To those who traded Victory Visions and Triumph Rocket 3's...

[dumbpartsguy]

I'm thinking of adding another bike to the stable and using my F6B for my "daily ride". Both the Vision and the Rocket 3 have captured my interest for a while now. What were some of the likes/dislikes about them? And what was the ultimate decision in trading for the F6B?

BTW....I'm loving mine. Always will. If Cadillac made a motorcycle, the F6B is it!

[WingThing]

My brother owns a rocket 3. His major complaint it tremendous heat coming at him from the radiator. Of course, riding in summer heat in south Fl. doesn't help. He's been unable to find any heat deflectors either... Otherwise, he likes the bike allot.

[willtill]

Loved my 2008 Rocket 3 Classic. I loved it so much I sunk in $6,200 for the Carpenter Racing 240hp kit. It became a monster. :yikes:

Liked my 2011 Vision to a point... some things that I did not like about it:

1. Maintenance intervals were ridiculous. Change drive belt at 30K? Change fork fluid every 15K? Huh? What?
2. Could never get the belt to track correctly on the rear pulley
3. The standard 5 year warranty was absolutely worthless. Covers only internal things like piston, crankshaft, etc. Developed a front drive sprocket seal leak at 18K miles. Warranty would not cover it; despite it being the inner seal that was leaking. Paid out of pocket ($500.00) and 3,000 miles later, it started to leak again. Eff that...
4. Some of the body panels did not ever fit right, there were cockeyed gaps here and there. Found a wire crushed under a brake line retaining strap during it's factory assembly.
5. Changing the headlight bulbs were an absolute bitch. They were very tough to get to.
6. Always had to fill the fuel tank very slowly; so that the fuel would evenly migrate to the other fuel tank. Otherwise you would never get it full.


Traded both my Rocket and Vision in for my 2015 F6B. Because I wanted reliability and a cool looking bagger. :icon_cool: And I wanted to reduce my motorcycle stable from three; to two. Still have my Suzuki 2012 DR650... a very good bike for city traffic :yes:

The only thing to date that I don't particularly like about the F6B; it can't cut the twisties like my Rocket and my Vision could. there is just not enough clearance when you are leaning into a sharp tun.. scrapes too easily. But I can live with that. I need to slow down now... :icon_wink:

[Hornblower]

dumbpartsguy--My RIII had a great motor (especially with tune) but frame flex and poor suspension kept it from handling. The F6B handles far, far better than the Rocket even with it's low clearance. BTW, depending on your inseam measurement, clearance on the "B" can be improved with firmer forks, cranked up rear preload, and an extended rear shock clevis.

[F6B1911]

I have two friends who ride Rocket III Roadsters, they love them, have no complaints, but both stated they had an "annoyance" that the mirrors vibrate enough to experience a blurred image at speeds above 50mph.

[ths61]

OEM Seat Comfort - Vision
OEM Heated Seat - Vision
Narrow knee position - Vision
Long Floor boards/Leg room - Vision
Adjustable Shift/Brake Pedals - Vision
Electric Windshield - Vision
Less Buffeting - Vision
Use of keyslots - Vision (1 slot to start, [un]lock cubby and [un]lock gas compartment)
Gear indicator - Vision

Storage - F6B
Power - F6B
Charging System - F6B (X2, Vision will not handle a lot of touring accessories)
Smooth Engine - F6B
Tupperware Removal - F6B
Headlight Bulb Change - F6B (Vision SUCKS)
Reliability - F6B
Dealer Network - F6B
Support - F6B
Center Stand - F6B (Vision center stand is an afterthought add on and drags)
Preamp outs - F6B (for stereo upgrade)
Mirrors - F6B (Vision only shows you your fists)
Liquid Cooling - F6B (not just an oil cooler)

Both are still using incandescent bulbs (more of a problem on the Vision's charging system).
Neither have HID headlight lenses or LED headlights (read: outdated).
ABS on newer Visions.
Cruise on newer F6Bs.
Like the 5 speed transmission on the F6B better than the 6 speed on the Vision (due to the F6B's power and gear ratio).

Taking the best from both bikes could yield a great hybrid.

Traded the Vision due to mechanical/electrical problems and lack of dealer and manufacturer support.

[opas ride]

OEM Seat Comfort - Vision
OEM Heated Seat - Vision
Narrow knee position - Vision
Long Floor boards/Leg room - Vision
Adjustable Shift/Brake Pedals - Vision
Electric Windshield - Vision
Less Buffeting - Vision
Use of keyslots - Vision (1 slot to start, [un]lock cubby and [un]lock gas compartment)
Gear indicator - Vision

Storage - F6B
Power - F6B
Charging System - F6B (X2, Vision will not handle a lot of touring accessories)
Smooth Engine - F6B
Tupperware Removal - F6B
Headlight Bulb Change - F6B (Vision SUCKS)
Reliability - F6B
Dealer Network - F6B
Support - F6B
Center Stand - F6B (Vision center stand is an afterthought add on and drags)
Preamp outs - F6B (for stereo upgrade)
Mirrors - F6B (Vision only shows you your fists)
Liquid Cooling - F6B (not just an oil cooler)

Both are still using incandescent bulbs (more of a problem on the Vision's charging system).
Neither have HID headlight lenses or LED headlights (read: outdated).
ABS on newer Visions.
Cruise on newer F6Bs.
Like the 5 speed transmission on the F6B better than the 6 speed on the Vision (due to the F6B's power and gear ratio).

Taking the best from both bikes could yield a great hybrid.

Traded the Vision due to mechanical problems and lack of dealer and manufacturer support.

Pretty much agree with this assessment except I had no mechanical problems at all with the Vision...My dealer closed a couple of weeks after I bought the bike, but now there are 5 Victory/Indian dealers in the local area...Only had 9,000 miles on odo when I traded so I cannot comment on long term usage..On the highway, the best riding, handling, most comfortable, and wind noise free bike I have ever had!!!

[Old Ryder]

But --in my case anyway---if you ever are dependant a a dealer, you are at their mercy. And while there are a lot of good ones, I have not found but a single 1 and he was 80 miles from my home. I will say that owning a Victory made a decent mechanic out of me. You sure couldn't depend on them.

[willtill]

But --in my case anyway---if you ever are dependant a a dealer, you are at their mercy. And while there are a lot of good ones, I have not found but a single 1 and he was 80 miles from my home. I will say that owning a Victory made a decent mechanic out of me. You sure couldn't depend on them.

You got that right.

[wildrooster]

I had a 2008 R3T and loved that bike the power it had was excellent compared to the other rockets it had more torque but slightly less hp than its counter part. The seat height was my biggest problem being five eight I was on my toes at every stop and backing it up was a real pain. I traded it for a flstn a few years later. I still wish I had that bike. But the f6b gives me everything I need and more.

[dumbpartsguy]

Thanks for the insight guys. I now have some honest input that I can put with my own thoughts and maybe look into it a little deeper. Also considering the BMW R1200RT as well.