rough riders

[jasonscruiser]

im new to these forums but a third season rider. i have a standard bike now, a nighthawk 750, but have been searching for a larger cruiser since the spring. a rocket III online caught my eye the other day, and ive been doing research ever since. the only negative thing ive heard about is the ride quality, especially the earlier bikes. is this a problem that has been solved, or are there still issues with the ride? i'd hate to spend 13k on a new bike, only to have to upgrade the rear suspension.

 

[Jackson]

Welcome to the site. I'm sure the guys will chime in soon, but there are loads of things you will want to add to the bike. The shocks will be something I think other captains will talk about. I think you would love the bike when you get it and never look back.

 

[USMC-R3]

Honestly, no matter what bike you end up going with, there are probably going to be things that you want to do to it if nothing else just to cater to your preferences. I will tell you, however, if you ever ride a rocket, nothing else will ever sastisfy.
Personally, I swapped out the rear shocks simply because I wanted to lower the bike some as it sits pretty high. I thought the standard suspension setup felt just fine, but no bikes stock suspension is ever going to ge as good as what you can get aftermarket, particularly from Progressive Suspension.

Bottomline, don't test ride one unless you're ready to buy it cause like I said, nothing else you ride will even come close to matching the power and uniqueness of this beast. You would just be asking for some serious buyer's remorse if you went with another bike. Good luck

 

[TxRIIIRider]

You already ride the most reliable motorcycle ever made. We had one for a NightHawk 750 for a while, and I wish we never got rid of it. I have an early Rocket and the stock shocks might as well have been struts. There was only suspension action if I was running two up with luggage. I run Triumph's "Comfort" shocks, which I assume all new Rockets come standard with now, and I really like them. I had Progressive 412 Standard shocks for a bit, but they bottomed out too easily. Then I ran across a great deal on the Comfort shocks and glad I tried them. They are great.

 

[atomsplitter]

im new to these forums but a third season rider. i have a standard bike now, a nighthawk 750, but have been searching for a larger cruiser since the spring. a rocket III online caught my eye the other day, and ive been doing research ever since. the only negative thing ive heard about is the ride quality, especially the earlier bikes. is this a problem that has been solved, or are there still issues with the ride? i'd hate to spend 13k on a new bike, only to have to upgrade the rear suspension.

Welcome to the forum.
OEM suspension was fitted for 2-up riding. So the preload is either too soft or too harsh solo. Also every bike (including your Nighthawk) uses bits to meet a price point, so the suspension is always the low end of the spectrum on OEM applications. Best advice is to go ride a demo bike, then have the dealer adjust the suspension one click and try again and see what the difference is. Good Luck.

I opted to just put top shelf rebuildable shocks on mine and be done with it. (Hagon Nitros)

 

[JoseyR3Wales]

Guess my old butt is numb and doesn't know the difference anymore, but how far do you ride the 750 comfortably in one trip? The rear shocks are a definite item to change, I waited but now know the difference. Let's see now, 2300 minus 750 equals 1550 cc or 3 of the 750's in one bike. Sure that it's not just the awesome motor? Ease into it, you'll never look back, except at other bikes in your mirrors. Take a chance, Columbus did.

If you have specific questions, you may PM almost any one of us and we'll be glad to help.

 

[Ugarte]

I have an 05 and I thought the rear suspension was garbage. It was so bad I almost flew off the bike going over a rough road. Got the Progressive 440's and that did the trick. The Rocket needs some tweeks to get it just right, but when you get there, it is one helluva bike. Most bikes have crappy stock shocks, and the Rocket is no exception.

 

[Molinoman]

Good luck on the upcoming new bike from Molino, FL and sunny Afghanistan.

Dennis

33 dtg Dubai
34 dtg Home for good!

 

[jasonscruiser]

thanks so much. i was worried being a one poster i wouldn't be taken seriously. but you guys have given me alot to go on. im taking it that the newer rockets suspension was softened a bit over the original, but still could use upgrading. good to know. i found a heck of a deal on a new rocket III, $11800 at clinton cycles in md, but of course there are about $900 in fees on top of that, so im trying to take that into consideration, and the fact that as i get older now (34) i care about a well rounded purchase, not just the fastest or most powerful, although yes that is alot of it, lol! so i figure im at $14k for a new one with progressives. thats one way to look at it. anyone know what year they switched over the suspension. if i know i have to get progressives, i might as well search for a deal on a used one!

 

[saboteur]

The Roadster was built with upgraded suspension. All Standards and Classics and what they called the Tourer (Classic with bling) had the same original shocks. Someone else will chime in about the Touring suspension, as I have no idea.

There are lovely bikes here and at the other sites classified sections. All fitted, lots of extras, improvements etc. Be patient and you can find a scorcher all fitted out.