Triumphrat

Sofalofa · 09-28-2006, 05:09 PM

Hi All,

I love my Tiger, but wow, for those of us that clock up a fair few miles all year round, it's a bloody expensive bike to run!

18,000 mile service today... almost £700...

Fair enough, I needed new tyres front and rear... but brake pads (again!) clutch cable, rear wheel bearings, steering head bearings (VERY expensive due to labour and not covered under warranty)? I got over 32,000 miles out of my Transalp's head bearings....

In a year since I've owned it, the bike has so far cost over £1500 in servicing and comsumables alone... Fantastic bike but *****, one of the most expensive I have ever run...

Russ

P.S. In the last year, my partner's 1997 Ford Escort car has cost £313 in total over the last 12 months/12,000 miles

[ This message was edited by: Sofalofa on 2006-09-28 15:17 ]

Jonny955 · 09-28-2006, 06:25 PM

It sounds steep alright but I wonder if there is an explanation. For example, did you have a big bill at the 12,000 mile service? What was the price of the tyres?

I have heard of the 12K and 24K costing around £500 due to valve shims but did not expect this sort of figure for the 18K. I hope there is a reasonable explanation because I will be there one day!

Jon

tcowjww · 09-28-2006, 06:26 PM

I'd say you're quite unlucky on the head bearing front unless you do a lot of motorways. Mine's over 27k on the original at the moment and there's no detectable notching in the head bearing yet. Not looking forward to the day it does need doing though - my baptism of fire was on a ZZ-R600 and not something I look forward to undertaking again!

My Tiger's cost me a fair amount recently, but it's been items which are common to any bike - new chain and sprockets, service items (plugs/filters/oil) and soon to be the tyres.

I think it's just a fact of life that bikes are more expensive to maintain than cars, due to their relative exclusivity and the higher precision they're manufactured to. I bet your partner's Escort doesn't have the same grin factor either, even if it's the RS Turbo :wink:

And be grateful your tiger doesn't get through chains at the rate some bikes get through shaft drives :wink: :wink:

Sofalofa · 09-28-2006, 06:45 PM

Cheers guys,

tcowjww,

Chain and sprockets needed replacing at 16,000 miles (£200), and I had a Scottoiler (which only worked when it felt like it)... Sorry to compare to the Honda Transalp again, but they were good for 24,000 miles and MUCH cheaper (£100)... I know it's not a fair comparrison but the Transalp was a much better commuter-cost relationship... The Tiger is far superior in most ways... but not on running costs!

You are right about the Escort. Because of the nature of my daily commute, if I were in a car I would have to set off at the very least 1 hour earlier... So 1 hour extra in bed every day is worth well beyond £1500 a year... I loves me' bed!

Re: Head bearings. I consider myself a pretty smooth, boring, no-need-for-adrenaline-rush biker, and have never come close to pulling a wheelie on this bike... To me 18,000 miles is rubbish... worst in the 15 bikes I've owned

P.S. Tyres are Mitchelin Pilot Roads. £200 fitted.... pretty good from a dealer..

Jonny955, 12,000 mile service cost £412... New brake pads all round again (and I hardly use the brakes)

[ This message was edited by: Sofalofa on 2006-09-28 16:56 ]

KuzzinKenny · 09-28-2006, 08:09 PM

i would question the head bearing cost !! did the dealer check and grease them at the 12,000ml service ??

headstock bearing, check/adjust

headstock bearing, lubricate

this is what it says for the 05 model tiger 12,000ml service.

KK

ps it has always bothered me that there`s no grease nipple for the stock, rear shock or swingarm !!

[ This message was edited by: KuzzinKenny on 2006-09-28 18:18 ]

blacktiger · 09-29-2006, 09:27 AM

All the EXTRA bits they fitted come (in my estimation) to about £280. So take that off the "almost £700" and you've got a service for £400. Doesn't seem too much to me. I'll bet most of that was labour.

My advice is to learn to do the work yourself. e.g. I took my bike to my dealer and told them to do ONLY what's needed under the fuel take . Like tappets, spark plugs & air filter. Bill came to £150 which is something I can cope with every 12K.
The Tiger really is easy to work on when you get in there. I changed the head bearings on mine at 28000. I had the job done in about 1 hour. Piece of piss. The bearings are available at any bearing supplier too.

JRO · 09-29-2006, 12:59 PM

This is just the kind of post I don't like to see, especially since I am coming up on my 12,000mile check. I called two dealers, to set up an appointment, and recieved two wildly different estimates. It sounds to me like you've been taking yours to one of those sadistic, 'twist it and break it off when you've got it in' type dealers.

Shop around.

Sofalofa · 09-29-2006, 01:41 PM

Nah JRO, the dealers I go to are good blokes... They have done me a good few favours in the past... They tried to get the head bearings done under warranty but Triumph were having none of it. Dealer told me of all the current Triumph bikes, they replace head bearings on Tigers more than any other bike in the range...

tcowjww · 09-29-2006, 03:29 PM

Quote:

On 2006-09-29 11:41, Sofalofa wrote:
Dealer told me of all the current Triumph bikes, they replace head bearings on Tigers more than any other bike in the range...

I guess that's not necessarily too surprising, but less to do with the specific model of bike, and more to do with the long travel suspension on any big trailie (other than the telelever-equipped GS). As I understand it, the further away the front wheel is from the bearings (and the longer the rake), the more leverage there is acting on the bearings and thus greater potential for wear.

Could be wrong though :???:

Sofalofa · 09-30-2006, 12:42 PM

Just as a sidenote guys, my bike feels brand new again! Obviously the head bearing and wheel bearings going (plus the tyres on their last legs) affected the handling. New bearings, tyres and an 18,000 mile tighten-up has made it feel a new bike... wonderful!

Forgot to ask the mechanic... anyone know the standard pressures for Michelin Pilot Roads? Did a search but can't find 'em... thanks...