2001 Triumph Bonneville

SPOKE BROKE IN THE REAR WHEEL OF MY 2001 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE WHILE RIDING ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

REAR WHEEL SPOKE BROKE WHILE RIDING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH - LEFT, OUTER SPOKE. SPOKE THEN PIERCED THE INNER TUBE CAUSING A FLAT TIRE AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER AND MANEUVER THE MOTORCYCLE TO A NEARBY GAS STATION TO ARRANGE FOR PICKUP. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE WHEEL, I NOTICED THAT THE DESIGN OF THE HUB FLANGE IS ANGLED OUTWARD, PUTTING ADDITIONAL STRESS ON THE SPOKES WHERE THEY BEND AT THE HUB, CAUSING THEM TO ALL CURVE OR BEND, RATHER THAN GO STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE HUB AND THE RIM. THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN ALL OTHER MOTORCYCLES I'VE OWNED SINCE 1971 AND APPEARS TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE. I HAVE SPOKEN OR HAD CORRESPONDENCE WITH APPROXIMATELY 90 OTHER OWNERS OF 2001-2007 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLES WHO HAVE HAD SIMILAR FAILURES HOWEVER VERY FEW HAVE REPORTED THEM TO THE NHSTA. MORE INFORMATION ON THESE INDIVIDUALS CAN BE PROVIDED TO THE NHSTA PRIVATELY UPON REQUEST. *TR

REAR WHEEL: SPOKE ON LEFT SIDE FAILED AT POINT WHERE SPOKE CONNECTS TO HUB. BROKEN SPOKE DID NOT CAUSE FLAT TIRE IN THIS INSTANCE BUT COULD HAVE AS SPOKE REMNANT WAS STICKING OUT BEYOND THE HUB AND IF IT HAD CAUGHT ON ANY STATIC STRUCTURE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVEN INTO THE TUBE AND TIRE. VEHICLE IS 2001 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE MOTORCYCLE. *JB

I HAVE HAD 3 SPOKES BREAK ON THE REAR WHEEL, ON THE 3RD TIME IT CAUSED A FLAT AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *JB

DT: WHILE RIDING A 2001 TRIUMPH, BONNEVILLE MOTORCYCLE THERE IS A RECURRENT PROBLEM OF THE SPOKES BREAKING OFF ON THE REAR WHEEL. ON THE REAR WHEEL THERE WERE FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPOKES, THE SAME SPOKE KNOWN AS THE OUTSIDE LEFT HAND SPOKE WAS THE SPOKE THAT CONTINUED TO BREAK. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT OR DAMAGE TO THE MOTORCYCLE OR WHEEL. IT SIMPLY OCCURRED ON ITS OWN. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS, THEY REPLACED THE SPOKE. THE DEALER DID NOT KNOW WHY THIS FAILURE OCCURRED. THERE WAS NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL OR RIM. THIS FAILURE HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD AT 70 MPH, AND THE FAILURE RESULTED IN A FLAT TIRE. A CRASH WAS SOMEHOW AVOIDED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER AUTHORIZED TRIUMPH DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE DEALER COULD NOT OFFER A REASON FOR THIS FAILURE. CONSUMER BECAME CONCERNED AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE ISSUE. TRIUMPH, AMERICA WOULD NOT OFFER ANY REMEDY FOR THE CONSUMER, THEY STATED THIS WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO IMPROPER MAINTENANCE OR SOME SORT OF ROAD HAZARD. THIS IS STILL A PROBLEM ON THE MOTORCYCLE AT THIS TIME. TRIUMPH AMERICA,MODEL OF BONNEVILLE, 2001. *NM

BROKEN SPOKE ON REAR WHEEL OF 2001 BONNEVILLE, FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *JB

BROKEN SPOKE IN THE REAR WHEEL OF MY 2001 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE. THE BIKE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY WELL MAINTAINED, AND NEVER ABUSED. I WOULD NOT BE CONCERNED IF SO MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE NOT HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE OF REAR WHEEL SPOKE BREAKAGE. CONSIDERING THERE ARE ONLY 2 WHEELS ON A MOTORCYCLE, AND ONE HAS A HISTORY SPOKE BREAKAGE, THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION WAITING TO HAPPEN. THANKS, PHIL. *JB