Observations From a New Owner

Been lusting for a Rocket 3 Touring for the last couple years. Found a 2013 with lots of bells and whistles and only 2050 miles in California. Flew down, bought it and rode it home to the eastern Washington/Idaho border. First a little background. I've been riding since '69. Got my first "big bike" a '67 Triumph T100C in 1971. I've owned nothing but Triumphs since. My current stable is a 1975 T160 Trident, '98 Trident 900, '06 Scrambler 900 and a '95 Trophy 1200 4 which has been my trip bike and 2 up bike and is now for sale. Several other Triumphs in between. Riding these style of bikes to a R3 is quite a change. I was a logger for 22 years and got banged up a few times over the years and as a result am getting arthritic. 400 mile days on the Trophy were hurting me and it was time to make a change. Slow speeds (taking off, gas stations, stop lights/signs) on this Rocket are going to take some getting used to for sure, and I need quite a bit more practice before I feel confident enough to put the wife on the back. I have been reading threads on a couple forums about the Metzler tires and don't think much of them. They just don't feel right and they were properly inflated according to the owners manual. I will put on Avons, which I have had on all my other bikes (except the Scram). Once rolling, this bike is everything I was hoping for. Very comfortable. Good power to pass and the ergonomics are great. I will be taking off the California smog apparatus this winter. Hope I didn't put anyone to sleep with this long winded post, but glad to be here.

Welcome from NJ and nice looking bike! A couple of guys on here ( me included) are running Michelin commander 2 tire and love them! Last much longer and handle way better than the Metz!!
Enjoy!

Avon cobras are an upgrade. I do not have the touring model. I had multiple pairs of Metzler Marathons on two other bikes.

The rocket carries weight a bit higher than my old Goldwing. I went to the high school parking lot after hours with the R3. Zero traffic and space builds confidence.

Find a similar spot with your wife, minus traffic concerns.

The bike’s weight, like the Goldwing’s, faded pretty fast. One thing, riding two up, is that you won’t be likely to stall the engine on takeoff.

That said, things like ability to pass, climbing a hill, is much like the Goldwing. Except more of it.

The Rocket does not really care what gear it is in. Fifth gear passing and overtaking is outstanding.

My test ride, in reality, lasted about 30 seconds. I knew I was going to buy it.

My arthritis in the knees made the Goldwing not so good toward the end. Foot pegs on the engine bars = max comfort.

Welcome!

Congrats and welcome. What route did you take home and was it scenic or quick?

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like a nice stable. I also had a T100 as my "big" first bike, I flattracked it in Oklahome the summer of 1970 when I was just a wee pup. It is nice to have another R3 owner in the neighborhood.

bob

eta: In case you haven't found it, this thread will cover the emission removal. Emission removal

Welcome from New Zealand Bill.
I've had my 1000cc T160 since 1978.

MiniSuperDuke said:

Congrats and welcome. What route did you take home and was it scenic or quick?

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Placerville to Weed, Weed to Arlington, OR, Arlington to home. It was 29 in Weed that morning so got a late start out of there.

Bob R said:

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like a nice stable. I also had a T100 as my "big" first bike, I flattracked it in Oklahome the summer of 1970 when I was just a wee pup. It is nice to have another R3 owner in the neighborhood.

bob

eta: In case you haven't found it, this thread will cover the emission removal. Emission removal

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Thanks for the link.

Paul Bryant said:

Welcome from New Zealand Bill.
I've had my 1000cc T160 since 1978.

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I've been admiring your work on the Triples Online forum for years.

WildBill said:

I've been admiring your work on the Triples Online forum for years.

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Cheers Bill