TRIUMPH Complaints

THE BLINKER STEMS FOR BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT BLINKER BROKE AND THE BLINKERS DANGLE BY THEIR CABLES. THIS MAY MAKE THE SIGNALS UN-SEEABLE TO ON-COMING TRAFFIC. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE FOR THE 2012 MODELS BUT NOT FOR MY VIN SERIES. *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

WHILE DRIVING DOWN LONG STEADY HILLS WITH CLOSED OR PARTIAL THROTTLE, THE ENGINE BACKFIRES, STALLS, AND WOULD NO LONGER RESPOND TO THE THROTTLE. IN TWO CASES, THE ENGINE WOULD RESTART AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON WHILE STILL MOVING. IN ANOTHER INSTANCE, REPEATED ATTEMPTS HAD TO BE MADE TO GET THE ENGINE RESTARTED, AFTER COASTING TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *TR

WHERE THE FUEL PUMP/SENDING UNIT PLATE BOLTS TO THE TANK IT DEFORMED ENOUGH TO LET FUEL LEAK OUT ONTO THE ENGINE , I AM FEARFUL IT WILL IGNITE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TRIUMPH ROCKET III TOURING MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE TO PASS OTHER VEHICLES IN THE LEFT LANE, THE MOTORCYCLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND SUDDENLY STALLED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE PLASTIC TWIST GRIP, WHICH HOUSES THE STEEL CABLE TO THE ACCELERATOR THROTTLE, HAD SHEARED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED WHILE RIDING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE TO PASS OTHER VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE SECOND OCCURRENCE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

THE LEFT REAR TURN SIGNAL FRACTURED AND WAS FOUND DANGLING BY ITS ELECTRICAL CABLE. CAUSE UNKNOWN BUT DEVICE WAS NOT EXPOSED TO ANY FORCES OTHER THAN ROUTINE WIND LOADS. THE NEXT DAY THE RIGHT REAR TURN SIGNAL ALSO FRACTURED AND WAS FOUND DANGLING BY ITS ELECTRICAL CABLE. THIS IS A DEFECT AND IS UNSAFE AS OTHER MOTORISTS CANT SEE THE SIGNALS. *TR

THIS REPORT WAS PREPARED BY DRIVER'S ATTORNEY. PLEASE CONTACT ATTORNEY AT NUMBER/ADDRESS BELOW TO OBTAIN DRIVER'S CONTACT INFORMATION OR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. ON FEB 1, 2014, DRIVER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY IN THE COUNTY OF SAN MATEO, CA AT 60-65 MPH IN CLEAR, DRY CONDITIONS. COMPANION TRAVELING ON ANOTHER MOTORCYCLE IMMEDIATELY BEHIND DRIVER OBSERVED DRIVER GOING OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND OBSERVED THE REAR OF DRIVER'S MOTORCYCLE COLLAPSING ONTO THE REAR WHEEL. THIS CAUSED THE WHEEL TO LOCK UP, WHICH IN TURN CAUSED DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND BE EJECTED ONTO THE ROADSIDE. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO MOTORCYCLE. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE MOTORCYCLE REVEALED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS FAILURE OF THE DROP LINKAGE PLATES, WHICH CAUSED THE SUSPENSION TO FAIL AND THE MOTORCYCLE TO COLLAPSE ONTO ITS REAR WHEEL. INSPECTION OF THE PLATES SUGGESTS THAT THEY SUFFER FROM A SAFETY DEFECT THAT CAUSES THEM TO ELONGATE AND FRACTURE UNDER ORDINARY DRIVING CONDITIONS, WHICH IN TURN CAUSES CATASTROPHIC LOCKING/FAILURE OF THE AFFECTED MOTORCYCLES' REAR WHEELS. FACTUAL INVESTIGATION AND FURTHER RESEARCH INDICATES THAT NUMEROUS DRIVERS OF OTHER TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES HAVE EXPERIENCED CRASHES AS A RESULT OF THE SAME DEFECT. AFFECTED MODELS APPEAR TO BE, BUT MAY NOT BE LIMITED TO: 2006, 2007, 2008, AND CERTAIN 2009 TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675 AND STREET TRIPLE 675 MOTORCYCLES. TRIUMPH APPEARS TO HAVE CHANGED THE MATERIAL USED TO MANUFACTURE THIS PART FROM ALUMINUM TO STEEL AT SOME POINT IN 2009, BUT FULL DETAILS ARE NOT KNOWN AT THIS TIME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TRIUMPH TIGER 800 MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS EXCESSIVE VIBRATION ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THROTTLE GRIP. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S RIGHT HAND BECAME NUMB AND MADE IT DIFFICULT TO OPERATE THE THROTTLE GRIP AND FRONT BRAKE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,400.

