Alignment Issue With New Tiger 850 Sport

Spock

New Member
Local time
Yesterday, 23:50
Joined
Jun 7, 2022
Messages
9
Points
2
Age
65
Location
Tyler, TX
First Name
Joseph
My Ride
Currently, Indian Challenger
I purchased a new 2022 Triumph Tiger 850 Sport from a dealer about 4 hours away from where I live. A friend went with me to pick it up with his trailer. He was in a hurry, and we arrived home a few minutes before a thunderstorm, so I didn't ride it until 3 days later. I quickly noticed that when the bike was traveling straight down the road, the handle bars were turned approximately 5 degrees to the right... Enough that my left arm was fully extended, and my right arm was bent. Of course, when I straightened the handle bars, the bike counter-steered to the right. Looking down through the fairing, I could see a lack of symmetry between the right and left side of the forks, wheel, etc.

I took the bike to a local dealer and they were at a loss as to what the problem was or how to fix it. I took it back to the dealer I bought it from. They took turns riding and agreed there was definitely a problem. They measured from the end of each handlebar to a central spot on the frame/rear and said there was a 1/2 inch difference. They also noticed that the front brake discs were not the same distance from the wheel. So far, they've made some adjustments and ordered a new front tire. Last week, they said the alignment looks better, but is not completely corrected, and that the bike is still "pulling" (their words). They asked me to be patient so they could work with Triumph on a step-by-step process to diagnose the problem. They've had it for three weeks, and I'll be calling them on Tuesday to get a report.

I expressed my belief that the problem had to have occurred during manufacturing, shipping, or assembly. I feel the most likely scenario is shipping damage, and they said they've seen that occur. I told them I didn't want to endlessly tinker on a brand new bike that was fundamentally flawed regardless of how minor. They said if it was a rebuild or a frame problem, I would get a new bike. Even if they "adjust" the bike to an improved state, I don't have confidence that there won't be more issues down the road with tires, bearings, brakes, etc.

I paid cash for the bike. Before I call them again, I wanted to get some feedback based on your experiences. Am I entitled to a different/new bike? Thanks for your opinions.
 
It is a bad frame. Make Triumph replaces it with another bike. The only other option would be for them to build your bike on a new frame but that would be a long wait. I had this happen in 2001 with a new bike.
 
Sorry to hear. Ruining your new bike experience. Sounds like the forks could be bent. Have they looked closely at those? If the frame is bent, I would want a brand new bike to replace it. No monkeying around. Keep us in the loop.
 
Thought I would post the final result of my ordeal with alignment... Working with the dealership was good until the very end. They called after 5 1/2 weeks and said, "Come get it... it's fixed." In addition to "fixing" the alignment, they claimed they found a manufacturing flaw in the front tire that was contributing to the problem, so they replaced it.

When I got there, as soon as I sat on it, I could tell it wasn't right. Took a test ride, bars still turned to the right. Had a lengthy discussion with the Service Manager and mechanic. To her credit, she was always respectful, but agreed to disagree about the alignment. Not willing to give up, I asked them to put the bike on the rack. The mechanic loosened the fork sleeves and told me to "put it where you want it." I turned them ever so slightly, and he tightened it all back up. Perfect. Took a test ride... perfect. Service manager said, "Wow, we might not have found that solution without your help." :censored:

I've put about 1500 miles on it since then without any problems. Tire tread seems to be wearing as it should. Oh, well... The silver lining is that during the time they had the bike, the temperatures around here were consistently above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, so I probably didn't miss that much riding all in all.

Thanks for your comments/responses. Best wishes. :)
 
Glad you have it figured out, but that dealer is lame.
 
Glad you have it figured out, but that dealer is lame.
Sometimes having a dealer 4 hours away has been an advantage . I don’t take it there to fix some things because I know the frustration will only be increased by the loss of a day in of my life . I am pretty handy at sorting out things myself and have access to one of the best mechanics in the region . If that were not the case I would be riding something Japanese .
Last time I had crooked bars he took a quick look , loosened a few things up , straddled the front wheel , gave the bars a tug , tightened everything up again and off I went . He fixes my mower too .
I had a mandrel bearing getting just a little noisy , I took the offending part into him and fifteen minutes walked out with a new bearing installed . Did the exact same thing with the carburetor . Passed him the carb and within a hour I was back home , installed it and the old girl was running like new . If you’re ever in Charlottetown PEI with an issue look Larry’s up . Doesn’t work weekends though and opens at 9 .
 
Premium

Support TriumphTalk by becoming a Premium Member.

 What You Get

Donate

 

 

Search

Back
Top Bottom