TRIUMPH Complaints

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN. IN DECEMBER OF 2012 I COSIGNED WITH MY SON TO PURCHASE A 2013 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE R FROM VIVA POWERSPORTS THEIR ADDRESS IS 1045 MAGRUDER EL PASO TEXAS 79925 TODAY I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES STATING THAT I HADN'T A SAFETY RECALL ON MY TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE R 2013 UPON RECEIVING MY LETTER AS IT STATES TO DO SO I ASKED MY LOCAL MOTORCYCLE SHOP WHERE I PURCHASED MY MOTORCYCLE IF THEY COULD FIX THE RECALL HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE AND IF THEY HAVE THE PARTS READY OR IF I NEEDED TO COME BACK I HAVE HAD PRIOR EXPERIENCE WHERE THEY COULD NOT FIX MY MOTORCYCLE CORRECTLY SO MY CONCERN WAS THAT THEY DO IT ON A TIMELY MANNER AND DO IT CORRECTLY I WAS TOLD VERY RUDELY THAT BECAUSE OF MY PRIOR EXPERIENCE I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE RECALL DONE AT A SHOP IN ALBUQUERQUE WHICH IS 400 MILES AWAY. I EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT IT WOULD BE VERY INCONVENIENT FOR ME TO GO ALL THE WAY TO ALBUQUERQUE WHEN MY LETTER EXPRESSLY SAYS VIVA POWERSPORTS CAN DO MY SERVICE I WAS THEN TOLD BY THEIR SERVICE ADVISOR TO TAKE IT TO ALBUQUERQUE MY MOTORCYCLE IS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION IT IS NOT ONLY INCONVENIENT BUT UNSAFE ACCORDING TO MY MANUFACTURER RECALL FOR ME TO HAVE TO DRIVE MY MOTORCYCLE ALL THE WAY TO ALBUQUERQUE I AM WRITING YOU TODAY TO COMPLAIN ABOUT VIVA POWERSPORTS AND THEIR BLATANT DISREGARD FOR PUBLIC SAFETY I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME SITUATION NOT ONLY IS THIS DISREGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY IT IS ALSO DISREGARDING THE NATIONAL TRAFFIC & MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW I HAVE ALREADY FILED A COMPLAINT WITH VIVA POWERSPORTS MANAGEMENT AND AS OF YET NOTHING HAS BEEN ADDRESSED I WILL BE FILING A COMPLAINT WITH TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES CORPORATE OFFICE PLEASE HELP PLEASE TAKE ACTION... MAKE VIVA POWERSPORTS AWARE THAT DISREGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY IS WRONG [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *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

WHILE RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE OVER BUMP IN THE ROAD, AT 25 MPH, THE RIGHT FOOT PEG DEPARTED FROM THE MOTORCYCLE. MY RIGHT FOOT MADE CONTACT WITH ROAD SURFACE. NO INJURY. I RETRIEVED THE BROKEN PEG FROM ROAD FOR INSPECTION. I OBSERVED THAT THE MOUNTING CLEVIS BOLT SHEARED AT THE CONNECTION TO THE OUTRIGGER. *TR

THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK ON MY BIKE IS SWELLING VISIBLY. ON LINE OTHERS ON THE TRIUMPH FORUM ARE ALSO COMPLAINING OF THIS. PROBABLY DUE TO ETHANOL IN THE FUEL. I AM CONCERNED THE TANK WILL SWELL UNTIL RUPTURE AND THEM POSSIBLY A FIRE. *TR

MAIN ENGINE FUSE BLOWS WHILE RIDING MOTORCYCLE CAUSING ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING. (IT HAPPENED TWICE THAT DAY.) POSSIBLY CAUSING A CRASH. *TR

THE ENGINE STARTED CUTTING IN AND OUT.THE VEHICLE THEN LOST ALL POWER TO THE REARWHEEL NO MATTER HOW MUCH THROTTLE IS USED. I HAD TO COAST THE MOTORCYCLE TO A STOP. AS SOON AS IT THE MOTORCYCLE IS STOPPED THE ENGINE AUTOMATICALLY SHUT DOWN. *TR

THE FUEL TANK STARTED LEAKING FUEL AS I WAS RIDING THE BIKE. I DID NOT REALIZE IT UNTIL THE BACK TIRE SLID GOING AROUND A CORNER ON PERFECTLY DRY PAVEMENT. WHEN I STOPPED I NOTICED FUEL PUDDLING UNDERNEATH THE BIKE. I FINALLY TRACED THE LEAK DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL PUMP MOUNTING FLANGE WHERE IT MOUNTS TO THE FUEL TANK. *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1999 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE, VIN# [XXX], COLOR ROULETTE GREEN PURCHASED AT FREEHOLD TRIUMPH OF FREEHOLD, N.J., CURRENTLY WITH 11,356 MILES. THIS HAS BEEN A PAMPERED AND EXCELLENTLY MAINTAINED MOTORCYCLE THAT HAS ONLY BEEN STORED INSIDE CLIMATE CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS SINCE PURCHASE. I WRITE TO YOU DUE TO A PROBLEM I AM HAVING WITH THE PAINT SEPARATING FROM THE GAS TANK IN BUBBLE FORMATIONS THROUGHOUT THE TANK. I FIRST NOTICED THIS IN 2005 ON ONE PART OF THE TANK THAT WAS HIDDEN AND WAS NOT ON THE FINISHED SURFACE. THE ISSUE WAS BOUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE AUTHORIZED DEALER I WAS HAVING DO 12K MILEAGE SERVICE AT THAT TIME. HE DID NOT TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY AND SAID AT THAT TIME TRIUMPH WOULD NOT COVER THIS AS A WARRANTY ISSUE. CURRENTLY I AM EXPERIENCING THE PAINT SEPARATING IN BUBBLE FORMATIONS THROUGHOUT ON EXPOSED FINISHED SURFACES OF THE GAS TANK. AS OF THIS DATE AFTER PIERCING THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS THERE HAS NOT BEEN GAS LEAKING, THOUGH THE GAS TANK HAS BEEN EMPTIED OF GAS DUE TO HAVING BEEN STORED LONG TERM. SO I CANNOT SAY 100% THAT THE TANK IS NOT LEAKING AT THOSE LOCATIONS ALSO. I AM AWARE THAT CURRENTLY THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE MAKER OF GAS TANKS MANUFACTURED FOR DUCATI & APRILIA MOTORCYCLES. MY GAS TANK IS ALSO MADE BY THE SAME MANUFACTURER, ACERBIS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR