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Need a little advice from you guys about Triumph service.


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Just got back from an abbreviated ride and I thought I might ask for advice here as folks are a bit more level headed it seems in regards to differing experiences at the various dealerships.

I have had my Tiger XCx since April of 2015 and in that time I've come to love the bike. I have also conversely learned to hate Triumph of America in general and my local representatives(Dealers) in particular. The misery started shortly after purchase when I took it in to get the initial service done. After making a crack about the other dealers trim tag on my plate they proceeded to read me the act for a tire that was low. Oh well, I thought to myself just a one-off occurrence and hopefully the next visit will go better. No such luck. At the 6k they leave off the crush washer to the oil sump plug, deny a warranty claim on a bent side stand and generally give me the disapproving treatment throughout. As Triumph of America had pulled the franchise from the Eugene store this leaves only 2 Triumph dealers in Oregon and you can guess how hard they work to maintain good relations with their Customers. The Latus dealership doesn't seem to care and was 400.00 higher for the 12k estimate than Cascade so I again went with Cascade and I've now come to regret it.

As I said I've just returned from a ride that was cut short. It was cut short due to my noticing that the bike was now leaking oil from the cam chain cover gasket. Almost 900 miles out and my just back from service Tiger is leaking? I can hear it now - Them: Well you supplied the gasket. Me: which was a sealed OEM Triumph part from a kit. Them: Well it's not our fault and we're not going to warrant it.

You see where this leads? Absolutely maddening.

So what I guess I'm asking is how YOU guys would proceed? I'm reluctant in the extreme to let them touch it again as every single time they do they break something. The knuckledraggers over at Latus are where I bought the bike but even the sales guy looked at me weird when I suggested I might actually service it there. I did most of my 12k due to Cascade not being competent enough and now it seems my fears were justified. I don't think anything has gone critically wrong mechanically but I won't run it like this and I'm really very upset with the whole arrangement as it just crapped on my yearly retreat in a rather ugly fashion. I guess I should get a hold of Triumph again, but I'm losing faith that anything can or will be done especially with Brexit taking up every Britons time and the big push to make it a fashion house while hipsters are still relevant and cash is to be made from them on Chinese made shirts. Just boggles the mind really as you think they would expend some effort on the ADV segment as they actually HAVE money as opposed to hipsters but Harley's model of branding everything has caught hold at Hinckley. Damned shame as when the fad is over they'll have to figure out what to do then and without steady return customers they may find it difficult to stay afloat without addle-pated hipsters with their Mommy's charge cards. Sorry if I'm bitter but I feel very let down by Triumph right now and it saddens me as I love the bike and as a fellow small business owner I really want to like Cascade Moto but they keep messing up my bike and being smug about it and it angers me.

My options appear to be: 1. Ignore it and fix it myself at my expense (cost of gasket)

2. Call Cascade and get the run around as I had supplied the 12k kit instead of

letting them gouge me line item cost ( potential charge)

3. Fire off a letter to TOA and send it to an independent tech for analysis as

to the exact cause of failure ( Cost of estimate,waiting for TOAs response)

4. Take it to knuckledrag and let them monkey around with it at my expense

(Not really an option I like)

I'm probably going to go with number 2 initially, but I'm not feeling real good about letting them have it again so I'll be looking for another remedy like money off tires or some such as I REALLY don't want them to touch it again. I'm inclined towards number 3 as I have a technician in mind who is a personal friend as well as the guy who services all my cars and as a senior master tech who owns his own fleet servicing company I believe he will be extremely qualified on whether or not proper ASE techniques and Triumph's own settings were followed. Additionally he has extensive experience with the causes and effects of over and under torquing fasteners and their relative effects on flatness and ability to clamp and seal effectively under loads as he works with diesels all day and flatness is critical.

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I had an issue that was out of warranty and Triumph America covered it. So, happy w/ their response. My local dealer? Well, not too bad. But, when I first met them, they treated me like I had no idea what a ratchet or boxed end wrench was. Almost like to have a discussion w/ them, I had to prove myself. And, I didn't like that they felt the problem was caused by abuse. I was like, "I ride the bike how it was intended (on and off-road)." But in the end, all fixed, and I'll use that dealer only as necessary as I prefer to do my own work.

 

Given your situation, I'd schedule an appt w/ the service manager and in his office, door close, I'd lay your frustrations on the table. If he won't listen, is dismissive, and generally doesn't try to instill confidence in working on your baby, then you'll know. Then buy the full service manual and either trust yourself of someone you know well.

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I've already had the "friendly chat" a little while ago with them. Far less frustration to do it myself and just blow them off. Now that I've been back a week I find I just don't have the time for it as I'm already plannining my next ride. If I have to re-do everything as far as service to insure my and the bike's safety, I'll just take over all of it.

Pity though as I'm almost positive my next purchase will be a Honda now due to these experiences with Triumph. Only reason I bought this bike was Honda's continued trolling of the ADV market, but at least they don't insult me when I'm at their dealership.

And now that the AT is a thing I'll be watching it carefully. Still haven't seen one up close at the dealership, but it's pretty early yet. I'll throw a leg over one when they get there and see how it compares. I'm unfortunately not even considering KTM as my Son's best friends' Dad was pretty badly injured on one and it'd bother them greatly if I purchased one.

But in a more positive vein, the Tiger is really simple to work on once you've done it a time or three. No major differences in service procedures from any other WP equipped dirt bike as far as suspension and if you have dealertool and the other specialty tools (few) you can easily service it yourself after the 12k as the special cam tool is only used that once. I do have one thing a lot of in home garages don't have maybe: a pair of electro/hydraulic mechanical Hoyer lifts to lift the bike on both ends so I can remove both wheels and the sump guard at the same time with it just swinging away by the headstock and rear frame set. Generally leave it on the paddock stand in the rear to help keep it stable.image.jpeg

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