SERIOUS QUESTION

Good question, tough to answer right away. I'm lucky, I have two dealers

within 20 miles. In your case though, that would be a major concern.

I would say that if you buy a late model 06 or newer you should be ok as

a lot of the problems you read about are on the earlier models. Also I wouldn't be doing a whole lot of modding
in your case as most of my problems were probably self induced.

So I would say a late model with low miles left stock, you should be ok.

I believe you are reading and getting a skewed "slice" of the R3 owner population. Have you spent much quality time on the Goldwing or Stratoliner sites? I'm sure you'd get the same kind of results. All bikes have issues, and the Rocket is no exception, but I believe the engine and transmission issues, although serious, are not representative of the whole population. You're gonna' do what you gonna' do...my money's on the Rocket. My $.02. 8)

Without wishing to tempt fate, I have a 2006 model, coming up to 10,000 miles with not a problem. Did an 1800 mile round trip last month in all weathers, again, no problem. People tend to come onto the forum with a problem, so as Wolfie says, you can get a skewed representation.

I live in Key West Fl, the nearest dealership is in Miami 150+ miles away. I ride 2300 miles round trip to see my family in MS. I have no concerns about her performance on the road. I ride nearly every day to work (only 8 miles roundtrip). She has never failed.

Get full coverage insurance, with towing and rental car, and dont stress yourself. I am in GreyWolfs camp. How many posts do you read about how flawless someones bike is? Very few, not because those bikes dont exist, it's because most are to modest to "brag". I've posted this before and I'll write it again; I have a 1976 GL1000, she is not perfect, I have a 2002 VT1100C2 Sabre, she is not perfect. No machine can be perfect because they are made by flawed people. Thats the truth of the matter.

I have no regrets or doubts about my bike. The Rockets are as good as any I have ever owned. Sure if you have the means to spend $30,000 for a BWM or something more exotic you might get a better product. To each his own.

If you get the bike give her the maintenance she requires. Regularly check her fluids and tire/tyre pressures, and get her serviced when the book says. Thats the same with Rockets, Ford's, Chevy's, what ever. If I were you and I could get a good deal on a Rocket I would buy it without hesitation. I love mine, most of us here do, so granted my opinion is scewed.

My take on this might be a little different from the others on this site. I have one of the first Rockets made and have had no issues to speak of. Most were of the cosmetic variety that honestly if I hadn't been able to get them fixed for free I would never have bothered with. I did want a new speedo when the odometer reset when the battery was disconnected. 2+ years and 2 new speedometers later I found my original speedometer in a box in the back of their shop and had it put back on. I'll just do the math. Triumph QC ain't what it should be.
As far as different years go - the very early bikes are said to have a faultily designed cam gear. So far mine appears to be fine but I'll likely change it out as a preventive measure at the recomendation of folks on this site. Other than that my personal observation has been the '06's have just as many or more issues with torsion shaft bearings being installed backwards, improperly loctited shift shafts, shift retention springs failing, and the dreaded idle/stall issues.
Polls here indicate 50% of Rocket owners had to have warranty work done at least once. Another 25% have been back to the dealer 3 or more times. I agree that you'll see more posts of a negative nature and that all bikes have issues. But I'm also of the opinion you are more likely to have issues with a Rocket than with any other modern street bike offered with the possible exception of some newer BMWs. Will it be a catastrophic, leave you stranded failure? Extremely unlikely.
All that being said? I would recomend a used Rocket of any vintage with a good history over even a new '07. (Shifting issues are being reported there too.) Not only will you save big bucks, the quality of bikes can still be hit or miss. Then buy an extended warranty.
The bottom line is there is nothing else like the Rocket out there.

Sorry about the length of this diatribe, but I've been asking myself similar questions now that a trip to the dealer is a major time consuming issue.

I bought an 04 five months ago with 11,000 miles on it. It has now covered 16,000. I didn't cover 5,000 miles in 18 months on my previous bike.
It had both wheels and the top yolk changes under warranty due to lacquer spider webbing, the top yolk is now chrome and the wheels need to be polished a lot coz they're no longer lacquered. The final drive was also replaced under warranty in the first year.
The upside of buying an older one is that any issues should have surfaced and been dealt with, or are not there anyway. So long as you take the usual precautions of checking its history you should be OK. I love it when someone else pays for the depreciation. Most who buy new do so to avoid someone else having thrashed it, but not many thrash them harder than I do anyway so that's not an issue for me.
I wouldn't be concerned at being as far away as you are from a dealer, just make sure they know how far you coming when you book it in to make sure they get it back to you ASAP.
If you haven't tried one yet, blag a test ride, then buy used. I did. It's not that nothing comes close, it's that nothing comes within a country ****ing mile of these things. I've been on bikes since I was 12 and I'm now 45 and I've never had so much fun on two wheels.

I asked Arlen Ness (my dealer at Destination Daytona) about the shifting, idle and other issues I keep reading about here. He said, "you have a 2007. Anything after mid 2005 shouldn't have those issues and the tune I put in your bike is generally bulletproof." So far, 6,000 miles, no issues whatsoever.

Sorry, but I do get the impression that many on the forum like to fix things that aren't broken.

I've had some issues with my R3 since I bought it used. Fortunately, I had a bit of factory warranty left AND found a good dealer in Daytona, a 65 mile easy ride away. I had some second thoughts right after I bought it but they were more related to getting back into debt { I was almost out :wink: } than about the bike. I have had an EXTREMELY good experience with my Valkyrie but I do realize that the Valk is just one of those bulletproof bikes that are rare birds. Forums do tend to magnify the negative, it's just human nature.
But...........NOTHING brings a smile to my face like the Rocket 3 does!!! :twisted:
The defining moment in my thought process came as I was blowing by a hopped up ****** rocket that I spotted a couple of lengths at an impromtu "contest of acceleration".
ALL buyers remorse I had disappeared in that instant!
I then vowed to push to correct all the things wrong with the bike and make it as comfy as my Valkyrie. It's in the works.

Bottom line is... The Rocket brings special capabilities to the table and is worth putting up with a bit more hassle ...if needed!

Im in a similar position to you,closed dealer about 300Ks.Mine has done a water pump(got it fixed buy a local shop under warranty :wink: )It also dropped the nut of the shifter(inside the box) and got stuck in 5th gear :x ,road the bike 200Ks back to Slippers place and then trailered it back 800Ks to my home.
When I took it to the Deal they gave me a card with a transport guy on it and said any more probs give him a call :wink:

twostar said:

I asked Arlen Ness (my dealer at Destination Daytona) about the shifting, idle and other issues I keep reading about here. He said, "you have a 2007. Anything after mid 2005 shouldn't have those issues and the tune I put in your bike is generally bulletproof." So far, 6,000 miles, no issues whatsoever.

Sorry, but I do get the impression that many on the forum like to fix things that aren't broken.

Click to expand...

I mean absolutely no offense towards you, Twostar, but this sounds like pure dealer speak bull dung to me.
There are many, many, '06 Rocket's on this site with idle and shifting issues. Some of the '06s were sent out with the torsion shaft bearing installed backward. At least 1 person on this site has had his '07 replaced due to shifting problems. Stretched as thin as he is, Arlen likely doesn't have a good read on what is really going on.
Further complicating this claim is that more than a few Rockets sold as '06s in America were made fairly early in '05. My now-extinct dealer had 4 '06s on the floor. No two had the same combination of updates to gauges, gauge mounts, kickstands, etc. '06 is just a number.
As far as fixing things that ain't broke - I have an idea these riders can pretty well tell if their motor just quit or it won't shift anymore.