Why Is Triumphs Finishing Not Great

Personally - I think that the accessories for the Rocket range are superb. However the wheel laquer is poor as it crazes badly. I know Triumph addressed this issue either by powder coating or better quality laquer. The tins seem to rust from the inside out - just takes more care.

 

In all fairness my cast wheel bonneville has a really good finish on the frame, wheels and engine. The only thing I can knock it on are some of the cable rubbers sheaths have turned brittle and the chrome (oil) tube between the cylinders is tatty and that's on a 2013 bike

 

Probably no worse than the other big manufacturers. I chopped in my faithful GSXF650 for the T100 and at eight years old it was bubbling a bit on the casings and was a bit rusty aaround the radiator, despite me being averse to wet weather and it being a pampered garage bike.

 

I think that when you see a 2 or 3 year old bike for sale at a dealers that's not in very good nick the reason is probably the previous owner thought why should i bother looking after it i'm going to get shot of it after a couple of years so what's the point.

 

My 955i RS was loosing its powder coating and had no proven fix for the plastic tank bubbling every time I looked I found another, thats why I sold it.

In fairness, it was caused by ethanol and, when built there wasnt any ethanol in the petrol and the powder coating was 17 years old so Im on the fence on this one.

 

Seems to be a function of maximising profit and farming out manufacturing to the lowest Asian bidder. My Thruxton is decidedly agricultural after my VTR1000. The paint is very poor, and the build quality makes me wonder if Triumph have ever heard of the term Quality Control.

The weather has stopped me riding much recently so I have been tinkering with the bike. Cable and hose runs had not been fitted to the guides that are provided, the main loom was pinched between the frame and the airbox, and some bolts had not been tightened while others seem to have been overtightened.

Although I enjoy riding the beast I am constantly wondering what will fall off or fail, which is something I never did on my VTR or the Beemer that preceeded it.