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

[ABC123]

A bike licence was the only licence I didn’t have, so I learned to ride in 2016. Reason for buying the Rocket new?
I saw a brand new one way back in 2004 and vowed if ever I got a bike licence, I would buy a new Rocket.

 

[Boog]

By the time Fall of 2013 rolled around, I had been on 27 other machines. However, the two years prior found me riding only demo bikes from whatever demo truck was in town. The last two bikes were totaled (VMAX into a mountain in Colorado and an FZ-1 on a wooded curve in Virginia when I met Bambi). Those two years were the longest of my life without my own bike to ride.

Well, the loan guy at the credit union handed me a check for $25,000 and said go spend it all in one place on a new bike. So I went home and got online and made a short list (10) of the bikes I would want next. Over the next 6 weeks I test rode them one by one, conducting an evaluation of each (T&E guy by trade after retiring from the Navy you know). And came down to the last bike on the list: HD Road King Classic. After wasting a few hours at the HD dealer, I realized that he didn't need to sell a motorcycle that day. And since the R3T was top of my evaluation list, I called that guy and said start the paper work. I went there, signed a few things a rode away, easy as pie.

My primary requirements were:

1. Must be a functional daily ride, all year
2. Must be able to handle a two-up three-day weekend and carry all we need for such
3. Must be able to do a cross-country trip if I get a wild hair to do one
4. Must wash away all of life's stressors when I need it too

Pretty basic I guess, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.;

 

[Paul Bryant]

By the time Fall of 2013 rolled around, I had been on 27 other machines. However, the two years prior found me riding only demo bikes from whatever demo truck was in town. The last two bikes were totaled (VMAX into a mountain in Colorado and an FZ-1 on a wooded curve in Virginia when I met Bambi). Those two years were the longest of my life without my own bike to ride.

Well, the loan guy at the credit union handed me a check for $25,000 and said go spend it all in one place on a new bike. So I went home and got online and made a short list (10) of the bikes I would want next. Over the next 6 weeks I test rode them one by one, conducting an evaluation of each (T&E guy by trade after retiring from the Navy you know). And came down to the last bike on the list: HD Road King Classic. After wasting a few hours at the HD dealer, I realized that he didn't need to sell a motorcycle that day. And since the R3T was top of my evaluation list, I called that guy and said start the paper work. I went there, signed a few things a rode away, easy as pie.

My primary requirements were:

1. Must be a functional daily ride, all year
2. Must be able to handle a two-up three-day weekend and carry all we need for such
3. Must be able to do a cross-country trip if I get a wild hair to do one
4. Must wash away all of life's stressors when I need it too

Pretty basic I guess, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.;

Awesome Bobby

 

[Tal]

Awesome Bobby

Yep...like that story...makes me want to get out there,crank the Rocket up and ride for miles...

 

[BillyIndiana]

Just to add a bit to my story. I purchased the bike November 2016. In February of 2017 Ema and I went to the IMS show in Chicago. At the Triumph booth I was asked to do a survey. As the pictures of the bike flashed before my eyes and I answered the questions I realized I was looking at the next generation Rocket. Hopefully it will be released soon for all to see and I will then comment on what I saw and how close the new bike is to it.

It will definitely be a great bike I have no doubt, but I am very happy I bought the R3T. I think the new Rocket will be heading in a new direction and I wanted a Touring.

 

[CamaroCarl]

I was looking for a different bike, had only rode Harley's before. Saw YouTube videos comparing the vrod, vmax, and rocket. I didn't know anything about the rocket before that. Fell in love with the power and styling, felt it would handle going fast and 2 up riding the best. Had a really hard time deciding roadster or touring, they really are different bikes from front to back. I have no loyalty to Harley any more and it doesn't feel special to own a Harley now. Everybody has one and there are a ton for sale on the internet. So when the dealer dropped the price from 15000 to 12,000 I took the fatbob and traded in. If I could have a garage full of bikes(if money didn't matter) the rocket would be one of those bikes. I think it is rare and unique enough. Really something special.

 

[caddydaddy]

I test rode one in 2008, but ended up getting a new Sprint ST instead. In 2017 my local dealer had a Roadster on the floor on sale. They asked if I'd like a trade in quote for my Sprint. I was surprised at how much they offered for my 9 year old Sprint, so I ended up getting the new Roadster for about $10K! Can't pass up that deal!
I miss the luggage capacity and cornering abilities my Sprint had, but other than that, the Roadster is more fun and more comfortable to ride.

 

[kipper]

A short story with some pics. I'd been riding Triumphs most of my life. bought one of the first T140's in 73

I rode and rebuilt that bike until 99 when I wrote it off.Bought a Valkyrie in 2000.

I loved riding that bike and never thought that anything could top it.Then early 04 I was at a bike show and seen the Rocket, so I sold the Valkyrie to a friend and in 05 bought myself a Black Rocket .What a bike !!! Done some mods to it straight away

Then in 08 the bike got wrote off after gettin T'boned by a truck!!! While I was recovering ( Confined to bed for 14 months) I bought this nice 07 model

However another mate wanted it bad and I sold it without ridin it. Then in 08 I was back on my feet and I saw my current Rocket for sale ,only 1000 miles on the clock.

It looks a bit different today (some mods) and it's taken me on some magical trips around Europe and the US. I've not had much trouble with her but any thing i needed to know was available on this exellent site. For certain I'll always own a Rocket,nuthin compares.

 

[Blackthou]

Nice one Kip.

 

[Claviger]

For me it was easy math. I knew about the rocket, the motor's potential, and Carpenter racing as well as TTS long before I bought my Rocket. I never actually considered buying though, it was the wrong style of bike, I was a sportbiker. Well, fast forward a bit and I attempted to buy the first Dodge Hellcat to land in Hawaii 3 months before it arrived. The greedy dealer told me it'd be $25k to reserve it, then MSRP when it arrived. I was a bit pissed off at that price gouge and went to the Triumph dealer to buy a new Daytona 675R, cash, on the spot. Open the front door and my bike was sitting there, first thing visible, upon entry, it'd just arrived. An hour or two later it was signed for and mine.

I already owned the highest HP/Displacement sportbike Triumph had ever made, so buying the biggest HP/Displacement cruiser to sit along side it just made sense.