2016 TRIUMPH THRUXTON Complaints

WHEN USING THE FRONT BRAKE, I HAVE TO PRESS THE LEVER IN ONCE, THEN PRESS IT A SECOND TIME TO EXPERIENCE ITS PROPER BRAKING POTENTIAL. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE SINCE OWNING THE BIKE. I'VE NOTICED HOW JERKY THE BRAKE WOULD REACT. VERY "SQUISHY" WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE LEVER FIRST PUMP, THEN REACTS IMMEDIATELY WITH SUBSEQUENT BRAKE PUMPING. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE HARM TO ME, MY BIKE OR SOMEONE ELSE.

BRAKES ARE SOFT AT FIRST PULL. SECOND HARDENS. THEY SEEM VERY MUSHY AND UNSAFE MOST OF THE TIME.

OPERATION OF THE BRAKES IS INCONSISTENT AND UNSAFE. ON FIRST APPLICATION, IT FEELS LIKE THERE IS NO PRESSURE IN THE SYSTEM SO THE BRAKE LEVER HAS TO BE SQUEEZED ALMOST COMPLETELY BACK TO THE HANDLEBAR BEFORE THE BRAKES APPLY. ON SUBSEQUENT APPLICATIONS IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS, THE SYSTEM FEELS PRESSURIZED AND LEVER PULL AND BRAKE APPLICATION BECOME NORMAL. THE PATTERN REPEATS AGAIN AFTER THE BRAKES HAVE NOT BEEN APPLIED FOR A SEVERAL SECONDS. THIS OCCURS WHETHER THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED WHILE MOVING OR AT A STANDSTILL.

MY 2016 TRIUMPH THRUXTON R HAS ALWAYS HAD ISSUES WITH THE FRONT BRAKE. SINCE PURCHASING THE MOTORCYCLE I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHILE RIDING IT AND COMING TO A STOP USING THE FRONT BRAKE IT DOES NOT STOP AS EFFECTIVELY AS IT SHOULD. UPON GRABBING THE FRONT BRAKE AND SQUEEZING THE LEVER THE BRAKE IS SLOW TO STOP THE MOTORCYCLE AND HAS A SPONGY FEELING. HOWEVER, WHEN I DOUBLE PUMP THE BRAKE (OR SQUEEZE THE LEVER ONCE, RELEASE, AND SQUEEZE IT IN A SECOND TIME) THE BRAKE IS INSTANT AND QUICK TO BRAKE AND STOP THE MOTORCYCLE. I HAVE TRIED DIFFERENT BRANDS OF BRAKE FLUID AS WELL AS BLEEDING THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND REPLACING THE BRAKE PADS. NONE OF WHICH HAS SOLVED THE PROBLEM. MY ONLY CONCLUSION IS THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURER ISSUE OR PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM THAT CAUSES THIS. IF I WERE TO GRAB THE BRAKE LEVER ONE TIME IN AN EMERGENCY STOPPING SITUATION I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STOP AS EFFECTIVELY COMPARED TO DOUBLE PUMPING THE BRAKES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE MANY TIMES WHILE APPROACHING RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS AND IS AN EVERY TIME OCCURRENCE WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE. IN SUMMATION THE INITIAL BRAKE GRAB PROVES TO BE SLOW TO BRAKE AND SPONGY IN FEEL. WHILE RELEASING THE INITIAL BRAKE GRAB AND GRABBING THE BRAKE LEVER AGAIN PROVES TO MUCH GREATER STOPPING POWER AND SAFER BRAKING.

