dandiego
Turbocharged
Welcome to the site.
I've heard of NCY, but haven't been there. I almost bought my bike there, too. There should be some discussion about that dealer in the forums. I have my bike serviced locally, either at Rocket Motorcycles in San Diego (great guys) or another guy. I buy accessories online or at Rocket.
I'll get a hold of you when i get back and maybe we can meet for a ride and talk Rockets.
Dan
I've heard of NCY, but haven't been there. I almost bought my bike there, too. There should be some discussion about that dealer in the forums. I have my bike serviced locally, either at Rocket Motorcycles in San Diego (great guys) or another guy. I buy accessories online or at Rocket.
I'll get a hold of you when i get back and maybe we can meet for a ride and talk Rockets.
Dan
Ygransom
Turbocharged
Diego - are you back on road yet? Has anyone figured out the problem?
saboteur
Turbocharged
If he's not posting, it probably means he's making up for lost time. Good on you, Dan.
dandiego
Turbocharged
Sit back and hear the saga of one man's bad, bad Rocket
Hellfire, Saboteur and Ygransom are correct: I was making up some time. Tonight finds me in the fine city of Winnie, TX. Wanna know how I got here? Sit back and let me regale you of the horrors of riding a not-so-dependable beast...
6/22: Well, this day royally sucked. Big Time. It started off well enough, as Steve and I departed Buffalo and headed to Niagara Falls.
There was a light but constant rain from the moment we started off. The falls on the American side were pretty, but I sure do like the view from the Canadian side. (Does that make me less patriotic?) We snapped a few photos, gassed up and headed to New York City. There was traffic. If you intend to drive, fly, walk, or bike to NYC, expect horrendous traffic. You’ve been warned. (Some great views of the skyline, though!)
Anyhow, by 6PM or so we’d arrived in New Jersey and were waiting in a 1 ½ mile line to get to the beginning of the Lincoln Tunnel when WHAMMO!—my bike died. It made a terrible sound as it gave up the ghost (Steve described it as I was wearing ear plugs and only heard a whine as she died.
Here’s the kicker: I COASTED over one mile from the bridge to the tollbooths at the Lincoln Tunnel—between trucks and buses and cars filled with angry New Yorkers—where Steve expertly blocked traffic and guided me into a large NJ Transit parking lot. This was fairly miraculous as—well, did I mention the horrendous traffic? Oh, yes, and this was during rush hour. RUSH HOUR IN JERSEY, PEOPLE!
I tinkered with the bike. I called my Triumph dealer in San Diego for advice. A few other NJ types tinkered with the bike. Then it rained rats and dogs, as we were in New Jersey, after all. (Sorry NJ, folks, just SoCal humor.)
The transit lot was closing, the hotels locally were full and it was raining rats and dogs. Oh, what to do? I booked a $200 room nearby (the “last one” available. Uh, huh.), I called AMA Roadside Assistance for a tow (we’ll be there within the hour. Uh, huh.), and I sat and fumed about dependability issues with this Triumph.
I’m losing faith in this bike. It’s been on the back of a wrecker more times than I’d care to admit. Warranty service or not, a bike should not leave a rider stranded like this. Heck, I could’ve bought a Harley if I wanted that!
The flatbed truck arrived an hour late, as expected. Steve waited with me, though I asked him to head to the hotel. Did I mention he’s a saint? A real mensch.
We finally arrived at the hotel by 9PM. We were beat tired and frustrated. We agreed that Steve would continue on as I had the bike put back in order. I spent the next two hours reaching out to some fellow Triumph owners (THAT's YOU GUYS!). There were several repair shops nearby, but only two Triumph dealers within 30 miles. I opted for the one that had the best recommendations—Triumph of Metuchen, NJ. Then I hit the sack after midnight.
6/23: Steve was up and gone by 0530, en route to Time’s Square in NYC and the Lincoln Memorial in DC. I called AMA for a tow to the dealer, but I was informed that, although I was allowed 5 tows annually, I was only allowed one tow with a 72-hour period—so last night’s 1 ½ mile tow had caused more grief.
After explaining to an AMA supervisor— in heart wrenching detail, I may add—I was allowed the tow. Ah, patience, persistence and good ol’ fashioned threatening win the day again!
Triumph of Metuchen actually returned my frantic call from the previous night and said to come on in—they were confident they’d be able to get me in and out quickly. (PLAY SAD MUSIC HERE.) Sure enough, they were waiting for me when I arrived, and prioritized my repair because, “Hey, man, that dude is on a major road trip!”
