Triumph service options

[Garandman]

It looks like I'm buying an 08 Tiger 1050. It has around 7,000 miles and the owner was honest in stating the 6,000 mile service was not done.

The 6,000 mile service is mostly checks for adjustment. But it also includes a throttle body sync and there have been a number of factory tunes for this bike. Is throttle body sync straightforward on this triple?

I don't have the bike yet so I haven't delved into if it has the latest or recommended tune. It seems that you can download the tunes and buy a cable to load it, so I'm not sure it would have to be done by a factory authorized dealer. OTOH I understand 1050's have been plagued with cracked pistons from using low octane fuels and the latest factory tune (though they admit nothing) apparently retards the spark timing for lower octane fuel to minimize this issue.

I live in Boston and work in Peabody most days, so the only nearby dealer is Riverside. Are there any independents who work on these as well? It's also going to need new tires, I'll probably wait for a track day for that. And suspension upgrades. Yikes - better sell the SV asap!

[obsolete]

Great Bay, while not close, has taken care of a lot of the members of this board with Triumphs. I bought mine there and have been very happy with the service department.

I think I paid a half hour of labor for my tune to be installed (loaded).

[GearHd6]

Buy a cable and use TuneECU, pretty straight forward and you can switch tunes back and forth if you don't like the results of the latest tune.

I can't imagine throttle body sync is anymore difficult than any other bike. My Tiger 800 needs software to check/adjust throttle body sync. I did the 6000 mile service by myself exactly as the book stated, it was fairly straight forward and easy.

[caddydaddy]

OTOH I understand 1050's have been plagued with cracked pistons from using low octane fuels and the latest factory tune

Plagued? I've only heard of a very few from the Triumph forums. Most owners will tell you that the 1050 is one of the best engines out there.

[Garandman]

Great Bay, while not close, has taken care of a lot of the members of this board with Triumphs. I bought mine there and have been very happy with the service department.

I think I paid a half hour of labor for my tune to be installed (loaded).

They also quoted me what seemed to be over list for a Tiger 800. Apparently I don't know the secret handshake.

The bike was purchased at Riverside.

[GearHd6]

They also quoted me what seemed to be over list for a Tiger 800. Apparently I don't know the secret handshake.

Ha ha, not a bad sales tactic. I bought my bike from there, that's about it. I haven't figured that handshake out yet either.

[SprintPoser]

I bought my 2000 Sprint RS new from Riverside back in 2000, and went back ONCE. The way they were handling the bikes, jamming them all in tight and bumping them against each other was enough for me to stay away. I later learned the "Nick" (one of the owner's sons) who sold me the bike was caught pocketing cash from sales like mine. I've not heard much good or bad about Riverside, but can imagine they wouldn't be there as long as they have if they were damaging bikes or playing games.

Great Bay has had it's problems, but with Adam back there they should be OK for service. He does care to make customers happy, and is a genuine good guy. I have found Don to be a great guy with everything except price. You want it? This is the price, pay it or the next person will. I bought from Suzuki-Triumph of Swansea and have been happy on both sales and service so far. Steve was really down-to-earth and would bargain. Performance Cycles on RT9 in Shrewsbury is excellent for service, and Bill M is good in sales. Second Wind seems best in sales, OK in service though I've personally not had any bikes wrenched there.

I've got about dozen friends with the 1050 motor in Tigers, Speed Triples and Sprints. None have blown up, and all I hear is raves about smoothness, fuel economy (SP3's excepted) and the exhaust note.

[markbvt]

I do most of my own service... though I also have to admit that Triumphs are so damn reliable that I haven't done much. My Tiger 800 runs beautifully; for the 6k maintenance I basically just did an oil change because there was no need for anything else. Same at 12k; I meant to check the valves but other stuff got in the way, and I'm now a little over 17k (maybe 6 weeks or so later!) with absolutely no symptoms of tight or loose valves. I'll probably just wait till 24k at this point... at the rate I'm putting miles on this bike, that's only a couple of months or so away anyway! I'm also still running the original EFI map; I've never had the stalling issues some others have complained about. I'll update the map eventually...

For the record, my Bonneville has received regular valve checks but has never needed adjustment and now has almost 30,000 miles on it. And my Wee-Strom went 40,000 miles without ever needing valve adjustment before I sold it to my dad.

--mark

[GearHd6]

Ken, you described my dealings with Great Bay perfectly. When I bought my Tiger 800 it was Don's price (which was MSRP) and that was it. Although the bike was so new they were just barely even getting delivered to the US so I guess it was understandable at the time. They did give me discounts on the accessories I bought with the bike. The bike came with only one key which turned into a whole other fiasco that I won't bother getting into. I used them for the 500 mile service and that was it. After that I went to Gengras for some recalls and have done all the other servicing myself. Gengras has since lost all Euro bikes.

