2008 Triumph Rocket III Motorcycle reviews

We met at the dealership in Dayton, Ohio and it was love at first sight. The curves of her large gas tank, that huge 240 tire on the rear and oh those dual headlights! Her name is Bertha and she is fantastic! She does anything I ask her to do. The response of this bike is amazing and it is fast, real fast. It cruises down the road effortlessly and handles like a dream. She is an engineering marvel and I'm glad she is mine! Show less

It's a great bike for the performance-minded rider who can only afford one motorcycle! It has super torque, handles well, and it's comfortable to ride on long trips! I had a few problems - transmission, coils two times and throttle position sensors two times. I have been treated very well by my dealer in Windber! They are good people! Show less

This is my second Rocket. I replaced my 2007 Classic because I wanted the foot positioning of the Roadster. The bike is much more nimble with feet on the pegs rather than forward on the boards. With the fabulous tourque, the bike is extremely easy to ride in traffic, leaving a traffic light or a stop is effortless. On the open road the bike handles very well in spite of that huge rear tire. We do a a great deal of two-up riding and the Rocket is great there as well. I like the fact that this model has gone from three "silencers" to two. It is just a better look, in my opinion, and there is more power as if one needed any more than the earlier Rocket III. It handles even better than my Valkyrie Interstate and I feel that is a great machine. Show less

Rocket III Classic - After a lot of research and deliberation I took the plunge on the bike that every review I saw was one of the most rideable bikes made despite the heavy weight and amount of power. I have ridden a lot of bikes from 5 hp minibike to my brother's 1100 Eliminator, but this being MY first bike. I wanted a new bike without inheriting anyone else's problems, and I didn't want a Harley because it just isn't my style nor did I want to spend a lot of money. Took a Rocket out for a test drive at my local Triumph dealer and although it was a lousy day to ride, I found that the bike truly handled very well and was extremely responsive in both the delivery of power and handling. Bought my bike at a dealership 3 hours away from home because they had a year end special on the bike. Picked it up and loved the service I got while I was there. Long story short, the bike has more than met my expectations, it is a powerhouse that can put more power to the tires than I will ever need. It rides even better with a passenger absorbing every bump without bottoming out. It is very comfortable even on long(ish) rides, and even going up and down tortuous twisties up and down mountains of West Virginia kept up with a much ligher supposedly more maneuverable Harley. (The longest ride I have ever logged is only 120 miles so take that what it's worth). In short, I really don't have much to compare it to, but I love my bike. (I rarely stop anywhere that it doesn't draw at least a few jaw dropping - My God, what is that thing comments.) (Usually followed by - I didn't know Triumph was still making bikes) Show less

