Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Other Bikes Rocket III Demo Ride

HOLY SHIZNITTY. What a bike! I've never ridden or driven anything that fast. It was also very comfortable, handled really well, very well-mannered around town and stops on a dime. Gotta get me one of those!

Freedom was tailing me on a demo TBA (both our bikes were in for a tuneup) and I almost felt bad about dusting him so bad... NOT.

Friar,

I would say I was "holding back" to make you feel faster, but that's ludicrous, 3X cubic inches is 3X cubic inches. The R3 is fast, effortless and and a little insane. I had the BA demo up to 98 on the speedo and felt like I was in nuetral compared to the "R3 grey dot" quickly receeding on the horizon. I also realized it only has 40 miles on the odometer so I'd better behave & respect the breakin.

...On a side note, I think it's great when Jarrod the mechanic takes interest in customer comments and grins and wants to show you exactly what he's doing. I ask him about things I hear on this board related to set up and he always is open and gives a good answer. Also when Mike & Betty freely make demos available for transportation when out of town customers are in for service. They don't have to do that. You hear tales of dissatisfaction, IMO it doesn't apply to the Missoula dealer. Decent people.

I agree, but I still tease them about that crappy little 125cc dirt bike they put me on for a loaner last year. Grrr...

Hiya John
My local dealer was bombarded by me almost daily for a test ride when they first came out.
I was lucky enough to get one a couple of days after he had his demo bike.

More recently I was able to have one for the whole day (mine was in for the 10,000 miles service) but the thing was in my garage for half of it

I love the thing and it's probably the only other bike I'd consider - though I'd never get rid of the America.

My only downfall is that insurance is too expensive at the moment.
Don't get me wrong, I could afford it .. but it chokes me to pay those parasite insurance companies all that money ...

I could have paid for my service if I'd got £1 for everyone I caught rubber-necking as I went past ...
In fairness .. it was bright orange with the tribal option paintwork ..

just took my dealers demo out yesterday. there is no way to explain the power it has. insane is all i can say. thought it was going to rip my arms off hahaa. it is a nice bike and after riding it it does not look quit as ugly. but the america is a lil easier to throw around and looks much better. if they could only get that power with the look of the ba's or speedys

Frank

Hiya Frank
I must admit that after all the hype, when I first rode it, I was sh*tting bricks!!

But what an easy bike to ride!!!

I swear it feels lighter than my America.

Next time you ride one, try this .. plod along in top at 50 then 'give it a fist full' of gas.
Look at the speedo and you should hit 100 in next to no time .. works for me ... !
Plus it does this ...

And if it doesn't, check your pulse ...

Hey Adey - how's the bowels??

Ok Friar - is it official or are you just messing with us - you like the Rocket better than the DIRT BIKE? Huh? Huh?

Freedom - are you saying that Friar actually outran you?

Hiya Roadie

The bowels settled down just fine in less than a week ..

That dirt bike was so small not only did I dwarf it I was a bit worried that if I hit one good bump it would turn into a suppository.

Wow, you were worried? Imagine what it was like for the dirt bike...

I love this place

While I was doing my Direct Access to get my license (lessons and test on 500cc), learner riders are restricted to 125cc.
I had a Honda CG125 to get back into getting some road sense (seem to have lost it after passing my test!).
The thing was more like a thong than a bike ...
Ride round all day on a 'fast' 500, then go home on the CG with the throtle wound round to the stop!!!

I'm amazed you guys can get a bike on a car license and THEN consider going for lessons!!
Probably not as easy as that ... is it??

Hiya Adey - In Idaho, you gotta have an endorsement on your driver's license - kinda like having a whole 'nother license bc you have to pass a written and a riding test on MCs before you can drive one on the road. I think its that way in all the other states as well.

USED to be that nobody had to have an MC endorsement - they just let you ride or die. I miss the bloody, unregulated past, I think...

Speaking of tiny rides, I used to have a Kawasaki 100 back when. It was before CDI ignitions - you had to decarbon the spark plug every few miles. STill, it was a motorcycle. Sort of...

I think you need the endorsement in every state, but I could be wrong. What you can do is go take the written test (which you will pass as long as your IQ is over 69) and then with no instruction at all go ahead and ride *any* bike you want as long as you have a helmet, don't take any passengers, don't ride at night, and stay off interstate freeways. You then have one year to get your endorsement (pass the riding test), and then the restrictions are taken off (except the helmet part in some states).

You have to have an endorsement on your license (a line in small print that says Motorcycle) in Florida and requires a written and proficiency (road) test. A course with the MSF will get you both. However, if you don't get stopped, no one will ever know... I have a couple of friends that ride without proper licensing.

It was not always like this here. Many years ago, you did not need anything special to ride a bike on the roads. Sometime in the mid 70's, they finally passed the licensing law. If you were riding at the time, you were granted an endorsed license (grandfathered in). I can't remember how that worked but I got mine then and have had it ever since...