Any Triumph Rocket owners here?

[alarmguy]

I LOVE the Thunderbird LT, if not for my RK that would be an option, one problem for me, no local dealers, have to cross the border. I may go look at one in the next state some day, I almost did a couple months back, called ahead to the dealer to make sure they had some, guy even quoted me a price on a new 14 leftover if I came in! *L*

The Rocket, GREAT looking bike but the heat off those manifolds would be a bear down here in the midlands of South Carolina where for at least three months, there is never a day below 90 degrees and quite honestly its more like the upper 90s and low 100s.

I took some steps to lower the exhaust temp on my Road King, which worked out good, the lower right leg no longer turns red.

 

[jonl]

Originally Posted By: alarmguy
I LOVE the Thunderbird LT, if not for my RK that would be an option, one problem for me, no local dealers, have to cross the border. I may go look at one in the next state some day, I almost did a couple months back, called ahead to the dealer to make sure they had some, guy even quoted me a price on a new 14 leftover if I came in! *L*

The Rocket, GREAT looking bike but the heat off those manifolds would be a bear down here in the midlands of South Carolina where for at least three months, there is never a day below 90 degrees and quite honestly its more like the upper 90s and low 100s.

I took some steps to lower the exhaust temp on my Road King, which worked out good, the lower right leg no longer turns red.

Do it. You won't be sorry. I brought home a '12 T-Bird 1600 ABS a week or so ago. Wow!

 

[Robenstein]

The T-bird is a nice bike. I almost bought a T bird Storm. Two things kept me from it.

1. The bike feels to darn wide with that big old 1700cc parallel twin.

2. I looked at valve adjustment schedule and then got a quote about how much that would be. Over 2x as much as the smaller air cooled ones. So I went with the Speedmaster.

 

[B25urgandy]

I sat on a rocket III once, I would really really really be tempted in one if it had a 6th gear. I don't understand why not.

 

[LoneRanger]

Originally Posted By: Clevy
If I was going to buy a bike today the triumph triple would be my first stop. They are just awesome as far as power goes though I don't know about reliability.
I love my street Bob and it's exactly where I want a bike to be so for me to even consider something else it would have to be killer,and the triumph qualifies as killer.
Honda has a flat 6 in a "bagger" now. I'd give that bike some thought too


Some mag did a comparo on both those bikes: Honda's new Valkrie (Goldwing in cruiser dress) and Triumph Rocket III. The Triumph got the over all nod, although the Valk was slightly easier to manage on twisty roads.

 

[FastGame]

Guy I know has the new Valkrie and it's real nice. It's more on the Sport Touring side with heavy emphasis towards comfort. In all my riding I've only seen 1 Rocket, they look big & strong.

 

[alarmguy]

Real nice, looks great, good luck with it.

 

[alarmguy]

Originally Posted By: Robenstein
The T-bird is a nice bike. I almost bought a T bird Storm. Two things kept me from it.

... I looked at valve adjustment schedule and then got a quote about how much that would be....


Ah, Valve Adjustments on the T-Bird?
I didnt know that, guess I should have. Always did my own on my metrics and the limited space is a killer, hate it. Guess I would have to see if it is easier on a Parallel Twin.

In the meantime, enjoying my 14 Road King, some may say old style push rod V-twin but LOVING IT and the idea that I never have to do a valve adjustment again. (now lets hope everything else holds together, ha ha...7,700 miles so far, hasnt been in for a repair, yet, we will see, Im still leary)

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: B25urgandy
I sat on a rocket III once, I would really really really be tempted in one if it had a 6th gear. I don't understand why not.


Why do you think it needs a 6th gear? It doesn't. The gearing is so tall as it is, it only turns 3100 RPMs at 80 MPH...what, do you like cruising at 100+ MPH or something?

