[Sota]

Like Godzilla vs. King Kong, what comes out on top? VRod or Rocket 3? Why?

 

[MIG]

That's an interesting question, as I have both. Both are a thrill to ride in their own way. I can "feel" the speed more on my V-Rod (Delilah) and she feels more sporty. She's great for a day ride, but I would not be able to do multi-day rides. On my R3T (Fiona), I just completed 2300 miles in 3 days...and it was a very comfortable ride considering. From a power perspective, Fiona is putting out 148 HP and 163 ft lbs of torque and takes off without having to hit the 4K RPM' first. From a power to weight ratio perspective, they are more evenly matched (Fiona is pushing 1100+ lbs with me on her). Going head-to-head, last summer I let my brother ride Delilah and I consistently took the win from a standing stop... but it was close at times. Part of that may have been his less experienced riding skills (though I never went completely all out). Due to the weight at slow speeds and/or stopping; the R3T takes more skill to ride safely. I actually held off for a few years (to my brides dismay) until I was more experienced before I picked up Fiona. The torque is VERY addictive.

Bottom line is I love and ride them both. With my bad back, I just can't ride Delilah as long. If I had to choose... Hmmm... let's talk about my first born...
-MIG

 

[rc4man]

Took one for a test ride several years ago. Very different animal. I think Triumph should have housed that engine in something more like a Goldwing envelop.
Lot's of power, on the hwy cruising at any speed, if you want to pass no need to down shift just turn up the wick and it goes. Comfortable and smooth, would eat up the miles without problem.
In town a bit awkward, at a light if you want to make a right hand turn, the engine torque reaction due to the longitudinal crank and shaft jacking make it a unique experience.

 

[Bikerboy]

I would love to try a Rocket III. But I agree from the spec sheet, it's not a fair comparison. I think it depends on what your purpose is--short day rides vs long touring. If I ride my V longer than a few hours, my shoulders and neck start to get sore. I've had my eyes on a Goldwing for some time now, just from a comfort/ergonomics perspective.

 

[Sota]

That's an interesting question, as I have both. Both are a thrill to ride in their own way. I can "feel" the speed more on my V-Rod (Delilah) and she feels more sporty. She's great for a day ride, but I would not be able to do multi-day rides. On my R3T (Fiona), I just completed 2300 miles in 3 days...and it was a very comfortable ride considering. From a power perspective, Fiona is putting out 148 HP and 163 ft lbs of torque and takes off without having to hit the 4K RPM' first. From a power to weight ratio perspective, they are more evenly matched (Fiona is pushing 1100+ lbs with me on her). Going head-to-head, last summer I let my brother ride Delilah and I consistently took the win from a standing stop... but it was close at times. Part of that may have been his less experienced riding skills (though I never went completely all out). Due to the weight at slow speeds and/or stopping; the R3T takes more skill to ride safely. I actually held off for a few years (to my brides dismay) until I was more experienced before I picked up Fiona. The torque is VERY addictive.

Bottom line is I love and ride them both. With my bad back, I just can't ride Delilah as long. If I had to choose... Hmmm... let's talk about my first born...
-MIG

Excellent unbiased response.

 

[Jay F]

Guy I ride with had a previous gen Rocket 3 (weighed more and had less hp/trq then the current gen) with the hard bags, front fairing, and a top box.

We recently ran them a few times and it was either a close race (within a length either way) or he would pull away from me by several lengths and I could not catch back up.

 

[streetrodracer]

To me it's an application thing, again this is another apples to oranges M/C comparison going on here. Compare each bike to a similar bike of similar weight and power, capability, end use and yes, LOOKS. There is a large weight and power difference with these bikes, and although they end up about the same in acceleration they are two TOTALLY different rides. Personally I stop being interested in motorcycles when the weight hits about 650 Lbs, at our V Rod level. But I'm not doing long distance touring - if I was the R3, GW or probably at the top BMW would be a good choice for stability. I've got an early Hinkley '97 Triumph 3 Cylinder ( transverse ) 900cc Adventurer that's about 125 Lbs less than the V Rod and is a total blast to ride - Love the engine it's like an electric motor, super smooth and with a set of Daytona 3-2 pipes and Cone Engineering reverse cone megaphone mufflers no right leg heat and has just the right exhaust note too, but it is short geared, so no 140 Mph, TOTALLY different than the V Rod, but great in the mountains. Comparable ? Maybe, but why ? I lean toward lighter and better looking, like my speakers in the helmet ( rather than a heavy stereo in a big fairing ) so I don't want a heavier M/C or the longitude torque steer so I'd pick the V Rod IF I had to pick between them, in a New York second - reasons why I bought my R model

 

[beast-usa]

I have never rode an R3 but I have had a few Softtails a Sportster, a few Suzuki's, a few Yamaha's, Ninja (hated that one), Honda CB 450. (LOL) And now the Night Rod I have rode all of them on long road trips and the only one I really hated was the Ninja. It wasn't very fast, super uncomfortable that was truly a 50 or less mile per day bike. The last trip I did was on the Night Rod a little over 5,000 miles in about 13 days. With a few days down time because of bad weather, visiting family and friends. I had no problem riding 600+ miles per day on the VROD but I was with friend/s with Road Glides, Vulcans they were good for 300 to 400 miles per day. Only thing I found hard with the VROD for road trips was storage. The stock saddle bags are tiny and you can't add that large of a bag on the back seat or it covers the edge of the seat. Then you need to shove it back to open the seat for gas.

