Who bought their Rocket from new and why did you choose it?

[Blackthou]

We all know the Rocket is the best bike second to none - although we may have others for different reasons but what made you choose it?

I'd been riding sports bikes for about 40 years. I fancied a change but didn't want to lose out on power or top end as many "cruisers" lose power about a ton. Loss of power IMO means loss of grunt. Reading specs, I decided to try the Rocket and am still grinning 4 years later.

 

[scot in exile]

I bought my Red Rocket new in 2005 because I like riding ugly things

 

[Fingers]

Better not let the wife read that,

 

[Blackthou]

She may wonder which one of her friends - if not all, you're reffering too!

 

[Fingers]

Was riding a C109 RT the first time I saw a Rocket and told the wife that was our bike.

 

[atlsrt44]

Viagra wasnt working for me anymore

 

[Tal]

I have ridden trumpys over the years as well as a few others, Kawasakis, Honda and just enjoyed the 'feel' of the Triumph and the noise they give out...back when i was in my teens and early 20's, there were alot of guys on Trumpets and it just seemed the thing to do if you wanted to be cool too.
More recently i have owned a Speedmaster and a Storm. My cuzzie from Nelson (at the top of the South Island NZ) ordered the 1st Rocket 3 to hit our shores in 2004. He missed out due to the rogue salesman selling it to another guy but got the next one. Since then he had owned one more i think, not sure of the year but he kept saying to me 'You shoulda got a Rocket Tal'.....and told me of stories of Harley's trying to stay with him and ending up getting smaller and smaller in his mirrors....all this info worked away in the back of my mind and one day while i was in the local dealership, i saw a new 2014 Roadster. I remember thinking..'Thats a big bastard!'...i swung a leg over it and stood her up...felt kinda comfy...
A wee while later..like a year maybe..i saw one advertised. A 2014 Roadster, the same as the one i had sat on. It was on 'Trademe' about 1 1/2 hrs away.The owner had bought it new in Texas and ridden it around the States with a couple of buddies who had done the same.They bought them back here to NZ to sell on. It had 9300 km's on the clock so was pretty near new. Long story short i went down, rode it, bought it.
I fell in love with it on the ride home in the rain...what a beautiful balanced and powerful bike she was. My mind was racing with things i was going to do with it. I hadn't had this excitement about a bike for years. My 'Storm' was excellent but i got a sore back from the feet forward position.
After adding 10000kms, i thought i would go thru the exercise of selling it and buying new. I planned on keeping all the additions i had put on the 2014 and transfer them to the new one.
About 7k later i was riding a brand new 2016 (xmas) Roadster...a few days later and it would have been registered as a 2017. My 2014 sat in the dealers with most things back to standard. The handlebars off the new one were now on the 2014 as were the mufflers and the mirrors. I left the PCV on her plus the tune, the anti vibration grips and end weights stayed on it as did the flyscreen and led indicators and headlights.
The first guy who took that bike for a test ride bought it...paid the full asking price and there were two guys in the shop waiting for him to return so they could test ride it.
The new 2016 got the crossover and Tors off the 2014 plus the 'Thunderbike' teebars. The next few weeks saw MANY visits from courier vans delivering stuff for me to add.
It's been a hell of a thing in my life and i wouldn't change a minute..i just love this bike.
You ask why i got a Rocket?...there is just a certain magic connected to these bikes which really gets me..kinda like falling in love...

 

[Paul Bryant]

A mate of mine bought a Rocket new when they first came out in '04.
He rode from Tauranga (East Coast, North Island) to my place (Basically West Coast, North Island) the day he bought it.
I took it for a ride and just had to have one.
I've been riding Triumph Triples since 1975, so this was natural step forward for me.
Have had my '06 near on 7 years now.

 

[Joesmoe]

I rode, in succession: 1980 Honda C-70 Passport (stolen); 1984 Honda CB-125S (still have); 1998 Honda CN-250 Helix (sold); 1995 Honda PC-800 Pacific Coast (sold); 2004 Honda ST-1300A (traded on the Rocket); 2005 Aprilia Scarabeo 500 (traded on); 2011 Suzuki V-Strom 650 (sold); Honda 2014 CTX-700D (still have); and 2014 Triumph Rocket III Touring (still have).

The Suzuiki and ST1300 were too tall for me, and both were unacceptable in traffic with their clutch.

The Rocket was my first cruiser, and amazed me when I took it on the test ride, that even though it was clearly more massive than anything I had ever ridden, that I could flat-foot it gave me confidence at stoplights and in the parking lot. It's been smiles ever since.

 

[Bob R]

1. It wasn't a Harley or other V-Twin
2. As a Touring bike it did not have all the electronics and add on stuff like a BMW or Honda.
3. It is a basic motorcycle, kind of like a huge overblown UJM (UBM?), nothing fancy.
4. My wife liked it on the showroom floor, that always helps, in fact she talked me into getting it because she knew it was the one.
5. I grew up riding British Iron, I flat tracked a T100 in the late 60's, had a few others along the way and finished with a Norton 850 before the Brits left the US for a while.
6. It beats riding the bus!!

bob