Spoke corrosion

Sorry to hear this, my Thrux had it coming through on the front not the rear, but it is 5 years old. Earlier models didn't suffer from this, seemingly.

 

Shit that's bad. There's been quite a few issues from people with chromework on triumphs but as I've very little on mine I don't get involved most of the time. The rest of mine seems to have good quality finishes on the other parts with no problems.

 

That don`t sound good pasher. My T100 3 years old now is showing no signs of pitting or rusting anywhere, so I would suggest a good moan and a rant and let the bastards sort it out. Keep us posted as to Triumphs response on this one

 

Well it`s a start pasher

 

Agree. My Thruxton has been back for a faulty battery and replaced, the wiring harness has been replaced. The rear shock springs rub on the internals, waiting for a response from the dealer, its a common problem. The front caliper is too close to the disc and rubs very slightly, again a known problem to Triumph. The clocks steam up. Throttle bodies coroding, although mine aren't too bad. I've seen a few where the paint ain't so good around the petrol filler. Now the spokes.....

I've said it before, it's still the best bike I've ever owned and I trust Triumph that these niggly issues will be resolved.

 

Only thing I moan over is the fact I've cracked rubbers on a what was 18 month old bike when I bought it and now it's 3 1/2 years old.

 

................. but would I want a perfect bike, maybe no. I enjoy putting faults right as it helps me relate to my bike more and adds character

 

WOW ! You can see the fibres from the polishing cloth.....

What are the spokes made of ? I had mine changed to Stainless when I had the wheels powder coated. I owned a Ducati Sport Classic years ago and they started to show rust, made by Excel also..

 

It would certainly put me off paying £10k+ for one.
Things like calipers and shocks rubbing are just bad engineering design with insufficient clearance or maybe too much clearance and badly fitted. should never happen!

 

Good pics.
If the spokes are made in the Far East the high humidity could be affecting the plating process.
Having spent a bit of time out there steel products if not protected literally turn red rusty overnight.
If the spokes are chromed on rust I should imagine that is what you will get.
Quality and process control required by the look of it.

I think we have unfortunately got to get used to the shite quality of some imported goods which is generally related to keeping the costs down.
The old adage 'you get what you pay for' comes to mind.

 

My 2003 spokes are stainless, after nearly 14 years still as good as new, stainless never looks as good as chrome but very really go rusty although some stainless can, and still hold a magnate!
Had to replace 1 rear a few months back and you could not tell which one it is, replacing is not as simple as it sounds as there are 4 different part numbers for a rear spoke!
If you want to see crap spokes look no further than Royal Enfield import for a good example of poor quality.

 

That's good news H.O.
The only thing generally with stainless steels is that they can fracture, particularly if overtightened.
They do not have the same tensile strength as high carbon steels which allows for that 'stretching'
Great for not rusting due to the chromium content, just don't overtighten or subject them to excessive shock loading.

 

Mine are also starting to rust where the nipples contact the rim and where the threaded part of the spoke enters the nipple. Bike was new in late August. Not happy and will be contacting dealer next week. I have never bought a Triumph in the past and very much doubt I'll buy another. My 2009 FJR has done nearly 50k and has no sign of corrosion anywhere.

I would have dearly liked Triumph to have fitted cast wheels or at least made it an option. Spoked wheels look great in a showroom but are more suited to a horse drawn cart than a modern motorcycle

 

I'm very disappointed to read this. I would have thought stainless steel spokes would have been fitted on these machines as they are on Triumph's black wheels (A9648045). I'm hoping these to fit on my Cinder red T120 next year.

 

The message coming through to me on these corrosion topics is that we are just going to have to be on top of cleaning/prevention. Full stop. Like many on here i have had many bikes bikes from different manufacturers over the years and every one has had their problems. One sort or the other. I followed the r nine t forum for a long while because i was seriously going that route but that had problems too, leaking crank oil seals, really bad vibration, wheels out of round, bikes not switching off when the key was removed to name but a few. Seriously. It is a bit of a shame that these things are cropping up for us though as i too love my 120. I do also think that many of these 'wonder cleaners' have chemicals in them that mark & stain surfaces unless you are mega careful. I actually think they leave m/bikes too clean, in other words a film of oil/grease is a cracking benefit and we remove it at our peril. I'm a fan of the Oily rag approach. TBH i tend to not use them any more and have kept things really basic. Ive just been in the garage to wipe my throttle bodies over with WD40 just incase! On a positive note my dealer in Lincoln has been great, polite, helpful, interested. My 120 so far is mint. its soon the shortest day and soon into the new year. I for one am looking forward to blue sky's, dry roads, bombing along country roads near me with my piss pot on and flies in the mush!

 

The message Triumph will be getting from me is that that cheap and nasty isn't acceptable. After 4 months of ownership of a 10 grand bike there is noticeable corrosion on what are critical parts. What will they be like after 4 years? More than likely the wheels will be junk!