After only 7 ½ hours of drinking waiting-room coffee and reading waiting-room magazines (from 1984), I was informed that it was hopeless and they just couldn’t locate the problem. But then, I heard the beautiful sound of a sewing machine cranking up (also known as a Triumph Rocket III 2300 CC motor). Wahlah, Adrian, the very sharp Triumph tech, had managed to over-ride the alarm and get my bike going.
(For the record, I mentioned that they would need a special alarm tool—per my dealer’s instructions—when I first arrived.)
I was then informed that they had finally realized, 7 hours into the diagnosis, that they needed a special alarm device. Oy!
We bickered about the cost. I thought it should be free—a warranty repair—and they thought $700 sounded fair. You know, because they’d spent all day working on my bike and all. I then reminded them, with as much calm, grace and negotiating skill as I could muster (after 19 cups of waiting-room coffee), that:
1: This was a warranty repair and nothing I could have controlled.
2: That’s why I had a 2-year warranty—so if the bike died during that time, I wouldn’t have to pay for it.
3: I didn’t enjoy hanging out in motorcycle dealerships and preferred to spend time riding the motorbike I paid a lot of $$ for.
4: If the bike was a dependable piece of equipment, oh, say like a Japanese-engineered machine, I wouldn’t have been bothering them with my silly little problems.
It appeared the service manager agreed and would file it as a warranty repair. I had to pay about a $500 “deposit” pending Corporate’s approval (when my $$ will be reimbursed). They did rip my Data Tool Triumph alarm out--so I'm sans an alarm for now.
I received the verbal OK and rolled out of the parking lot at about 8PM in a state of concern. On one hand, I was extremely happy they’d fixed it and got me back on the road. On the other hand, I was discouraged that it took so long, they wanted to CHARGE ME, and I left them with $500 of my money for no good reason. Ah, we’ll see.
For the record, the Metuchen guys were all top notch, very cool guys. Kudos to Adrian for sticking with it!
NOTE: While I was typing this, just a moment ago, Mark, the owner of San Diego Rocket Motorcycles (my Triumph dealer) called to ask how it went, and I relayed the same story I just told you. It goes without saying that I really like the Rocket guys.
Whew!
(BTW: I'm probably selling this bike. My weak heart just can't take another breadown, especially an out-of-warranty one. I have 2 more months on my warranty and I just hit 31,000 miles. Oy! Expect to see it on this site, FleaBay and C List soon.)
Thanks again for your help and understanding...
Hellfire, Saboteur and Ygransom are correct: I was making up some time. Tonight finds me in the fine city of Winnie, TX. Wanna know how I got here? Sit back and let me regale you of the horrors of riding a not-so-dependable beast...
6/22: Well, this day royally sucked. Big Time. It started off well enough, as Steve and I departed Buffalo and headed to Niagara Falls.
There was a light but constant rain from the moment we started off. The falls on the American side were pretty, but I sure do like the view from the Canadian side. (Does that make me less patriotic?) We snapped a few photos, gassed up and headed to New York City. There was traffic. If you intend to drive, fly, walk, or bike to NYC, expect horrendous traffic. You’ve been warned. (Some great views of the skyline, though!)
Anyhow, by 6PM or so we’d arrived in New Jersey and were waiting in a 1 ½ mile line to get to the beginning of the Lincoln Tunnel when WHAMMO!—my bike died. It made a terrible sound as it gave up the ghost (Steve described it as I was wearing ear plugs and only heard a whine as she died.
Here’s the kicker: I COASTED over one mile from the bridge to the tollbooths at the Lincoln Tunnel—between trucks and buses and cars filled with angry New Yorkers—where Steve expertly blocked traffic and guided me into a large NJ Transit parking lot. This was fairly miraculous as—well, did I mention the horrendous traffic? Oh, yes, and this was during rush hour. RUSH HOUR IN JERSEY, PEOPLE!
I tinkered with the bike. I called my Triumph dealer in San Diego for advice. A few other NJ types tinkered with the bike. Then it rained rats and dogs, as we were in New Jersey, after all. (Sorry NJ, folks, just SoCal humor.)
The transit lot was closing, the hotels locally were full and it was raining rats and dogs. Oh, what to do? I booked a $200 room nearby (the “last one” available. Uh, huh.), I called AMA Roadside Assistance for a tow (we’ll be there within the hour. Uh, huh.), and I sat and fumed about dependability issues with this Triumph.
