Tale Of Woe -- Keyless Ignition On S. Triple Rs

Discussion in 'Speed Triple' started by Fitz Brundage, Dec 17, 2018.

  1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.
  1. Fitz Brundage

    Fitz Brundage Member

    May 11, 2018
    40
    18
    North Carolina
    I apologize for the wall of text below. But I'll cut to the chase at the outset. If you have not tested your two "spare keys" to see if they will start your 2018- RS I recommend that you do so. You don't want to be in my predicament.

    I have had my RS since May 2018. I have been very careful with the keyfob 'cause I fully understood it would be a pain if I lost it. Indeed, I swapped out the gas cap so I didn't need to get my fob out to open the gas cap (and potentially drop the keys).

    On Friday the keyfob apparently fell out of the inner pocket of my motorcycle jacket while I was at work. I searched high and low but couldn't find it. I was angry at myself but assumed that I could get one of the two spare keys at home and start the bike, as the manual suggested.

    I loaded the bike on a pickup and drove the 45 miles to the dealer. There I remained from 1 until 4pm on Saturday (when the dealer closed) while the dealer's mechanic and a Triumph tech on the phone tried to figure out how to program my spare keys. It turns out that neither of my "spare" keys were properly programmed when I bought the bike. First, the dealer told me that the original software that Triumph supplied to the dealer in May 2018 had not allowed them to properly program my spare keys. Later, the dealer told me that they had programmed the keys but, for some unexplained reason, my motorcycle's ecu was not recognizing the keys.

    Bottom line is no one at Triumph USA seems to know how to resolve the issue. Triumph USA contends that my antenna transponder must have failed simultaneously with my loss of the master key. (The mechanic swapped out the transponder with a new Triumph and was still unable to program my spare keys.) In the meantime, The dealer awaits an update from Triumph headquarters tomorrow. Because my bike is my only mode of transportation I am now dependent on friends and random acquaintances for transportation.

    I full acknowledge that I was a fool to lose my master key. But it never entered my mind that I could only start the bike with the ONE master key I received. My two spare keys are utterly useless unless I want to pop off the pillion cover. With my experience in mind, I encourage you to take your spare keys, hold them near the transponder under the seat (see manual), and make sure that you can start your bike. You do not want to be in my shoes!
     
    • Useful Useful x 12
    • Like Like x 2
    • Informative Informative x 1
  2. joe mc donald

    Dec 26, 2014
    13,874
    1,000
    slough / burnham
    Fitz Brundage.
    Not a good result for Triumph. You must be quite angry.
    Regards
    Joe.
     
  3. Fitz Brundage

    Fitz Brundage Member

    May 11, 2018
    40
    18
    North Carolina
    More shocked that Triumph doesn't give us two master keys if the spare keys are so problematic. If they can give you two fobs when you buy a car why can't Triumph give us two (and a spare that for sure works!).
     
    • Like Like x 1
  4. joe mc donald

    Dec 26, 2014
    13,874
    1,000
    slough / burnham
    Fitz Brundage.
    I have two fobs with my 2018 t100 900. I thought that was standard.
    Ride Safe
    Joe.
     
  5. Fitz Brundage

    Fitz Brundage Member

    May 11, 2018
    40
    18
    North Carolina
    I'll ask the dealer about that tomorrow. When I bought the bike they only mentioned the one master key and that's all they gave me. But I'll be sure to ask. Thanks for letting me know.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  6. joe mc donald

    Dec 26, 2014
    13,874
    1,000
    slough / burnham
    Fitz Brundage.
    Well I made sure I checked my spare key and the fob and they worked so I am pretty happy you brought the topic up. But I am positive triumph supply two of each on every bike. Check with Triumph. They must have a head office there somewhere. I believe the dealer has not given you the full package.
    Ride Safe
    Joe.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  7. Richard Neale

    Richard Neale Active Member

    Apr 20, 2018
    156
    43
    Northwich
    My spare keys were in the handbook wallet quite small. I was told they need to be held under the seat area to work as the signal was a lot less than the main fob.
    I have not tried them though, so will do tonight !
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. joe mc donald

    Dec 26, 2014
    13,874
    1,000
    slough / burnham
    Richard Neale
    I don't think I would want to keep keys under my seat.
    Ride Safe
    Joe.
     
  9. Richard Neale

    Richard Neale Active Member

    Apr 20, 2018
    156
    43
    Northwich
    No. I don't keep them there !! I was just told they had to be in that area to start the bike using the spare keys
     
    • Like Like x 2
  10. tcbandituk

    Subscriber

    Apr 8, 2016
    2,763
    1,000
    Reading
    #10 tcbandituk, Dec 18, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2018
    Just checked mine, both worked OK, but the sensor is very sensitive about positioning of the key.
    If you put it in the general area as per the manual, unless you're lucky, it won't work, it has to be pressed up against the plastic bit immediately above the rear shock reservoir.....