Oh and, Adam was there when I bought my bike...

[Garandman]

Do you need a diagnostic cable to find out what tune # is installed or can you get a readout on the display?

The bike runs fine, this would be precautioary. 7K miles in 4 seasons is pretty minimal use.

[SprintPoser]

You would need an OBDII cable and software to get that information. What software, I do not know.

[GearHd6]

The cable and free TuneECU will get you the currently installed map. If it's running smoothly then I'm sure you're fine.

[SprintPoser]

Jeff,

Where can I get the cable and download the software?

Thanks,

Ken

[GearHd6]

Here is the link to the downloads, https://www.box.com/shared/pusg6v7nyd The TuneECU zip file is the software. You'll need something like Winzip to unzip the file. For installation help, go here, http://www.tuneecu.com/TuneECU_En/install1.html

Then to get the tune you're looking for, go here, http://www.tomhamburg.net/Tune_List.html then scroll to find the map that fits your application.

I used the cable from my TuneBoy but a cable like this will do the trick. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Triumph-Bike...9c27ec&vxp=mtr

[SprintPoser]

Thanks Jeff.

I don't know if I really need the setup right now, as I plan on having Triumph of Swansea do the 6K and 12K services. The bike will keep the stock exhaust, and the current tune is so perfect that I can say I've never had a smoother bike for off-on throttle response.

[GearHd6]

Anytime Ken.

I needed the TuneECU back when I first got the bike and I had the stalling issue and Triumph had no cure for it yet. I went into the stock map and altered a few parameters to get rid of the stalling. It wasn't until about 4-5 months later that Triumph came out with a map to cure it. I had the bike stall in some pretty scary spots so I needed to cure it somehow.

The 6k service is a piece of cake other than the throttle body sync which requires the Triumph software or DealerTool to check/adjust it.

Here is a screenshot of the DealerTool software while I checked my throttle body sync.

[drinkingmymilk]

Syncing the throttle bodies with tuneECU is simple I wouldn't worry one bit about the 6k service not being done.

My streety, the valves were all in spec at 20,000 miles. I plan on doing valves on one bike per winter. This year I did the Triumph, next will be the SV, and back and forth. IMO, the recomendations are really quicker then they need to be. In the 24,000 on mine. The Triumph will probably be around 36,000 next time I open it.

My list of work issues is pretty standard.
-Manual CCT
-Stock Battery
-Gauges leaked and fogged, Triumph warrenty covered them no questions asked. New ones have had no issues.
-Cheapo Walmart Battery
-Shorai Battery, Originally shorai recomended a different battery that didn't like the clock and died after a month of sitting. Shorai appologized, sent me a new one free and a tender at half off.
-Broken blinker bulb. Not normally a big deal but it shorted and popped a fuse, the same fuse the controls the gauges. If the gauges don't work, the bike will not start.

[jtryz]

34k miles and do my own oil and pkugs.



shit i think i should take mine in. i feel like a bad dad now.

[SprintPoser]

I have the dealer do the first two years of service just so there's stamps in the owner's manual. This means no grief about missed service intervals should I ever have to take the bike in for warranty service at a dealer that didn't sell the bike. I have done everything down to valve adjustments on my previous Triumphs, so it's not something I can't do or fear.

[Kenn157]

http://www.northrivercycles.com/contactus.html

Its a pretty small shop from what I understand, but is close to Peabody being in Salem MA.

[Kenn157]

Great Bay is 13 miles north of me. I'm sorta at their mercy because I'm not mechanically inclined.
I do have the TuneEcu and cable which may as well be in Greek (Talas) Greg Pappas can read like a book. I'd have him do all the work if he didn't live so far away in Trumbul CT.

[Garandman]

http://www.northrivercycles.com/contactus.html

Its a pretty small shop from what I understand, but is close to Peabody being in Salem MA.

Interesting as I've never heard of them. They are not on the Triumph dealer list. Only found one review. Their "Contact Us" form doesn't work.

Anyone been in there?

[SprintPoser]

Interesting as I've never heard of them. They are not on the Triumph dealer list. Only found one review. Their "Contact Us" form doesn't work.

Anyone been in there?

Never been there, but have a couple of friends who have and they didn't complain. Hell, around here not complaining could be considered a rousing endorsement!

I didn't find any problems at all with their "Contact Us" forms or e-mail link.

[obsolete]

That's weird I always thought they were a authorized dealer. Completely forgot about them. They're very easy to miss.

[whynot]

Interesting as I've never heard of them. They are not on the Triumph dealer list. Only found one review. Their "Contact Us" form doesn't work.

Anyone been in there?

They come up here http://www.triumphmotorcycles.com/tr.../find-a-dealer