2006 Triumph reviews

Unfortunately, there is no word in the English language that describes how awesome this bike is in every aspect! From the looks to the comfort to the handling to the price; There is nothing like a Rocket 3 anywhere on Earth! It gets a 6-Star Rating in my book. I've been riding since 1982 and have ridden almost every type of bike including most Harleys and there are no two or three bikes combined that could combine all of the attributes of this bike. Every time I even think about riding my Rocket, I just smile from ear to ear! The totally unique look with that big fat 240 in the rear is so cool! The power and smoothness of the engine is incredible and the way it carves through the turns in the mountains is unbelievable! I can blow every stock bike away in the straights and keep up with most sport bikes in the curves! They can't believe my bike is stock! Show less

Go with the R6 and don't look back. If you want a road bike, go with a H-D or Buell. If you want the ultimate bike, go with the GSXR 750. But, if you want the cream of the crop 600, this thing makes other crotch rocket, i.e. GSXR 750, feel like a cruiser. This bike is sharp and it does take some getting used to, but once that happens, any other bike you ride you think to yourself why did they do it differently. This is the best bike I have ever ridden. This bike has the low end to make it fun to drive on the streets, but it also overtakes the R6 on the way to the podium. This is a bike that is 'uncomparable' to any other middleweight but it is not without its downside. This IS NOT a beginner's bike. The bike is too high strung and is not very forgiving. The throttle is too responsive for a beginner and the handling is also in the same boat. Show less

I am 57 years old and haven't owned a motorcycle since 1971 when I sold my 305 Honda Super Hawk. I had ridden a Bonneville before that. I looked at Harley's but I admit I never have liked them-too expensive and too heavy. I considered BMW. I rode a 2007 Bonneville T-100 and it sold me. It is a beautiful bike, rock solid and handles to perfection. I seldom take long trips and ride for only several hours at a time. But it does very well for all day riding. I had Thruxton exhausts added, jetted the carbs and did a few odds and ends. At my age, it is easy to handle, has more than enough power (running about 80 hp), it's a pleasure to drive and yep - it gets all the attention around other makes. Show less

Great bike. Much better than the Sportster we traded. Better headlight, brakes, handling, cornering and ground clearance. More comfortable seat too! don't forget, a reasonable price as well. What more could you want? Well maybe a couple of things. I really hate chain drive, maybe a little better fuel economy, all in all little things that are easily remidied with a little help from the aftermarket. I forgot, tons of fun to ride too! Show less

I found the first few miles a little intimidating but that didn't last long. All I can say is WOW. This bike handles great and with the power, it can only be called, like I said, WOW. I had a few upgrades that I wanted and the guys at the dealership took good care of me. I'm glad I waited for Triumph to build this machine. Show less

Having owned and riden Triumph's most of my life, (I'm 52 now) what to buy wasn't the question, it was which one. I went with the America for a cruiser. It has surpassed my expectations. Very comfortable, no vibration and performance is as expected for what it is. At every bike event I attend, the crowd is at the Triumph, not the cookie cutters. My complaints....too quiet, cold natured and the air injector system has to go. Show less

I did a great deal of research before I purchased my Rocket. With my height and weight, I wanted a bike that did not make me feel like a circus bear, I DID NOT WANT A V-TWIN! The Rocket has been great. I have had a few problems with the idle but my dealer quickly addressed the issue and all is well. Show less

