NHTSA Complaint #10205325 — 2005 TRIUMPH ROCKET III

I HAVE A TRIUMPH ROCKET III MOTORCYCLE. 2005 MODEL YEAR BOUGHT IT IN OCT OF 2004. IT CAME WITH A TWO YEAR UNLIMITED MILES WARRANTY. AFTER OWNING FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR I STARTED TO DEVELOPED ENGINE NOISE/VIBRATION, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER/SERVICE CENTER WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY KEPT DENYING THAT IT HAD A PROBLEM AND THAT THEY COULDN'T DETECT THE NOISE OR VIBRATION. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER LOCAL TRIUMPH DEALER/SERVICE CENTER FOR THE SAME ISSUE, THEY HAD IT FOR OVER TWO WEEKS, AND THEY CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT DETECT ANY NOISE OR VIBRATION, AND THEY CHARGED ME SHOP RATE FEES FOR THE ASSESSMENT, CLAIMING THAT SINCE THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING THEN THEY COULD NOT WRITE IT UP AS A WARRANTY CLAIM. NOW MY TWO YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD IS OVER AND NOW THE VIBRATION IS SO BAD IT CAN NOW BE DETERMINED THAT IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CRANKSHAFT SPROCKET TO THE TIMING CHAIN. AND THEY WANT OVER 1500 DOLLARS JUST FOR PARTS. IT IS KNOWN TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. MY INQUIRY INTO THIS PROBLEM WITH OTHER ROCKET III OWNERS REVEALED THAT TRIUMPH IS AWARE OF A SPECIFIC LOT OF TIMING CHAIN SPROCKETS THAT WERE SUBSTANDARD. MY CONTENTION IS THAT THIS PROBLEM WITH MY BIKE SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL, OR UNDER A EXTENSION OF WARRANTY FOR CIRCUMSTANCES AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. OF THE MANY OWNERS THAT I KNOW THAT HAVE HAD THIS PART FAIL IT WILL TAKE OUT THE CHAIN AND BOTH CAMSHAFTS WILL STOP TURNING AND BEND ALL OF THE VALVES AND IN SOME CASES IT HAS BROKEN THE PISTONS. I BELIEVE MY ENGINE SHOULD BE FIXED BY TRIUMPH BEFORE IT BECOMES A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. RIGHT NOW I CAN STILL RIDE IT, BUT I FEEL THAT IT COULD BREAK AT ANY TIME, AND IT CAN LOCK UP THE ENGINE/CAUSE CRASH, BUT I AM ONLY HOPING THAT A RECALL OR ADMISSION OF RESPONSIBILITY WILL COME. I AM STILL PAYING $363 DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THIS THING AND CANNOT FATHOM THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO FUND THIS MISTAKE ON THEIR PART. NO PUN INTENDED. THANKS.... *TR