TRIUMPH Complaints

THE DAY AFTER BUYING MY BIKE, IT COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN ON ME 4 TIMES IN SUCCESSION WHILE RIDING. FIRST ON A SURFACE STREET AT ABOUT 30MPH, THEN ON THE FREEWAY AT 65-70MPH, THEN TWICE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY AT LOW SPEED JUST TO GET IT HOME (ALL ON THE SAME DAY). THE DEALER INFORMED ME THIS BIKE HAD BEEN SUBJECT TO A RECALL INVOLVING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ECU PRIOR TO MY BUYING IT, AND THAT THE REPLACEMENT HAD BEEN COMPLETED. AS OF 7/7/2014 THE DEALER STILL HAS MY BIKE, AND HAS NOT DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AFTER DOING, IN THEIR WORDS, "EVERYTHING WE CAN THINK OF", TO FIGURE IT OUT. THEY HAVE TOLD ME I HAVE 2 CHOICES; 1) LEAVE THE BIKE AT THE SHOP UNTIL THEY DIAGNOSE AND FIX IT, WHICH OF THIS WRITING IS NOW 16DAYS; OR, 2) TAKE IT BACK AS IS. I HAVE CONTACTED TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES LTD., UK IN HOPES OF OBTAINING A BETTER ALTERNATIVE; NAMELY A NEW BIKE TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE ONE I WAS SOLD. *TR UPDATED 3/23/2015 *JS

FUEL TANK HAS SWELLED TO THE POINT THAT IT WILL NOT FIT SECURELY ON MOTORCYCLE. TRIUMPH HAS REPLACED FUEL TANKS ON LATER MODELS UNDER WARRANTY, BUT ONLY WITH THE SAME PLASTIC TANK. REPLACEMENT TANKS ALSO SWELL AFTER REPEATED ETHANOL USE. TRIUMPH USED STEEL TANKS AFTER THE 2008 MODEL YEAR THAT ARE A DIRECT REPLACEMENT, BUT REFUSE TO USE THEM AS A REPLACEMENT. WITH REPEATED ETHANOL USE ALL PLASTIC TRACKS SWELL AND COULD POSSIBLY FRACTURE AT THE MOUNTS RESULTING IN FIRE, INJURY AND/OR DEATH. *TR

UNDER ACCELERATION, ENGINE HAS A RATTLE LIKE A SPRAY PAINT CAN. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH, AND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM LEADING TO ENGINE FAILURE, DUE TO A TIMING CHAIN/SPROCKET ISSUE. I WOULD LIKE TRIUMPH TO ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THIS, BEFORE IT FAILS. *TR

YESTERDAY (17 JUN 2014 ABOUT 4 PM) AT A TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLE DEALERSHIP, LOOKING AT A NEW 2014 TRIUMPH TROPHY SE MOTORCYCLE IN THE SHOWROOM: STANDING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MOTORCYCLE: I WENT TO PUT IT UP ON THE CENTER STAND WITH MY RIGHT FOOT/BODY WEIGHT (6'-2" & 185 LBS) ON THE PROTRUDING PUSH-DOWN PEG OF THE CENTER STAND, AND LIFT THE REAR OF THE BIKE SIMULTANEOUSLY BY HOLDING ON TO THE LEFT PASSENGER HAND HOLD, WITH MY RIGHT HAND (AS DIRECTED BY SALES PERSON WITH ME). WHEN INSTEAD OF THE MOTORCYCLE SHIFTING UP ONTO THE CENTER STAND, MY RIGHT LEG ACHILLES TENDON POPPED /RUPTURED. I HEARD A POPPING/TEARING NOISE AND IMMEDIATE PAIN, LIKE HIT THERE BY A HAMMER. I WORK OUT REGULARLY AND DO TOE RAISES (20 X 3 SETS) WHILE HOLDING 80 PDS OF WEIGHTS 3X WEEK - STRONG LEGS AND MUSCLES, ALONG WITH GOOD STRETCHING OF THE ACHILLES TENDONS AND CALVE MUSCLES. I WAS GIVEN A ZIP LOCK BAG WITH ICE TO APPLY: THEN I WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL URGENT CARE CENTER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND IMMEDIATE TREATMENT BY ANOTHER EMPLOYEE. SO, I FIGURE THIS MIGHT BE A NEW CENTER STAND DESIGN FLAW, I'VE PUT MANY MOTORCYCLES ON CENTER STANDS BEFORE WITHOUT BEING INJURED IN THE PROCESS; MAYBE A RE-DESIGN NOT THOROUGHLY TESTED AFTER THE PREVIOUS RECALL, THAT ISN'T LEVERED PROPERLY FOR APPROPRIATE HUMAN FORCE TO DO IT WITHOUT POSSIBILITY OF INJURY, THUS SHOULD BE REPORTED FOR FURTHER SCRUTINY TO PREVENT SIMILAR INJURY TO OTHERS. IS THERE A STANDARD FOR HOW MUCH FORCE IS REQUIRED TO PUT A MOTORCYCLE ON A CENTER STAND? SHOULD THERE BE ELECTRIC OR HYDRAULIC ASSISTS MECHANISMS FOR DOING THIS AND REDUCING THE RISK OF INJURY OR MOTORCYCLE TIPPING DAMAGE IN THE PROCESS TO MAKE DOING THIS CENTER-STAND SUPPORT PROCEDURE SAFER?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BATTERY BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ROTORS WERE PREMATURELY WORN. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKES OVERHEATED AND WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, IT WOULD PUMP BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ROTORS WERE BELOW NORMAL SPECIFICATIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,173.

