2017 Triumph Thruxton R

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE21017) on July 9, 2021 for model year (MY) 2016-2019 Triumph Thruxton and Speed Triple model motorcycles based on allegations of loss of front braking performance.Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) indicated riders were experiencing a soft front brake lever that could result in an unexpected extended stopping distance. On July 28, 2021, ODI sent an Information Request letter to Triumph to learn more about the subject components and alleged defect.On September 24, 2021, Triumph submitted its response, which ODI analyzed.ODI learned that the majority of the VOQ incidents occurred two or more years after the motorcycle was manufactured. The manufacturer recommends changing the brake fluid every two years, regardless of mileage. As the manufacturer’s warranty lasts for two years from the date of sale, many dealers covered the complicated brake fluid replacement procedure under warranty. However, most of the motorcycles involved in these incidents were overdue to have their brake system serviced. Triumph conducted testing of the brake system to better quantify what riders were experiencing.Triumph found pulling the lever a second time immediately after an initial pull did result in less lever travel for the same force exerted on the lever.This reduction was two millimeters or less.Additional testing was conducted to ascertain the caliper force generated relative to various lever forces.Triumph found that the caliper force varied +/- 2% between the first and second pull of the front brake lever and any given applied force. Triumph claimed that the lack of proper maintenance was the cause of the soft brake lever.Triumph conducted additional testing to quantify this claim.The lever travel between the first and second pull increased 150% on an improperly maintained system versus a properly maintained system.However, the caliper force only decreased 2-3% on average with this increased lever travel, further indicating that the subject motorcycles are capable of fully stopping. ODI located and evaluated a subject motorcycle.Measurements were taken and confirmed there was a small decrease in lever travel between the first and second pull.ODI then conducted a series of hard braking events, which did not produce evidence that the difference in lever travel resulted in an extended stopping distance. ODI also considered Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) data.ODI identified six fatal events that involved a subject vehicle.The service history records were reviewed for each motorcycle, however,none of the records included any mention of braking problems and thus there is no indication that the alleged defect may have contributed to the fatal crashes. As of this time there are no VOQ or manufacturer claims reporting an injury, fatality, or crash arising from this issue.Based on the available information, including the absence of such events after nine years of service on the oldest motorcycles, ODI is closing this investigation.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

SEEMS I HAVE THE ISSUE MANY OTHER ARE HAVING WITH THE FRONT BRAKES ON MY TRIUMPH THRUXTON R IN THAT I HAVE TO "DOUBLE PUMP" THE BRAKE LEVER TO ACTUALLY GET A GOOD SOLID BRAKING FEEL AND ACTION. AFTER DOUBLE PUMPING THE BRAKE LEVER I GET THE SOLID BRAKING I SHOULD HAVE FOR MAYBE 10 SECS AFTER USING THE FRONT BRAKE. THEN THE BRAKE LEVER LOSES ITS FEEL AND I HAVE TO DOUBLE PUMP THE LEVER AGAIN. I HAVE TAKEN MY BIKE IN FOR A ANNUAL INSPECTION, WHICH I MENTIONED THE BRAKING ISSUE AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED IT IS A PROBLEM AND WOULD REMEDY IT. AFTER THE SERVICE, WHICH INCLUDED A BRAKE FLUID FLUSH AND BLEED THE ISSUE RETURNED A FEW DAYS LATER. CLEARLY THERE IS A MAJOR MALFUNCTIONING COMPONENT THAT TRIUMPH KNOWS ABOUT BUT IS REFUSING TO REPLACE AND FROM MY RESEARCH THIS IS IN ISSUE ON ALL RECENT TRIUMPH MODELS THAT HAVE BREMBO FRONT BRAKE COMPONENTS. I HAVE GOTTEN USE TO THIS ISSUE BUT IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, I FEAR I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BRAKE IN THE MANNER THAT IS NEED AND COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

11387900

Incident

Mar 21, 2020

Mileage

999 mi

FRONT BRAKES ARE SPONGEY AND REQUIRE PUMPING OF BRAKE LEVER IN ORDER TO GET FULL BRAKING ABILITY. FRONT BRAKE LEVER IS SOFT ON FIRST PULL AND NEEDS TO BE RELEASED AND PULLED AGAIN IN ORDER TO BRAKE FULLY. THERE ALSO SEEMS TO BE A FRONT WHEEL SPACING ISSUE, CAUSING THE FRONT ROTOR TO HIT ONE BRAKE PAD BEFORE THE OTHER, WHICH MAY BE AT LEAST PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11387893

Incident

Jul 15, 2017

Mileage

100 mi

FRONT BRAKES REQUIRE A DOUBLE PUMP OF THE LEVER TO ACCOMPLISH POSITIVE BRAKE FEEL AND OPERATION. THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND IN CASE OF EMERGENCY STOPPING. I HAVE BLED THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND IT STILL DOESN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11387875

Incident

Oct 1, 2017

Mileage

100 mi

NOTICED SPONGY BRAKE LEVER FEEL WHEN I PURCHASED THE BIKE. SPONGY FRONT BRAKES - REQUIRES A DOUBLE PULL OF LEVER. HAVE BLED BRAKES AND SPONGY FEELS COMES BACK AFTER FEW LEVER PULLS. HAVE HAD MANY OTHER MOTORCYCLES WITH BREMBO BRAKES AND NONE REQUIRED A DOUBLE PULL FOR PROPER ENGAGEMENT.