    Not sure why Triumph don't provide two keyless fobs, given the cost of the bike :mad:
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Agree Agree x 1
  11. Fitz Brundage

    Fitz Brundage Member

    May 11, 2018
    40
    18
    North Carolina
    UPDATE
    It is now Wednesday afternoon in the States and my bike has been at the dealer's since Saturday. Triumph UK is now apparently involved and they have yet to find a way to start my motorcycle. Suggests that the Triumph engineers didn't carefully think through problem-solving the ignition when they designed it. I love the bike but I sure have lost confidence in Triumph.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  12. Fitz Brundage

    Fitz Brundage Member

    May 11, 2018
    40
    18
    North Carolina
    UPDATE
    It is now Wednesday afternoon in the States and my bike has been at the dealer's since Saturday. Triumph UK is now apparently involved and they have yet to find a way to start my motorcycle. Suggests that the Triumph engineers didn't carefully think through problem-solving the ignition when they designed it. I love the bike but I sure have lost confidence in Triumph.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  13. Hamburg

    Hamburg Senior Member

    Dec 12, 2018
    788
    193
    Oxford, UK
    Keyless go is a modern curse of marketing over function, it’s the answer to a question no one has asked.

    I won’t bore you with all the details but our Golf had a problem when the battery failed in the fob leaving my wife completely stranded in an underground car park with no phone signal, as she didn’t know the “special procedure” for unlocking and starting the car when the keyless doesn’t work.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
  14. Richard Neale

    Richard Neale Active Member

    Apr 20, 2018
    156
    43
    Northwich
    I just tried out my spare keys and I thought they were not working seems they had to be in about 1 square cm of space to get the ignition to fire up ! Pretty flaky but shows its worth persevering if you have a spare key which seems not to work. It was kind of above the shock moving around to find the sweet spot . A bit sh1t really !
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  15. Fitz Brundage

    Fitz Brundage Member

    May 11, 2018
    40
    18
    North Carolina
    Update 12/21
    Triumph today informed me that the entire ignition unit and new keys will have to be shipped from the UK. They will be shipped on January 3rd so I should have my bike operational again sometime around the 8th-10th of January. In other words, my bike will be out of operation because of this failure for 3 1/2 weeks. On the plus side, Triumph has offered to pay for a rental car until my bike is repaired.
    So I agree that keyless ignition is a solution in search of a problem.
     
    • Like Like x 5
    • Agree Agree x 1
  16. tcbandituk

    Subscriber

    Apr 8, 2016
    2,763
    1,000
    Reading
    I wonder if it would be possible to put the key type ignition from an S on to an RS?
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  17. Andymarksonline

    Andymarksonline Well-Known Member

    Aug 26, 2018
    238
    93
    Kent
    I had a strange one today. Went for a ride and parked it up to have a brew. When I came to leave, the ignition just wouldn’t turn on at all. I tried everything moving the key from it’s normal place in my pocket to the front center and rear of the bike but bring worked.

    Was just thinking of getting it recovered and at last it came on. Can’t remener where I had the key though think it may have been in my hand.

    This happened at my next stop too. When I got gone I switched it off and back on again no problems.

    A bit worrying really. I do like the keyless ignition it’s certainly makes it easier but if the electronics go then you’re really up the creek without a paddle.

    I’ll monitor it after maybe replacing the battery in the fob first and see if it does it again then it’ll be back to the dealers once again

    Andy.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  18. Fitz Brundage

    Fitz Brundage Member

    May 11, 2018
    40
    18
    North Carolina
    Latest Update

    A month ago I posted about my misfortune of losing my "active" key and having two worthless "passive" keys on December 7th. You may recall that in the interim my Triumph dealer tried without success to program the "passive" keys, with Triumph headquarters' help. So Triumph informed me that they would have to ship a from the UK a new ICU unit, with a new active key and passive keys. Alas, the items were on back order so they did not arrive until January 14th.

    So they arrived and after a day of hard work the local Triumph dealer has the icu installed and the active key works. BUT the passive keys that Triumph UK sent are apparently the wrong keys. So if I pick the bike up now (located 60 minutes from my home) I will have no "spare keys" and I will have to return with the bike to the dealer once the dealer receives the proper "passive" keys from the UK.
    I have decided to leave the bike at the dealer for at least another7-10 days so that I can get a functioning bike with all the appropriate functioning keys.
    Clearly, Triumph has some serious quality control issues.

    So let me just urge you make sure all your keys work 'cause Triumph is obviously challenged when it comes to quality control and its keyless ignition.

    Bottom line: a fully functioning Speed Triple RS with less than 4K miles on it has sat for six weeks because I don't have a working key.
     
    • Useful Useful x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
  19. Sideburn

    Sideburn Well-Known Member

    Nov 27, 2018
    134
    93
    Colorado
    Man, I need to test my passive keys soon. I've only had the bike a couple weeks and haven't tried that yet.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  20. Yorkshireman

    Yorkshireman Crème de la Crème

    Dec 12, 2015
    3,401
    1,000
    Barnsley
    Seems like Triumph have dug themselves a hole trying to solve a problem that didn’t exist with this keyless ignition thing, unless they’re expecting a load of claims for repetitive strain injury from all of us who have to turn an ignition key to start our bikes. :worried:
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Funny Funny x 1
Loading...

Share This Page