TRIUMPH Complaints

THE BRAKES DO NOT HAVE PRESSURE ON THE FIRST PULL. THE PRESSURE IS BUILT BY PUMPING THE BRAKE LEVER BUT WILL THEN LOSE PRESSURE AGAIN WITHIN 15 MINUTES. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY THE BRAKES COULD TAKE TOO LONG TO ENGAGE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON ALL 2016-2019 TRIUMPH THRUXTON 1200 R MOTORCYCLES.

THE FIRST SQUEEZE OF THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER IS SOFT AND MUSHY. WHEN RELEASED AND SQUEEZED AGAIN, THE LEVER FIRMS UP AND HAS LESS TRAVEL. THE FRONT BRAKE IS INCONSISTENT AND THUS DANGEROUS. THIS IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM IN ALL RIDING SITUATIONS.

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.

SEEMS I HAVE THE ISSUE MANY OTHER ARE HAVING WITH THE FRONT BRAKES ON MY TRIUMPH THRUXTON R IN THAT I HAVE TO "DOUBLE PUMP" THE BRAKE LEVER TO ACTUALLY GET A GOOD SOLID BRAKING FEEL AND ACTION. AFTER DOUBLE PUMPING THE BRAKE LEVER I GET THE SOLID BRAKING I SHOULD HAVE FOR MAYBE 10 SECS AFTER USING THE FRONT BRAKE. THEN THE BRAKE LEVER LOSES ITS FEEL AND I HAVE TO DOUBLE PUMP THE LEVER AGAIN. I HAVE TAKEN MY BIKE IN FOR A ANNUAL INSPECTION, WHICH I MENTIONED THE BRAKING ISSUE AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED IT IS A PROBLEM AND WOULD REMEDY IT. AFTER THE SERVICE, WHICH INCLUDED A BRAKE FLUID FLUSH AND BLEED THE ISSUE RETURNED A FEW DAYS LATER. CLEARLY THERE IS A MAJOR MALFUNCTIONING COMPONENT THAT TRIUMPH KNOWS ABOUT BUT IS REFUSING TO REPLACE AND FROM MY RESEARCH THIS IS IN ISSUE ON ALL RECENT TRIUMPH MODELS THAT HAVE BREMBO FRONT BRAKE COMPONENTS. I HAVE GOTTEN USE TO THIS ISSUE BUT IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, I FEAR I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BRAKE IN THE MANNER THAT IS NEED AND COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

FRONT BRAKES ARE SPONGEY AND REQUIRE PUMPING OF BRAKE LEVER IN ORDER TO GET FULL BRAKING ABILITY. FRONT BRAKE LEVER IS SOFT ON FIRST PULL AND NEEDS TO BE RELEASED AND PULLED AGAIN IN ORDER TO BRAKE FULLY. THERE ALSO SEEMS TO BE A FRONT WHEEL SPACING ISSUE, CAUSING THE FRONT ROTOR TO HIT ONE BRAKE PAD BEFORE THE OTHER, WHICH MAY BE AT LEAST PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ISSUE.

FRONT BRAKES REQUIRE A DOUBLE PUMP OF THE LEVER TO ACCOMPLISH POSITIVE BRAKE FEEL AND OPERATION. THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND IN CASE OF EMERGENCY STOPPING. I HAVE BLED THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND IT STILL DOESN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

RIGHT HAND THROTTLE CONTROL 'IS STICKING' AND NOTCHY. DIFFICULT TO CHANGE GEAR, DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO 'SYNCHRONIZE ENGINE SPEED' (BLEEP TO GET THE CORRECT THROTTLE ENGINE SPEED) TO ROAD SPEED, BEFORE CHANGING UP, AND DOWN WITH THE GEARS. THUS, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY REAR WHEEL TO SKID. THROTTLE WILL GIVE JERKY MOTIONS. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF LOSS OF CONTROL THROUGH 'NO FAULT' OF THE RIDER OF MOTORCYCLE. MOTORCYCLES HAVE 'NON-SYNCHRONOUS TRANSMISSIONS'. THUS, ABLE TO USE ENGINE BREAKING TO SLOW DOWN MOTORCYCLE DOWN BEFORE COMING UP TO A CORNER. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH 'THROTTLE CONTROL' THIS CAN CAUSE INSTABILITY TO MOTORCYCLE AND UNSAFE CONDITION. THIS THROTTLE CONTROL PROBLEM HAPPENS WHEN YOUR STATIONARY, OR MOVING ALONG THE ROAD. I HAVE CONTACTED TRIUMPH SPIRIT MOTORCYCLES DEALER IN SAN JOSE CA. SERVICE MANAGER NAME IS: JD HIS EMAIL [email protected] PHONE NUMBER (408) -571-6000 - X8 JD HAS VIDEO OF THROTTLE CONTROL STICKING ON HIS CELL PHONE I HAVE CONTACTED TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLE USA SPOKE TO SCOT IN WARRANTY DEPARTMENT. TO GET IT COURTESY EXTENDED WARRANTY AS IT A 'SAFETY ISSUE' AND EMISSIONS ISSUES. TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLE USA HAVE INFORMED ME THEY WILL LET ME KNOW ON MONDAY 11TH JANUARY 2021. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS ISSUE OF THROTTLE CONTROL 'IS STICKING' SINCE RESOLVED NOVEMBER 2020. DUE TO THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS, AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS HAS CAUSED DELAYS. THANK YOU FOR LOOKING INTO THIS SAFETY ISSUE ON THIS MOTORCYCLE. SINCERELY, PETER HUMPHRIES