TRIUMPH Complaints

MOTORCYCLE ENGAGED TO FULL THROTTLE WHILE DRIVING. MOTORCYCLE WAS JUST PURCHASED ONE WEEK EARLIER. A RECALL LETTER WAS RECEIVED FOR A DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP.*AK

I HAVE A 1998 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD SPORT MOTORCYCLE, WHICH I BOUGHT NEW AND WHICH CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 22,000 MILES ON THE CLOCK. THIS PAST WEEK I NOTICED THE SMELL OF RAW GASOLINE EVERY TIME I CAME TO A STOP. CONCERNED, I PARKED THE BIKE ON THE CENTER STAND, TURNED THE GAS ON, AND STARTED THE ENGINE. TO MY SURPRISE, I SAW RAW GAS DRIPPING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CENTER CARBURETOR. I STOPPED THE ENGINE, AND TURNED OFF THE GAS. THE DRIPPING STOPPED. THINKING THAT I HAD A LEAKY FLOAT, OR A BAD NEEDLE, I SET ABOUT REMOVING THE GAS TANK, SIDE COVERS, AIR CLEANER, AND CARBURETORS. I THEN PULLED THE CENTER CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL COVER, AND PULLED THE FLOAT. I SHOOK THE FLOAT, AND HEARD NOTHING. I THEN TOOK THE FLOAT AND SUBMERSED IT IN A CONTAINER OF LIQUID. AN HOUR LATER, I LET THE FLOAT LOOSE, AND IT POPPED UP TO THE SURFACE EVENLY. I THEN SHOOK THE FLOAT, AND COULD PERCEIVE NO LIQUID INSIDE. I WAS NOW CONVINCED THAT THE FLOAT WAS OK. I THEN STARTED CHECKING EVERYTHING. NO PROBLEM WAS EVIDENT UNTIL I EXAMINED THE FUEL LINE. UPON EXAMINATION, I NOTICED THAT THE BASE OF THE FUEL LINE WHERE IT CONNECTED TO THE CARBURETOR ASSEMBLY WAS CRACKED. TWISTING THE FUEL LINE REVEALED MULTIPLE CRACKS THAT ONLY SHOWED UP WHEN THE LINE WAS BENT INTO POSITION TO DELIVER FUEL. COVERING THE OTHER END, I BLEW IT INTO THE FUEL LINE AND HEARD AIR ESCAPING FROM THE CRACK. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THIS LEAK REPRESENTED A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD INSOFAR AS THE LEAK WAS POSITIONED OVER THE GENERATOR. THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT. PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS ANY EXCUSE FOR THIS FAILURE. GAS LINES ON AUTOMOBILES CAN LAST FOR A DECADE OR MORE AND FOR 100,000 MILES OR MORE. GIVEN THE PROXIMITY OF THE RIDER TO THIS POTENTIAL SOURCE OF IGNITION, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR TRIUMPH NOT TO USE THE HIGHEST-QUALITY REINFORCED GAS LINE.*AK

THE KICK STAND EXTENDER RIDES UP TOO HIGH. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER LOST BALANCE WHEN COMING TO A STOP, AND FELL OUT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. NO INJURIES REPORTED. *AK

99 TRIUMPH SPRINT ST MOTORCYCLE 8500 MILES CAREFULLY MAINTAINED AND STORED IN HEATED GARAGE. WHILE RIDING AT 50 MPH REAR WHEEL SUDDENLY LOCKED. SKIDDED AND FISHTAILED AND FORTUNEATELY DIDN'T CRASH. THE REAR WHEEL NEEDLE ROLLER BEARING HAD FAILED. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. I FOUND A RECALL 02V242000 ON CERTAIN 2001 MODELS ON THE REAR WHEEL BEARING AND CONTACTED TRIUMPH USA. THEY SAID THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A REPORT OF AN ACTUAL INCIDENT WHERE THE REAR WHEEL HAD LOCKED AND THAT SINCE THE RECALL WAS NOT FOR MY MODEL YEAR, WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR. THEY SINCE HAVE AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PART BUT NOT LABOR. MY CONCERN IS MORE FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE WITH POSSIBLY SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT HASN'T HAPPENED BEFORE.*AK

RECALL 04V156000 CONCERNING FUEL CONNECTORS. FUEL FITTINGS SEPARATED FROM THE GAS TANK, AND GAS WAS SPILLING ON TO THE ENGINE AND THE GROUND. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND DEALER OR MANUFACTURER HELPED THE CONSUMER. ALSO, CONSUMER STATED THAT DEALER WILL REPAIR THE PROBLEM ONLY IF CONSUMER PAID FOR IT. *AK

SPEEDOMETER CONSISTENTLY READS 0MPH, EVEN AT SPEED. PROBLEM IS SUSTAINED FOR THE DURATION OF RUNNING THE VEHICLE; A RESTART OFTEN (BUT NOT ALWAYS) CLEARS THE PROBLEM, ALLOWING THE SPEEDOMETER TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THIS "0MPH READING" PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. DURING THE FAILURE, THE ODOMETER FAILS TO ACCRUE MILEAGE AS WELL. 2002 TRIUMPH DAYTONA. *AK

THE PLASTIC FITTING AROUND THE FUEL TANK KEPT BREAKING ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK OUT. DEALER REPLACED PLASTIC FITTING. *AK

INSIDE, WHERE GAS CAP SCREWS IN PAINT FLAKES OFF AND DROPS INTO GAS TANK, CAUSING BLOCKAGE OF FUEL SYSTEM. MY BIKE TURNED OFF GOING HIGH SPEEDS ON HIGHWAY WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I CONTACTED MANUFACTURER TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING THEY COULD DO. IE REPLACE GAS TANK WITH NEW ONE WITHOUT THE FLAW IN THE PAINT UNDERNEATH GAS CAP.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, WITHOUT WARNING THE GAS TANK BROKE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *JB

AMENDED:CORRECTION. I WRECKED MY 2003 TRIUMPH SPEEDMASTER IN OCTOBER 2003. THE DRAG BARS ON THE FRONT PUTS A RIDER FORWARD OVER THE GAS TANK. THE FRONT SHOCKS ARE TOO WEAK FOR THE MASSIVE DUAL FRONT BRAKES AND THE FRONT SPRINGS GIVE TOO MUCH AND TRAVEL ABOUT 8" PUSHING THE DRIVER OVER THE HANDLEBARS. I FELL AND BROKE 2 RIBS AND THE ENGINE KEPT RUNNING AND IT TORE UP THE ENGINE. TRIUMPH WOULDN'T FIX THE ENGINE UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE I FELL ON THE BIKE AND I HAD TO PAY THE 2650.00 ENGINE REPAIR MYSELF. THESE BIKES HAVE A DESIGN FLAW IN THAT IT KEEPS RUNNING WHEN FALLEN OVER AND,THE TRAVEL ON THE FRONT SHOCKS MUST BE AT LEAST 8" WITH THE TOO POWERFUL FRONT DUAL BRAKES. THE GEOMETRY OF THE BIKE PUSHES THE LARGER RIDER OVER THE HANDLEBARS BECAUSE OF THE FORCE CREATED BY THE DIVING FRONT END WITH THE DRIVER OVER THE GAS TANK BECAUSE OF THE DRAG BARS. IT IS A POOR AND DEFECTIVE DESIGN.THIS IS A DATE CORRECTION FROM AN ORIGINAL COMPLAINT. *AK