2010 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALIGNMENT NEEDED TO BE READJUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 14,000.

TURNING RIGHT FROM A SIDE STREET ONTO A MAJOR ROAD, I BEGAN ACCELERATING AND THE THROTTLE BECAME INOPERATIVE, SNAPPING IMMEDIATELY BACK TO IDLE SPEED. SUBSEQUENT TURNING OF THE THROTTLE GRIP HAD NO EFFECT. THERE WAS TRAFFIC ON THE MAJOR ROAD THAT FORTUNATELY WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN IN RESPONSE TO MY UNEXPECTED AND SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED. THE ATTACHMENT FOR THE THROTTLE CABLE SNAPPED OFF OF THE THROTTLE GRIP ASSEMBLY. MY GRIPS WERE AUTHENTIC OEM TRIUMPH ACCESSORIES - HEATED GRIPS. APPARENTLY, THIS IS A NOT AN INFREQUENT FAILURE. TRIUMPH HAS SUPERSEDED THE ORIGINAL ACCESSORY KIT WITH A LATER PART NUMBER, BUT COULD NOT TELL ME IF THE SUPERSESSION INVOLVED A MATERIAL OR DESIGN CHANGE FOR THE THROTTLE GRIP ASSEMBLY. THE THROTTLE OPERATED PERFECTLY AND THEN FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THERE WAS NO EXCESSIVE FREEPLAY IN THE THROTTLE LINKAGE, NOR DID IT BIND IN ANY WAY PRIOR TO THE FAILURE.

THIS HAPPENS WHEN SHUTTING THE THROTTLE OFF TO MAKE A CORNER OR A STOP LIGHT, OR TO ADJUST SPEED IN TRAFFIC. THE ENGINE BACKFIRES THROUGH THE INTAKE OF THE THROTTLE BODIES AND THE AIRBOX UNDER THE VEHICLE SEAT AND DIES. THERE IS NO WARNING THIS IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN AND THE ENGINES DIES AND YOU ARE STRANDED IN TRAFFIC WHILE YOU COAST TO A STOP, FIND NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE USUALLY STARTS AS NOTHING HAS HAPPENED AND RUNS NORMALLY UNTIL THE NEXT TIME. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A LONG STEEP INCLINE AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH,AND DOWN SHIFTING TO SLOW THE MOTORCYCLE,THE MOTOR STACK FIRED THRU THE THROTTLE BODIES AND QUIT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. AS LUCK HAD IT,THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME. HOWEVER,IF I HAD TO ACCELERATE AT THAT INSTANT TO AVOID ANOTHER VEHICLE,IT WOULD HAVE CREATED A TENSE SITUATION TO SAY THE LEAST. WHEN I GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL,I LET THE CLUTCH OUT TO RESTART THE MOTOR WHILE THE MACHINE WAS STILL MOVING AND WAS SUCCESSFUL. ALL WAS WELL AFTER THAT AND THE PROBLEM HASN'T OCCURRED SINCE. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED, BUT GIVES YOU A LITTLE RUSH AS FAR AS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE GOES. I UNDERSTAND OTHERS WHO OWN THE SAME MOTORCYCLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

