NYT,

I’m going on year four in category two of your poll. Of course Triumph has no limit to how many times they let you bring your bike in for the same warranty repair. Some of the people on this board would say that shows their good intent. Unfortunately, when YOU finally reach the limit to how many times you’re willing to lug your bike to and from multiple Triumph stealerships, your only other option is the legal system.

Back in 06’ when my Rocket was still hobbling along, each and every time I put my leg over the seat I was reminded of the fact that I was handcuffed to a lemon. And that reminder stung with every slippery shift of second gear …until the day it finally locked up. If YOU’RE lucky, when it finally craps out you’ll be close to a dealer that can (or will) take it in for repair.

Read post # 76 here: http://www.triumphrat.net/showthread.php?t=77332&page=8

The 2007 JD Power’s overview of the motorcycle industry found more than 20% of new motorcycle owners had to take them in for repairs. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. What I thought was interesting in the survey was that 68% of the 8,796 respondents to the survey said they “definitely will” recommend their brand to prospective buyers. But that statistic is significant only when compared to brand loyalty for cars. The identical measure for automobile brand loyalty was pegged at only 35%.

Riding a bike is an emotional experience … and buying a bike is an emotional decision. You’ll find very few loyal bike owners opened minded enough to consider even the possibility that their bike’s manufacturer may not be the pillar of quality and virtue they once thought. Manufacturers understand that fact and they exploit it. To me, brand loyalty is just a measure of one’s inability to accept fact over feeling. But that’s just me.

Hey NYT, you may want to re-think your tag line.

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RM