GREAT BIKE, SUPER POWER AND PULL ESP IN LOWER GEARS. I HAD A HONDA VTX 1800 AND IT WAS A GREAT BIKE ALSO, VERY STRONG, COMFORTABLE AND RELIABLE. THE TRIUMPH RIDES JUST AS WELL AND HANDLES JUST AS WELL. MORE POWER WITH THE ROCKET THOUGH. I HAVE BEEN TAKING IT EASY SO FAR TO BREAK IT IN BUT AM STILL BLOWING DOORS OFF. I HAVE NOT TURNED THE THROTTLE ALL THE WAY YET BUT WILL SOON. I LOVE THE LOOK OF THE BIKE ALSO, IT IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER BIKES ON THE ROAD, THE PIPES ARE STANDARD FOR THE TOURER AND HAS AN UNUSUAL SOUND, I HAVE HEARD IT DESCRIBED AS A LARGE SEWING MACHINE SOUND. I DID NOT LIKE THE SOUND WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT, I WAS SO USED TO HEARING THE LOUD PIPES EVERYONE HAS BUT NOW I FIND THE SOUND ADDS TO ITS UNIQUENESS. THIS BIKE IS SO MUCH FUN TO RIDE, WHETHER GOING A FEW MILES OR A FEW HUNDRED. THE DOWN SIDES TO THE BIKE ARE SMALL I THINK BUT WORTH MENTIONING. THE GEARS ARE CLUNKY IN 1ST AND SECOND WITH HITTING NEUTRAL TAKING SOME GETTING USED TO. KICK STAND IS DIFFICULT TO ACCESS, ONLY SMALL PART OF STAND AVAILABLE TO PUSH DOWN WITH FOOT. THE KICK STAND IS HARD TO VISUALIZE WHETHER UP OR DOWN. I PRAY I DO NOT DROP THE BIKE BECAUSE I THINK THE STAND IS DOWN WHEN IT isn't. I HAVE TO LEAN TO THE LEFT TO BE ABLE TO SEE IF THE STAND IS IN THE PROPER POSITION. THE OTHER ISSUE I AM HAVING IS MY BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON AFTER USING THE BRAKES A FEW TIMES I AM HAVING THAT ISSUE LOOKED AT TODAY. don't KNOW HOW LONG THE BRAKE LIGHT HAS BEEN THIS WAY. THESE ARE THE ONLY NEGATIVES I HAVE. I AM VERY GLAD I BOUGHT THIS BIKE, IT IS JUST SO MUCH FUN TO RIDE. THE BIKE HAS TREMENDOUS POWER AND IS VERY EASY TO CONTROL. I WAS VERY SURPRISED HOW EASY IT WAS TO CONTROL. I WAS DISCONCERTED THE FIRST TIME I RODE THE BIKE. I KEPT TRYING TO MUSCLE IT AND WAS AFRAID TO MAKE SHARP TURNS IN THE PARKING LOT BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE BIKE WOULD TIP TOO MUCH. AFTER A FEW MINUTES THOUGH IT BECOMES CLEAR THIS BIKE HANDLES BEYOND COMPREHENSION. JUST LOOKING AT THE BIKE AND THEN SITTING ON IT GIVES THE FEELING OF RIDING A BULL. I THOUGHT THIS IS GOING TO BE A TOUGH BIKE TO HANDLE, ESP IN CITY TRAFFIC. I WAS WRONG THANKFULLY. READING REVIEWS HELPS ALLAY ANY FEARS OF THE BIKE BEING TOO BIG, MOST ARE IMPRESSED WITH THE HANDLING, BUT UNTIL ACTUALLY RIDING THE BIKE IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE A MACHINE SO BIG CAN BE CONTROLLED SO EASILY. BEWARE THOUGH, THIS BIKE CAN TURN INTO A MONSTER AT THE TURN OF THE THROTTLE. I LOVED MY OLD VTX AND I HAD TO DO A LOT OF SOUL SEACHING TO GO TO THE ROCKET BUT I AM VERY GLAD I DID. THE BIKE HAS EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS AND MY EXPECTATIONS WERE HIGH. I PREDICT WHEN THE WORD GETS OUT ABOUT THIS BIKE, 5 OR 10 YRS FROM NOW, THIS BIKE WILL BE MUCH MORE COMMON. I KINDA HOPE NOT THOUGH, I LIKE TO BE THE ONE WITH THE KICKASS MACHINE THAT DROPS JAWS. Show less

I have owned several bikes in my days, including the 1987 Kawasaki ZL1000 Eliminator, 1989 Yamaha VMAX, and others that are not even worth mentioning in this category. I purchased my 2008 Rocket III about 6 months ago and must admit that it behaves much, much easier on the road than I ever imagined this monster would be. However, one should make sure their hands are properly planted with a tight grip at all times, because even when changing gears at low speeds this bike wants to jump....no leap...out ahead of everything on the road. The weather here is finally warm now, so I intend to get him out and ride as much as I can. It is, indeed, funny to watch all the other cycle riders on the road and at every stop gather around this bike and ask plenty of questions. Heck, even the Harley riders seem to show nothing but respect and admiration for this behemoth on two wheels. If you want a bike that absolutely no one else on the road wants to tangle with, and one that is very comfortable for the long haul, then go get you one! This bike can purr like a kitten when needed and lurch out in attack mode like an angry lion with just a short twist of the throttle, and at a moment's notice. The only complaint I have is the Triumph makes very few accessories for this bike and there's a short list of aftermarket accessories to choose from also. Not to mention that anything you buy for this bike from Triumph will have you digging deep in your pockets. However, there's plenty of windshields, saddle bags, and even sissy bars out there that will fit, or can easily be modified to fit this bike. Show less