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: jonl
Originally Posted By: alarmguy
I LOVE the Thunderbird LT, if not for my RK that would be an option, one problem for me, no local dealers, have to cross the border. I may go look at one in the next state some day, I almost did a couple months back, called ahead to the dealer to make sure they had some, guy even quoted me a price on a new 14 leftover if I came in! *L*

The Rocket, GREAT looking bike but the heat off those manifolds would be a bear down here in the midlands of South Carolina where for at least three months, there is never a day below 90 degrees and quite honestly its more like the upper 90s and low 100s.

I took some steps to lower the exhaust temp on my Road King, which worked out good, the lower right leg no longer turns red.

Do it. You won't be sorry. I brought home a '12 T-Bird 1600 ABS a week or so ago. Wow!






Beautiful bike! All of the Triumphs I've seen are very well built bikes...very nice fit and finish, nice chrome, nice paint, etc....

 

[alarmguy]

Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: B25urgandy
I sat on a rocket III once, I would really really really be tempted in one if it had a 6th gear. I don't understand why not.


Why do you think it needs a 6th gear? It doesn't. The gearing is so tall as it is, it only turns 3100 RPMs at 80 MPH...what, do you like cruising at 100+ MPH or something?


Im leary of quoting speedometer speeds. Some companies, mostly metric that I know of, like Yamaha speedos read almost a full 9% faster then your actual GPS speed.
My Yamaha Vstar 1300 speedo would read 80MPH and my actual true speed was 73 MPH. I dont know how they get away with it, amazing, I doubt the British do it but would be interesting if you throw a GPS on it.
My Road king is dead on within 2 max 3 MPH. At 80 indicated Im turning approx 3060 RPM ... in 6th. Ill have to double check, if its 80 GPS or indicated, I forgot! At 80MPH speedo reads 78.
A [censored] of a lot better then my Yamaha reading 80 and doing 73. I think it intentional by the Asian makers as no 6th gear I doubt very much the British do that, even more so with that monster of an engine!

 

[alarmguy]

ok, Im going to have to take a ride to a Triumph dealer some day ...

 

[Atesz792]

I've heared the speedo is off that way so you can never sue the company beacuse of a speeding ticket or anything of that nature.
Imagine someone riding the limit according to the speedo, and getting a ticket, losing their licence, etc. Would be upset, maybe sue the company, right? That won't happen with a Japanese bike...

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: alarmguy
Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: B25urgandy
I sat on a rocket III once, I would really really really be tempted in one if it had a 6th gear. I don't understand why not.


Why do you think it needs a 6th gear? It doesn't. The gearing is so tall as it is, it only turns 3100 RPMs at 80 MPH...what, do you like cruising at 100+ MPH or something?


Im leary of quoting speedometer speeds. Some companies, mostly metric that I know of, like Yamaha speedos read almost a full 9% faster then your actual GPS speed.
My Yamaha Vstar 1300 speedo would read 80MPH and my actual true speed was 73 MPH. I dont know how they get away with it, amazing, I doubt the British do it but would be interesting if you throw a GPS on it.
My Road king is dead on within 2 max 3 MPH. At 80 indicated Im turning approx 3060 RPM ... in 6th. Ill have to double check, if its 80 GPS or indicated, I forgot! At 80MPH speedo reads 78.
A [censored] of a lot better then my Yamaha reading 80 and doing 73. I think it intentional by the Asian makers as no 6th gear I doubt very much the British do that, even more so with that monster of an engine!


I have noticed that about metric speedos, however, the Rocket's is dead on!

 

[Robenstein]

On my Triumph Speedmaster, the speedo is 2mph fast. When I am going 65mph on the speedo, the gps said I was going 63. Closer than any of my cars which are faster by 3 to 5mph.

 

[alarmguy]

Originally Posted By: Atesz792
I've heared the speedo is off that way so you can never sue the company beacuse of a speeding ticket or anything of that nature.
Imagine someone riding the limit according to the speedo, and getting a ticket, losing their licence, etc. Would be upset, maybe sue the company, right? That won't happen with a Japanese bike...


Oh man, you got it so wrong, look at what you wrote and really think about it, almost comical when you think about it.

