Triumph - Reliability and Dealer Access - Triumph Owners Only Please

[BLARNEY]

 


 Curious about Triumph current reliability and the ability to get them
 serviced while traveling.   The new Tiger   really looks like the
 business to me but I confess to a little worry about the breadth
 of their dealer network if I want to travel on it.....


 Comments from former / current Triumph owners with experience appreciated !

 
 Tom

[Prubert]

I have put 43K on 2 different Triumphs over the past 2.5 years (11K on a '02 Speed Triple, 32K on a '01 Sprint ST) with no problems. (I even use the engine cut-off switch each time I shut the bike down!!....OMG, I am DOOMED!!)  

Knock on wood....

The only thing I have done is oil and other maint. items.  Parts seem to be available, you have to order them...but I have never had to wait any longer than some Honda parts.

The dealer work is patchy but I am lucky, I have 2 dealers in within 35 miles of my house.

Being a new model I would think the first year may have some niggles and Tri does a good job of fixing what is wrong (rather than deny it is a problem) for no cost.  

I wouldn't hesitate buying a new 1050 tigger and riding out West and back (7K round trip). They are as good as any modern motorcycle.

Later.

[sprint_st]

Tom,
My vote isn't really the why I would like it to be.  Reliability has been very good and the dealer I bought it from was super good.  The dealer network is starting to come back after it kind of fell apart a few years back.  That in my opinion is because Triumph is building some excellent bikes but corporate customer service has really been reactionary rather than proactive.  IMO, if you are going to buy a Triumph you need to look at the dealer first.  Triumph dealers are really geographically scattered and their quality varies a bunch.  Most are excellent to even fanatical about good service but because of the geographic distribution, a few bad dealers have major impact.  I find it hard to find the appropriate words for Triumph USA, maybe "they suck" kinda sums it up.  They denied that there was a problem with fuel connectors until they were forced to recall.  Their chief customer service guy tried to tell me how working on my bike would void my warrantee, an absolute falsehood and illegality in the US. They put out an excellent bike, the new ST's with crap bags but fixed the situation after they were blasted in the cycle rags.  Again, there are issues with brakes and they are only reacting after MCN and others have brought it out in the open as well as attempts by users around the world have gotten the attention of vehicle safety agencies.
This is a real complex topic.

[bizarro]

My '04 Triple was very reliable except for grit getting into the cooling fan (replaced twice, problem solved once I added a fender extender from Jack Lilley). Also had to replace a bad coil, not sure if it was from the factory and finally crapped out or if it was kinked at the first service prior to my purchase of the bike. Otherwise it was the best, most enjoyable bike I've yet owned. My next bike will almost surely be a Triumph, most likely the new Tiger.

As for dealers, here in Seattle there are two main dealers, I90 Motorsports (who I will give another dime to) and Lynwood Cycle Barn (who I used to hate when I rode a Honda). Cycle Barn has been great so far and when I buy my next bike it will most likely be from them.

[Playinthestreet]

3 new bikes, 99ST, 05 ST and 07 Tiger all from the same dealer.  The worst I've been treated by Triumph is fairly.  Had issues when the 99 was out of warranty and Tri and the dealer made good.  

[Rincewind]

I have had my Tbird since 02 and reliability has been quite good - it has never left me set (*knock on wood*).  There have been a few small niggles, most of which were covered under warranty.

As to the dealer network, I have had some frustrations.  My local dealer dropped the brand soon after I bought my bike.  Then, another local dealer (even closer!) picked up the brand and I was elated.  But that lasted less than 1/2 a year until that entire dealership sold out.  So now I have three non-local dealers which are each about an hour's ride from me.  Though I bitched about this for awhile, I have learned to live with it.

Luckily I have never had a breakdown on a trip out of state, so I cannot attest to how that would work out.  I would not be terribly worried, though, as Triumphs are solid bikes.  If you want to get it serviced while traveling, I'm sure that's possible with forward planning.

[eljeffe]

My wife has never required a dedicated Triumph service department on our rides.  Just tires and oil change.  Most European shops can do the work, unless it is a specific failure requiring a Triumph Certified Tech.

[BBB]

2 Triumphs, both bought new. A '99 Sprint ST and a '04 Sprint ST.

The first one was well built and after 5 years and 35000 miles still looked good. I had the following issues with it-

6000 miles - crack found in header pipes, close to where it mates with the silencer. Replaced under warranty.
12000 miles - Head gasket found to have blown. Replaced under warranty. Chain adjuster mechanism was seized. Repaired under warranty.
15500 miles - oil consumption went from nothing to 1/2 litre every 500 miles. Dealer initially said it was within tolerance. Not being happy with this I contacted the factory. They intervened, got the dealer to measure the oil usage over 500 miles and it was then found to be out of spec. Pistons, rings, cylinder liners and valve guides all replaced under warranty.

All was well after that, apart from having to strip the chain adjuster mechanism again ( did that myself) at 24000 miles.

Summary -  Triumph were fair and supportive, dealer was rubbish.

