TRIUMPH Complaints

TWIN-CAM TIMING CHAIN AND RELATED CRANK DRIVE SPROCKET, KEYWAY, AND CHAIN TENSIONER. MATERIAL QUALITY USED IN MANUFACTURE OF PART(S) CAUSED PROGRESSIVE DAMAGE; THOUGH CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WAS AVOIDED BY DELIVERING THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE DEALER FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. THIS ACTION MAY HAVE BEEN ONLY MOMENTS FROM MAJOR CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE YEAR GROUP OF TRIUMPH ROCKET III MOTORCYCLES FOR WHICH THIS FAULT IS KNOWN TO EXIST, BASED UPON HUNDREDS OF FORUM DISCUSSIONS, RANGES FROM 2005 THROUGH 2007 MODEL YEARS (ALL YEAR MODELS SINCE PRODUCTION BEGAN). THE MANUFACTURER (TRIUMPH) REMAINS CLOSED MOUTHED AS TO THE BASE CAUSE FOR THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE; THOUGH A VERY MINUTE KEYWAY DEVICE COULD VERY WELL BE THE PRINCIPLE CAUSE. IT IS SAID THAT OVER 100 OWNERS OF THIS MOTORCYCLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME MECHANICAL FAILURE. NUMEROUS HAVE RESULTED IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE LEADING TO FULL VALVE TRAIN AND ENGINE HEAD REPLACEMENT. *TR

LOWER TIMING CHAIN SPROCKET FAILURE. DESTROYING ENGINE,AND POSSIBLY LOCKING REAR TIRE AT SPEED. *JB

I HAVE A TRIUMPH ROCKET III MOTORCYCLE. 2005 MODEL YEAR BOUGHT IT IN OCT OF 2004. IT CAME WITH A TWO YEAR UNLIMITED MILES WARRANTY. AFTER OWNING FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR I STARTED TO DEVELOPED ENGINE NOISE/VIBRATION, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER/SERVICE CENTER WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY KEPT DENYING THAT IT HAD A PROBLEM AND THAT THEY COULDN'T DETECT THE NOISE OR VIBRATION. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER LOCAL TRIUMPH DEALER/SERVICE CENTER FOR THE SAME ISSUE, THEY HAD IT FOR OVER TWO WEEKS, AND THEY CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT DETECT ANY NOISE OR VIBRATION, AND THEY CHARGED ME SHOP RATE FEES FOR THE ASSESSMENT, CLAIMING THAT SINCE THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING THEN THEY COULD NOT WRITE IT UP AS A WARRANTY CLAIM. NOW MY TWO YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD IS OVER AND NOW THE VIBRATION IS SO BAD IT CAN NOW BE DETERMINED THAT IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CRANKSHAFT SPROCKET TO THE TIMING CHAIN. AND THEY WANT OVER 1500 DOLLARS JUST FOR PARTS. IT IS KNOWN TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. MY INQUIRY INTO THIS PROBLEM WITH OTHER ROCKET III OWNERS REVEALED THAT TRIUMPH IS AWARE OF A SPECIFIC LOT OF TIMING CHAIN SPROCKETS THAT WERE SUBSTANDARD. MY CONTENTION IS THAT THIS PROBLEM WITH MY BIKE SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL, OR UNDER A EXTENSION OF WARRANTY FOR CIRCUMSTANCES AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. OF THE MANY OWNERS THAT I KNOW THAT HAVE HAD THIS PART FAIL IT WILL TAKE OUT THE CHAIN AND BOTH CAMSHAFTS WILL STOP TURNING AND BEND ALL OF THE VALVES AND IN SOME CASES IT HAS BROKEN THE PISTONS. I BELIEVE MY ENGINE SHOULD BE FIXED BY TRIUMPH BEFORE IT BECOMES A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. RIGHT NOW I CAN STILL RIDE IT, BUT I FEEL THAT IT COULD BREAK AT ANY TIME, AND IT CAN LOCK UP THE ENGINE/CAUSE CRASH, BUT I AM ONLY HOPING THAT A RECALL OR ADMISSION OF RESPONSIBILITY WILL COME. I AM STILL PAYING $363 DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THIS THING AND CANNOT FATHOM THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO FUND THIS MISTAKE ON THEIR PART. NO PUN INTENDED. THANKS.... *TR

