I've always liked Triumphs.....Plus there is a local dealer just 5-miles from my driveway...I'm scared to go into the showroom because I will probably go out the door with a 2010 Thruxton....

Lead me not into Temptation for I am capable of leading myself!!!!

 

Well, if you buy a Triumph, you will only have a motorcycle (same as if you bought a Honda, Victory, Suzuki, etc.). If you don't know what I mean, you should buy a Triumph. Simple.

 

I would take a Rocket III as a second bike. While ugly as sin I think twisting the throttle would be a blast.

 

It's got Metric fasteners and it's capacities are measured on metric scale. What makes it not Metric?

 

The Rocket 111 has monster torque, 152ft/lbs but its to heavy for me. Especially at low speeds it takes some muscle.

 

Never ridden one of the new one's. Liked the one I had longer ago than I'd care to admit.

Those that have the new ones that I've talked to seem very happy with them and say they are allot of fun to ride.

 

Liked the power on the 1050 Tiger I rode and the sound on the Scrambler that had the Arrow pipes. I thought it was the best sounding bike on the lot, including the Harleys.

 

I wonder why Triumph didn't use the name Trident for their Triple? That would have kept the tradition alive...

Rocket was the name of the late 60's BSA Triple...I know I'm comparing fly sh*t with pepper but the British Bikes have some proud history...

 

Not until i stripped the Showa forks.....had to dig out the metric sockets/allen keys.LOL

 

Just got home from doing demo rides at Great Bay Motorcycles. They had the factory demo trailer for two days. First ride was on the Rocket III Roadster. What can I say, my arms are about two inches longer from the mad power this bike has. I would have to say it felt very much (power wise) like a V-Max but from a lower rpm. THis thing just flat out RIPS! I feel different than others though about the handling. I found it to be pretty nimble and didn't feel anywhere near as heavy as it's weight would lead you to believe. Shifted almost impossibly smoothly, neutral was a breeze, fit and finish were flawless, brakes were very responsive and strong. For a mucle bike I would pick this over a Ducati Streetfighter or maybe even the V-Max, this one just feels that much more fun to wail on. Second up was a Speed Triple. This is kind of a Superbike without the full fairing. Very fast and agile, handled the twisties like it was on rails and did the things it's supposed to do very well. Gotta tell you though, these 50 plus shoulders were kinda achy towards the end of the ride, just not my style of bike for regular use. Last up was the Rocket Touring. This was the bike I really wanted to ride and it did not disapoint. Same torquey motor as the Roadster (different tune for more torque, less hp I was told). Great handling and riding frame/suspension. Shifted kinda clunky compared to the Roadster but this demo unit had the feel of a well used (abused?) bike. Windshield did a fairly good job of limiting wind and buffeting, brakes worked well but it felt like the rear was more responsive than the front. No cruise control or radio so for long distance a solution for that should be available. Spacious hardbags and comfortable backrests for both driver and passenger. Pretty good MSRP until you figure the cost of add-ons to bring it up to Ultra Classic specs then I think it will be a wash. One important note on both Rockets, I made it a point to touch various points of the motor at the end of each ride and I could touch everywhere but the exhaust and feel warmth but not searing heat, nice job. Some may say the bike is ugly but as I have pointed out in the past, if the bike is ugly then maybe just maybe I look LESS UGLY!