2004 ST.

Build quality was inferior. The fit of the fairing and body panels was poor. Triumph agreed to replace the fairing panels, but before this could be done, I was involved in an accident. Fairing panels all damaged and replaced by insurer. It took Triumph 6 weeks to deliver one of the fairing panels! A polite request to extend the warranty by this length of time was turned down flat.

Speedometer was found to be over reading by as much as 20%. Asked Triumph to investigate and they refused.

3000 miles. Bike was losing power above 7000rpm, wouldn't even pull to the red line in 3rd gear! Dealer eventually traced the problem to a cracked stepper motor housing which was letting in air and leaning off the mixture. The dealer (Boyer Racing, Plumstead, London SE18) were superb! They loaned me a bike while they went through mine.

6000 miles. Noted that paint was peeling off several painted brackets and there was corrosion evident on many of the alloy components. Dealer agreed it was an issue and asked Triumph to authorise the warranty repairs. Triumph refused, citing corrosion as not covered by the warranty. They advised me to follow the cleaning instructions in the owners handbook!

There followed a flurry of correspondance between the warranty department at the factory and myself. I offered them the chance to examine my bike to assess for themselves its condition and to see that it was maintained properly. They declined my offer ( I only live 120 miles from the factory).

Summary - Dealer superb, Triumph unsupportive.

PS The front brake rotors started to pulse under braking and measurement confirmed they were out of spec and warped. This was at 11000 miles and out of warranty. The dealer put in a goodwill warranty claim and it was accepted!!! That I can't work out!

[garry]

My 2002 Sprint RS was stone axe reliable. Put 43K miles on it in 3 seasons. There are two dealers in my city (Pittsburgh), plus a couple more regionally (State College, Johnstown), all of whom have good reputations. The only time my bike was at the dealer was for 12K mile valve adjustments. I don't do long-distance touring, but I'd have no concerns doing so on a Triumph. As the local RAT Pack leader for those years, none of the folks I rode with in the pack had any major issues to get fixed either. One guy had the clutch interlock switch go bad which prevented the bike from starting. Those triples are great bikes.

[Longpath]

I agree with the others.  The only suggestion I'd make would be to find things on the bike (few) that are sized too big or oddly for most regular bike dealers to accommodate.  An example would be the 46mm rear axle nut.  You'll want to bring a socket along for that, if you're planning on a long trip.

[Gaolee]

45K on a TT600, and a lot of those miles were pretty tough.  A lot more were low key, but the tough miles included track time with a raised rev limit.  It finally blew up, probably at some rpm level higher than it was ever intended to go.  The dealership (Cycle Barn) knew the bike well, because it was also a bumper magnet.  It got hit while parked twice, and I got picked off on the freeway once.  It had a few more trips to the ground under various circumstances, including an incident with a basketball when I wasn't even home.  It was reliable as a stone until it blew up.  The dealership was great with it and it was always happier when they got done with it.

We are actually very lucky in Seattle, since there are four separate dealerships within about a 60 mile radius.  They all have their ups and downs, but I know people who are happy enough with each dealership.  I have my opinions, but that doesn't much matter when you have as wide a choice and you can make your own opinions.  I liked that bike well enough that I bought another one and rode it six months until Triumph came out with the 675.  Then, like so many others, I absolutely had to have one of those.  It is the best one yet, from all aspects.  The fit and finish is excellent, the way it is put together makes it very straight forward to mantain, and it has been completely reliable so far.  It had a stumble at 2K rpm for a while, but that went away.  I don't know what that was all about, but maybe it was some kind of fuel contamination issue.  Who knows.  The only other problem that might need attention is oxidation on the battery strap.  I guess Triumph got a bad batch of rubber parts from somewhere.  It doesn't matter enough to me to do anything about it until the next service, and if past experience is any guide, Triumph and Cycle Barn will deal with it very quickly and efficiently.

So, there you have it.  I am a happy customer.

[basco]

My experience with my dealer has been nothing but great. Triumph is what I am concerned about like the other posters.

[js44]

20K+ on my Sprint and it has been very reliable.  Would have no concerns jumping on the bike and driving cross-country.  I have had 2 recalls performed, a vibrating mirror replaced, and have an outstanding issue with a very minor oil leak (need to leave it at the dealer for this).  My dealer has been outstanding.

Who knows what kind of service you will get from the dealer in nowhereville when you really need some help....

[bubba zanetti]

Coming up to 50,000 on my 01 Sprint. Reliability is excellent. I will have it apart in a week or so to have a look at the valves. Last time it only needed one shim and everything looking suprisingly new with no wear.
The only issue was the horrible mirrors. I tipped the bike over once in a low side at about 5 mph. The mirror folded in as it was designed, but henceforth it vibrated terribly. The other mirror was starting to go and the awful looking and functioning mirror "condoms" were a royal pain as they kept coming loose. I replaced the mirrors with Y2K VFR mirrors and they are awesome ... other than that very pleased.

As far as dealers go for me, it is either Vancouver or Calgary but I really haven't needed them so far so ...

