R3 Sales Prognistications

RocketEd

Supercharged
Joined
Sep 28, 2005
Messages
476
Location
Hood Canal
Ride
'10 Roadie
Since sales projections seem to be seeping into many threads, I thought I would start one just to deal with it. Then in a few years we can look back and see who gets to utter those four favorite words, "I told you so!".
Feel free to put in why you will or won't buy one. Or where you've found one for sale.
I'll start.
I don't see these ever being big sellers, I'm not sure they're even meant to be.
Here are some of the challenges I think R3 sales face:
The elephant in the room is the price of course. In the U.S. motorcycles have for decades been a relatively inexpensive toy/indulgence, but not at this price. At the money they're asking there's a lot of competition and not just from bikes. The same aging demographic that is hurting Harley is also starting to affect the price of driver quality vintage cars for example.

IMO it's over priced, even with all the technology. My made in Austria 2016 KTM 1190 came with ride modes, lean sensitive ABS and TC modes, power modes, electrically adjustable preload, and TPMS with an MSRP of ~ $17K. The electronics on the R3 really aren't anything new or unique AFAIK.

The genre of motorcycle Triumph chose to put the R3 in puts it against some stiff competition. The Diavel is $20K, the XDiavel $21K and they outperform the R3 and weigh a LOT less. The VMax weighs around the same, lists for $18K, and certainly is just as iconic.

Don't forget Honda tried the same thing with the Valkyrie - A high priced, refined, quality restyled reboot without class leading performance and it was a huuuge sales flop. You can still buy new leftover 2014 and '15s for ten to 12 grand. And this is with more Honda than Triumph dealers and the Valkyrie's excellent reliability reputation.

Because Triumph chose to emulate Harley and shut down a bunch of dealers it will be hard to even get these bikes in front of people. I've yet to see any of the new T120s except for a single Speed Twin and they've been out for how many years now?

Going forward please keep in mind features that are important to some may come across as simple whining to others, and keep it civil.
For example I like long gears on a road bike. I don't see the sense in having to shift a 6 speed just to end up with same overall gearing. Just a whine, but that's my opinion.
 
In Oz it’s a $30k machine. I haven’t had the heart to go and test drive one yet as all indications shows it’s a small bike for my 6’6” frame. For that money, there are far too many choices. For now, I’ll stick to my GS. It has all the same tech.

I’ve bought new models before too, and have regretted it. I’ll wait until the hype clears then have a look.
 
I’ll bite. I most likely will not buy a new one due the fact I work for Harley. I likely will add a bike (a Harley) this year to my small collection.

That said, I do like the new Rocket! Looks like a fun bike with some nice upgrades over the 1st gen.

Regarding your opinion on price, I actually think price wise it’s fairly competitive. Since the model you referred to is not a comparative model, it’s not fair to say it’s overpriced. The KTM is a great bike, but apples and oranges I feel.

I agree it will never (such as the Diavel, VMax) be a big seller. Performance vehicles are usually only cherished by the discerning few who can appreciate them for what they are.
 
I do like the new models more after seeing them in person and hearing the reviews.

With two Rockets already though, I don't foresee needing or wanting another bike for the foreseeable future
BUT if I did I would struggle a bit to stay loyal to Triumph when they are moving most of their production offshore.

GB has always (well for a long time anyway) been a staunch ally and I've often told others that I chose my 1st Rocket in
part to show support for England. That played a lesser role in the 2nd but it was still a part of the equation.

IMHO It's just not quite the same thing to pay a 'premium price' for a product built by cheaper labor in another country to
increase the profits of a privately held company - Bloor Holdings Limited, which is owned by John Bloor.

I've done the HD thing and probably wouldn't again. Indian on the other hand are built here supporting America and is publicly traded.

IFF I were to decide I really, really wanted a new 2020 model I would have to make a hard decision:

A. Sell or Trade the 2005 - too much invested and not worth much with such high mileage.
B. Sell or Trade the 2015 - too much invested, plenty of power, needed for long rides to replace the 2005 at some point.
C. Buy it outright and have 3 Rockets to maintain. Very hard to justify financially in retirement.

I'm afraid I would have to spend my US$22K on the Indian Chieftain or splurge US$30K on the Roadmaster for touring and keep the Triumph Roadster for blasting around locally.
 
At $30,000/$31,000 these are bargains and with sell well, especially the GT.
I can’t tell you how fed up I am with comparisons to the Diavel and now we also have KTMs and a GS thrown in. I don’t think anyone will buy a Rocket because it’s faster or lighter or heavier or better equipped than something else. They’ll buy it because it’s the only 2500cc motorcycle on the market and because it’s a Rocket - and perhaps because it’s not a Harley.
Price, here at least (we don’t mind paying for quality), will not be a deterrent.
 
The point I was rather clumsily trying to make with the comparison to my 1190 is that I don't necessarily see the electronics package as a reason for what I feel is a high price as it's been available for a while on lower priced bikes.

@CanberraR3, didn't Triumph itself say the Diavel was their target? I would think that leads to the inevitable comparison.
They may very well sell well in Australia compared to the U.S. The Thunderbird was a sales dud here, but weren't they a big seller there?
 
The new rockets are nice but They really are not offering anything special as compared to other makes. Looking at the market and recent trends big bikes are not selling that well. When you add a price tag of over $20,000 thousand your competing with motorcycle manufactures such as Indian and Harley Davidson which have Dealerships everywhere. Plus a large aftermarket support.
 
I traded my 16 R3R in for the 2020 R3 GT and it’s worth every penny. Night and day difference from the previous model and yes slightly smaller. I bought my bike at BMG Powersports in Goshen, NY and when I agreed to buy my bike they sold the other R3 GT 5 minutes later. They have 2 Roadsters in stock and they have a few more GT’s coming in.
 
Back
Top