Question About Oil Change.

Have you phoned Triumph customer service?

 

I would. Get the info from the horses mouth, as it were.

 

It would certainly be interesting to hear what Triumph has to say
1. Why were you not given revised instructions from the dealer as per their own TSB?
2. Why were you provided with an out of date owners manual which wasn’t updated by Triumph themselves as they had proposed over a year earlier?
Bung an email to Triumph U.K. Customer Services perhaps

 

With reference to the Tritun online Service Manual for the Speed Triple 1050RS (which all of the dealers use and is always up to date), the oil & filter change procedure salient points are summarised as follows:
Drain the oil with the motorcycle on level ground and on the side stand.
Remove oil filter.
Prefill the new filter with new oil & smear oil on the sealing ring.
Refit the filter prior to filling with new oil.
I am aware of the service bulletin but suspect this has now been withdrawn?
Also I do not understand how filling the sump before fitting the filter would help to prevent an air lock. Surely the sump is already ventilated with the dipstick removed?
I own a 2019 Speed Triple 1050RS & have successfully performed 2 oil changes using the procedure in the Service Manual without any issues, however it is very important that the oil pressure light goes out within a few seconds after starting the engine & not to rev the engine (this is & always has been standard procedure).
Hope this helps.

 

The worryingly horrific scenario is what happens if it doesn’t go out?
Thats why the bulletin originally came out as once its there, it's an engine swap as it couldn’t be resolved by triumph.

 

I couldn’t at first find my copy of the TSB and looked for it online - I came across a post from an owner whose engine had been lunched and changed under warranty due to this issue.
I suspect the air lock probably occurs between the sump and the pump but am guessing as I am unfamiliar with the architecture but perhaps a restriction downstream of the pump prevents the oil from reaching the pump during the fill??
You are making an assumption when you say the service manual on Tritun is always kept up to date - quite frankly, I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if it isn’t.
That said, the TSB having been withdrawn is a possibility but then how do you explain those engines which have been destroyed following a dealer oil change if no remedial action is required??
I would still put my money on Triumph not having updated the manual but it is also possible the revised procedure was a “shot in the dark” piece of BS, much like the famous modified shift assist arm to prevent gearboxes grenading. I test rode a 2018 with Shift Assist and the original arm and inspected its action whilst on my hands and knees - guess what? - no clash whatsoever. That was never the problem in the first place but Triumph claimed it was and issued a recall and replacement part - go figure!!!
For my part, if there is any question that the modified procedure may or may not be required then why not do it regardless- it is not inconvenient, there’s no cost involved and it might just save some engine damage but for my part, I would like to hear what Triumph have to say!!!!! We deserve an official response to this and not just a Gaelic shrug from a disinterested dealer!!!

 

It would be interesting to know how many engines have actually been trashed as I suspect the majority of oil changes have been successful. A competent (?) Triumph dealer should know to stop the engine immediately if the oil light stays on to avoid permanent damage, then investigate the cause and if necessary remove the oil pump to re-prime it. So in theory a dealer should never totally destroy an engine.
Agreed, if the bizarre bulletin 'fix' works then do it, but if it is so critical why is it not now in the Service Manual?
I too would welcome a technical response from Triumph but I suspect they will deny there was ever a problem.

 

They can’t deny it as the TSB is in the public arena.
I will contact them tomorrow and see what they have to say and then report back - might be a few days before I hear but will post when I have the info!

 

This is from @Alan Gilbert btw so thanks to him!

 

OK - I won’t bother them then.

 

I am just curious - and I apologise as I am just angry at the World in general - but hasn't something gone fundamentally wrong if it has all become this complicated to just do an oil change on a motorbike?

 

Hmmm....I'm not sure I am in a position to agree or disagree. I really was in the main referring to oil changes.

I don't really pay attention to the news anymore, as it isn't news, it is 'opinion'. And 'the more sensational the better' as it's all about ratings. Now, in the 21st century everyone appears to have a voice and everyone thinks we're entitled to hear their opinion...whether it is right, wrong, useful or interesting. They just pump it out and we can decide for ourselves. Governments have always been crap, wrong decisions are made, things are often bad elsewhere...it's just now we hear about it everyday.

And, burried within all of that is someone's advancement to make motorcycle oil changes really complicated as well.

Merry Christmas!

 

The new Speed has a sight glass, and it's still impossible to hold the bike level and look at the oil level accurately. I got a rear stand finally, and came up a little short on my oil fill attempt, but nothing alarming.