Transmission began to sound like a turbocharger while riding in 5th gear. When I came to a stop light the shift pedal was limp, I had to pull in the clutch handle to stop the vehicle. By applying and releasing the clutch I was able to get home. The transmission is stuck in gear and the shifter mechanism does not function at all. In order to find out what is causing this I will have to pull the entire motor out and split the bottom half of the crank case. I have taken very good care of this bike changing oil at half of the recommended intervals, I have owned this motorcycle since march 2006 and only have 12000 miles on it. That is only 2000 miles a year to have such a costly labor intensive problem at such a low usage as well as defective sticking of gears that I read about in blogs for similar model years indicates an intrinsic design problem by triumph.
The worst 2006 Triumph Rocket III Classic problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Transmission4
- Fuel system2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Transmission4
- Fuel system2
Recalls 2
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system
- What is wrong
- On certain motorcycles, when the engine is returning to idle it may stall.
- Risk
- If the motorcycle stalls, the rider will have to restart the engine increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and download new engine management software free of charge. The recall began on october 17, 2007. Owners may contact triumph at 678‑854‑2010.
Recall number 07V455000 · Recall details
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
- What is wrong
- On certain motorcycles, the handle bar clamp bolts were not sufficiently tightened.
- Risk
- The handle bars could loosen which could result in a crash or personal injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the torque of the clamp bolts and tighten if necessary. The recall began on march 16, 2006. Owners may contact triumph at 1‑678‑854‑2010.
Recall number 06V063000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2006 Triumph Rocket III Classic
Defect investigations
Motorcycle stalling
Following our opening of this pe and subsequent discussions with triumph motorcycles ltd, the company decided to launch a safety-related recall of all rocket iii model motorcycles to address occurrences of sudden and un-foreseen tip-out stalling.this action was taken in lieu of responding to the federal safety agency's information request and involves the installation of an upgraded ecu incorporating revised engine management software. With triumph's safety-related recall, this pe is closed.
PE07030
Technical service bulletins for the 2006 Triumph Rocket III Classic 96
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Dealer notice announcing the availability of Daignostic software and dealers should begin using it...
- Dealer notice advising to check for an immobiliser software update before replacing any TPMS components on...
- Dealer notice announcing the availability of Triumph Diagnostic Tool 2026-07 and dealers should begin...
- Dealer notice announcing the availability of Triumph Diagnostic Tool 2026-06.1 and dealers should begin...
- Dealer notice announcing the availability of Technical Bulletin 264.
- Dealer notice announcing the availability of Triumph Diagnostic Tool version 2026-06 and dealers should...
- Technical Bulletin 264 provides instructions that relates to: Triumph Diagnostic Tool
- Dealer notice advising the availalbility of TDT version 2026-05.2 which resolves the ABS as Not Connected...
- Dealer notice announcing the availability of Diagnostic software 2026-05.1 and dealers should begin using...
- Dealer notice reminding of Motorcycle Cleaning, prohibited use of High-Pressure & Steam Cleaning equipment.
See all 96 bulletins for the 2006 Triumph Rocket III Classic
What 2006 Triumph Rocket III Classic owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Transmission at around 3000 RPM with a slightly heavy application of throttle it will jump out of second gear, it seems hard to get it into second and this happens up and down shifting. Other times the transmission will go into neutral only. The bike is unsafe to ride in this condition. Triumph has upgrade kits that cover from VIN 000000 to 337294, # t1000008 for silver engines and # t1000009 for black engines. This kit has been installed on my bike and it fixed the issue. Triumph only paid for the parts, I was stuck with a $1500.00 bill for labor and fluids required to complete the job. Currently triumphs stand on the upgrade kit is "the "upgrade" kit that you have heard of is not meant to fix anything. It is simply a collection of parts that have been changed since the beginning of the models production. It is only given to dealers that are already taking the motor out of the frame for some other reason, so that they can put the newer parts in while it is apart. There is no need to exchange any of the parts if there is no need to go into the engine. As long as your bike is operating as expected, there is no need to change anything." included in the kit are the parts to do the following: replace the camshaft drive chain tension blades and crankshaft sprocket. Replace clutch pressure springs. Replace alternator bolt and washer. Replace torsion damper shaft bearings and shaft outer cover. Replace output shaft second gear and splined dog ring. Replace output shaft third and fourth gear splined bushes and two splined washers with the shoulder splined bushes. Replace the input shaft bellville washers and thrust washer and insert a new shim adjacent to fifth gear and new output shaft nut. Replace the detent arm. Replace the gear position shaft. Replace oil tank sealing washers. Replace the fuel tank level sender and bracket. Replace spark plugs and the coils. Modify the instrument and main harness. Modify the ignition switch harness and main harness connector.
2006 triumph rocket 3 classic, the transmission jumps out of second gear when accelerating. Triumph has a transmission upgrade that addresses this problem but will not fix it out of warranty. This problem can result in a crash if the transmission jumps out of gear when passing another vehicle or when moving from a stop with traffic behind the motorcycle.
Engine develops a high erratic idle up to 3000 rpms at will no matter what gear and what speed. I have to stand on the breaks to keep it at 55 MPH in high gear. At low speed the motor is running at idle RPM's that are above normal operating speeds which makes it a runaway motor and dangerous to control some times the RPM is so high at low speeds when I let off the clutch it spins the tire as it leaps forward. Try riding with any vehicle stuck in high RPM and it will kill someone!!! The date is when I took it to triumph this started this spring in february at daytona and has got so much worse I can not safely it will end up causing injuries if not death.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 triumph rocket iii classic. The vehicle would shut off without warning while idling. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The dealer downloaded the new software according to the federal safety agency campaign id number 07v455000 (fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system). After the repair was made, the vehicle would idle high and cause the RPM to race to 9. The VIN and powertrain were unknown. The failure mileage was 3,000 and current mileage was 4,850.
I purchased a 2006 triumph rocket iii classic motorcycle. I had problems shifting into 1st gear and having it stay in 1st gear. I reported this on 500 mile dealer service and was told it was normal, "they all have problems". When stopped at a light, I shift into neutral while waiting for light to change, when the bike is shifted into 1st it will engage about 75% of the time but after accelerating about 10 yards it pops back into neutral, cars behind then must frequently stop abruptly to avoid collision. I have not been hit yet but getting close. I don't know of other makes of motorcycles that do this. There isn't really an incident date, it has been this way since I bought the bike in feb 2006. To avoid the problem one must always hold the clutch in while standing. Number of failures refers to number of times this has happened to my bike. I am reporting it in case others have the same problem and report similar events.
Compare the 2006 Triumph Rocket III Classic
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Questions about the 2006 Triumph Rocket III Classic
Is the 2006 Triumph Rocket III Classic reliable?
Owners have filed 6 complaints about the 2006 Triumph Rocket III Classic, 6.0 times a typical Rocket III Classic model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Triumph Rocket III Classic?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 4 complaints. Next is fuel system (2).
How many recalls does the 2006 Triumph Rocket III Classic have?
2 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline and steering.
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