Triumph Rocket III Touring

[Dudlydoright]

Call me crazy and/or stupid, but I've sold my Valkyrie Interstate after 8 years of good times.  Why?  I'm not sure myself.  I've conjured up several reasons that run along the lines of age(61), physical shape(overweight by 25 lbs), only put a couple thousand miles on the bike a year, if that, could use the room in the garage, etc.  So, I put it on ebay and it sold( damn it) and here I am having seller's remorse and already looking to fill that empty nest with another bike.  The problem is that I thought if I got another bike I'd at least be smart enough to get something much lighter.....well, no, apparently I'm not that smart.  The Rocket III is probably only 50 or so pounds lighter than my full dresser Valk.  Unfortunately the Rocket III is the only bike I find very appealing right now.  I guess what I'm after here is some kind of "intervention" or better yet some kind of "enabling" that will allow me to seriously consider a Rocket III.  Anyone here gone crazy like this?  Can anyone tell me how the Rocket compares to a Valk in overall handling and performance?

Thanks,

The Dud  

[Grandpot]

The Rocket is a really cool bike and the name is very appropriate.  I used to have a 1966 Triumph Bonneville and really miss it.  When I test drove the Rocket it felt like a Bonneville on steroids.  Unfortunately, I found the dealer to be a lying dog and there were many negative reports in the Triumph community about parts availability.

I ended up buying a Valkyrie I/S. 

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

You should do some research on the Rocket those bikes have some issues. I know a dude that has a I'm pretty sure its a 2007 and its been a POS with all kind of problems .Plus it has a tractor motor on it 

[Dudlydoright]

The Rocket is a really cool bike and the name is very appropriate.  I used to have a 1966 Triumph Bonneville and really miss it.  When I test drove the Rocket it felt like a Bonneville on steroids.  Unfortunately, I found the dealer to be a lying dog and there were many negative reports in the Triumph community about parts availability.

I ended up buying a Valkyrie I/S. 

Well, thanks for the info, I better do some research before I go off the deep end.

[Dudlydoright]

You should do some research on the Rocket those bikes have some issues. I know a dude that has a I'm pretty sure its a 2007 and its been a POS with all kind of problems .Plus it has a tractor motor on it  

That doesn't sound good, thanks for the excellent advice.  I will indeed do plenty of research now that you've stirred me from the trance that Rocket pictures and videos have put me into.

Dud

[Thunderbolt]

I don't want to bore those who have seen this story before, but since you asked........
I have a 99 Interstate that will probably be my main ride until I can't get parts anymore.  I also have a 2005 Rocket III that has way more torque and power than the Valk or most anything that weighs as much as it does and is my "hot rod" if you want to call it that.  If I were buying a Rocket today, I would most likely buy the Touring edition for the bags.  That is one thing that I wish my Rocket had, a place to put raincoat,camera etc.  I took the back seat off and made it a solo bike. Picture on my Avatar.
The Touring with the hard bags supposedly has more torque, but less horsepower than the Classic models.  The forks are flipped over, the speedo and tach were moved from the handlebars, the rear tire is smaller, but I do like the looks of the two pipes that exit under the bags.
There were some issues with the Rocket, my final drive was replaced under warranty.  That was the only issue so far with mine.  Some have had a cam chain drive gear that wore, and made it have what they termed the cam chain rattle.  I bought mine used with 300 or so miles and it has 13000 now.
Several people have sold or traded their Valk and had sellers remorse shortly afterward.  The Rocket handles as good as or better than the Valk.  I did put a 225-60-16 car tire on it so that I wouldn't have to change from a bike that had a car tire to one that did not.  The Valk has a 205-60-16 car tire. 
Oh, and I also put pull back risers on the Rocket and Valk bars to get them back where I wanted them.  Email if you have any other questions that I can help answer for you.

