The contact owns 2006 Triumph Rocket III. The contact stated while riding the motorcycle at approximately 50 MPH, there was a vibration. The contact noticed the rear output shaft bearing assembly had deteriorated. The contact also mentioned that the shift lever was loosened and not installed properly. The contact made it safely to the destination. The contact notified a local dealer and provided the dealer with a video of the failure that was experienced. The motorcycle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The output shaft bearing part was ordered by the contact. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 14,000.
The worst 2006 Triumph Rocket III problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Transmission6
- Engine2
- Fuel system1
- Wheels1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Transmission6
- Engine2
- Fuel system1
- Wheels1
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
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 97
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.
What 2006 Triumph Rocket III owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Transmission dangerously jumping out of gear between 1s and 2nd, hits neutral spots under power. Additionally getting dangerous steering shake between 45-25 MPH decelerations. Bike has under 9,900'miles. Dealer found a transmission oil seal installed backwards by factory, upon tear down/diagnosis of transmission triumph so far refuses any help, bike too old they say. Bike is a $6,300 total loss' due to repair cost exceeding $6,400+ for transmission alone.
First noticed after purchase in 2013 while shifting from first to second gear, the manual five speed transmission jumps out of second gear. This happens every time, under various load conditions and road hazards. Speaking with triumph corporate service, they recognize the fault, have received thousands of complaints world wide, and offer on a case by case basis, a part upgrade as a repair. They do not however cover labor to effect the upgrade after the original warranty period. Not effecting a recall and putting thousands at risk. This is a dangerous situation, as it causes erratic motorcycle behavior while in traffic.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 triumph rocket iii motorcycle. The contact stated that while traveling 40 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift. The vehicle was taken to a private dealer where it was determined that the transmission had failed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 3,000 and the current mileage was 24,300.
When accelerating through 2nd gear the bike jolts as it apparently skipping a tooth on the gear. After researching on the forums as well as a working with triumph dealer I was informed that this is a known issue and it has occurred on hundreds of these bikes. Triumph actually had an upgrade kit to repair this known issue but only if it happened while the bike was still under warranty. My bike was out of warranty by its age but still only had 8k miles. Triumph refused to repair the damage. Since they knew about the issue and in my opinion (as well as that of many other owners) it is a hazardous safety issue so they should be required to fix it at their expense. The repair kit has a redesigned gear that fixes the issue. Since I do not have the money to repair it myself I have paid for a very expensive paper weight.
2006 triumph rocket 3, 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.
Transmission jumps out of gear while accelerating. This is a known issue but triumph is content on letting them fail and then the consumer is stuck for the cost of repairs. The triumph forums have shown that this has happened to thousands of owners. If the vehicle is still in warranty then they have an upgrade kit that they install. However they are playing the wait and see game so that those owners that have the issue after the warranty is up they can charge for the upgrade. This is a safety issue and the failures can happen at anytime. I have read some of from failing as early as 3k miles all the way out to 35k. Triumph decided to not do a recall and to gamble with lives to see if they can get all of the production runs from 2004 through 2006 to be out of warranty. I contacted the closest dealer to me and he denied that there ever was a problem. However I gave him the part numbers for the upgrade kits and a list of what was in them. He never responded after that. The kit parts ard listed below: # t1000008 for silver engines # t100000) for black engines parts listed as included in the kits include : smaller detent arm 2ndgear goes from 8 engaging dogs, to 4 spark plugs changes from dpr8ea-9 to dpr7ea-9 new fuel sensor new sealing washers for oil tank new cam chain guide plus some minor wiring parts these parts take care of 2 known problems with these motorcycles. Both of them can end in either a catastrophic engine failure (timing chain breaking causing total engine failure) and the transmission locking up problem. As an owner of one of these bikes I am concerned that it could happen to me and I think that triumph should face the problems before someone actually is hurt or killed when these items fail. Based on what I have read on several forums I have the initial symptoms with the bike jumping out of 2nd gear while accelerating so it is just a matter of time before it will happen to my bike.
The timing chain has started making a rattle and it sounds like it is going to break. After googling it I found out that hundreds of other owners have had the chain break causing complete engine destruction. Some have had the motor seize causing loss of control. The cost of repairing this is very high and apparently triumph chooses to let the machines fail after the warranty expires so that they can charge the consumer for the repairs.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 triumph rocket iii. While driving 5-10 MPH, the vehicle stalled when coming to a stop. In addition, the vehicle would idle high and shut off. The dealer stated that the computer caused the failure and they downloaded the new engine software; however, the failure continued. As of december 4, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. There is a recall for the fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system (the federal safety agency campaign id number 07v455000). The powertrain was unknown. The failure mileage was 2,500 and current mileage was 5,400. Updated 12/18/07
Compare the 2006 Triumph Rocket III
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Questions about the 2006 Triumph Rocket III
Is the 2006 Triumph Rocket III reliable?
Owners have filed 9 complaints about the 2006 Triumph Rocket III, close to a typical Rocket III model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Triumph Rocket III?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 6 complaints, typically around 9,500 miles. Next is engine (2).
How many recalls does the 2006 Triumph Rocket III have?
2 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline and steering.
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