I HAVE HAD 3 SIDE STAND SPRINGS FAIL DURING THIS CALENDAR YEAR 2020, IN LESS THAN 3,000 TOTAL MILES. 2 OF THE FAILED SPRINGS HAVE BEEN UPGRADED PARTS FROM A TRIUMPH INTERNAL SAFETY BULLETIN REPLACEMENT. THIS LAST SPRING FAILED 900 MILES AFTER IT WAS INSTALLED ONLY A MONTH AND A HALF AGO. ALL INSTALLATIONS WERE DONE BY THE AUTHORIZED TRIUMPH DEALERSHIP. ALL 3 OF THE SPRING FAILURES OCCURRED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, TOP GEAR, IN TRAFFIC - WHEN IT FAILS, IT ACTIVATES A KILL SWITCH THAT CUTS POWER TO THE MOTOR, LEAVING ME IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AT SPEED WITH A NON-RESPONSIVE MOTORCYCLE. AFTER THE SECOND OCCURRENCE, I EMAILED TRIUMPH AFTER SALES CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM AND THEIR HEAD OF CUSTOMER SERVICE PETER CARLEO, MY EMAIL WAS NOT RESPONDED TO, I REPLIED AGAIN - AND NO RESPONSE. I HAVE NOW EMAILED THEM A THIRD TIME. MY DEALERSHIP SAID TODAY AFTER INSTALLING THE 4TH SPRING ON MY BIKE THIS YEAR THAT THEY CALLED TRIUMPH CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WERE DISMISSED AND THAT I AM ON MY OWN TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN AS I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IN TRAFFIC 3X DUE TO A SIDE STAND SPRING, A $6 PART FAILING 3X. THIS IS THE MOST SIMPLE OF PARTS AND ONE THAT IN MY 13 YEARS OF RIDING NEARLY EVERY DAY ON 3 DIFFERENT TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES, I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED BEFORE. TRIUMPH NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND RECTIFY THIS ISSUE COMPLETELY BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED - IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ALREADY. MY SPRINGS FAILED ON 1/30/20, 6/17/20 AND 11/28/20, OVER THE COURSE OF LESS THAN 3,000 MILES TRAVELLED.

THE FRONT BRAKE NEEDS TO BE "PUMPED UP" BY PRESSING AT LEAST TWICE BEFORE THE FULL POWER OF BRAKING IS APPLIED WHILE THE BIKE IS IN MOTION OR STOPPED. THIS HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE SELLING DEALER AT LEAST ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITHOUT ANY CHANGE IN PROBLEM

THE FRONT BRAKES SINCE THE BEGINNING HAVE FELT SPONGY AND I HAD A FEW CLOSE CALLS WHEN I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES HARD, THE MOTORCYCLE STILL KEPT GOING I HAVE TO DOUBLE PUMP TO HAVE THEM ACTUALLY WORK PROPERLY.

THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE A VERY SPONGY FEEL AND REQUIRE MULTIPLE PULLS OR 'PRIMER PULLS' FOR THE FRONT BRAKES TO ENGAGE CORRECTLY. IN EMERGENCY BRAKE SITUATIONS, I DO NOT GET FULL BRAKING POWER OUT OF THE FRONT BRAKES WHEN THE LEVER IS PULLED IN QUICKLY. THE LEVER GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE HANDLEBAR GRIP. DEALERS AND SHOPS HAVE TRIED BLEEDING MY BRAKES NUMEROUS TIMES TO FIX THE ISSUE BUT THE LEVER RESPONSE DOES NOT IMPROVE. THEY ALL SUGGEST THAT I CHANGE THE WHOLE SYSTEM. I THOUGHT THE ISSUE WAS ONLY MY BIKE UNTIL A COMMUNITY OF RIDERS WITH MY SAME BIKE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE. THIS ISSUE OCCURS WHEN IN MOTION, STAND STILL, STREET, HIGHWAY AND TURNING. *TR

SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER BACKLIGHTING MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT ESPECIALLY IN CONTRAST TO THE BRIGHT CENTER DISPLAY. ON DARK OR DIMLY LIT ROADS THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER ARE USELESS.

BIKE SHUTS DOWN WHILE ON THE MOVE THUS SEVERELY COMPROMISING THE RIDER'S SAFETY.