TIMING CHAIN, SPROCKETS, BLADES AND TENSIONER ARE CONSTRUCTED AND ENGINEERED UNDER SUBSTANDARD GUIDELINES CAUSING FAILURE OF ONE OR ALL TIMING COMPONENTS AND ENGINE FAILURE WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND CAUSE A VEHICLE CRASH. TRIUMPH HAS UPDATED THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THESE COMPONENTS IN LATER MODEL YEARS BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE EARLIER YEARS CONTAINING THE FAULTY COMPONENTS. INSTANCES OF FAILURE HAVE OCCURRED ANYWHERE FROM 1,000 TO 35,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED NUMEROUSLY ON TRIUMPH ROCKET III OWNERS GROUP WEBSITES UNDER THE TERM "PAINT CAN RATTLE" AS THE SOUND THAT IS PRODUCED BY THE FAILING COMPONENTS SOUNDS SIMILAR TO THE BALL BEARING RATTLE INSIDE A SPRAY CAN OF PAINT. SEVERAL FAILURES HAVE HAPPENED OUTSIDE OF MANUFACTURER WARRANTY AND THE REBUILD COST OF $2,000+ HAS BEEN PUSHED ON TO THE CUSTOMER. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT A TIMING CHAIN IS A CONSUMABLE ITEM MUCH LIKE TIRES AND BRAKES BUT COMPLETE SPROCKET AND ENGINE FAILURE SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED CONSUMABLE. *TR

HIGH ENGINE IDLE WHEN COMING TO A STOP OR RELEASING THE THROTTLE. NO ENGINE BRAKING AVAILABLE. HIGH IDLE 1300-2000RPM WHEN SHIFTING . PROBLEM DEVELOPED AFTER SERVICE BULLETIN 386 WAS PERFORMED BY DEALERSHIP. RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP , THEY FOUND HIGH IDLE BUT COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX IT. ECU PROGRAM PROBLEM I WAS TOLD. *JB

OUTSIDE SPOKE (REAR WHEEL, BRAKE SIDE) ON A 2003 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE BROKE WHILE RIDING ON HIGHWAY. THIS RESULTED IN LOSS OF AIR AND TIRE WENT FLAT. AWAITING REPLACEMENT SPOKE AT THIS TIME FROM LOCAL TRIUMPH DEALER. UPON INSTALLATION WHEEL WILL NEED TO BE RETRIED AND NEW INNER TUBE AND RIM STRIP INSTALLED. *JB

FUEL INJECTION CHECK VALVES AT THE LOWER RIGHT OF THE TANK ARE PLASTIC, AND GLUED IN. THIS IS NOT A REPAIRABLE PART, IN MY OPINION IT'S A JOB SECURITY SCAM, THEY SNAP, AND HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO SNAP ACCORDING TO SEVERAL FORUMS. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TRIUMPH TIGER. WHILE RIDING 2-5 MPH OR IN THE IDLE POSITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T100. ON MAY 5, 2007,THE WHEEL SPOKE FAILED AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES WHICH CLEARLY SHOW THAT THE SPOKE FAILURE CAUSED THE BLOWOUT. THE PURCHASE DATE AND FUEL SYSTEM WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 2,450 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,180.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TRIUMPH ROCKET THREE. WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHAKING AND IT SHUT OFF. THIS HAPPENED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 1000 RPMS. HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALER STATED THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE TUNED. THE DEALER TUNED THE COMPUTER. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE DEALER TUNED THE COMPUTER FOUR MONTHS LATER AND THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1000 ,AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2600. *AK UPDATED 05/23/07. *JB