Thinking about buying a Rocket

[Blackthou]

What's really good about the decel pop is roaring past someone in 2nd then shutting the throttle as you pull in front. Sounds like a canon going off and they don't half drop back!

 

[grampi]

Grampi the decel pop on this bike is completely normal and I happen to like it. At first I wasn't sure if it was normal but it appears to be just fine and not a tuning issue. I have come to like the sound it reminds me of a Porsche or sport car when letting off the clutch downshifting

The pegs I can be sure you would get used to them like most people have to. I have to every I time I ride it after riding my sportier st1300 and vice versa. If you get the bars or a set of highway pegs installed you can have the best of both worlds foot position wise!

The acceleration the bike currently have may not seem as good as the 9 in some aspects but other things like the quality of the bike and smoothness of it definitely are selling points. It has awesome 2 up capabilities. If you must have more performance people here have 240hp upgrades that will satisfy your needs and still be totally rosdworthy and reliable too!

While the decel popping may not be an indication of a problem, it's just annoying to me. Is that something I could tune out using the tuneECU program, or would it have to be done by a mechanic?

I mentioned the performance aspect only in passing...I don't really need, or even want a souped up version, I think a stock Rocket is plenty fast enough for me...it's just when people were saying it breaks the rear tire loose, or the front end comes up, it made it sound like I was going to see a big jump in performance over the 109....I would say they are both fairly close, which is exactly what I'm looking for...a better platform for 2 up riding without losing any performance compared to the 109...I believe the R3R is that bike...I also see what you mean about the build quality...in that regard its more like Indians/Victorys/Harleys than it is the 109...very nice!

 

[jthree]

Others with more knowledge than I will jump in here I'm sure but I would suspect a tuning issue casing the popping. Mine pops a little but I put that down to the TORS and tune. I know the 109 has gobs of power so I don't think you notice the difference as if you came off an 1100. That said, I came of a VTX1800 and can tell you I sure noticed it The second time I rode the R3 I lifted the front wheel in second. Totally unintentionally I might add. That'll wake you up I'll tell ya

 

[R3Tex]

I would say that the Roadster you test rode had some issues. TuneECU can either allow you to sort out them out on your own by fiddling with the A/F tables or load a proven tune from one of the members here (@HansO springs to mind). Alternatively you can take it to a reliable tuner and have it dyno'd and a custom tune installed. If you gave it a fistful of throttle at low speed at any time during the test ride and you didn't break the tire loose or pick up the front end it definitely needs some TLC. Not sure I agree with previous comments that the decel pop is normal on a properly tuned bike. I have an '09 standard and a '13 roadster...neither one has decel pop and both run very strong. You may want to PM @Steel as he came off a 109 when he bought his roadster and I don't think there is any way you could talk him into going back. The first one I rode took my breath away so you definitely missed out.

With regard to 2up riding...my wife despised the stock roadster seat. She found it hard and uncomfortable. That said, she now has no problem going for a ride on the Corbin Dual Tour that is on the standard now. To finally address my pillion discomfort I bought her a CanAm Spyder so no more two up issues for me. Any way you go with changes to the forward controls will be relatively expensive. The classic boards / controls / rails are getting harder to find and Raask are pretty proud of what they do. I wasn't completely satisfied with the roadster riding position either, but it does grow on you over time. If you are looking for more cruiser type seating arrangement I would suggest test riding an '09 or earlier classic or standard. When I set up my long range bike I chose an '09 standard and added the accessories I wanted for a bike that was customized for me as opposed to a more generic configuration that would come with the touring model.

 

[grampi]

The second time I rode the R3 I lifted the front wheel in second. Totally unintentionally I might add. That'll wake you up I'll tell ya

Was that on a stock, or modified one?

 

[jthree]

Was that on a stock, or modified one?

Basically stock with the exception of TORS pipes and a Power Commander to modify the tune slightly. The Power Commander should be able to take care of any popping too.

 

[grampi]

Today I went to look at this bike:

http://limaohio.craigslist.org/mcd/5182405118.html

I was all set to bring this bike home with me today, I even took my bike with me to trade in...only one problem, this bike looked like the owner parked it out in the rain for 5 years and never cleaned/polished/detailed it. The cosmetic damage was so bad that some of it was beyond repair. The wheels had so much road grime and maybe even corrosion on them that the clear coat would have to be stripped and the wheels polished to make them look decent. The sad thing is the bike only had 3100 miles and mechanically it was sound. It also had a Corbin Dual Tour seat, but it didn't lock onto the bike. Something was missing that held the seat in place. Not being familiar with the area, the salesman got on another bike and we went for about a 15 minute ride. I have no doubt whatsoever that the R3R is the bike for me. The torque is so addictive! I can already see my Rocket is going to get piss poor fuel economy, and I'm not going to be able to keep rear tires on it. I just couldn't resist twisting the throttle every chance I got!