NHTSA ID

11375308

Incident

Jan 28, 2019

SINCE NEW THERE HAS BEEN INCONSISTENT BRAKING WHEN APPLYING THE FRONT BRAKES; OFTEN REQUIRING MULTIPLE SQUEEZES OF THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER TO GET EXPECTED BRAKING FORCE. THIS WAS IMMEDIATELY REPORTED TO THE SELLING DEALER AND THEY PERFORMED A FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM BLEED. WHILE THIS INITIALLY APPEARED TO REMEDY THE ISSUE THE INCONSISTENT BRAKING PERFORMANCE RETURNED SHORTLY AFTER. ADDITIONAL BRAKE SYSTEM BLEEDS AND REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE ISSUE. I CONSIDER THIS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE AS UNPREDICTABLE BRAKING PERFORMANCE CAN RESULT IN NOT BEING ABLE TO SAFELY STOP OR SLOW THE VEHICLE IN BOTH NORMAL RIDING AND EMERGENCY SCENARIOS. INQUIRIES WITH THE SELLING DEALER AND OTHER DEALERS WHO CARRY THIS BRAND INDICATE THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT ON THIS MODEL AND OTHER MODELS WITHIN THE BRAND THAT USE A SIMILAR BRAKE SYSTEM BUT CLAIM THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT OFFERED A PERMANENT RESOLUTION. ONLINE RESEARCH ALSO INDICATES OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE WITH THE POSSIBLE CAUSES RELATED TO THE MATERIALS USED FOR BRAKE CALIPER COMPONENTS.

NHTSA ID

11372529

Incident

Oct 6, 2020

Mileage

6,000 mi

THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE AN ISSUE WHERE I NEED TO PUMP THE BRAKE AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE GETTING SOLID BRAKE PRESSURE. THE FIRST PULL ON THE BRAKE LEVER IS SPONGY AND GOES NOT HAVE SOLID PRESSURE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY A CONCERN WHEN TURNING INTO A BLING CORNER AND NEEDING TO PERFORM EMERGENCY BRAKING. THE FRONT CALIPER IS NOT ALIGNED EVENLY WITH THE BRAKE ROTOR EVEN AFTER THIS MOTORCYCLE WAS WITH THE TRIUMPH DEALER FOR OVER A MONTH FOR REPAIRS. I CAN SHARE A VIDEO SHOWING HOW THE BRAKE LEVER TRAVEL BEHAVES.

NHTSA ID

11367061

Incident

Jan 1, 2018

Mileage

500 mi

THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER GETS A VERY SOFT, SPONGY FEEL ON THE FIRST LEVER PULL. I HAVE TO PUMP MY FRONT BRAKE BEFORE I START TO RIDE. AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKES THEY FEEL GOOD AS LONG AS I USE THEM EVERY SO OFTEN. IF I DON'T TOUCH THEM FOR ABOUT 15 PLUS MINUTES, THEY GO BACK TO BEING SPONGY AND SOFT FEELING WITH LESS BRAKING FORCE BEING APPLIED TO MY FRONT BRAKES. I FOUND THAT IT GETS WORSE THE HOTTER THE AMBIENT TEMP IS. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE IS STATIONARY OR MOVING. SPEED DOESN'T MATTER, THE THINGS I FIND THAT EFFECT IT IS OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE (NOT BRAKE SYSTEM TEMP) AND THE TIME BETWEEN FRONT BRAKE ACTUATIONS. SOFT FRONT BRAKE FEEL AND APPLICATION HAPPENS ON EVERY ROAD, ELEVATION, CITY STREETS, FREEWAY, HIGHWAY AND IN MY GARAGE. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE MYSELF AS THE DEALER TOLD.ME IT WAS NORMAL AND DID NOT CREATE A REPAIR ORDER FOR MY VEHICLE. I HAVE REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WITH AN AFTER MARKET ONE, BRAKE FLUID, FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS, RETORQUED ALL OF THE BRAKE FLUID LINES, REPLACED FRONT WHEEL SPACERS AND REALIGNED MY FRONT BRAKE CALIBERS, AND COUNTLESS BRAKE SYSTEM FLUID BLEEDINGS WITH AND WITHOUT ABS PUMP ACTIVATION WHILE BLEEDING WITH A SCAN TOOL WITH NO SUCCESS. THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS BRAND NEW.

NHTSA ID

11366939

Incident

Mar 5, 2018

Mileage

10 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TRIUMPH THRUXTON 1200R. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER WAS APPLIED, THE BRAKE WAS SPONGY AND REQUIRED EXTRA EFFORT TO STOP THE MOTORCYCLE. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO HONDA YAMAHA TRIUMPH KAWASAKI OF SAVANNAH LOCATED AT (11512 ABERCORN ST, SAVANNAH, GA 31419) AND RIDGE MOTORSPORTS LOCATED AT (215 W CHURCH ST, BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, SC 29006) AND THE DEALERS WERE INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO NORTH RIDGE CUSTOM CYCLES LOCATED AT (1919 SAVANNAH HWY, CHARLESTON, SC 29407) WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT REQUESTED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE DEALER WHICH STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS ACKNOWLEDGED HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE MOTORCYCLE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 0. *LN*JB

NHTSA ID

11319267

Incident

Mar 15, 2018

Dealer notice announcing the availability of Triumph Diagnostic Tool 2026-07 and dealers should begin using it immediately.

Dealer notice announcing the availability of Triumph Diagnostic Tool 2026-06.1 and dealers should begin using it immediately.

Dealer notice announcing the availability of Triumph Diagnostic Tool version 2026-06 and dealers should begin using it immediately.

Dealer notice announcing the availability of Technical Bulletin 264.

Technical Bulletin 264 provides instructions that relates to: Triumph Diagnostic Tool - New Motorcycle Connection and Diagnostics Workflow, Triumph Diagnostic Tool - End of Support for Microsoft Windows 10.

Dealer notice advising the availalbility of TDT version 2026-05.2 which resolves the ABS as Not Connected issues in SmartScan, on Tracker 400 & Thruxton 400 models.