[39 Chev]

I don't know if you're looking for horsepower, but if you are be sure to check out the specs on the Touring Rocket III.  If I remember right, they cut the horsepower from somewhere around 150 to around 100 on the Touring.  I had a buddy (that owns a Valk Tourer) rent a Rocket III Tourer out in Washington this summer and he said it wasn't much stronger than his Valk.  He didn't like it any better than the Valk and he said he didn't think it liked curves, it was hard to get to get the bike to "tip in", but it loved the straights.

[Dudlydoright]

I don't know if you're looking for horsepower, but if you are be sure to check out the specs on the Touring Rocket III.  If I remember right, they cut the horsepower from somewhere around 150 to around 100 on the Touring.  I had a buddy (that owns a Valk Tourer) rent a Rocket III Tourer out in Washington this summer and he said it wasn't much stronger than his Valk.  He didn't like it any better than the Valk and he said he didn't think it liked curves, it was hard to get to get the bike to "tip in", but it loved the straights.

I noticed the horsepower specs as 106 for Touring the model and thought it must be a typo on the Triumph site...guess not.  Wonder why such a huge reduction.

Dud

[mikehallbackhoe]

the horsepower went down, but the torque went up. torque is what you want. if I had to part with my valk, the rocket tourer would be my replacement.

[Dudlydoright]

the horsepower went down, but the torque went up. torque is what you want. if I had to part with my valk, the rocket tourer would be my replacement.

Yes, I noticed that too and hoped that was a good thing.....so, I'm happy to see you say that.....and saying the Rocket would be the replacement if necessary.  That's the kind of enabling I was looking for. Thanks.

Dud

[mikehallbackhoe]

horsepower is how fast you hit the wall. torque is how big of hole you make. torque is what you feel when you roll on the throttle. the power difference between the rocket and a valk, is like going from a harley to a valk

[9Ball]

you should have both bikes.  Right now for me the Valk is for long, interstate trips and the Rocket is for those day trips and around town.  I just put risers and pullback bars on the Rocket and it has improved the riding position dramatically for me, but it still needs a seat upgrade to be a day long ride.  There's not much that compares with the Ultimate seat on my Valk....and talking to Des at Americade there's a version for the Rocket that will be coming out shortly.



All bikes seem to have some issues.  So far, Triumph has been stepping up to the plate and trying to make good on the major repairs even for bikes long out of warranty.  This may change, but it has been somewhat reassuring so far.

If you follow our site and internet talk we have a high number of hydrolock and petcock failures, final drives losing splines, starter button failures, bad alternators, melted starter wiring...to an outsider it would seem we have a problematic bike.  You rarely hear of the 99+% that never have issues.  I suspect this is the same for the Triumphs.


no bike's perfect...but the Valk is as close as one can come!!  I'll keep my fingers crossed on the Rocket and enjoy the flat-out power at the twist of the throttle..

[Tundra]

I've looked at these recently. Rocket III Tourer. The looks is what first caught me. The Tourer is in my book hands down best "looking" NEW bike available.  I like the height of the QUICK DISCONNECT WINDSHIELD was perfect, you can see right over it! The ease of maintenance and oil changes was nice too, same filter placement as the Valkyrie. The horsepower was decreased, although the torque was increased, which made a real nice "roll-on" torquey cruiser.
  However...the mechanic at the dealer stated two were purchased and returned for reasons he did not disclose to me.
  He also stated it holds 10 quarts of oil in that John Deere engine and it will only take synthetic (from factory) or will void warranty. I imagine in excess of $50.00 oil changes??
  He stated that there are currently no performance mods available for this model, like the other Rocket Models.
  There is a cat. converter which robs you of 10hp, that currently can not be removed without voiding warranty.
  So I walked out and looked at my Valkyrie in the parking lot, which was drawing a crowd, jumped on and started it, which drew more response from the crowd, then drove away with a smile telling myself "what were you thinking" If money was no object, I would own both. Just can't replace the Valk. (IMHO)

[9Ball]