For me I love the VROD as a perfect day and touring bike. I really had fun on the steep mountain grades. The police never look for people speeding up the hill! LOL Not that I would EVER break the speed limit.

 

[2003 VRod Rider]

Ha a rocket pulled up next to me at an intersection in Daytona. I started a conversation with him, with one eye on the traffic light. At just the right moment, I said "looks fast...wanna race?"...and dumped the clutch right on green, leaving him there to finish our "conversation". Tell you what...if Harley never made the V-Rod, I would have bought a V-Max after my Nightster. I've wanted one ever since 1986 when it was in the showroom near the dirt bike I bought as a kid. There's my vote!

 

[streetrodracer]

Now there is a good comparison - a V Max vs V Rod. Lots of articles out there. Yes, out of the box the V Max is faster, it has a hell of an engine but it also comes with a dumpster full of UGLY all over it IMHO. I love Yamaha's, got 3 Yami dirt bikes and one outboard motor - they build well engineered M/C's & engines, so I'm sorry but that the original V Max is one ugly puppy, the new one a bit better I guess but no comparison to a beautiful V Rod with it's long, sexy feminine lines. Maybe when I was in my 30's I'd value the acceleration of the V Max over the V Rod more than the bull **** looks of it vs a great looking V Rod, but not now. Once you ride and own a V Rod you realize there is a bit of Form over Function going on but that's OK - You can fix slow but you can't fix ugly - V Rod still wins. Just my opinion.

 

[2003 VRod Rider]

...V-Max...but it also comes with a dumpster full of UGLY all over...
...but no comparison to a beautiful V Rod with it's long, sexy feminine lines...
You can fix slow but you can't fix ugly - V Rod still wins...

Amen. V-Max was a taste acquired at age 12, so, there's that...

EVERYBODY uses the word SEXY when they describe my V-Rod. So true.

Ha you can also fix "fat" but you can't fix "ugly"...in people I mean ha!

Yes, V-Rod still wins. I will NEVER sell mine! However, if they didn't exist, for me, it would be V-Max over that other "thing". Actually, I'd rather hunt down a 1973 Norton 850 Commando!

 

[streetrodracer]

850 Commando would be awesome ! Even a Classic Honda 750 Four or a Kawasaki KZ 900 - there's a couple of Ducati's I wouldn't kick out of the garage as well. A guy really needs a number of street bikes in the stable all ready to go, to pull out of the line up and go have fun on. Money is the limiting factor, insurance, maintenance, keeping tires, brakes & batteries fresh, minor & major repairs takes the buzz out of having a half dozen motorcycles - I've got two street and four dirt but four or six street is whole another animal. Maybe just add one more street bike ? ! -

 

[2003 VRod Rider]

850 Commando would be awesome ! Even a ... Kawasaki KZ 900 - Maybe just add one more street bike ? ! -

My first street bike was a 1979 KZ1000! That bike lasted me from ages 16 through 30 when I got my 2003 Deuce. But that Kaw never let me down...well...maybe except one time when the battery died and I had to push it (and this is no lie, I just checked it on Google Maps) 5.13 miles from Hamburg, NY to a GreyBeard's shop called Lango Brother's Cycles. I was young and able...But batteries are batteries and they didn't have "tenders" back then. I paid $850 cash for it (because I had JOB) and sold it for $500 (cheap) in perfect condition to my friend for his wife to "learn on". Uh, it was too much bike for her! He had his Dad's (RIP) 1994 Heritage. We rode rough shod all over Buffalo with another friend who had a rigid 1980 shovel. But things change, people have kids, and we all moved on.

My other best friend's Dad had (still does) a 1973 Norton 850 Commando he bought new. They only came factory green or red that year and he had his painted black before he even rode it. They NEVER LET ME RIDE IT!!!...cause I'm a crazy a$$hole...but ever since I was a kid I always wanted one. My birth year.

If I invest in another bike it would hafta be a Yamaha Big Wheel 300. When I got too big for my 200, I still rode it, but wanted the 300 (or is it a 350?). My one buddy like to go to Majestic Trails on his quad and I want to go, but refuse to get a quad.

 

[beast-usa]

My four favorite bikes over my life that I have rode & rode & rode then gave to younger
brothers or friends.
1980 Yamaha Midnight Special (the Night Rod reminds me of this one) downloaded picture

1983 GS 1100 E Suzuki (This was a really fast bike for it's time. Dropped 2 teeth off the front sprocket added 2 to the back the cheap go fast mod)
downloaded picture

1983 Sportster 1000 red slower then the other two, any trip over 100 miles EVERYTHING needed to be re-tightened! LOL
But I loved that little bike! downloaded picture

1990 Evo Softail Custom 80 (50 HP) bored to a 96 in and ton of other things $20K+ on the motor to get 93 hp LOL to make it go fast.
I put almost 200,000 miles on that one and it was still running! Gave it to a friend he rode it a couple years, then
took it apart to do something and it's been in pieces for about 15 years in his garage.

My 5th and at this time final favorite is the VRSCD this is another one I will keep for a long time. I'm pretty sure I will keep this the rest of my life.