A company intentionally gives you an inaccurate speedometer so you cant sue them. Hate to tell you its the other way around, if anything, they could be sued if a speedometer could be the fault.

Anyway, never mind all that, bottom line is the speedo is intentionally inaccurate because of most all metric Asain cruisers (except Kawaski) LACK A 6th gear!
SO many of these people humming along in 5th gear dont feel their bike is buzzy in 5th gear when the speedo says 75 or 80 MPH because they are only doing 68 to 72 MPh!
There are some exceptions of course, some of the big powerhouse bikes can have tall gearing to make up for it but for me, I need that 6th as I enjoy the interstates and maybe that is why I do in 6th gear

Metric bikes produce a really cost effective product but if your an interstate cruiser rider, you will miss that 6th gear and it will [censored] you off when you put a GPS on your bike and see how you are being lied to about your speed, if anything its DANGEROUS as cars whiz around you because your going so slow.

 

[grampi]

One of the things I find strange about the whole 6th gear issue is that many of the bikes that do have a 6th gear don't have the power to pull it, while many, if not most of the bikes that do have the power to pull a 6th gear don't have a 6th gear...engineering at it's craziest I guess...

 

[Clevy]

When first riding the Harley I've got 6th gear was a major selling feature. If under 55mph I don't get into 6th however at 90mph my bike is smooth as silk,more so than at 55mph.
At 60mph in 6th it still has ample torque however it's not stock. 100tq at 2200rpm,I could easily tow a trailer with it. I'm considering building a sleeper instead of my bedroll and tent. Something like a rolling coffin would be perfect.

 

[grampi]

My buddies '09 RK Classic (96 c.i.) is a dog in 6th gear, and he's got exhaust, intake, and fuel manager mods...if any acceleration is required at all, you have to downshift...I don't know how the 103s and 110s are, but 6th gear is too much for the 96...if he were to pull a trailer, it would have to be in 5th gear...

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: grampi
My buddies '09 RK Classic (96 c.i.) is a dog in 6th gear, and he's got exhaust, intake, and fuel manager mods...if any acceleration is required at all, you have to downshift...I don't know how the 103s and 110s are, but 6th gear is too much for the 96...if he were to pull a trailer, it would have to be in 5th gear...


For starters fuel management is a joke if it's a fuel peak or xieds. A real tuner like a power commander or the screaming eagle tuner is required.
Second the stock tuning sucks. Even stock a 96" with a dyno tune will pick up 10hp/tq to the wheel.
When mine was stock it was never a dog in 6th. Never. If his is a dog he needs a real tuning alternative.
And an intake? Please. There is nothing restrictive about the stock intake at stock power levels so only a fool believes there's something to be gained there n
His bike even with those mods isn't any more powerful than stock.
And mine isn't even close to stock. S&S 106 kit,tw6-6 cams,heads milled and ported. It increased the compression ratio so I had manual compression releases machined in.
56mm tb,S&S intake,power commander v tuner and a dyno tune. 107hp/115tq to the wheel. 100tq at 2200rpm.
And a road king is at least 100-150 pounds heavier than my dyna.
I laugh at guys when they talk up their exhaust and intake. Useless mods unless you get into the engine and a complete waste of money,unless they are just after form and not function.
Mines an 08. If I didn't have this bike exactly where I want it I'd seriously consider a triumph triple or the new Honda sport type bagger.
Yamaha has a couple nice bikes but Thera no aftermarket for anything but the v-star.
So yep I believe his bike is a bit of a dog. The engine and gears need more rpm with a bike that heavy,and his mods likely cost him power instead of gaining it.
But with a Harley there is an unlimited aftermarket and one can pretty much go anywhere as long as they've got the money to pay for it.
I've got a jagg 10 row oil cooler and a twin head fan set up I got from a guy called fabrik8tor via a Harley forum. In the city those fans(manually switched) are absolutely fantastic for heat dissipation.
So yeah,no problem pulling a trailer for me. A road King is so heavy even with a small trailer and gear I'm still lighter.