NHTSA Complaint #10543953 — 1999 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE

THE MOTORCYCLE HAS A NYLON GAS TANK WHICH "DEFORMED" AND STARTED LEAKING GAS ONTO THE ENGINE, POSING A RISK OF FIRE. THE DEALER I PURCHASED THE BIKE FROM (CALIFORNIA TRIUMPH, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA) TOLD ME THE BIKE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND TO CALL THE TRIUMPH US FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE. THE TRIUMPH FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THE BIKE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND TO BUY A NEW TANK. IT COST ME OVER $1400.00 TO BUY AND HAVE INSTALLED A NEW FACTORY FUEL TANK WHICH APPEARS TO BE MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL! THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS CONDITION THAT COULD RESULT IN A FIRE WHILE RIDING THE BIKE AND I CANNOT IMAGINE THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH AN EVENT. I UNDERSTAND THAT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MOTORCYCLES (INCLUDING APRILLIA, TRIUMPH, KTM, MZ, MOTO GUZZI, DUCATI) SUFFER FROM THIS PROBLEM AND IT IS UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT THE PURCHASERS OF ALL THESE BIKES TO BUY REPLACEMENT FUEL TANKS TO PREVENT A POSSIBLE LETHAL SITUATION. *TR