I have been a avid fan of Triumph since the y have been at Hinkley and have only brought Triumph from this factory having several Triumph along the way and been very happy with them ,UNTIL NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3 years ago I bought a 900 Thruxton ,a brilliant bike .I also have a Tiger 800.The Triumph Thruxton was due its first M.O.T. last month and I took it to my local motorcycle dealer to get an M.O.T. .He is not a Triumph dealer just a small motorcycle dealer and is handy to pop in for an M.O.T. ,save a 60 mile trip to my local Triumph dealer.Well he did the M.O.T. and came over to me and ask if I had bought this bike from new to which I said I had,he replied that I need to give them a ring because he had to fail the Thruxton first M.O.T. because it had a European headlight on it and he could not pass it due to that .I rang the dealer from which I bought the Thruxton from and after a quite heated discussion he did finally agree to replace the headlight for a UK headlight.This was vdone and I took it back to my little bike shop who happily pass it .All sorted .I was little concerned that something was not right ,how did a UK bike end up with a European headlight Thing I might have a European bike and not a UK bike I rang the Triumph factory and spoke a nice lady,told her the story and could she or someone at Triumph confirm that my Thruxton was a UK spec bike and I had not been sold a European spec bike .The lady said that all the managers were not available but if this was a European spec bike and a dealer had sold me a European bike.Triumph would take this very seriously and if found to be the case they strip the dealer of the franchise and she would get a senior manager to ring me back that day.That was a month ago and not a dicky bird from Triumph a case of we have your money we do not give a damn about that or you !!!!!! Well Mr Triumph I have been thinking of buying a new Tiger to replace my ageing Tiger but stuff you Mr Triumph and because of this problem it is now an African Twin from Honda who care a lot more about their customers then Triumph.GOODBYE TRIUMPH ( I think the old Triumph Factory where told to watch out for the Japanese motorcycle back in the 70's but they thought they were bomb proof and look what happen to them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well your purchase contract was with the supplier, not Triumph and they eventually came good. The bike seems to have been of merchantable quality in all respects - a 'brilliant bike' in your words. If the bike is Euro spec it should have kph clocks with secondary mph markings. A headlight may legally dip straight ahead or left but not to the right. It will be e marked anyway. I would have checked it myself just to 100% satisfied. Your local man might just have been mistaken. http://ridershandbook.com/how-to-align-your-motorcycle-headlight-for-mot.html In all events your primary recourse was via the selling dealer who may have accessed a re-import. If someone at Triumph has dropped the ball I would not get too out of shape if you only rang the once and only got hold of the phone minder. Writing or emailing is always more solid and they can't lose your number! Go back and get the right organ grinder interested.......it still matters. Me? I would have been tempted to let the selling dealer fail it at MoT! However, you have had redress and a new reflector unit fitted free. I would now nudge Triumph hard again because something sounds wrong - whether a production error with transposed headlight units or dodgy dealing. Either way, it seems somewhat daft to get in quite such high dudgeon with Triumph and their products on the basis of one call to a secretary.......
No it was definitely a European headlight when I took it of it had " RIGHT HAND" written on it and when the replacement headlight came it had "UK" written on it . I expect there will be a simple explanation but after parting with £8000 I want to make sure I have the UK spec bike .I have emailed Triumph and they have replied and given me a case number and are investigating it and will let me know the outcome so I will see I hope!
Let us know the outcome! It could be as simple as the original unit getting smashed in transit and the shop unknowingly fiiting an RHD replacement on the q t with no paperwork and who would now remember? The reflectors are one of the most common units around.
Good point ,just look it has register "Declared new at first registration" so that looking good because it the same has the Tiger log book I think this could just be a cock up on the production line or something like that ,maybe some roque European headlight got into the production line by mistake .I will let you know if Triumph come back with anything?
Yes I think you are right ,think I am making too much of this ,it is just a hitch and the bike is fine now but it will be interesting to see what Triumph will do or say about this ?
