1999 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1999 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE, VIN# [XXX], COLOR ROULETTE GREEN PURCHASED AT FREEHOLD TRIUMPH OF FREEHOLD, N.J., CURRENTLY WITH 11,356 MILES. THIS HAS BEEN A PAMPERED AND EXCELLENTLY MAINTAINED MOTORCYCLE THAT HAS ONLY BEEN STORED INSIDE CLIMATE CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS SINCE PURCHASE. I WRITE TO YOU DUE TO A PROBLEM I AM HAVING WITH THE PAINT SEPARATING FROM THE GAS TANK IN BUBBLE FORMATIONS THROUGHOUT THE TANK. I FIRST NOTICED THIS IN 2005 ON ONE PART OF THE TANK THAT WAS HIDDEN AND WAS NOT ON THE FINISHED SURFACE. THE ISSUE WAS BOUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE AUTHORIZED DEALER I WAS HAVING DO 12K MILEAGE SERVICE AT THAT TIME. HE DID NOT TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY AND SAID AT THAT TIME TRIUMPH WOULD NOT COVER THIS AS A WARRANTY ISSUE. CURRENTLY I AM EXPERIENCING THE PAINT SEPARATING IN BUBBLE FORMATIONS THROUGHOUT ON EXPOSED FINISHED SURFACES OF THE GAS TANK. AS OF THIS DATE AFTER PIERCING THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS THERE HAS NOT BEEN GAS LEAKING, THOUGH THE GAS TANK HAS BEEN EMPTIED OF GAS DUE TO HAVING BEEN STORED LONG TERM. SO I CANNOT SAY 100% THAT THE TANK IS NOT LEAKING AT THOSE LOCATIONS ALSO. I AM AWARE THAT CURRENTLY THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE MAKER OF GAS TANKS MANUFACTURED FOR DUCATI & APRILIA MOTORCYCLES. MY GAS TANK IS ALSO MADE BY THE SAME MANUFACTURER, ACERBIS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR