jammybun

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Oct 28, 2022
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rocket 3 gt kawasaki vn 2000
bought a used rocket 3 get here in Thailand almost a year ago.unfortunately for me,it turned out to have the infamous oil leak.in my
next post,I will upload some horrendous pics. not a pretty sight.
 
in my First post,I said that I would upload some pics of my 2020 rocket 3 get.after giving this some thought,I have decided not to do this.
my bike spent almost five months in the shop to remedy a small oil leak from a copper washer and bolt at the top front of the gearbox.
if you are in the market for an early rocket 3, I would strongly advise checking for an oil leak. if you spot a leak,then walk away,particularly
if the bike is out of warranty.luckily for me,my rocket was a few weeks inside the warranty period.also check to see if the copper crush washer
has been tightened down.mine was as thin as a cigarette paper.a sure sign that the bolt had been tightened down in order to cover up the leak,
and pass on the problem to someone else. me,unfortunately !!
 

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Curious what the shop did to remedy the leak. Did they replace any engine components or simply install another washer??
they went the new washer route First,without success.this meant engine out,and a complete dismantling of the bike.
I'm talking bare bones dismantling.to a bare frame.the gearbox cover had to be sent for some treatment,using some kind
of resin,then baked to a high temperature.I don't know if all rockets are the same,but mine sounds as though someone
has chucked a handful of nuts and bolts into the engine.I'm also getting metallic clunks and knocks from the rear of
the bike.the triumph mechanic assures me that these noises are normal. I'm mostly using my kawasaki vn2000 these day's,
the triumph doesn't instill much confidence I'm afraid.triumph Hinkley were absolutely awful as a mediator.i also have to be
careful what I post.an American guy was arrested over here and thrown into jail for leaving a bad review on trip advisor !!


Curious what the shop did to remedy the leak. Did they replace any engine components or simply install another washer??
 
I had the same leak from my 2020 (and have spoken with others that shared the problem). The official explanation is that it's the result of a porous casting. Apparently, they send the case (after disassembling the bike completely) to be impregnated. I spoke to a number of folks that had it done and are satisfied with the fix (or at least the bike doesn't leak anymore). I also know of people that have had their bikes completely replaced over the issue. If you have a solid dealer technician, then I'd feel confident in the fix. With that said, it's a bit of a nightmare and you're looking at months of downtime. You should by all means be negotiating with Hinckley for additional warranty time at a minimum, and they should be throwing some goodwill your way, as well. I'm not familiar with Thai consumer law, however, so your mileage may vary.

I'm not in any way knowledgeable to the ways of metallurgy or mechanics, but it seems that if it was a porous casting, the leak would not show itself in the exact same place every time.
 
I had the same leak from my 2020 (and have spoken with others that shared the problem). The official explanation is that it's the result of a porous casting. Apparently, they send the case (after disassembling the bike completely) to be impregnated. I spoke to a number of folks that had it done and are satisfied with the fix (or at least the bike doesn't leak anymore). I also know of people that have had their bikes completely replaced over the issue. If you have a solid dealer technician, then I'd feel confident in the fix. With that said, it's a bit of a nightmare and you're looking at months of downtime. You should by all means be negotiating with Hinckley for additional warranty time at a minimum, and they should be throwing some goodwill your way, as well. I'm not familiar with Thai consumer law, however, so your mileage may vary.

I'm not in any way knowledgeable to the ways of metallurgy or mechanics, but it seems that if it was a porous casting, the leak would not show itself in the exact same place every time.
thanks for the reply.you have thrown some light onto
the problem and the fix.the one Good thing that the dealer did for me was to lend me their demonstrator for the period
of the repair.as far as any compensation,I did broach the subject with Hinkley,but was referred back to the dealer.of course,that meant don't even ask !! I do have faith in the
technician,he has been great throughout the whole process.the only other gripe that I have over here is that the recommended Avon tyres are virtually impossible to purchase
over here.ironically,rockets are assembled over here,the assembly plant being within an hour of my house.i asked both my local dealer,and Hinkley direct,but was told that the
factory could not help me. there is an Avon importer in Bangkok, but the answer is usually the same,another six weeks sir. nine months later,it's. still another six weeks !!
 
they went the new washer route First,without success.this meant engine out,and a complete dismantling of the bike.
I'm talking bare bones dismantling.to a bare frame.the gearbox cover had to be sent for some treatment,using some kind
of resin,then baked to a high temperature.I don't know if all rockets are the same,but mine sounds as though someone
has chucked a handful of nuts and bolts into the engine.I'm also getting metallic clunks and knocks from the rear of
the bike.the triumph mechanic assures me that these noises are normal. I'm mostly using my kawasaki vn2000 these day's,
the triumph doesn't instill much confidence I'm afraid.triumph Hinkley were absolutely awful as a mediator.i also have to be
careful what I post.an American guy was arrested over here and thrown into jail for leaving a bad review on trip advisor !!


Curious what the shop did to remedy the leak. Did they replace any engine components or simply install another washer??

Holy crap, fully dismantling for an oil leak? Total head shaker.
 
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