2006 Triumph Rocket III Classic Recalls & Complaints

Incident: September 11, 2012 · Filed: September 18, 2012

TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SOUND LIKE A TURBOCHARGER WHILE RIDING IN 5TH GEAR. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT THE SHIFT PEDAL WAS LIMP, I HAD TO PULL IN THE CLUTCH HANDLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. BY APPLYING AND RELEASING THE CLUTCH I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME. THE TRANSMISSION IS STUCK IN GEAR AND THE SHIFTER MECHANISM DOES NOT FUNCTION AT ALL. IN ORDER TO FIND OUT WHAT IS CAUSING THIS I WILL HAVE TO PULL THE ENTIRE MOTOR OUT AND SPLIT THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE CRANK CASE. I HAVE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF THIS BIKE CHANGING OIL AT HALF OF THE RECOMMENDED INTERVALS, I HAVE OWNED THIS MOTORCYCLE SINCE MARCH 2006 AND ONLY HAVE 12000 MILES ON IT. THAT IS ONLY 2000 MILES A YEAR TO HAVE SUCH A COSTLY LABOR INTENSIVE PROBLEM AT SUCH A LOW USAGE AS WELL AS DEFECTIVE STICKING OF GEARS THAT I READ ABOUT IN BLOGS FOR SIMILAR MODEL YEARS INDICATES AN INTRINSIC DESIGN PROBLEM BY TRIUMPH. *TR

Incident: January 18, 2010 · Filed: April 12, 2010

TRANSMISSION AT AROUND 3000 RPM WITH A SLIGHTLY HEAVY APPLICATION OF THROTTLE IT WILL JUMP OUT OF SECOND GEAR, IT SEEMS HARD TO GET IT INTO SECOND AND THIS HAPPENS UP AND DOWN SHIFTING. OTHER TIMES THE TRANSMISSION WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL ONLY. THE BIKE IS UNSAFE TO RIDE IN THIS CONDITION. TRIUMPH HAS UPGRADE KITS THAT COVER FROM VIN 000000 TO 337294, # T1000008 FOR SILVER ENGINES AND # T1000009 FOR BLACK ENGINES. THIS KIT HAS BEEN INSTALLED ON MY BIKE AND IT FIXED THE ISSUE. TRIUMPH ONLY PAID FOR THE PARTS, I WAS STUCK WITH A $1500.00 BILL FOR LABOR AND FLUIDS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE JOB. CURRENTLY TRIUMPHS STAND ON THE UPGRADE KIT IS "THE "UPGRADE" KIT THAT YOU HAVE HEARD OF IS NOT MEANT TO FIX ANYTHING. IT IS SIMPLY A COLLECTION OF PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE MODELS PRODUCTION. IT IS ONLY GIVEN TO DEALERS THAT ARE ALREADY TAKING THE MOTOR OUT OF THE FRAME FOR SOME OTHER REASON, SO THAT THEY CAN PUT THE NEWER PARTS IN WHILE IT IS APART. THERE IS NO NEED TO EXCHANGE ANY OF THE PARTS IF THERE IS NO NEED TO GO INTO THE ENGINE. AS LONG AS YOUR BIKE IS OPERATING AS EXPECTED, THERE IS NO NEED TO CHANGE ANYTHING." INCLUDED IN THE KIT ARE THE PARTS TO DO THE FOLLOWING: REPLACE THE CAMSHAFT DRIVE CHAIN TENSION BLADES AND CRANKSHAFT SPROCKET. REPLACE CLUTCH PRESSURE SPRINGS. REPLACE ALTERNATOR BOLT AND WASHER. REPLACE TORSION DAMPER SHAFT BEARINGS AND SHAFT OUTER COVER. REPLACE OUTPUT SHAFT SECOND GEAR AND SPLINED DOG RING. REPLACE OUTPUT SHAFT THIRD AND FOURTH GEAR SPLINED BUSHES AND TWO SPLINED WASHERS WITH THE SHOULDER SPLINED BUSHES. REPLACE THE INPUT SHAFT BELLVILLE WASHERS AND THRUST WASHER AND INSERT A NEW SHIM ADJACENT TO FIFTH GEAR AND NEW OUTPUT SHAFT NUT. REPLACE THE DETENT ARM. REPLACE THE GEAR POSITION SHAFT. REPLACE OIL TANK SEALING WASHERS. REPLACE THE FUEL TANK LEVEL SENDER AND BRACKET. REPLACE SPARK PLUGS AND THE COILS. MODIFY THE INSTRUMENT AND MAIN HARNESS. MODIFY THE IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS AND MAIN HARNESS CONNECTOR. *TR

