Update
The initial transmission failure (the one where second gear parted company with the rest of the cluster gear and punched a hole in the engine block) - - occurred 3 days before the factory warranty expired.
Luckily, Triumph has good-willed the multiple repair attempts over the last seven months. I'm out gas, time, frustration, etc., but not the $6000 or more in parts/labor.
Summary:
1. Initial transmission failure June 2008. One third of second gear fractured and punched a 1/4" hole in the engine casing. Complete engine teardown, casing replacement, and upgrade kit installed. Bike returned mid September 2008.
2. Within 1 week, second gear would not mesh at all. Returned the bike back to the dealer. Dealer claimed Triumph sent them the wrong second gear dog ring. Engine tear down again and correct part installed. Repairs completed late November 2008 after an additional 1 week delay to fix the coolant leak from loose radiator hoses.
3. Within 1 week, the transmission was back to popping out of second gear under moderate to heavy acceleration. Shifter linkage adjusted per dealer's recommendations. No improvement. Back to the dealer in mid December.
4. Dealer calls on December 31 to say they could not find anything wrong with the bike during hard driving by both the service manager and owner of the dealership. I pickup the bike January 3. Within 5 miles of leaving the dealership, second gear craters again and would not mesh. I did not abuse the bike. Other gears work fine. Limp it right back to the dealer and insist the owner immediately take the bike for a test drive. He has no choice but to agree there is definitely a problem. No *&#! Sherlock. I've been saying that for the last 7 months!!
5. Called dealer yesterday to get an update. They will open up the engine again starting Tuesday, January 20. They estimate 30 hours of work, with an expected completion by Saturday, January 24. Service manager talked to Shell at Triumph (their senior service tech.). He explained the symptoms and Triumph thinks the circlip for second gear was installed backwards on the cluster gear. Under load, the beveled circlip will flex and/or pop out of the groove, causing partial/full disengagement.
Dealer admitted to even asking Triumph for some training assistance from the factory so they could get this right the next time. This clearly confirms my suspicion that this is a fixable problem, but ONLY if performed by competent technicians. My dealer just can't get it right.
They have offered a loaner. I don't care anymore. If the repairs are "successful", and I can get a decent trade in, I plan to get a Stratonliner S. (2 friends are on their second ones with over 200,000 combined trouble-free miles). A move to Louisiana is potentially in the future and I don't look forward to hauling it back to Houston (shorter trip than to the New Orleans dealership).
I sure will miss that awesome torque, but not the reliability headaches.
The initial transmission failure (the one where second gear parted company with the rest of the cluster gear and punched a hole in the engine block) - - occurred 3 days before the factory warranty expired.
Luckily, Triumph has good-willed the multiple repair attempts over the last seven months. I'm out gas, time, frustration, etc., but not the $6000 or more in parts/labor.
Summary:
1. Initial transmission failure June 2008. One third of second gear fractured and punched a 1/4" hole in the engine casing. Complete engine teardown, casing replacement, and upgrade kit installed. Bike returned mid September 2008.
2. Within 1 week, second gear would not mesh at all. Returned the bike back to the dealer. Dealer claimed Triumph sent them the wrong second gear dog ring. Engine tear down again and correct part installed. Repairs completed late November 2008 after an additional 1 week delay to fix the coolant leak from loose radiator hoses.
3. Within 1 week, the transmission was back to popping out of second gear under moderate to heavy acceleration. Shifter linkage adjusted per dealer's recommendations. No improvement. Back to the dealer in mid December.
4. Dealer calls on December 31 to say they could not find anything wrong with the bike during hard driving by both the service manager and owner of the dealership. I pickup the bike January 3. Within 5 miles of leaving the dealership, second gear craters again and would not mesh. I did not abuse the bike. Other gears work fine. Limp it right back to the dealer and insist the owner immediately take the bike for a test drive. He has no choice but to agree there is definitely a problem. No *&#! Sherlock. I've been saying that for the last 7 months!!
5. Called dealer yesterday to get an update. They will open up the engine again starting Tuesday, January 20. They estimate 30 hours of work, with an expected completion by Saturday, January 24. Service manager talked to Shell at Triumph (their senior service tech.). He explained the symptoms and Triumph thinks the circlip for second gear was installed backwards on the cluster gear. Under load, the beveled circlip will flex and/or pop out of the groove, causing partial/full disengagement.
Dealer admitted to even asking Triumph for some training assistance from the factory so they could get this right the next time. This clearly confirms my suspicion that this is a fixable problem, but ONLY if performed by competent technicians. My dealer just can't get it right.
They have offered a loaner. I don't care anymore. If the repairs are "successful", and I can get a decent trade in, I plan to get a Stratonliner S. (2 friends are on their second ones with over 200,000 combined trouble-free miles). A move to Louisiana is potentially in the future and I don't look forward to hauling it back to Houston (shorter trip than to the New Orleans dealership).
I sure will miss that awesome torque, but not the reliability headaches.