I've looked at these recently. Rocket III Tourer. The looks is what first caught me. The Tourer is in my book hands down best "looking" NEW bike available.  I like the height of the QUICK DISCONNECT WINDSHIELD was perfect, you can see right over it! The ease of maintenance and oil changes was nice too, same filter placement as the Valkyrie. The horsepower was decreased, although the torque was increased, which made a real nice "roll-on" torquey cruiser.
  However...the mechanic at the dealer stated two were purchased and returned for reasons he did not disclose to me.
  He also stated it holds 10 quarts of oil in that John Deere engine and it will only take synthetic (from factory) or will void warranty. I imagine in excess of $50.00 oil changes??
  He stated that there are currently no performance mods available for this model, like the other Rocket Models.
  There is a cat. converter which robs you of 10hp, that currently can not be removed without voiding warranty.
  So I walked out and looked at my Valkyrie in the parking lot, which was drawing a crowd, jumped on and started it, which drew more response from the crowd, then drove away with a smile telling myself "what were you thinking" If money was no object, I would own both. Just can't replace the Valk. (IMHO)

typical dealer mechanic...they should try reading the service manuals once in a while.  The motor holds ~6 qts (5.9L) of oil (dry fill incl. filter) and you can buy the 10W40 Mobil 1 4T at any auto parts store (just about).  Dealer oil changes run $150+ if you buy the Triumph branded Mobil 1.  The shop manual allows either 10W40 or 15W50 semi-synthetic or full synthetic that meets API SH and JASO MA or higher.  That would allow a lot of different options (Amsoil, etc.)

People are already installing different tunes using Tuneboy software that gains some of the lost HP back.

[Puffs Daddy]

I'm very fond of Triumphs. Have owned several. And I seriously considered replacing my 2002 Valk with a Rocket III. Ultimately decided against it largely because the only advantage I found in a couple of hundred miles of test riding the Triumph was the amazing kick in the backside experienced by rolling on the throttle in any gear. I decided that would get old fairly quickly. Otherwise, the Valk handles better, is more comfortable, and is (marginally amazingly) smoother.

Since buying my Valk in 2002, I've not found a cruiser I prefer. The closest I've found is the Yamaha Royal Star Tour Deluxe, a much under-appreciated bike (imo) that isn't as strong as the Valk, but almost equally smooth and comfortable and has the advantage of a quick detach windshield, a five year unlimited mileage warranty, and electronic cruise control.

All in all, for me at least, the new Triumph Thunderbird holds more appeal than the Rocket III. I'm anxiously awaiting an extended test ride.

[9Ball]

Ultimately decided against it largely because the only advantage I found in a couple of hundred miles of test riding the Triumph was the amazing kick in the backside experienced by rolling on the throttle in any gear. I decided that would get old fairly quickly.

just like being "too rich" or "too good looking" gets old fairly quickly......

[Dudlydoright]

you should have both bikes.  Right now for me the Valk is for long, interstate trips and the Rocket is for those day trips and around town.  I just put risers and pullback bars on the Rocket and it has improved the riding position dramatically for me, but it still needs a seat upgrade to be a day long ride.  There's not much that compares with the Ultimate seat on my Valk....and talking to Des at Americade there's a version for the Rocket that will be coming out shortly.

Agreed but since I'm resolved to only having one bike taking up space in the garage the Rocket is sounding better all the time considering the vast majority of my riding is a Saturday or Sunday jaunt and the around town fling.  Thanks.

Dud

[Tropic traveler]

