Just bought a bike...
 

... and already the crap is hitting the fan.

Took a plane and two trains to reach the dealer, and 400 miles into the ride (about 300 miles from home) it broke down and stranded me. In the middle of the night. Miles away from the nearest motel and truck rental place. With no phone service. Awesome.

Come to find out the bike has three outstanding recalls, one of which directly affected the breakdown. It was a Triumph bike sold through a non-Triumph dealer.

Also: anyone know how to cross-reference an engine serial number to a bike's VIN, to make sure they match?

A dealer should be able to do the cross reference. That sucks dude.

can't help out with this one, but just wanted to say I hope things get resolved in your favor. Keep us posted.

PM Curb.

He works for a Triumph dealer.

Where are you local to right now? Maybe someone is close that can help

I just got your message. I logged into the Triumph site and ran your vin...this is what is outstanding...

SB300...which is a mod to the wiring harness from the alternator (probably what caused your bike to stop working)
SB312...this is just for a different spark plug spanner
SB350...this is to change connectors from plastic to metal from the fuel lines to the fuel tank.

hope this helps out...oh and the engine number is on the right side above the clutch cover...set back a little under the frame, you'll probably need a flash light to see it.

Recall SB350 is what caused my bike to stop working. One of the brittle plastic fuel connectors snapped, letting gas spill out freely. Removing the connector prevents more fuel from leaking out, but a broken connector cannot be reinstalled. From what I've gathered, exactly the reason the recall was issued in the first place.

Do I have to remove any bodywork to see the engine number? I just spent ten minutes looking and I couldn't see anything.

Yeah...you'll have to pull off the right side fairing.

Thats sucks Trip :(

I hope you get home safely!

The bike dying is the least of your worries. You're lucky that's all that happened :eek:

I had to walk 6-7 miles to find a motel that night, and then another mile or so the following morning to the nearest U-Haul. Rented a truck, drove back to where the bike died, loaded it up and drove the rest of the way home.

I let the dealer know what happened and so far they seem pretty cooperative. They agreed to cover my motel and truck rental expenses.

Curbie - Know of any major recalls on the '09 Speed3's?

That sucks but it is nice to see the dealer doing something for you.

Wow, way to take accountability! Go them

Seriously... that's pretty fucking awesome and really surprising!

It's more than I expected, but so far it's just words. I'll start with the praise once I've received a check.

nothing that I really know of. If you want, PM me your vin and I'll run it.

According to Triumph Customer Service, bike and engine belong together.

Good to know, but a little puzzling. Frame and bodywork look almost new, engine looks like it was used as a boat anchor.

Sucks you had to walk, but ur young and you'll live.

What bike did you get and was it worth paying for airfare and two train rides?

Normally the walk wouldn't have been a big deal. I had reconstructive knee surgery earlier in the summer, though, and I wasn't quite prepared for such a trek. Sore and swollen for a couple days after, but seems fine now.

It's a 2002 Triumph Daytona 955i, in blue, exactly like the one I bought new more than eight years ago. I never wanted to sell my first one, but at the time I needed the money to leave the state. When I found this one with literally less than 600 miles on the odometer (never titled), I had to have it.

Airfare to Chicago was only $138.70 (purchased the evening before the flight), plus $2.25 for the CTA (6-7 miles), plus another $6 for the Metra train (60-ish miles) out to the dealer. It was the Uhaul on the way home I hadn't figured in...

And how much was this 600 mile 955? Give it up!! lol

Out-the-door for $4,000 even. Before fees, etc, just under $3,500.

My goal this time is to not crash it-- twice-- like I did with my first one.

I really ought to try selling the SV again... no need for two liter-bikes in the same garage... but they sure do look nice sitting next to one another...

Good price Eric. Is it blue?

I haven't taken any photos of the "new" one, but it looks just like my first one (minus the tail cowl, which has become almost impossible to find):

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-...556/cf-955.jpg

I'm not going to mess with it much. A fender eliminator, a tail cowl if I can find one, and maybe an exhaust with a new tune. I'll be swapping out all the old fluids, of course, and probably a fork rebuild over the winter, but nothing more unless something breaks/leaks.

Tail cowls FTW! Bikes should come with them.

I got my bike back, but according to Triumph's website it still has outstanding recalls. Is there a delay in the system or did they not do the work they said they did? Supposedly, the recall-related work was done about two weeks ago.

That sucks man.

And Fuck You for finding a $138 ticket to Chicago. It's always $400+RT whenever I have to fly out there.

Orbitz.com is your friend.

I always do Kayak which I think uses Orbitz. I've also heard that flying into/out of Atlanta is pretty expensive compared to other airports (I don't know wether that is true or not). I really hope they expand the Lawrenceville Airport for commercial flight. Hell a flight from Atlanta to Savannah costs more than a trip to California with Hartsfield-Jackson-Atlanta-(insert other politician name)-Airport.

Also sweet bike. I love the 955s!

I hate that freakin' airport

I found the problem.