Let me first declare an interest here, I work at a Triumph dealership and own five Triumph bikes. From my experience Triumph certainly do take customer service seriously. It sounds to me like a simple factory mistake that obviously shouldn't have got past PDI at the dealer. They should have put that right before the bike left the shop. So your quibble is really with the dealer and not Hinkley and if the supplying dealer got shirty with you that isn't good. That said, if that's the biggest issue after three years from new it seems a bit extreme to be now deserting the brand, especially if you've enjoyed the bike. As for some person at Hinkley telling you over the phone that the supplying dealership would be stripped of the franchise if they had sold you a bike meant for the continent, that seems way above his/her pay grade. It just wouldn't happen unless it was found the dealer was in the grey import business. That no-one called you back isn't unusual. In all likelihood Hinkley would have called the supplying dealer and asked them to speak with you to sort the matter out, and if assured it had been then no need to follow up.
Again you are correct ,the dealer did fix the problem and thinking about it there has been nothing wrong with the bike in the 4 years I have owned it ,funny thing is I do not ride the bike at night ,the only time I have ridden the Thruxton at night was on a trip to Glemseck in Germany and the headlight would of been facing the right way! I do like the 900 Thruxton and I must be the only person on the planet that prefers the 900 aircooled Thruxton to the new 1200 Thruxton R ,do not get me wrong the Truxton R is a fantastic bike and is by far a better bike than my 900 but I just prefer mine Now that will provoke a reaction,I am just waiting for the abuse I am about to get for that comment!!!!!!!!!!
Ok so here's a reaction! I love my Doris! I wouldn't swap her for a 1200, the only reason I haven't got a 1200 is because I have Doris, you aren't on your own call it bad taste good taste love of the underdog or whatever there's loads of us out there, so please don't feel your on your own with this problem, we can help and support you through these troubled times! Call ACTOIN IT? ( Air Cooled Thruxton Owners IN' IT?)
It seems strange to me that a small bike dealer who knows you and who does your MOTs still didn't pass the bike for you. A few years back I went through a phase of buying old early 80s Jap bikes imported from the US and Japan. I'd tidy them up a bit get the carbs cleaned out so they'd run again and finally to get them registered I'd get them MOTd. I never ever had a problem with headlights. In fact I remember on one occasion where the chap doing the MOT got a small piece of tape and placed a strip at over my headlight and then passed the bike for it's MOT.
I had tbe same thing with a yamaha rxs 100. For quite a few years I used various mot stations do my mot's . I used one for the first time and this one did it by the book and said I've put some tape on the headlight because its right hand dip ! I had to take their word cor it but when I bought a new headlight it was obvious.
Well I must make a big apology to Triumph and climb down off my pedestal and wind my neck in .I e mailed Triumph about my problem late on Friday afternoon and first thing this morning I have received an email from Triumph ( even I can not moan about that )They said what has happened is Triumph do not make UK,European or US spec bikes they just make bikes and then send them to which country the demand is highest .In my case it seems My Thruxton came of the production line with a right handed headlight destined for either US or European markets but because at the time I brought the bike the demand for Thruxton where high in the UK so is was diverted to the UK with a note to the dealer to change the headlight etc to UK spec and for some reason the speedometer was done but the headlight was not for which Triumph have apologised for that but they also said there is no difference in bikes sent to Europe or the USA or the UK .They are exactly the same bikes So the mystery is solved .Sorry Triumph for doubting you!
Yes but if was honest they all way where .I was a bit p** off when i thought I had be sold a pup but now it is all explained I happy again
Yes I have always like the The Tiger Sports so after my little tantrum and been told to grow up maybe just maybe Father Christmas might be bring a Tiger Sports
I have always, always found the factory very customer focused. Sometimes its your supplying dealer that is the thorn in the side. Only recently the factory supplied a loan bike to a friend who needed a long term warranty repair and it was his only transport. Cant top that.