Bought my '06 R3 Classic Black/Red in June 2006. My test ride was the ride home. I had made up my mind that this was the bike I wanted. Not one regret. I've thoroughly enjoyed learning how powerful and smooth it is. I can burn up a full tank of gas (180+ miles) with no rest stops and no fatigue. The stock seat on the Classic is very comfortable. It is enjoyable as an everyday ride and as a long distance cruiser. It has enough torque and power to keep me smiling every time I ride. I chose the Classic because the pullback bars are more comfortable, the floorboards and heel-toe shifter are perfect, and the black/red paint job with gold pinstriping is great looking. Countersteering through long sweeping turns at 70-80 mph is effortless. Set it up in the entry and the bike will stay planted. Decreasing radius exit ramps demand respect though. This is where the bike reminds you it weighs 800 lb. You will need considerable countersteering effort to pull through. After riding my friends' Ninja 600, Honda CX-500 and Suzuki GS-750 ES for years, this was the first bike I owned. I wanted a powerful cruiser, but was aprehensive about the 800 lb. weight. Not to worry. A few sessions at the practice lot and it felt very comfortable. As they tell you in the MSF class - - Do NOT use that front brake if the front wheel is not straight. The front shocks are soft and the dive will try to flop the bike over very easily. Had a few scary moments keeping the bike from dropping. Adrenaline is a good thing. This bike is just plain good for your ego. Folks roll up to the stop light and gawk at the size. The stock pipes are wimpy, so it is a real sleeper. Twist the throttle and you will get an instant grin (and instant respect) as you hang on against 1.2 G's of pull. Your butt is going to get very firmly planted into that seat during hard acceleration. I'm barely getting through 3rd gear and the thing is showing 110 mph. Hey where did everybody go? A few seconds later, the Screamin' Eagle Road King and the 750 Katana show up at the next light. None of them believe this big cruiser had so much. Be prepared for the following questions and reactions as a Rocket Captain: 1. What is that? [Ohh. It's a Triumph. I thought they stopped making those]. 2. How many cc's [No wayyy! That thing is all engine!] 3. Is that a V-6? 4. How much horsepower and how fast will it go? [Insert your own expletive]. It's a thrill having a very powerful unique looking bike that doesn't fit the HD mold. Only a few minor complaints. Stop and go traffic in 100F Houston weather is very hot. When the radiator fan kicks in, it is like a Jen-Aire oven on your legs. The price of having 1/3 of a Viper engine between your legs. There is a tremendous amount of buffeting at 65-70 mph. I have the roadster screen and have had it at every height and angle. At 5ft. 9in., the buffeting is directly in my face. A full face helmet is mandatory. I hear the lowers will help reduce the buffeting. Surprisingly, the wind is smoother at 80 mph. All Rocket riders learn the neutral to 1st shift routine. There are two ways I do it. One is to let the bike idle in neutral, then do a quick clutch+kick down to get in 1st. The other is to apply pressure to the shifter and slowly feather out the clutch until it drops into gear. Getting into neutral before starting sometimes requires rolling the bike to find the sweet spot. 2900-3200 rpm is the only area of vibration on an otherwise smooth-as-butter engine. This works out to about 70-85 mph in 5th gear. This thing has mountains of torque! It will pull in 1st gear at idle speed. A roll-on at highway speed is effortless. I find myself driving with a point-and-shoot attitude. If there is a gap in traffic, a flick of the wrist will get you there in an instant. For everyday driving 3000 rpm is my normal shift point. For hard acceleration, I've found 5000-5500 rpm to be the sweet spot. You also get a nice growl from the pipes at that rpm. If you want a confortable highway cruiser with the ability to earn the respect of some very powerful street bikes, this is your ride. Show less

I purchased a 2k5 SM in October of 2k5 and have not regretted my decision. Overall, the bike makes a very good city commuter and runs great on the highway (after a jump from a 16t to 19t front sprocket). The bike handles VERY well and there is plenty of power to do anything one needs to do in the city and on the highway (remember, an 800cc bike USED to be considered a large displacement cruiser). Pros Handling is great on the highway, twisties, and most importantly city type maneuvers (parking lot and slow speed type maneuvers). You will NOT get this from any large displacement cruiser so do not even bother dreaming about the nimble large cruiser. Great looks. The bike is completely unique and always gets the attention no matter who you ride with. HD and HD clone owners drool over how much attention my stock speedy got compared to their 2k+ chromed accessorized bikes. Overall it is a very fun bike to ride because of the first two points. Cons Every bike has cons and this one is no exception. Some of the bolts are already rusting which is completely un-called for! My bike is kept in the garage and I do not ride in the rain. Charge a few hundred more bucks for the bike and put in the proper screws that will not rust! 16t front sprocket is a joke and the dealership should willingly offer to replace this for free. The bike engine feels like it is going to blow up running 85 with my beemer buddies. A 19t sprocket uprade did the trick, however, and is VERY easy to replace $19.00 plus 20 minutes of labor is all it takes. Now I run 85 without any problems at all. Factory pipes make the bike sound like a ladies sewing machine. I dropped 400.00 on aftermarket pipes and it has a really nice rumble. Overall, I would buy this bike again in a minute! Great bike, simply the best I have EVER owned so don't let my cons discourage you. I would ride the bike over all others in its class with all the cons still in place. Show less

Definitely has the looks, and isn't a Harley wanna be. Great handling and turn of speed. Had no problems at all, and look forward to every trip. For the money, easily beats any competition. Show less