I’m losing faith in this bike. It’s been on the back of a wrecker more times than I’d care to admit. Warranty service or not, a bike should not leave a rider stranded like this. Heck, I could’ve bought a Harley if I wanted that!
The flatbed truck arrived an hour late, as expected. Steve waited with me, though I asked him to head to the hotel. Did I mention he’s a saint? A real mensch.
We finally arrived at the hotel by 9PM. We were beat tired and frustrated. We agreed that Steve would continue on as I had the bike put back in order. I spent the next two hours reaching out to some fellow Triumph owners (THAT's YOU GUYS!). There were several repair shops nearby, but only two Triumph dealers within 30 miles. I opted for the one that had the best recommendations—Triumph of Metuchen, NJ. Then I hit the sack after midnight.
6/23: Steve was up and gone by 0530, en route to Time’s Square in NYC and the Lincoln Memorial in DC. I called AMA for a tow to the dealer, but I was informed that, although I was allowed 5 tows annually, I was only allowed one tow with a 72-hour period—so last night’s 1 ½ mile tow had caused more grief.
After explaining to an AMA supervisor— in heart wrenching detail, I may add—I was allowed the tow. Ah, patience, persistence and good ol’ fashioned threatening win the day again!
Triumph of Metuchen actually returned my frantic call from the previous night and said to come on in—they were confident they’d be able to get me in and out quickly. (PLAY SAD MUSIC HERE.) Sure enough, they were waiting for me when I arrived, and prioritized my repair because, “Hey, man, that dude is on a major road trip!”
After only 7 ½ hours of drinking waiting-room coffee and reading waiting-room magazines (from 1984), I was informed that it was hopeless and they just couldn’t locate the problem. But then, I heard the beautiful sound of a sewing machine cranking up (also known as a Triumph Rocket III 2300 CC motor). Wahlah, Adrian, the very sharp Triumph tech, had managed to over-ride the alarm and get my bike going.
(For the record, I mentioned that they would need a special alarm tool—per my dealer’s instructions—when I first arrived.)
I was then informed that they had finally realized, 7 hours into the diagnosis, that they needed a special alarm device. Oy!
We bickered about the cost. I thought it should be free—a warranty repair—and they thought $700 sounded fair. You know, because they’d spent all day working on my bike and all. I then reminded them, with as much calm, grace and negotiating skill as I could muster (after 19 cups of waiting-room coffee), that:
1: This was a warranty repair and nothing I could have controlled.
2: That’s why I had a 2-year warranty—so if the bike died during that time, I wouldn’t have to pay for it.
3: I didn’t enjoy hanging out in motorcycle dealerships and preferred to spend time riding the motorbike I paid a lot of $$ for.
4: If the bike was a dependable piece of equipment, oh, say like a Japanese-engineered machine, I wouldn’t have been bothering them with my silly little problems.
It appeared the service manager agreed and would file it as a warranty repair. I had to pay about a $500 “deposit” pending Corporate’s approval (when my $$ will be reimbursed). They did rip my Data Tool Triumph alarm out--so I'm sans an alarm for now.
I received the verbal OK and rolled out of the parking lot at about 8PM in a state of concern. On one hand, I was extremely happy they’d fixed it and got me back on the road. On the other hand, I was discouraged that it took so long, they wanted to CHARGE ME, and I left them with $500 of my money for no good reason. Ah, we’ll see.
For the record, the Metuchen guys were all top notch, very cool guys. Kudos to Adrian for sticking with it!
NOTE: While I was typing this, just a moment ago, Mark, the owner of San Diego Rocket Motorcycles (my Triumph dealer) called to ask how it went, and I relayed the same story I just told you. It goes without saying that I really like the Rocket guys.
Whew!
(BTW: I'm probably selling this bike. My weak heart just can't take another breadown, especially an out-of-warranty one. I have 2 more months on my warranty and I just hit 31,000 miles. Oy! Expect to see it on this site, FleaBay and C List soon.)
Thanks again for your help and understanding...
HellFire
Legend
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2008
- Messages
- 4,518
I'm having as hard a time as you that they would hit you with a bill on a bike under warranty for the failure of a Triumph part, be it factory installed or not. Hell, Triumph needs to be paying for the repair, tow and trip delay costs. Tell they ... "Honda would" ... see what they say then. LOL
Glad to hear you are at least back on your way ... after that I might be thinking a big comfy Honda Goldwing would be in order for the next long trip. Don't hate me for saying it ... you were all thinking it!!!!
