PLEASE READ - Regarding recall on coolant hose 05S3

[mdallas]

Just a quick note. I have noticed that some people are content to "keep an eye" on the hose for this leak. From my experience this is a CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. It does not start as a leak, it will let go in a BIG way. I happened to be pulling into my garage when mine went. I also live 1 mile from my dealer.

Please have this recall done immediately, be safe!!!

[beers2u]

I have no trouble believing that. Look how long it took Triumph to recall the fuel connectors. I can imagine the coolant problem must be, as you say, catastrophic for them to issue a recall this soon.

[Celt]

is it all 05 speed triples or just the ones from a batch?

[Diego]

> is it all 05 speed triples or just the ones from a batch?

There was a thread discussing this in some length just over a month ago. In brief, there were 449 Triples, 518 Sprints, and 2 Daytonas built with a hose from a particular vendor in India that has since been found to be poorly manufactured. It's the lower bypass hose on the left side of the engine. Those from other vendors are apparently OK. The affected Triples are in the serial number range from 223673 through 234916.

[Celt]

sorry i thought with so many new recall posts popping up something else had happened (could be much more).

cheers diego

[DarkSkies]

On 2005-07-23 19:25, Diego wrote:
> is it all 05 speed triples or just the ones from a batch?

There was a thread discussing this in some length just over a month ago. In brief, there were 449 Triples, 518 Sprints, and 2 Daytonas built with a hose from a particular vendor in India that has since been found to be poorly manufactured. It's the lower bypass hose on the left side of the engine. Those from other vendors are apparently OK. The affected Triples are in the serial number range from 223673 through 234916.

If this problem has been known about for some time how is it that affected bikes held in stock were not refitted with the appropriate hose? I bought my bike in June so you'd have thought it would have been sorted by the dealer earlier rather than later.

[ This message was edited by: DarkSkies on 2005-07-24 05:06 ]

[Sir_Loin]

Good work, thanks for the info fellas.

[2cats]

Well, that's great, but my dealer still knows nothing about the recall (as of 8 days ago when it was towed to the dealer for replacement of a siezed radiator fan, seat, and gas tank).

And of course the Futura is going to be towed 90 miles to the dealer tomorrow to have its electrical problems addressed with aftermarket parts, solder, and internet anecdotes.

Have motorcycles always been such pieces of*****?

[DarkSkies]

On 2005-07-24 08:42, 2cats wrote:
...
Have motorcycles always been such pieces of*****?

Only since they started getting all sophisticated in their electrickery and cooling flummery.

My Kawasaki Z1000 H (circa 1980) was just the basic tried and tested air-cooled Z1000 with a simple Bosche fuel injection system. I put 80,000 miles on that over 14 years and all I ever had to replace (aside from tyres, chains and sprockets etc) was a couple of cam chains and shims.

Bikes have got too clever by half in the last ten years or so.

[ This message was edited by: DarkSkies on 2005-07-24 09:25 ]

[Diego]

> Have motorcycles always been such pieces of*****?

No, they used to be worse. Simpler, yes, but not nearly as well built, despite the fond recollections some of us have of particular specimens.

On top of that, not all so long ago, there were no recalls. There weren't even discussion areas like this where you could hear about problems within hours of an NHTSA notice.

> If this problem has been known about for some time how is it that affected bikes held in stock were not refitted with the appropriate hose?

"For some time" is relative.

Consider how "Internet time" works, for instance: This was announced just over a month ago, became old news in a week, and already some folks here had forgotten it and thought it was something new again.

Now consider how real time works, in the most optimistic case: A manufacturer identifies a problem, then has to fill out specific forms to notify the NHTSA and its counterparts in other countries. Takes about two weeks. The agency reviews the report and approves or disapproves the plan to remedy the problem. If they disapprove the plan, then there's a period of wrangling among lawyers to come up with an acceptable plan.

Simultaneously, the manufacturer must obtain a sufficient stock of replacement parts and distribute them to the regional distribution centers or importers, where dealers will be able to obtain them. Until enough parts are available, a recall is just an academic exercise. Meanwhile, the bikes are NOT all sitting in the same place where the parts will be arriving--a few are in warehouses various places around the world, some are in dealers' showrooms all over the place, and most are already out on the road.

Simultaneously, a letter to the affected owners must be prepared, the wording must be approved by the regulatory agency (with the result that, basically, a different letter is needed in each country), and then finally the letters can be printed and mailed.

All in all, a formal recall process takes typically two months, sometimes longer.

In the UK, where the regulatory process seems to be a little more streamlined, everyone is now receiving the letter. The rest of us--and our dealers--should be receiving ours in the next couple of weeks.