Triumpets are OK...the 675 is a badass bike, though hard to get setup correctly.

Big surprise, no check as of yet and now they are ignoring my emails.

Bike stumbles at idle and the throttle grip is very sticky. Took it apart last night, lubed it and the throttle cable, but no difference. Makes for a herky-jerky ride at low speeds, as smooth throttle imputs are impossible.

At least she's pretty...

sticky throttle issues could be the cables are bent too severe to let the cable move freely, or the adjustment on the carb/throttle body could need tweaking. as for lubing the grip, Gas Man and I have come to the conclusion that you should not lube the throttle on the handlebar. Just clean it up real good and make sure it is moving smoothly. Lube in there would just gather dirt and cause some sticky sticky. When we put the mini apes on his wifes Nightster we had to make several adjustments to how the cables were routed to make the cables slide smoothly in housings. Make sure the inside of the housings do get some cable lube and work it in really good.
The stumbling, if its carbed, could be a clogged jet. If its injected, then could be a clogged fuel rail, or injectors.
Hope this helps.

shitty on the lack of response :td:

I bought the bike with less than 600 miles showing, so I'd hoped the cables weren't worn or bent. Dry maybe, but not worn out. As for lubing the grip, I only use dry lubes (like graphite powder) for such applications.

The bike is fuel-injected. I'll be performing a full tune-up soon with plugs, air/fuel filters, etc. If it still runs rough after that, I'll try some detergent in the fuel to clean out the varnished injectors. This thing likely sat for years with the same old fuel in the tank. The fuel pump has been replaced but I'm pretty sure the filter is original.

Make sure the cables aren't too tight to the throttle bodies - that would cause the throttle to stick as well. Someone may have tried to adjust the cables and done a piss-poor job.

Seafoam

Sounds kinky.

It's been almost three months since the bike stranded me and I have yet to receive the reimbursement they promised. The dealer has been ignoring my calls, emails, and certified letters since those first few correspondences, probably just hoping I'll give up and go away.

Anyway, beware Banzai Motorsports out of Crystal Lake, Illinois. I was going to report them to the Chicago area Better Business Bureau, but it looks like several others have already done so (wish I had looked this up prior to purchase):

BBB Reliability Report for Banzai Motorsports - BBB Rating F

Some other happy customers:

Banzai Motorsports is the Worst in the Midwest

I'm out $650 in unexpected expenses related directly to their mechanical incompetence. I also feel I was lied to regarding the condition of the bike and the work they claim they performed. I may have some legal recourse, even with an as-is bike, simply because they let it go with outstanding recalls, but I doubt I'll go that route. Too complicated and it would require trips back to Illinois. Not enough money involved to warrant the effort; just enough to piss me off.

Instead, my plan is to follow every Banzai eBay listing, every Craigslist ad, every Cycletrader ad, etc that I can find and place ads of my own right alongside detailing their tactics and reputation. I'll also be posting on every message board I can find, especially forums local to Chicago.

I won't get my money back, and I may or may not interfere with their sales, but I think other potential victims deserve fair warning.

Anyone in the Chicago area willing to post fliers? :D

I'll be in Chicago from Dec. 20 to the end of the year. I'll personally hand them a flyer. lol

I'd post this on Chicagolandsportbikes.com and see if they have the same view on the dealer as you do. Dealers like this need to go outta buisness as customers shouldn't have to put with this shit.

They may have done exactly that. I've received two responses from my Craigslist ad saying Banzai has gone under and that the owners are trying to open another shop in St. Charles, Illinois. I've also heard that the owners of Banzai were the same people who used to run Chicago Cycle Center (think they also went by Cycle King), who were also crooked. I got screwed by them back in 2002 and had no idea it was the same guys.

Plan remains the same; just have to find the new dealership and confirm it's the same owners.

This thread is exactly why I would never buy a bike over the internet.

Nice: BBB Reliability Report for Chicago Cycle, Inc. - BBB Rating F

Finding bikes online is fine when you can inspect them prior to purchase. It's when you have to travel across the country that you assume the risk. Just the way it goes. Sometimes you get screwed and sometimes you score big. It's gone both ways for me.

I'm sure, I'm just not down with all the risk involved and then attempting to take a bike I've never rode before on a long distance trip.

Argh that's some serious bs

I managed to track down the owner of Banzai Motorsports, Jason Haubner. He was one of the previous owners of Chicago Cycle Center and is now associated with the Chicago Toy Store (4507 Ray Street, Crystal Lake, IL 60012) and the powersports division of Chicago Motor Cars (27W261 North Avenue, West Chicago, IL 60185). If you're in the area and considering purchasing from either of these establishments, do so at your own risk.

I contacted Jason and he actually emailed me, stating that he would have me taken care of "by next week." Next week was a month ago and naturally, he is once again ignoring/avoiding me.

I'm out my $650, but at least I have a name.

101lifts2, just how big are you these days? You said you would be in Chicago right now; stop in, tell him you're me, and scare the shit out of him.