[Prubert]

Coming up to 50,000 on my 01 Sprint. Reliability is excellent. I will have it apart in a week or so to have a look at the valves.

We must be on the same Freq.  52K and my Sprint is currently apart and I will be checking valves too, maybe a TB sync. My steering head bearings need to be replaced so I need to do that too.

Should be set for another 50K.  I have as much confidence in the bike as I did in my VFRs.

Buy it an enjoy...

[Tar Snake]

40,000 on my '02 Sprint RS no problems other than the recall on the fuel fittings, easy fix. I also had an old Daytona 1200 that I put 20k or so on. no issues.

Living in So Cal I'm spoiled by having 4 or 5 dealers in the LA/OC/IE area and one really good independent shop: Mickey Cohen.

As to your trip issue I've taken long trips: Cal to Wis and back and last summer Cal,OR,WA,ID,NV. I just made sure to service the bike before leaving so nothing was needed on the road.

I do most of my own maintenance, so dealerships aren't that big of an issue, but Triumph's network sure is thin in the Midwest. I get the feeling Triumph NA isn't really well run, they seem happy with what they've got.

[stk0308]

1998 Sprint Executive - Owned 1 year, 16,000 miles.  No issues at all.

1999 Sprint ST - Owned 3 years, 45,000 miles.  Recall on engine case bolts done before I picked it up.  Cracked exhaust header at mount due to incorrectly mounted exhaust canister(by dealer mechanic), replaced under warrenty.  Oil consumption started to get somewhat concerning near the end of my time with it, tried a new breather valve/oil slinger, reduced but did not cure the issue.  Was out of warrenty and not enough for me to worry about.  Front left rotor warped to just short of tollerance by about 32k miles, replaced by me with OEM unit.  Paradoxically the OEM front pads lasted 40k miles.  OEM rear pads still on the bike when I traded it for the '02.

2002 Sprint ST - purchased new in April 2002, own it today with 76,000 miles on it.  Charging rotor failed at @30k miles, replaced under warrenty.  Faulty throttle position sensor replaced under warrenty at the same time.  Recall on rear wheel berings at 36k miles(no sign of impending failure).  Recall on fuel connectors at @60k, wasn't really worried, but figured I go for them anyway.  Front rotors warped to just short of tolerance at @ 32k miles.  Replaced by myself with EBC units.  Again, 45k miles before replacing OEM front pads, 65k miles before considering replacing rears.  Last year I replaced the rec/regulator after some wacky affects that simulated a short somewhere in the lighting and insturment pannel.

It seems like alot of failures, but mostly it's components that could have failed on any bike.  No more, and no less, than component failures on anyone elses bikes.  I do have a dealer that's willing to take care of me, and family working at another dealership.  I fully intend to see 100,000 miles on this bike, all of them put on myself.  I don't have a problem with traveling on this bike, nor doing trackdays(after Race Tech'ing the front end)

Both Sprint STs needed a new rear shock after about 20k miles.  I am not gentle on bikes(ie, I ride hard, often.  I'm not fiddling and lubing the chain very often.  I don't wash them a whole lot.  They're lucky to get 2 baths from me a year.  And I don't cover them when touring. They do live in a garage at home though), but I don't miss a service interval(6k miles and 12k miles).  I do the non-major services and the dealer mechanic does the majors(mainly the valve check because I'm just not that excited about doing it, lol).

I've noted alot of failures but I can't count the good times, and happy memories these bikes have allowed me.  Trackdays, 1000 mile tour days, mountain rides, weekend hops to lunch spots, and commuting to work.  My bikes have to do it all, and these have done everything I ask of them, with little fuss.

The few times I've needed Triumph support I've been pleased.  But most of them happened near a rally co-ordinated by my Triumph club, so they were warned to be ready to serve.  They didn't disapoint.  I've got a strange way of looking at dealerships though, I grew up in one. So I tend to be ALOT less demanding on them.  Because I was them.

[bluedogok]

I bought my 2000 Sprint ST in May of 2003 with 16,000 miles and it has 28,000 miles on it now. It has only been in the shop once and that was for the fuel fitting recall. I left it over night just because it was easier for my wifes schedule, they could have done it in 30 minutes. The only thing mine has required is typical maintenance.

We have several good dealers in the region that I would not hesitate on taking it to, the local one (Lonestar BMW/Triumph) is probably the most recommended dealer in the area. If for some reason I needed to replace my Sprint the new Tiger is what I would get.

[ChuckBecker]

'02 Speed Triple, 24K miles and no issues.  My son's had a Speed Four and a Daytona 650, probably 20K miles combined, also no issues.  The Speed Four had an oil "weep" from the left side case covered under warranty.  MY S3 has been, surprisingly to me, the most reliable bike I've ever had.  On the road stuff, as mentioned, take a 46mm socket with you.  Otherwise, also as stated, most any shop can do the usual things you might run into.

At this point, I would not hesitate to get a Triumph and take off for anywhere in the US over the concerns you're polling on.