Incident: December 25, 2009 · Filed: December 28, 2009

2006 TRIUMPH ROCKET 3 CLASSIC, THE TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF SECOND GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING. TRIUMPH HAS A TRANSMISSION UPGRADE THAT ADDRESSES THIS PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT FIX IT OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS PROBLEM CAN RESULT IN A CRASH IF THE TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF GEAR WHEN PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE OR WHEN MOVING FROM A STOP WITH TRAFFIC BEHIND THE MOTORCYCLE. *TR

Incident: April 24, 2008 · Filed: May 20, 2008

ENGINE DEVELOPS A HIGH ERRATIC IDLE UP TO 3000 RPMS AT WILL NO MATTER WHAT GEAR AND WHAT SPEED. I HAVE TO STAND ON THE BREAKS TO KEEP IT AT 55 MPH IN HIGH GEAR. AT LOW SPEED THE MOTOR IS RUNNING AT IDLE RPM'S THAT ARE ABOVE NORMAL OPERATING SPEEDS WHICH MAKES IT A RUNAWAY MOTOR AND DANGEROUS TO CONTROL SOME TIMES THE RPM IS SO HIGH AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN I LET OFF THE CLUTCH IT SPINS THE TIRE AS IT LEAPS FORWARD. TRY RIDING WITH ANY VEHICLE STUCK IN HIGH RPM AND IT WILL KILL SOMEONE!!! THE DATE IS WHEN I TOOK IT TO TRIUMPH THIS STARTED THIS SPRING IN FEBRUARY AT DAYTONA AND HAS GOT SO MUCH WORSE I CAN NOT SAFELY IT WILL END UP CAUSING INJURIES IF NOT DEATH. *TR

Incident: September 1, 2007 · Filed: November 21, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TRIUMPH ROCKET III CLASSIC. THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHILE IDLING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE DEALER DOWNLOADED THE NEW SOFTWARE ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V455000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM). AFTER THE REPAIR WAS MADE, THE VEHICLE WOULD IDLE HIGH AND CAUSE THE RPM TO RACE TO 9. THE VIN AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,850.

Incident: April 11, 2006 · Filed: April 11, 2006

I PURCHASED A 2006 TRIUMPH ROCKET III CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE. I HAD PROBLEMS SHIFTING INTO 1ST GEAR AND HAVING IT STAY IN 1ST GEAR. I REPORTED THIS ON 500 MILE DEALER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NORMAL, "THEY ALL HAVE PROBLEMS". WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT, I SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE WAITING FOR LIGHT TO CHANGE, WHEN THE BIKE IS SHIFTED INTO 1ST IT WILL ENGAGE ABOUT 75% OF THE TIME BUT AFTER ACCELERATING ABOUT 10 YARDS IT POPS BACK INTO NEUTRAL, CARS BEHIND THEN MUST FREQUENTLY STOP ABRUPTLY TO AVOID COLLISION. I HAVE NOT BEEN HIT YET BUT GETTING CLOSE. I DON'T KNOW OF OTHER MAKES OF MOTORCYCLES THAT DO THIS. THERE ISN'T REALLY AN INCIDENT DATE, IT HAS BEEN THIS WAY SINCE I BOUGHT THE BIKE IN FEB 2006. TO AVOID THE PROBLEM ONE MUST ALWAYS HOLD THE CLUTCH IN WHILE STANDING. NUMBER OF FAILURES REFERS TO NUMBER OF TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY BIKE. I AM REPORTING IT IN CASE OTHERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND REPORT SIMILAR EVENTS. *JB