Triumph Quit Ignoring Your Ignition Problems

OnlyLexus said:

Yes you are correct, the R3 ignition burnout seems to be on the older models like mine which is a 2007 classic model, which I was forced to fix myself after my R3 broke down in the highlands of Scotland. Thanks to many on this great site I was able to learn how to fix the problem using an eager beaver H4 relay bypass, which you can buy from them. Don't worry about the new rockets having this ignition problem, they don't, because Triumph no longer send the headlight voltage via the ignition, which of course is not designed to handle such high power, it was inevitable that the ignition would heat up and burn out on the older R3 models. Triumph eventually admitted that there was indeed a fault problem with their ignitions, but they only said it was on the Roadster models, NOT SO! They eventually sent out to all their Triumph agencies a new bypass relay part, this to fix the problem, but only on the Roadster, not on the Classic model like mine. If you look on this thread you'll also see my miserable story of when my bike broke down, but eventually I did make it back home. All in all the new Rocket 3 is a fantastic bike and I can say that the ignition problem is no longer an issue on the new models. This site was my saviour in fixing my Rocket 3, the guys on here really know their stuff and I thank them all for their help... they know who they are.

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hank 55 said:

I own a 2011 triumph rocket 3 roadster with a trike conversation kit,this was my first rocket 3, sold my Harley freewheeler because of unreliable, now I have a trike with ignition problems, drove it the other day ran good till I stopped to get gas,came out and nothing, after about a hour jiggling the switch, it finally started, went on line and found it is a problem with all rockets,and no recalls on a major problem with the system, and the dealership wants $200-300 just for the part, that's nuts,plus it doesn't solve the problem, couldn't find anything on the relay kit,nothing on hooking it up, that is easy to understand, 3 sites and 3 different ways to do it,like to do it the right way,really disappointing, not going to send for a relay kit all the way over seas,doesn't anyone sell them here, think it might pay to get rid of it and buy something else,triumph should be ashamed of selling these so called great bikes

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scowherd said:

I am starting this thread and plan to take the post and pass it on the triumph as one big complaint. this is for Ignition switch failure Only So give me your stories.

I will start by giving you mine and you can join in.

I took off on a Friday afternoon for what appeared to be the perfect holiday weekend for a getaway with my wife. Everything was going great the weather was perfect and the roads were great we were on US 421 in Manchester Ky making good time. We were trying to get across the mountain and to our destination, Johnson City Tn before dark. We pulled into a station for fuel and a Bio break and then ready to hit the road. I went to start my my bike and had no power to anything except the horn. My wife was waiting at the edge of the parking lot on her Harley Sportster ready to ride. I tried wiggling the key, checked the cut off switch, and did the usual things you do to get your bike started and still nothing. At this time I had wore out my welcome at the gas pump and the line was getting longer. So I pushed my bike out of the way and told the wife I was having problems. She parked her Harley and asked me what was wrong ? I told her I am sure it was something simple and assured her we would be back on the road in no time. I had just put a new battery on the bike for this trip so I assumed I did not have the connections tight and one must have worked lose. I removed the seat and the connections were fine. I checked the voltage on the battery with a meter and it was fine. By the way I highly suggest if you have a rocket get a cheap meter that checks voltage and continuity and keep it on the bike, I was lucky there was a guy in the parking lot with one. So i determined the battery was OK so i assumed it was a fuse. I proceeded to check the continuity on all the fuses one by one they checked out OK. I cursed and told the wife that the quick fix just became a little more complex and I was going to have to raise the tank. So off I went, removing the windscreen, removing the chrome around the switch housing, pulled the gauges, and raised the tank. I checked the voltage going into the switch and it was good I turned the key on and checked to see if there was voltage on any of the other wires in the harness there was none. At this time I was pretty sure it was the switch and by this time an hour had passed. I started calling people from the site I knew have had this trouble before and asked for suggestions. While I was waiting for a call back I decided I was sure it was the switch and I should go get the supplies needed to bypass before the stores closed. Now come the worse part I had to ask the wife if I could borrow her Harley to go to the auto parts store and I caught myself using a phrase I never though I would say "Thank God For Harley's". So I climbed aboard my wife's sportster 883 low and began my ride of shame to the parts store. by the way for those of you that have never meet me I am not the smallest person in the world and I am sure me riding this 883 looked like a bear humping a dog. So i get the the parts store and started browsing, by the way if you own a rocket I suggest you take good notes because this shopping list will come in handy some day if triumph continues to ignore the problem. I purchased a roll of electrical tape, Wire nuts, Wirestriper/crimpers, 14 gauge wire, and a toggle switch and mounted the Harley one more time and headed back to the stations. While I was gone I got the call I was looking for from NMrocket and he assured me he could walk be through the bypass and get me back on the road. So I put 12" leads on the switch and ran and ran them from under the bearclaw so I could access the switch and it still be hidden. Then I cut the wiring harness and instructed and completed the wiring and tested. I now had power so I reassembled the bike, did I mention that installing the bear claw is a pain in the arse. By this time it was 9:00 pm and we still had about 3 hours to ride most of it in BFE. So we opted to ride a little closer and get a room for the night in the thriving metropolis of hazard Ky were we had the pleasuring of staying in the worse motel ever.

Thanks Triumph for not doing an official recall on the switch that eventually left me stranded as it has a good percentage of rocket owners.

Sincerely

Your not so loyal Customer
Steve Cowherd

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