PLASTIC (PA6) OEM FUEL TANK HAS EXPANDED IN SIZE AND BOLT HOLE SECURING IT TO THE FRAME NO LONGER LINE UP CORRECTLY. *TR

ON THE BUSY I 680 CLOVERLEAF RAMP IN OMAHA, NE, MY 2013 ROCKET TOURING THROTTLE FAILED. THE FAILURE FELT LAS THOUGH A CABLE END BROKE OFF. AFTER I OPENED UP THE THROTTLE HOUSING BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INVESTIGATED, I DISCOVERED THE CABLES WERE FINE BUT THAT THE THROTTLE SLEEVE TAB FAILED INSIDE THE GRIP. I WALKED HOME AND THEN HAD MY BIKE TOWED HOME. I'VE READ OF NUMEROUS FAILURES ON THE TRIUMPH.RAT AND OTHER TRIUMPH WEBSITES OF HEATED GRIP SLEEVES BREAKING. I HAVEN'T READ ABOUT THIS FAILURE ON BIKES WITHOUT THE HEATED GRIP ACCESSORY. THESE FAILURES APPARENTLY OCCUR ON BOTH THE THUNDERBIRD AND ROCKET MODELS, WHICH SHARE THE SAME HEATED GRIP ACCESSORY. MY BIKE IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD (SECOND OWNER) AND I'VE PROBABLY USED THE HEATED GRIPS A DOZEN TIMES. I HAVE NOT USED THE OPTION IN A FEW WEEKS AS THE WEATHER IS WARMER. WHILE IT'S CONJECTURE, THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL THAT THE THROTTLE SLEEVE IS COMPOSED OF SEEMS VERY THIN AND TOO PLIABLE. I DO NOT ABUSE MY BIKE NOR SLAM THE THROTTLE. I ALSO OWN A HONDA GL1800 W/ HEATED GRIPS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM W/ THAT BIKE IN 6 YEARS. *TR

WHILE RIDING HOME IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC THE HEATED THROTTLE GRIP SUDDENLY BROKE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO DROP IMMEDIATELY TO IDLE. I HAD TO QUICKLY TAKE EVASIVE MANEUVERS TO AVOID CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AS OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD WERE NOT EXPECTING MY MOTORCYCLE TO SUDDENLY SLOW TO A STOP. THE GRIP BROKE WHERE THE THROTTLE CABLE ATTACHES TO THE GRIP INSIDE THE RIGHT SIDE ELECTRICAL CONTROLS HOUSING. THIS GRIP IS CONSTRUCTED OF FLIMSY PLASTIC. THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO OTHER RIDERS AS EVIDENCE BY FORUM POSTING SUCH AS THIS; HTTP://WWW.TRIUMPHRAT.NET/THUNDERBIRD-CRUISER-CHAT/183312-BUSTED-THROTTLE.HTML I CONSIDER THIS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THIS SAFETY CRITICAL APPLICATION. *TR

WHEN DOING MAINTENANCE ON MY TRIUMPH, I TAKE OFF THE GAS TANK. SO AFTER DOING MY MAINTENANCE OR REPAIRS, THE BOLT UP FRONT AND THE TWO BOLTS IN BACK OF TANK DO NOT ALIGN UP WITH HOLES. IT SEEMS THE TANK HAS SWOLLEN OR HAS GOTTEN BIGGER. I MANAGE TO FASTEN TANK BACK TO FRAME BY STRIPING THREADS OR USING SPACERS AND LONGER BOLTS SO I CAN GET THAT LITTLE BIT OF LEVERAGE AND ANGLE TO REACH THE HOLES. I THINK IT IS DO TO THE ETHANOL ADDED TO OUR GASOLINE WHICH IS DEFORMING THE PLASTIC TANKS. THIS IS DISAPPOINTING TO SEE WHEN I SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON THIS MOTORCYCLE. *TR