FIRST NOTICED AFTER PURCHASE IN 2013 WHILE SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, THE MANUAL FIVE SPEED TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF SECOND GEAR. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME, UNDER VARIOUS LOAD CONDITIONS AND ROAD HAZARDS. SPEAKING WITH TRIUMPH CORPORATE SERVICE, THEY RECOGNIZE THE FAULT, HAVE RECEIVED THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS WORLD WIDE, AND OFFER ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, A PART UPGRADE AS A REPAIR. THEY DO NOT HOWEVER COVER LABOR TO EFFECT THE UPGRADE AFTER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY PERIOD. NOT EFFECTING A RECALL AND PUTTING THOUSANDS AT RISK. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION, AS IT CAUSES ERRATIC MOTORCYCLE BEHAVIOR WHILE IN TRAFFIC. *TR

MY MOTORCYCLE HAS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW THAT IS APPARENT ON MY MACHINE, AS WELL AS ALL OTHERS I PERSONALLY KNOW WITH THE SAME VEHICLE, INCLUDING 2011+ 800 AND 800XC. WHEN OPERATED IN AREAS WHERE DUST AND DIRT ARE PRESENT, SUCH AS DIRT ROADS, THE IDLE CONTROL WILL FAIL AND RENDER THE MOTORCYCLE UNABLE TO IDLE. THIS MEANS IT IS UNABLE TO START, STALLS WHEN SHIFTING AND UNABLE TO STOP WITHOUT IT STALLING. I AND OTHERS HAVE UNINTENTIONALLY BLOCKED TRAFFIC AT INTERSECTIONS, CREATING A SAFETY ISSUE, AND CAN HAVE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES ON THE ROAD IF ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT MID-TURN. I HAD A SLOW SPEED CRASH ON A DIRT ROAD WHEN MY REAR WHEEL SKIDDED BECAUSE THE ENGINE TURNED OFF RIGHT WHEN I LET THE CLUTCH OUT. THIS MOTORCYCLE IS DESIGNED FOR ON ROAD AND OFF ROAD USE, AND IS MARKETED TOWARDS ADVENTURE TRAVELING. WITH THIS ISSUE, MANY PEOPLE HAVE BECOME STRANDED OR SEVERELY HANDICAPPED IN THEIR ABILITY TO BRING THEIR VEHICLE BACK TO A REPAIR FACILITY TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE WHEN YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WILDERNESS OR AWAY FROM CIVILIZATION. THE ISSUE IS CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTIONING IDLE CONTROL STEPPER MOTOR AND MECHANISM THAT IS NOT ENTIRELY PROTECTED FROM THE ELEMENTS. TRIUMPH HAS BEEN CONTACTED MANY TIMES BY MYSELF AND OTHERS IN OWNERS GROUPS AND FORUMS AROUND THE WORLD, AND HAVE NOT RESPONDED AT ALL TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THIS COULD HAVE LIFE THREATENING CONSEQUENCES FROM AN ACCIDENT OR STRANDING A RIDER IN A REMOTE PLACE. HERE'S SOME REFERENCE ON HOW MANY CASES AND HOW BIG OF AN ISSUE IT IS. THERE ARE MANY CASES DOCUMENTED HERE AND OTHER FORUM THREADS. HTTP://ADVRIDER.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?P=24629293#POST24629293 HTTP://WWW.TRIUMPHRAT.NET/SEARCH.PHP?SEARCHID=8607714 HTTP://WWW.TIGER800.CO.UK/INDEX.PHP?ACTION=SEARCH2 (SEARCH "IDLE OR STEPPER") HTTP://WWW.VISORDOWN.COM/ROAD-TESTS-USED/BUYERS-GUIDE-TRIUMPH-TIGER-800-AND-XC/22428-2.HTML. *TR