Lowflying
Member
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2026
- Messages
- 25
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
- Bike
- ‘25 R18 Roctane, ‘24 Triumph Speed Twin
Rob here. Normally I ride Jap/Euro naked bikes.
A few days ago I bought a Dragon Fire Red ‘25 Roctane demo with 1300km on it, and four years of warranty. I had test ridden this exact bike a few months ago just for something to do and filed it away as “interesting but not for me” as I’ve only ever had one cruiser before, a Sportster 1200 “72”which looked cool but I didn’t really gel with the whole Harley vibe. But mostly it was the fact that the levers weren’t adjustable, the shifter splines were very coarse so fine adjustment wasn’t possible, bad suspension, etc. I believe HD has lifted its game in regards to all that lately. The motor was great though.
So, I noticed this Roctane for sale again recently but for 3.5 k less than they were asking before so I thought “why not?”. I’ll try it for a year and if it doesn’t work for me I’ll move on. Besides I thought it would be a new challenge for my riding skills.
Anyway, this R18 is a heavy cruiser, but, I find that lots of the complaints I had about the Sportster don’t apply here. I find the suspension smooth and controlled, brake/clutch levers adjustable ok for me, transmission shifts well (I haven’t missed a gear yet), brakes work adequately, seat comfortable, etc. But, this motor is absolutely the star of the show! Amazing. I can ride it sedately or really surf the torque and it’s loads of fun. Lean angles not too bad, for a cruiser it corners very enjoyably.
Of course, you can’t get past the fact this monster weighs 375 kg but ridden with respect and planning ahead it’s really enjoyable. I’m feeling the weight less every ride as I adapt my skills. I compare it to riding a horse - nobody is stronger than a horse but using skill and technique you can really enjoy it.
A few days ago I bought a Dragon Fire Red ‘25 Roctane demo with 1300km on it, and four years of warranty. I had test ridden this exact bike a few months ago just for something to do and filed it away as “interesting but not for me” as I’ve only ever had one cruiser before, a Sportster 1200 “72”which looked cool but I didn’t really gel with the whole Harley vibe. But mostly it was the fact that the levers weren’t adjustable, the shifter splines were very coarse so fine adjustment wasn’t possible, bad suspension, etc. I believe HD has lifted its game in regards to all that lately. The motor was great though.
So, I noticed this Roctane for sale again recently but for 3.5 k less than they were asking before so I thought “why not?”. I’ll try it for a year and if it doesn’t work for me I’ll move on. Besides I thought it would be a new challenge for my riding skills.
Anyway, this R18 is a heavy cruiser, but, I find that lots of the complaints I had about the Sportster don’t apply here. I find the suspension smooth and controlled, brake/clutch levers adjustable ok for me, transmission shifts well (I haven’t missed a gear yet), brakes work adequately, seat comfortable, etc. But, this motor is absolutely the star of the show! Amazing. I can ride it sedately or really surf the torque and it’s loads of fun. Lean angles not too bad, for a cruiser it corners very enjoyably.
Of course, you can’t get past the fact this monster weighs 375 kg but ridden with respect and planning ahead it’s really enjoyable. I’m feeling the weight less every ride as I adapt my skills. I compare it to riding a horse - nobody is stronger than a horse but using skill and technique you can really enjoy it.
!