RIDING ON THE FREEWAY THE THROTTLE WENT "LIMP" IN MY HAND AND I LOST ALL SPEED. I HAD TO PERFORM EMERGENCY MANEUVERS TO EXIT THE FREEWAY WITH NO THROTTLE RESPONSE. HAD TO HAVE THE BIKE TOWED TO THE TRIUMPH DEALER TO REPLACE THE HEATED GRIP (WHICH THE PLASTIC BROKE INTERNALLY). THIS WAS DONE PER WARRANTY AND TOOK ABOUT A WEEK. I HAD TO PURCHASE A STOCK GRIP TO USE WHILE THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. WAS RIDING IN-TOWN AND HAD THE SAME ISSUE HAPPEN AGAIN WITH THE REPLACED TRIUMPH GRIP. I MANAGED TO USE BAILING WIRE AND ZIP TIES TO GET THE BIKE HOME AND TOOK THE BROKEN GRIP OFF TO BE REPLACED BY THE DEALER A 2ND TIME. THE TRIUMPH BLOG HAS REPORTED MORE THAN A DOZEN OF THESE SAME INCIDENTS HAPPENING WITH THE AFTERMARKET TRIUMPH HEATED GRIPS BUT THE PART HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AND THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES TO PERSIST. I'M LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT-INJURED AND THERE WASN'T A CRAZY AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC AROUND ME WHEN THIS HAPPENED. WILL TRIUMPH TAKE NOTICE OF THIS ISSUE? IT FRIGHTENS ME TO RIDE KNOWING THAT THE THROTTLE MAY GIVE OUT AGAIN WITHOUT NOTICE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2010 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD MOTORCYCLE TO WORK AND THE ASSEMBLY THAT ATTACHES THE THROTTLE CABLE TO THE THROTTLE GRIP FROZE. I HAD NOT THROTTLE CONTROL AND HAD TO COAST THE BIKE TO A SAFE STOP ON THE LEFT SHOULDER OF A HIGHWAY. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME IN A YEAR THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE OF THE FACTORY HEATED GRIPS. AFTER REPEATED HEATING, THEY GET BRITTLE AND THE ATTACHMENT TO THE THROTTLE CABLE BREAKS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME IN A YEAR. WHAT WAS PARTICULARLY SCARY ABOUT THIS INCIDENT IS THAT MY THROTTLE WAS STUCK IN THE "OPEN" POSITION AND I HAD TO TWIST THE GRIP REALLY HARD TO GET IT UNSTUCK, WHICH BROKE THE ASSEMBLY. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, TRIUMPH REPLACED THIS UNDER WARRANTY. THE SECOND TIME, THEY COVERED THE COSTS AS WELL FOR CUSTOMER GOODWILL, FOR WHICH I AM GRATEFUL. IN READING THE TRIUMPH FORUMS, IT IS COMMON FOR THIS ASSEMBLY TO BREAK. I'M ATTACHING A LINK TO THE RELEVANT FORUM ARTICLE HERE. HTTP://WWW.TRIUMPHRAT.NET/THUNDERBIRD-CRUISER-CHAT/183312-BUSTED-THROTTLE.HTML PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS AS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW AND COULD LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

MY 2010 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD MOTORCYCLE, PURCHASED NEW IN SEPTEMBER, 2012, INCLUDES DEALER-INSTALLED (11/12) TRIUMPH HEATED HANDGRIPS. ON CHRISTMAS EVE, AT A STOPLIGHT, 10 MILES FROM HOME AND IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE THROTTLE FAILED--THE CABLE HAD BUSTED OUT OF THE RETAINER SLEEVE. THIS IS AN OCCURRENCE THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN MANY RIDER FORUMS, SEEMS TO BE CLOSELY CORRELATED TO THE HEATED GRIPS, AND HAS BEEN RECEIVED WITH MINIMAL RESPONSIVENESS/ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. HAD I BEEN RIDING IN THE CENTER LANE OF INTERSTATE 95, WHERE I HAD BEEN TRAVELING JUST MINUTES EARLIER, I MIGHT EASILY HAVE BEEN KILLED. AGAIN, THIS IS A FAILURE THAT HAS BEEN AMPLY DOCUMENTED IN RIDER FORUMS AND HAS BEEN MET WITH NON-ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. PLEASE HELP US! *TR

THE REAR BRAKES ON MY 2010 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD BEGAN MAKING NOISE. I TOOK THE BIKE INTO THE DEALER AND APPARENTLY THE BRAKE PADS ARE WORN TO NOTHING AND THE ROTOR IS WORN TO THE POINT OF HAVING TO BE REPLACED. THE BIKE ONLY HAS 4000 MILES ON IT AND THE FIRST SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE CHECK ON THE BRAKES IS 6000 MILES. IN ADDITION TO THIS ISSUE, THE SPEEDOMETER ON THE BIKE HAS STUCK 3 TIMES BUT THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO WITNESS THIS ISSUE AND SO THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE SPEEDOMETER. IT WILL SOMETIMES SHOW A MUCH SLOWER SPEED THAN ACTUALLY TRAVELING AND AT OTHER TIMES HAS SHOWN A MUCH HIGHER SPEED THAN IS ACTUALLY BEING TRAVELED (E.G. SHOWS 30 MPH WHEN DOING 55 AND SHOWS 100 MPH WHEN DOING 60). USUALLY CLEARS WHEN MOTORCYCLE IS TURNED OFF. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V277000 (EQUIPMENT) AND THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE PART NEEDED FOR REPAIRS WAS NOT READILY AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR ANTICIPATED REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,400. UPDATED 09/15/11 *BF UPDATED 11/28/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVE BELT WORE PREMATURELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE BELT AND PULLEY WERE REPLACED YET THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE BELT WOULD FRACTURE, CAUSING THE WHEELS TO LOCK. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT ACCEPTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,500.