Well............ Let me start by saying I would advise anyone who asks- NEVER SELL YOUR VALKYRIE!!
As a former Rocket owner I can tell you of my experiences & preferences.
I bought my R3, a 2005 standard model that was loaded with all the "right for me" accessories. It had the paint-matched Corbin bags, Triumph W/S, footboards. sissy bar & rack, and engine guards. Kinda like the best of both worlds, fully tour equipped AND full 140+ HP monster. Added D&D RH exit exhaust & that baby would SING!   Got a good deal on it with 8,000 miles on the ticker in 2007. I did add Valkyrie handlebars & Rivco risers. The stockers were too wide & too far forward.
Nearly right away I had two problems- both fixed by Triumph of Daytona under warranty. I had the very common no idle/stall problem {TPS} and the dreaded "paint can rattle" {loose crank sprocket} which as an "engine guy" bothered me quite a bit. I must say though after those 2 problems were resolved it was absolutely flawless for another 8K or so until I sold it. It did take 3 trips to the dealer to get the idle issue fixed but fixed it was. At about 15K the LH rear shock lost all it's oil. A set of Progressive 412s replaced them & the ride quality improved a lot.
As far as Valk comparisons, the Rocket flat out WHIPS the Valk in ANY measure of performance, HP, torque, & braking. PERIOD! Anyone who claims any different HAD to have ridden a flawed Rocket 3! I'm sure all the dual Valk/R3 owners will back me up on that!  The power of that bike is as good as ANY drug!    Handling was to me about a wash, both bikes felt similar. I was disappointed in the quality of the fasteners & chrome of the Rocket. I have heard this from other R3 owners too. To be fair, my R3 started life in S. Florida most likely in close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.
Oil changes are a bit of a PITA on the R3. It turns out now that it uses the same oil filter as a Valk but there are THREE drainplugs   to pull & a special 15W50 Mobil 1 oil {5.something qrts} that as of last year was only available at a Triumph dealer, is recommended. 10K drain intervals as per the M.O.M.
I was never able to get comfy on the Rocket as I have on the Valk. I did not like the feet forward riding position {but the floorboards helped} & I did not like the ergonomics of the R3 as well. The Valk was considerably smoother which was a big factor for me with the kind of riding Kim & I do.  Maybe all that is different on the R3T. That is a personal preference anyways, only your butt in the seat will matter!  
To be fair again, there was an economic advantage to selling my Rocket. I sold it at a fair price & bought Kim her Valk from a relative for a steal. Used the $$ difference to pay off some bills as I saw the writing on the wall moneywise. Turns out I was right & all is well now!  
Bottom line for me was I never felt as comfortable on the R3 as I do on my Valk, both physically & mentally. There was always the thought in the back of my mind that the Rocket was not going to be a nearly trouble free 100K bike that the Valk is known to be. Somewhere down the line I was convinced it was going to let me down big. I do OK but I'm not a bucks up guy & I do tend to keep my vehicles a looong time so that weighed heavily on my mind. Do I miss the power?......YES.  Am I very happy to be a 2 Valk family now? ......YES   Will I buy another Rocket if my ship comes in?....YES! That is unless of course, Honda comes out with a 1.8L-2.2L Flat 6, 130+ HP, 6 speed "new Valkyrie".
That will most likely be the only thing that gets me off my Valkyrie!  


My Rocket.


R3 & Valk in Marathon FL... The trip that conviced me the R3 was not going to cut it.


Our "dynamic duo" now.


Here's the new Triumph Thunderbird at BW. Nice, except for that @#$% feet forward riding position!


My Rocket gone, But I have a very happy Valk owner wife now!  


Will never be sold!!! Bury it with me!!

[John J]

I've been tempted several times to swap my Valk for a Rocket (I'm in the UK so plenty of Rockets around). A friend has had a Rocket for 3 years and done 20k miles on it. It's been pretty good for reliabilty but his maintenance costs have been quite high. He recently paid the dealer £750 to have the front pads and discs changed and gets only 6 to 7k from a rear tyre.
The main thing that has put me off changing is the riding position of the Rocket. The standard Rocket seems to give us older guys quite a hip ache but the Tourer does seem easier on the hips. It's that and the finish of the Rocket that keep me with the Valk. The Rocket finish, chrome etc, doesn't seem as good as the Valk and they can show their age earlier than a Valk.
One last point - my mate brought his new, with extras, for £14.5k and has recently been offered £6k trade in against the new Triumph Thunderbird. So they do depreciate a bit.
All that said - I still want one!!!! They are pretty dam good!

[Dudlydoright]

Well............ Let me start by saying I would advise anyone who asks- NEVER SELL YOUR VALKYRIE!!...

