Any Motörbike riders here?

boogieman

The Rocket is a monster of a bike and it weighs a ton, almost literally. Drop it and it'll need three people to get it back up. If you really want a Triumph, the Street Triple is the way to go, great bikes.

IMO you'll need to go 500/600 cc after you pass the test, the difference between a 125 and even a 500 is immense. The acceleration, brakes and handling are all way better and you need to get used to if before you buy anything massively powerful. The Suzuki Gladius is a great in between bike, very forgiving but with enough grunt to get out of trouble if you ever need it.

Btw I did a refresher course before I went back to biking as I hadn't ridden a geared bike for over 30 years. I used an outfit based at Kempton racecourse, can't remember the name but they were excellent with great instructors. Worth looking up for doing the CBT or DAS.

octatonic

I wasn't completely serious.
A Thruxton would be nice though.

It is all a while away.
Trying to book cbt for Thursday.

randomhandclaps

I've ridden a Rocket on several occasion (still haven't plumped for one) and it does indeed weigh a ton but the balance is phenomenal for a big bike and it pisses all over any equivalent American bike for handling - probably not a first bike mind. I know you were kidding.

Myranda

Triumph ran courses for years (I think they still might) on riding the Rocket III...

See, there's so much torc available that no matter what speed you're at (up to the top speed) or where in the rev range you are there's more power to be had. Bikers have been taken by surprise by this at times - flinging them into bushes, sliding it sideways down the road, flinging the rider off etc... so Triumph started the Rocket training courses - marketing genius really they get to highlight how much fun these things can be...

If I had a lot of spare monies I'd buy one in a shot

octatonic

2400cc is as big as my car.

randomhandclaps

Myranda said:

Triumph ran courses for years (I think they still might) on riding the Rocket III...

See, there's so much torc available that no matter what speed you're at (up to the top speed) or where in the rev range you are there's more power to be had. Bikers have been taken by surprise by this at times - flinging them into bushes, sliding it sideways down the road, flinging the rider off etc... so Triumph started the Rocket training courses - marketing genius really they get to highlight how much fun these things can be...

If I had a lot of spare monies I'd buy one in a shot

And that was still with a low gear torque limiter.  I've chatted with several guys who were desperate to remove theirs - I'm not sure why.  For as much fun at a fraction of the cost a Yamaha V-Max could be had.

Phil_aka_Pip

Its funny how names survive. The original Road Rocket was the A10 BSA*. Then when in the late 60s, the 3 cylinder engine was introduced, the BSA version was the Rocket-III. Now Triumph are using the name, presumably because they have the rights descended from the BSA-Triumph group which collapsed in the early 70s.  

*EDIT

There was nothing wrong with the A10 engine, it was a sound design. Look for the design flaws in the Ed Turner engine and you won't find them in Bert Hopwwod's A10. I read somewhere that when the BSA engine went to unit construction (A65), the BSA-Triumph group gave (yes gave) the A10 drawings to Kawasaki, who built one. The difference between theirs and the BSA original was the tight engineering tolerances available from new (not pre-war) machine tools. Whereas BSA's would pull the bike to an indicated 110mph (once, maybe twice if you were lucky before it blew up), the Kwacker went round a race track all day at 120mph and wasn't knackered afterwards.

randomhandclaps

When they launched the Rocket, although the 3 is also being because it's a triple cylinder, I'm sure they mentioned that it was a homage to the last of the old school Triumphs in the BSA Rocket 3/Trident.  My uncle used to have a Road Rocket and I loved that bike.  Sadly it's long gone.

Myranda

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rla9KU0m808 this is the one I want

Phil_aka_Pip

@Myranda Oh Yes!!! Whats the point of a motorbike that doesn't scare you witless

When I first straddled the "850" Commando (wasn't it really 824?) it scared the willies out of me, but I didn't buy it because by then, the dreadful left-foot gearshift had been perpetrated. I ended up with an ex proddy-racer, a 750 Roadster in Combat spec (square cams, mountainous pistons and big carbs. I loved it!

octatonic

That is a pretty cool bike.

How do you get the front wheel off the ground on a bike that heavy?

randomhandclaps

This video is really informative -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPeyhiD7KYw

randomhandclaps

octatonic said:

That is a pretty cool bike.

How do you get the front wheel off the ground on a bike that heavy?

You just need a fat arse.

Phil_aka_Pip

octatonic said:

That is a pretty cool bike.

How do you get the front wheel off the ground on a bike that heavy?

depends on the available torque, so you presumably slip the clutch to the right engine speed if you have to. I did it once on a Norton Commando with handlebars so low it made you lean on the front end, but it still lifted me up in the air!

Myranda

octatonic said:

That is a pretty cool bike.

How do you get the front wheel off the ground on a bike that heavy?

With torque ... lots and lots of torque. Which interestingly the Rocket III has in spades 

Phil_aka_Pip

@randomhandclaps I wish I could give you more than one LOL for that video  )

Myranda

I want a new bike

Triumph Rocket III or Speed Triple

Ducati Diavel, Streetfighter or Monster 

MV Augusta Brutale 1090RR 

All bikes I'd sell my grandmother for, but couldn't afford

That said... I could afford a finance deal on any of them... a shiny vroom vroom would be awesome

ddlooping

Any interest in my Yamaha XVS125 Dragstar?

octatonic

Decided I am going to book in for a 1 week intensive Direct Access course.

Won't be cheap- I think around a grand- but I come out the other side with a full license.

It saves a lot of hassle about buying and selling a 125cc.

Probably going to buy a 500-600cc bike.

Not a lot of cruisers around that size.

Maybe a sports tourer is the way to go?

littlegreenman

Just to derail the thread a touch, but which are the best "learn-to-drive-a-car" equivalents? If indeed such a thing exists...