AI Damage2008 Triumph Rocket III: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Triumph Rocket III filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 80% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 20% of all complaints
- 3 Wheels 20% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (80% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Wheels: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
During acceleration bike drops between gears and you have no power it is in nuetral have to try.to shift up or down and pray you get it before someone hits you from behind. Happens most of the time when you down shift make a turn and try to accelerate. Also at freeway speeds and acceleration it happens.
After bike sat a summer due to illness when I rode bike it started coming out of gear on acceleration and speed changes. I had shift cove replaced 2 years prior now this only has 32,000 miles
The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the transmission slipped out of gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that a spring inside of the transmission fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred.
Metzeler me880 tire produced cupping and tire separation after 3000 miles or wear. Metzeler continues to ignore my request for investigation into this tire which should have delivered a minimum of 6000 miles. A quick internet search reveals several similar incidents with the same tire.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Rocket III has 9 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 5, below average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Triumph Rocket III?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine, wheels. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: tires: bulges, blowouts (20%), transmission slipping (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Triumph Rocket III?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2008 Triumph Rocket III from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2008 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.