I should have gotten your opinion before I sold the Valk.  Let's just hope they stay in circulation for a long time in case I need to have one again.  If I have another go around with the Valkyrie I think I'd get a Standard or a Tourer.  I think I can do without the fairing and travel trunk my Interstate had/has......shoot...it's still in the garage waiting for it's new owner...giving me that, "you stupid bastard" kind of look.

Thanks for the great pics and story.

Dud

[Dudlydoright]

I've been tempted several times to swap my Valk for a Rocket (I'm in the UK so plenty of Rockets around). A friend has had a Rocket for 3 years and done 20k miles on it. It's been pretty good for reliabilty but his maintenance costs have been quite high. He recently paid the dealer £750 to have the front pads and discs changed and gets only 6 to 7k from a rear tyre.
The main thing that has put me off changing is the riding position of the Rocket. The standard Rocket seems to give us older guys quite a hip ache but the Tourer does seem easier on the hips. It's that and the finish of the Rocket that keep me with the Valk. The Rocket finish, chrome etc, doesn't seem as good as the Valk and they can show their age earlier than a Valk.
One last point - my mate brought his new, with extras, for £14.5k and has recently been offered £6k trade in against the new Triumph Thunderbird. So they do depreciate a bit.
All that said - I still want one!!!! They are pretty dam good!

Ah, Jolly Old England is one of our favorite places and we have vacationed there three times so far.  I don't remember the magazine but yesterday I read a road test review online and watched videos of a British writer/tester who had joined with other writer/testers in Texas.  I believe they were testing new 2008 R3 models.  I'm concerned about the riding position too.  I've never used floor boards, just pegs, and the R3 floor boards look to be more forward than I'm accustomed to.  I don't know if my old ass(that's "arse" to you Brits ) can adjust to a different position.

Thanks,

Dud

[Tropic traveler]

Yes, jolly old England indeed.
A funny follow up to my Rocket 3 ownership story. I sold my Rocket to an Englishman & it was shipped BACK to England. The new owner lives in Portugal & said he was going to ship it through the Chunnel then ride it back to Portugal. He plans on touring the south of Europe on it.
I hope he is more comfy on it than I was! 

   

[RLD]

Why didn't they make this one? I like it!

http://vrcc.photostash.com/vrcc_2505/Rocket_tourer.jpg

[RLD]

Lets' try that again

[Dudlydoright]

Yes, jolly old England indeed.
A funny follow up to my Rocket 3 ownership story. I sold my Rocket to an Englishman & it was shipped BACK to England. The new owner lives in Portugal & said he was going to ship it through the Chunnel then ride it back to Portugal. He plans on touring the south of Europe on it.
I hope he is more comfy on it than I was!  

 

I see you've been to Key West with your Rocket, another one of my favorite places.  The first and only time I've ridden a Harley was in Key West.  My wife's boss insisted I rent Harleys with him as he was missing his Road King during a 3 or 4 day sales meeting being held in Key West.  I got a "Dyna" or some such thing.  The sound and vibrations it made were novelties that wore off not long after we got out of town on the road North to Miami.  I was happy to turn around a couple hours later and head back to Key West and the rental place.  It wasn't exactly my cup of tea you might say.

Dud

PS  My wife and I lived in Tampa for 5 years before her  job took us to North Carolina.  We've been to Ocala a couple times too....small world, eh?

[usmc1142]

Dud, I envy you and your problems.   I love the east coast, and if I ever hit the lottery I'm moving to Charlestown s.c. and riding my bike from virginia to louisiana. 
  I think if you want a rocket III you should get it.   you can always come back to a valk (although it would NEVER be as good as the one you let go)   The rocket is a great bike and a great looking bike, but as you well know opinions and "a"holes, everyonhas one.  I could never get rid of my valk, just as much as a buddy of mine could never get rid of his sportster.   Part of the attraction is the cool factor, a "66 " vette rides like crap, but it's a "66" vette, so who couldn't put up with that?  The rocket is a very good bike, if that's what you want, get it and enjoy!

[Tropic traveler]

Dudly, been there on the Valk too!


