Ignition Switch replacement denied by Triumph?

Gkiller

Supercharged
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
281
Location
Texas
I recently posted that my 06 Rocket has unfortunately experienced the ignition switch failure that seems to be very common among Rockets. I contacted two local dealers, and one stated that they were unaware of the problem and did not think that Triumph would replace the switch since the bike was out of warranty. The other dealer stated that he had a bike sitting in their shop now with the problem, and that Triumph had denied the parts claim due to the bike being out of warranty. I have both checking on the part replacement for me, but I am not holding my breath for a positive outcome. One of the dealers suggested I call Triumph Customer Service...which I did and left a message for Peter.
I am very frustrated about this, as it does seem to be a common problem that Triumph knows about, but refuses to issue a recall. Several owners here have stated they had their switch replaced out of warranty...any suggestions on what I can do to try to force the issue with Triumph to get this done? The thought of spending $180 on parts and another $250-300 on labor does not please me at all....
 
Whereabouts are ya, GK? Maybe someone here can direct you towards a nearby dealer that will work on your behalf with Triumph.

If things don't work out, it is a fairly trivial effort to replace the switch. If you are going to have to buy the darn thing, might as well save the labor cost and do it yourself.

It seems like anytime a Captain starts bringing up the "r" word (recall), all cooperation from Triumph ceases. Triumph doesn't have the deep pockets like Toyota or GM so any type of official "recall" could put the company is serious jeapordy.
 
I share your pain - the switch on my '09 went out exactly 1, 312 miles away from home while I was in Canada last month. Fortunately I was able to wiggle the wire coming out the bottom until it came back alive and then zip stripped it to the clutch cable. 2 days later the headlights quit (2 more days from home.) Nothing like trying to reanimate a dead Triumph in the middle of 7 Harleys. Also fortunately, my dealer happens to be first-rate (and a personal friend.)
 
"If things don't work out, it is a fairly trivial effort to replace the switch. If you are going to have to buy the darn thing, might as well save the labor cost and do it yourself."

Just how "trivial" is the replacement? It appears to me that once you get the switch out it is a simple plug-n-play install of the new switch. However, how do you get around the security bolt issue where there is nothing to put a wrench to? I've read where others have stated they were able to do it, but I have not been able to fully understand how to accomplish this...??
 
The ignition switch is attached to a bracket that is attached to the underside of the top triple tree. Remove the triple tree, then unbolt the bracket and you will have easy access to the security bolts. They are still a pain but it is much easier to deal with them once the switch has been removed from the triple tree bracket. You can then replace them with non security bolts.
 
I don't remember the size but you can take the remains of the security bolt or the new ignition switch and go to Lowes, Home Depot, whatever, and buy a couple of the hex head bolts. An few turns of the allen wrench later and you're back on the road.

The "security" bolts are worthless. No one is going to go through the trouble of disassembling the front end to steal your bike. They'll just take the whole thing and deal with it later.
 
If you wire up a keyless ignition using these instructions you will not have to use your current ignition switch.

I have the keyless on my bike and love it. Cost less than $30 and works great, I can turn my bike on and off from 100' away, for what ever good that is for. I wired it up on the harness side of the ignition connection so if the ignition switch ever went out again it would not effect it. I can also use my key if I choose too.
 
You have to be a member of the other site to access that. Has anyone posted the keyless info in this site?
I browsed the .com site years ago before choosing this one, I don't remember how I logged in it was that long ago.
 
This mod will allow you to bypass the ignition key completely. The obvious advantage to this is that you no longer have to find some way of getting the key in the hole when you have a screen on the front. Because it bypasses the thin wiring on the ignition harness, it also appears to make starting the bike easier. In addition to this, I have found that having an on/off RF fob hanging on my belt with all the other keys I carry is much easier. It also impresses the bystanders when you turn the bike on or off without touching it.

I take no responsibility for these instructions nor for any results which may arise from using them, either correctly or incorrectly. You do so at your own risk. I have this mod on my RIII Classic and it works well. Your results may vary. It is assumed that you have certain knowledge and skills required to perform mechanical and/or electrical work.

The battery should be disconnected whilst this work is being carried out.

1. Get a remote RF switch of the type used to turn fancy LED decorative lights on & off. Should be about $20.00-$30.00. They are digitally encoded so are probably more secure than your key. An example is this Link Removed, (scroll down the page a bit) but there are plenty of others around. Most bike shows have at least one person selling them.

2. Get a 30amp relay. Around $8.00

3. The relay can be wired either side of the ignition wiring harness plug which is located under the tank, very close to the front. The ignition wiring harness will probably be coming around the LHS of the steering. I chose to wire it to the bike side of the harness to allow easy removal of the ignition wiring harness if it is ever required. Therefore the wire colours quoted will reflect that. The full colour wiring diagram can be found here. Thanks again to Cryian.

4. Splice a wire into the White/Blue wire and run it to Pin 30 on the relay. This will carry the power to the new ignition relay switch. You will need a sufficiently heavy gauge wire to carry the current. I used 14 gauge. (You can get little splicing gadgets from stores like AutoZone that clip over the two wires and splice them together just by squeezing. This method is simple and effective.)

5. Connect another wire of the same gauge to pin 87 of the relay and run it back to the wiring harness.

6. Splice that wire to every other wire EXCEPT the orange one. You should then have it spliced to five wires:- Blue/Yelloy; Green; Brown/Blue; Red/Orange; White/green. ( I made up a little cat-o-five-tails to make this easier.)

7. Wire the Remote RF switch to the pins 85 & 86 of the relay as per the instructions which should have come with the RF switch. (Instead of connecting it to a set of LED lights, connect it to the relay.) This will activate the relay.

I mounted the RF Switch and the relay under the LHS panel near the other relays. You do what works best for you. Tidy up the wiring harness with electrical tape.

The remote keyless switch can now hang on your belt with your other keys. Your regular ignition switch will also independently allow you to turn your bike on, so that it can return the favour.
 
Back
Top