Glad to hear you are at least back on your way ... after that I might be thinking a big comfy Honda Goldwing would be in order for the next long trip. Don't hate me for saying it ... you were all thinking it!!!!
BigBill
.040 Over
Dan,
Glad you're back on the road and welcome to Texas.
If you are riding right through the state, you'll be about halfway home by the time you leave it in El Paso.
If you are touring a bit, you can head south on 124 in Winnie, turn right on 87 and take the free ferry to Galveston island (note that wait time can be upto an hour).
Hope the rest of your trip is great,
Bill
Glad you're back on the road and welcome to Texas.
If you are riding right through the state, you'll be about halfway home by the time you leave it in El Paso.
If you are touring a bit, you can head south on 124 in Winnie, turn right on 87 and take the free ferry to Galveston island (note that wait time can be upto an hour).
Hope the rest of your trip is great,
Bill
dandiego
Turbocharged
More R3T troubles! This time in Texas
OK, the first Rocket Rider to guess where I am and how I've fared since leaving Winnie this morning receives a free Rocket III joke.
HINT: If you guessed: Uh, you made it about 640 miles through 113 degree heat, then your bike just stopped. Died right there on the I-10 west in the middle of nowhere.
Then, you waited for an hour for it to cool down but it didn't start. It was kaput--no lights, nothing, as if there was no battery in it at all.
So you called AMA, again, and they sent a flatbed to you, again. Then, the driver stopped twice on the way to the nearest town (Van Horn) for water and a hamburger (2 stops).
Then, you had to pay $100 out of pocket because AMA only pays for 35 miles. But then you argued with the driver because he technically only towed the bike 37 miles --from mile marker 177 to exit 140. And the extra per-mile fee is only $3.50 a mile. But then he laughed it off and asked if I'd prefer another tow truck (knowing full well that AMA had to beg him to go get you).
Well, boys, if you guessed that, you got it right!
I was tooling along at 75 or 80 MPH when I felt a little hesitation--then everything went dead, and then came back on.
I thought I'd hit the kill switch, but I was nervous.
Did I mention that it was 113 on the hot asphalt?
Another mile later it happened again, unmistakably this time. I looked for a place to pull off the highway, and it came back to life long enough for me to guide it to the side. The engine and oil lights initially came on, then nothing. No lights, nothing.
I ran through roadside diagnostics by checking battery connections, fuses, etc.
My guess: The extreme heat killed something. The rectifier? I dunno.
Unless anyone has a better plan, I'm throwing in the towel, getting a U Haul tomorrow and going home in shame.
Do I sound upset? I really do hate to write angry. But, c'mon, how much can a guy take?
And you opine? I'm interested in your input...
OK, the first Rocket Rider to guess where I am and how I've fared since leaving Winnie this morning receives a free Rocket III joke.
HINT: If you guessed: Uh, you made it about 640 miles through 113 degree heat, then your bike just stopped. Died right there on the I-10 west in the middle of nowhere.
Then, you waited for an hour for it to cool down but it didn't start. It was kaput--no lights, nothing, as if there was no battery in it at all.
So you called AMA, again, and they sent a flatbed to you, again. Then, the driver stopped twice on the way to the nearest town (Van Horn) for water and a hamburger (2 stops).
Then, you had to pay $100 out of pocket because AMA only pays for 35 miles. But then you argued with the driver because he technically only towed the bike 37 miles --from mile marker 177 to exit 140. And the extra per-mile fee is only $3.50 a mile. But then he laughed it off and asked if I'd prefer another tow truck (knowing full well that AMA had to beg him to go get you).
Well, boys, if you guessed that, you got it right!
I was tooling along at 75 or 80 MPH when I felt a little hesitation--then everything went dead, and then came back on.
I thought I'd hit the kill switch, but I was nervous.
Did I mention that it was 113 on the hot asphalt?
Another mile later it happened again, unmistakably this time. I looked for a place to pull off the highway, and it came back to life long enough for me to guide it to the side. The engine and oil lights initially came on, then nothing. No lights, nothing.
I ran through roadside diagnostics by checking battery connections, fuses, etc.
My guess: The extreme heat killed something. The rectifier? I dunno.
Unless anyone has a better plan, I'm throwing in the towel, getting a U Haul tomorrow and going home in shame.
Do I sound upset? I really do hate to write angry. But, c'mon, how much can a guy take?
And you opine? I'm interested in your input...
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