This pic is from the year before.

Hopefully soon we will have a pic of both Valks together at the Southernmost Point. 

[Puffs Daddy]

Ultimately decided against it largely because the only advantage I found in a couple of hundred miles of test riding the Triumph was the amazing kick in the backside experienced by rolling on the throttle in any gear. I decided that would get old fairly quickly.

just like being "too rich" or "too good looking" gets old fairly quickly......

Yup. That's my curse.

[Printer Mike]

A couple of years ago I test rode a R3 in downtown Atlanta GA on a balmy 95 degree Saturday. Awesome power and I had little trouble manuvering in the heavy stop and go traffic. A quick run up I-85 proved it to "get on down the road." I wanted to "buy it now" for my 60th BD, but my wife stood firm against it. All the trouble stories made me feel that it was best that I didn't buy it then.

Later today, I'm picking up my first Valk, and in a few weeks, looking forward to hittin' the road for my FIRST road trip...

[Oss]

I test drove one at Americade 3 yrs ago so that would make in probably an 06 or 05 model?


Acceleration?   WOW
Brakes            Very Good
Did I say acceleration WOW

I only got to ride for about 40 minutes over the back roads and then up the northway for a spell

I hit the on ramp as far behind the next bike as possible and when I was shifting into 4th I was already well above 70  I never got to put it in 5th well yes I did but couldnt do any acceleration as you have to stay in your spot  they dont let you slingshot and pass the group

Acceleration was amazing in that bike

It handled the back road twists as well as my valk, maybe it weighed a bit less than my interstate

would I trade for one.......no  but I must say it was the best performing bike I rode that year,  way better than the vtx

[sceptic86]

Hello all
I was reading the posts and had to create an account just to weigh in on this issue. Many good thoughts on the Valkyrie vs Rocket topic. First off I'll say that I did own a 2000 interstate and still have the original windscreen and new bar risers if anyone is interested. I did like the bike but as has been mentioned here I think the tourer would have been a better option for me. I never listen to music and too much up front on the interstate. My daughter liked it for the riding position however. I put many thousands of miles on the bike including multiple week trips across country and to Canada and Mexico. My main issues with the bike was a lack of high end power and very poor gas mileage at highway speeds. I had a lot of engine and airflow work done to try to increase the power and gas mileage. Not much affected either of these. From a comfort and long haul standpoint it was a great bike, but the other issues seemed to wear on me to the point that I decided to sell the bike and try to find something that had all the attributes on the Valk plus fuel injection and better mileage and more highway cruising and passing power. If honda would come out with the same bike with the 1800 engine I would be in line in a second, as I also owned a GL1800 wing so I know what that engine can do. I bought the Rocket III tourer. For me it was money well spent. Don't get me wrong it's not perfect but fits my needs better. One issue with the rocket are aftermarket parts which basically no one is making yet because there are not enough of them out there. Also dealership availability is much poorer than Honda in case there is a problem. The handling is on par with the Valk. I did give up some engine smoothness with the three cylinder, but as the miles increase (5000 currently) the engine is smoothing out considerably, rather like a twin. 70 to 90 acceleration and gas mileage are both better, whether one up or two up. Fit and finish is probably not as good as honda but not bad either. I love the quick detatch screen as I live  in Phoenix and summer riding is much better without it. Sure there are still questions about longevity, time obviously will tell. Bottom line is I looked long and hard before selling and before buying and this is what worked for me. As for never selling the Valk I do not have enough room or money to have two bikes that basically do the same thing. My other bike is a Kawasaki KLR650 because I need an inexpensive dual sport here in the desert. Hope this has some benefit.

[T.P.]

shoot...it's still in the garage waiting for it's new owner...giving me that, "you stupid bastard" kind of look.

Dud
[/quote]     Your not the first guy or the last to sell their Valkyrie and then fall apart from remorse. Your in luck there is no Dudlydoright or Dudlydowrong handle in use at your new home. Enjoy your new ride !  http://www.r3owners.com/portal.php