IN MAY 2010 I NOTED THREE BROKEN SPOKES IN THE REAR WHEEL WHILE ON VACATION IN ARKANSAS. SINCE THAT TIME THREE MORE SPOKES HAVE BROKEN FOR A TOTAL OF SIX. THESE HAVE BEEN FOUND INDIVIDUALLY, AS I NOW INSPECT THE REAR WHEEL FREQUENTLY. THE MOTORCYCLE NOW HAS 23,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE BEEN RIDING FOR 35 YEARS, OVER A MILLION MILES AND 30 DIFFERENT MOTORCYCLES OVER THAT TIME, MANY WITH SPOKE WHEELS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A SPOKE BREAK. RESEARCH ON THE WEB NOW REVEALS THAT THIS IS COMMON ON THE BONNEVILLES, ESPECIALLY ON THE 17" REAR WHEEL. I ALSO SEE THIS COMPLAINT IS ALREADY REGISTERED WITH NHTSA. MY MOTORCYCLE IS A 2005 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE THRUXTON MODEL, NOT SPECIFICALLY IN THE DROP DOWN LIST, BUT HAS THE IDENTICAL REAR WHEEL AS THE STANDARD BONNEVILLE. *TT
2005 Triumph Bonneville
Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the wheels. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filings2005 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE MOTORCYCLE. REAR SPOKES KEEP BREAKING. TRIUMPH WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. BIKE IS NOT ON WARRANTY ANY LONGER. BUT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE MANUFACTURING OF THE WHEEL IN THE REAR OF THE MOTORCYCLE. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH IN THE RAIN, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ON THE MOTORCYCLE BECAME CLOUDED OVER WITH CONDENSATION. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE CLOUDINESS WAS DUE TO THE WAY THE MOTORCYCLE WAS BEING OPERATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED.
3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.