I'm starting to see a trend here. All 3 of the Rockets I've looked at so far have looked like this one. The last one only had 2600 miles on it, but cosmetically it looked like it had 100K on it. Apparently these bikes are purchased by a lot of people who aren't really motorcycle people. A true motorcycle person would not buy a brand new $15K+ motorcycle and not take care of it. The salesman looked at my 109, which was of course spotless as always, and said "are you sure you want to trade this in, it's gorgeous!" I said it looks like that Rocket SHOULD look. This bike also popped during decel just like the other two did. Though I know this is not an indication of a problem, it annoys the hell out of me. I'm really hoping the popping can be tuned out. This, and the seat height is my only complaints about the Rocket, but neither is anything that would keep me from buying one. I also love the sound of the stock exhaust. I just need to find an R3R that's been well taken care of...

 

[ricochet]

Today I went to look at this bike:

http://limaohio.craigslist.org/mcd/5182405118.html

I was all set to bring this bike home with me today, I even took my bike with me to trade in...only one problem, this bike looked like the owner parked it out in the rain for 5 years and never cleaned/polished/detailed it. The cosmetic damage was so bad that some of it was beyond repair. The wheels had so much road grime and maybe even corrosion on them that the clear coat would have to be stripped and the wheels polished to make them look decent. The sad thing is the bike only had 3100 miles and mechanically it was sound. It also had a Corbin Dual Tour seat, but it didn't lock onto the bike. Something was missing that held the seat in place. Not being familiar with the area, the salesman got on another bike and we went for about a 15 minute ride. I have no doubt whatsoever that the R3R is the bike for me. The torque is so addictive! I can already see my Rocket is going to get piss poor fuel economy, and I'm not going to be able to keep rear tires on it. I just couldn't resist twisting the throttle every chance I got!

I'm starting to see a trend here. All 3 of the Rockets I've looked at so far have looked like this one. The last one only had 2600 miles on it, but cosmetically it looked like it had 100K on it. Apparently these bikes are purchased by a lot of people who aren't really motorcycle people. A true motorcycle person would not buy a brand new $15K+ motorcycle and not take care of it. The salesman looked at my 109, which was of course spotless as always, and said "are you sure you want to trade this in, it's gorgeous!" I said it looks like that Rocket SHOULD look. This bike also popped during decel just like the other two did. Though I know this is not an indication of a problem, it annoys the hell out of me. I'm really hoping the popping can be tuned out. This, and the seat height is my only complaints about the Rocket, but neither is anything that would keep me from buying one. I also love the sound of the stock exhaust. I just need to find an R3R that's been well taken care of...

Grampi theres lots of reasons why people sell these bikes with low mileage. Some people just buy them and realize its not for them, or that they're not able to handle it. Mine, it only had 600kms on it when it was given back to the store as a trade in. I asked the sales guy and he said "Some old guy bought it and it was too much for him to handle" so I got a great deal on mine even though it was already 2 years old... spotless. Keep looking and I am sure you will find a really clean one!

 

[grampi]

Grampi theres lots of reasons why people sell these bikes with low mileage. Some people just buy them and realize its not for them, or that they're not able to handle it. Mine, it only had 600kms on it when it was given back to the store as a trade in. I asked the sales guy and he said "Some old guy bought it and it was too much for him to handle" so I got a great deal on mine even though it was already 2 years old... spotless. Keep looking and I am sure you will find a really clean one!

I can totally understand that, but I'm puzzled as to why so many of them are neglected. I mean these bikes aren't cheap new, and I can't see why someone would just let them go to hell. I buy most of my bikes used and I still spend a lot of time cleaning and polishing them...not only am I a true motorcycle guy, I guess I'm OCD about keeping them spotless too...

 

[cardinal93]

He could take primo care of it and the wheels nights still look like crap....it's an issue with a few threads on here. I clean mine meticulously (literally with a toothbrush) and had to strip them this past year. As for the rest, that's probably neglect and storage. Not sure about the seat height issue (is it too high or low for you)? I will say the Corbin's are on a slightly wider pan which makes them feel higher of the ground if you're short legged. You loose about 1/2-1" in height with them. Keep looking; you'll find your love affair! Did this one at least have rocket power?