my 2nd Rocket now and plan to hold on for it a few years.

Coming up to 5 years. I'd really like to have another bike but can't bring myself to have it as a replacement for the Rocket. It will have to be an addition to the Rocket and Street Triple. So far I can't get it through Cabinet but we're very close to being in surplus so you never know. Got my eye on a Thruxton and/or a Scrambler (and a Tiger or 2 as well as .......)

Dawg68 said:

i was just thinking the other day of all the bikes I've owned over the years and for one reason or another I either sold them or traded up. Now that I own a Rocket I find that I have no desire to own any other machine. Don't get me wrong I would love to have a stable full of different machines but in the end I'm very happy with what this machine has to offer.

On a more technical side of the conversation, the three cylinder engine.....with normal maintenance how long do you figure this engine should last? I understand that there are a lot of variables and factors to this question...how you ride, how you maintain the engine...etc. I'm just curious on the concensus. if I put on 20 to 25k per year...after about 8 years I'm looking at having over 100k on the bike. My cars I usually run them up to about 200 to 300km on them before I consider replacement. Even then I replace them because of the majority of other parts that start to fail...not the engine. Anyone out there with over 200k on a rocket? Unlike a car, there is a lot less to go wrong with a bike, is there any reason the Rocket couldn't be one of those machines that just keep going and going, year after year?

Just a thought.

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Although I've only owned 3, this basically sums it up for me. I think it's the uniqueness and the power, among other things, that I wouldn't want to surrender. And, being King of the hill is pleasing as well. I'd love to have another bike as well, but after I get it my Rocket Carpenterized.

Dawg, you are a mean fellow asking a question like that. I say that becasue just last week one of my sons asked if I was ready to pass the beast off to him. I thought he was joking at first then he remionded me how often I ahd replaced bikes in the past. As my tag line says, this one is number 28. I told him to bark up a different tree cause this bike is staying.

I have kept bikes from 9 months (My '82 Sportster and a few odd Hondas) to 8 years,(my '78 Honda 500; **** good dirt bike)

CanberraR3 said:

Coming up to 5 years. I'd really like to have another bike but can't bring myself to have it as a replacement for the Rocket. It will have to be an addition to the Rocket and Street Triple. So far I can't get it through Cabinet but we're very close to being in surplus so you never know. Got my eye on a Thruxton and/or a Scrambler (and a Tiger or 2 as well as .......)

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yeah i want a thruxton i like the old school look of them and yes it would be an addition not a replacement

I'm going on ten years with my 05 and fourteen years with my RK.. my plan is to hit 100K on the Harley and maybe put a new engine in it. As much as i love the Rocket i'll run it till it dies. The pros and cons of owning a Rocket...Cons dealers are few and far between in my area,parts take forever to get and service machanics that know how to work on them leave a lot to be desired. Pros probably the most fun i've had on a bike and if it shyts the bed i know i can pick up one in good condition for under $8K in my neighborhood..

I only have 117k on my bike, or 1bout 189k kilometers, so not quite to 200k. If I ever think of getting rid of it I'll let you know.

I always keep my bikes until something I like better comes along. With some bikes coming out of nowhere like the new supercharged Kawasaki 1000 you never know when something that speaks to you more than the Rocket will come along. So far I see nothing that I like better....or even close to the Rocket.