Seriously considering a 2015 R3 Roadster

Mittzy said:

OOOpps - Just looked at my front tyre and it is a 150.

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Boog said:

Hello FR56 and welcome from VA. I am on my third set of tires with my 2014. It has 30K miles so far. The OEM Mets are not know for longevity at all but the Bridgestone Exedra Max is. My first set netted me around 13K before I need to swap them out.
If you go with a newer R3, you won't have many issue to deal with as Mittzy said above. I get around 32-34 MPG down here but up in Colorado was getting over 40 on the freeways en route to Sturgis last year. To be honest, most of us do not buy the Rocket for mileage numbers.
Are you keeping the Beemer or trading it off? I only have the Rocket at the moment and it does everything I need it too do. Still, I find that I love so many bikes and have had so many in the past, I still want more and miss some of my past bikes from time to time.

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Since first introducing myself and posting my intentions/curiosity I learned that my much loved K1200R BMW would net me little in trade or private sale. This nearly dissuaded me until the same Triumph dealership called and informed me of a barely used 2014 Roadster that was just acquired on trade and would be of considerable savings over the 'New' 2015. (" Just when I think I'm free; I'm dragged back in again!").
So now it looks as if I'll have TWO very different book ends in the garage. Each truly unique and venerable rides; but each with a well proven appetite for tires.

It looks like the Bridgestone Exedra Max will be in my future if all works out on my R3 purchase. Price as well as its reported longer service life make it the only practical choice. As if having TWO certified tire shredding ****** rockets in a 'rented' garage is "practical".

do it!!1

FR56 said:

Since first introducing myself and posting my intentions/curiosity I learned that my much loved K1200R BMW would net me little in trade or private sale. This nearly dissuaded me until the same Triumph dealership called and informed me of a barely used 2014 Roadster that was just acquired on trade and would be of considerable savings over the 'New' 2015. (" Just when I think I'm free; I'm dragged back in again!").
So now it looks as if I'll have TWO very different book ends in the garage. Each truly unique and venerable rides; but each with a well proven appetite for tires.

It looks like the Bridgestone Exedra Max will be in my future if all works out on my R3 purchase. Price as well as its reported longer service life make it the only practical choice. As if having TWO certified tire shredding ****** rockets in a 'rented' garage is "practical".

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Well!!!!! Any Updates??

I had a K1200R for a couple years... sweet ride, definitely a mature man's super-bike. Not leaned over, but sporting all the suspension and power of any superbike on the road (pretty much). I found the transmission unbearably clunky. The dealer told me this was normal Bavarian Motor Works.. but compared to my Concours 14? Might as well be a tractor transmission. I did lots of 500 mile days on it (had bags) which you can't do on a bullet bike. Brakes were not so good, front OK, rear bad. Loved the suspension and the front "arm" thing BMW does works great as does the rear shaft tetra-lever drive (which Kawasaki copied on my Concours). I had a carbon exhaust on it and man did that thing sound great... anyway, I'll miss her, but I added a low-miles barn-find ZX-11 (1997) which has similar power, weight and riding position but costs MUCH less and I can work on this thing... which you can't say about the BMR.

Three in the stable... Connie, ZX-11 and the Rocket (which I have yet to ride since my motorcycle wreck withe the stupid deer, but that's another story). Couldn't be a happier garage.. c'mon bones, hurry and heal.....

JH

Mittzy said:

If your thinking of buying a 2015 model all the major bugs have been ironed out (from 2010 onwards) first thing I would do is the Eastern Beaver head light relay upgrade or one of our members here @DEcosse makes a great unit that will do a perfect job. This will avoid an ignition switch failure.

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they fixed the headlight relay issue from 2011 onwards on the roadsters, and did a recall on 2010s.

R-III-R Turbo said:

they fixed the headlight relay issue from 2011 onwards on the roadsters, and did a recall on 2010s.

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Mine had the recal and I can tell you it was not a fix but a band aid... I installed the Eastern Beaver kit and my lights became so much brighter and NO electrical load on the ignition switch or the high/low beam switch.

strange - first time i've heard of that. so what does the eastern beaver have that triumph's 'fix' doesn't?

Had it two months now with 1,400 miles.

No more stalling, as Mittzy said. Smooth idle. This engine is really! tight and likely needs a few thousand mile break in period.

Never abused it during break in period. Cranked it up to 5,500 rpm a few times, not that it is needed for brisk acceleration. It is a screaming demon.

I hate that it has no storage space like the Goldwing, but I knew it buying it. Going to fix that. Compared to the Goldwing, this thing seems actually flickable. I liked the bike's appearance when I bought it. Love it now.

No bike has ever been perfect for me, including the Rocket. The Goldwing had lots of nice stuff and moved out smartly. Having now sampled prime rib, not headed back to oatmeal.

The six cylinder wing was smooth as silk, but lacking the soul of a motorcycle and was a two wheel Honda Civic with a lot of punch. The Rocket is not smooth as silk, has a bit of an attitude problem and is a bit in your face.

Just the way I like it.

Nothing better for hwy riding either when all the douche cagers try to box you in traffic they cant because the beast just leaves them dead. roll on from 70 mph up is grin inducing to say the least. I traded my 06 R3s for a K1600 gtl (sometimes she gets her way). Anyhow I'm in the process of replacing that R3 with a newer model.