Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Other Bikes 09 RIII touring

Ive found a R3T for a deal, only 3000 kms on it .been lookin around for some info in regards to what to look for or avoid on these machines and havent been as successful as i would like .i'm not expecting perfection but i dont wanna spend $ after $ to get it right . ill be needing them $s for some performance restoration (if'n i do the deed) . so any and all info will be greatly appreciated .

I would love to have a rocket in my stable along with my TBA. So I too am always trolling around (just need more money!) and I really haven't come across any specific complaints or problems with them. Sorry not much help bit a fellow admire of some beastly power.

http://www.r3owners.net/common-issues/ this may answer some of the issues you may/may not experience.I have the 08 R3T with over 32,000 miles and no issues outside of warranty..Keep in mind that most forums(especially R3 forums) have the same guys complaining about the same defects..even after Triumph has stepped up to the plate and corrected the problems.None of my recall notices have ever put the bike into non-running status..another to check out...http://www.r3owners.com/forum.php.Warning!!Be sure to make sure you are reading about the R3T and not the classic..different frames,tires,engine(yes the Roadster has different cams and crank),tunes,etc.Buy the Gipro for best bang for your buck and the convient gear position display

I thought there was something internally with the R3 engine, something with the timing.

have not heard or seen that one..

Ed

I can't remember what it was and I hope it is the exception not the rule since I would really like an R3T eventually.

like I said I have not heard that one.. the big one over there
seams to be Ignition switch failure ..like the CDI over here and if you do count... it's really not that many and there is a after market fix for it that you do before it fails ..and if read there are many RT3 owners that are very happy with there bikes and have many trouble free miles ...

just like here there are a few that have had trouble with there TBS/speedy but for the most part these are very good bike and so are the RT3 !!!!!

ED

I agree, Ed. I've been spending a LOT of time over at the r3owners.net site lately trying to find out the same stuff as Celt is. I'm planning on getting one next year at some point when I find a deal. Anyhow, it seems the biggest issue is the resolved Ignition switch deal. I would like to hear some comments if you could about the COST OF OWNERSHIP on a Rocket vs. a BA or speedy.

My R3 (not touring) had gear change problems.
Took a few re-builds and weeks and weeks to sort ... then the timing chain tensioner went necessitating another engine / gearbox re-build.
It was a royal PITA and was off the road for a few months.
I looked at a BMW, a Guzzi and a 1050 Tiger just to get rid of it.
It runs great now so I kept it. I must be mad

Your experience maybe what I was thinking of.

During my sh1t 2010 with the R3, I invented new swear words.
Normal "can I help?" staff at the dealership would vanish upon my arrival leaving one poor sap in the service depertment to take the abuse.
But, get back on the R3, twist that throttle until your arms are straight and your underwear needs changing ... woo, and indeed, hoo

i forgot about your missing R3 time Adey ,yikes thats fcuked .
i'm willing to bet them "normal can i help staff " had some pretty new swear words too ,when they seen you coming in ,glad it all good now mate

Now that I think about it wasn't it a mistake of the dealers tech that caused the timing chain issue?

Timing chin(04-05-06) and "paint can rattle" was corrected with an upgrade kit installed free by Triumph..and yes,you lost down time while being repaired.The 06 seemed to have the issue corected.I have had only tire replacement(Bridgestones),Gear Position sensor,fuel gauge computer fix done to my 08 Rocket.Have enjoyed 32,000+ miles and no down time for me..Regular oil change and service as suggested in manual for me....Celt:Run the vin number through the Triumph web page to make sure re-call issues have been taken care of.I remember Friar was looking at Rocket in Missoula with new tires installed by dealer but had warranty issues outstanding..made me wonder why the dealer didnt do the warranty when bike was in for service and tires

At least the rear tire is significantly cheaper on the RIIIT than the regular Rockets, correct? I've heard that 240 rear is hugely expensive.

yup...and There is a set a avon for the RT3 that you can put on that make it handle even better then metzler from the talk on the forum it's night and day so as soon these mets are done the avon are going on


Ed

Which metzlers? I'm sure happy with the ME880s and I've had nothing but Avons.

the metzeler me 880 marathon..and mine were starting to cup..front and rear... at 1400 mile's and the air pressure was right..but I am a AVON kind of guy... that is what I run on all of my bikes

Ed

Just found out an old friend, who use to work with my dad here in Helena and now lives south of Denver, is planning a 1000-in-24 run in southwestern Colorado soon, and he has an R3T. Very cool!

On the regular Rockets many claim that the rear tires wear out fast (3000-5000 miles). Although I have a friend who got 11,000 on his rear tire and claims that the guys whose tires wear out are all 350 lbs and performing burnouts at every stop light. Many put car tires on their r3's ("going darkside")because the tires are cheaper and last longer but this is extremely controversial too and the pro/con arguments have a religious fervor about them.

There are clutch issues. I can vouch for this personally because my r3T is currently in the shop getting its clutch rebuilt. Triumph is covering the repair even though the bike is out of warranty. I think its cheaper for them to just cover the bikes when the clutches fail than to issue a recall (which many on the R3 owners forums have been calling them to do.)

The thing I like least about the Rocket is the amount of heat it generates. Trying to mitigate this is an ongoing mission of mine. I've tried loading different tunes, I recently put on a set of ceramic-coated headers - still hot. It's not a lot of fun to be stuck in traffic on a Rocket in summertime. I think the heat will extend my riding season into December though :-)

Your MPGs will go down. Budget an extra 20-25% for fuel. But your speed and acceleration will go up too so that kinda compensates for it.

The thing I like least about having a Rocket is that I now have to go to r3owners.com and r3owners.net to commiserate about my bike instead of bonnevilleamerica.com!

Net/net I'm bummed about the bike being down with the clutch rebuild but after some initial challenges getting used to it, I really like it. It's a head turner, it has a ton of character from a 'ride' standpoint, and there's something about knowing you can kick the @$$ of any Harley out there (no matter how obnoxiously loud their pipes are) that makes it worth every bit of big-bike aggravation.