Had mainly a good trip to France but spoiled a bit on the penultimate day. I'll post some pics of the holiday next week as I'm off to a wedding this weekend, but here's the story for now.
6pm Wed I got a puncture at 80mph on the Tours ring road. Managed to get it stopped ok but dropped the bike. Unfortunately it fell on a kerb so the crash bars didn't save it; the tank and silencer were damaged as well as snapping a footpeg. Luckily, Mr Triumph forsaw such an event and made the front and back pegs the same so a quick swap and it was fixed. Not so the puncture. Repair kit couldn't fix such a big hole so breakdown recovered the bike. Next morning they delivered it to a local bike shop who fitted a new tyre and discovered the cause of the puncture inside the old one. It was a 6mm drill bit that went right through the tyre, blunt end first! The sharp end snapped off when taking a chunk out of my hugger. Job completed, we had a fast 80 mile dash to catch the ferry and a quiet crossing docking at 9.30pm. A tough ride in driving rain and complete darkness (try turning your wipers off for a few seconds next time you're out in a deluge, you'll soon get a idea of how tough - but not in traffic. Obviously. That's only for nutters like me) saw me home at 01.10am.
Noticed this morning the brakes are worn out too. Lots of work before Scotland.
Not nice, glad your OK, my trip to France ended with a train strike so had to bring a bike home
Not so nice end to the trip, glad it was no more dramatic than that.
Aye, it's funny how these things take you, in a matter of seconds, from blatting along watching the scenery go past, to standing in the scenery watching the traffic go past. And trying to think your way out of it.
Bad luck! Buuuuut shouldn't be too hard to fix up for a man of your talents.
That's so feckin unlucky, you do something to upset the big fella ?
After looking into how I could fix the tank paint, and cost, and that I'm not likely to want to sell any time soon, I've gone the Bagster route. Ask me if I'm regretting selling my first one to Cos...... :icon_evil:
The Blue Flame is coming off until I can re-skin it - probably in polished aluminium to save a bit of weight (and because it's easier to work) so the old standard can will be going back on.
Bugger!!!
Hey BB, Sorry about the fall, but things always seem to work their way out in this crazy world we're ride'n on.
Thanks guys, always positive :thumbsup
Getting to like her little naps :icon_mrgreen: I think I read on another forum that blue flame can supply replacement skins.
Bad luck man :BangHead Why is Murphy still alive?
But how has the tank been damaged with the bars on?
Quote from: Marc on July 07, 2014, 08:41:03 AM
Bad luck man :BangHead Why is Murphy still alive?
But how has the tank been damaged with the bars on?
Why is Murphy still alive, Hello what have I ever done to you :icon_redface:
cheers Spud :thumbsup
Out of interest as I've not had to call the breakdown out while in Europe,who did you use,how long did it take for them to rock up,at some time when I have all the facts I'll tell about my brush with Dutch law on the way back from Assen :icon_wink: but boy the game sure is changing.
Quote from: Marc on July 07, 2014, 08:41:03 AM
Bad luck man :BangHead Why is Murphy still alive?
But how has the tank been damaged with the bars on?
Quote from: Bixxer Bob on June 28, 2014, 10:57:10 AM
Unfortunately it fell on a kerb so the crash bars didn't save it; the tank and silencer were damaged as well as snapping a footpeg.
Chris,
I broke down last month in France, just off the ferry at Le Havre. Alarm failed on my Girly. Rang Carol Nash who put me in touch with the AA breakdown service. They sent out a recovery truck which took my bike to a compound. I then got a taxi which cost EUR600 !! (paid by my insurance) to take me to the gite at Le Mans, the next day picking up a hire car (paid by the insurance).
I phoned the AA over the next two days, trying to find out when and where my bike would be fixed. They seemed to have no interest in getting it repaired, saying that there was a three week wait at the nearest Triumph dealership and I didn't understand what French garages were like. They just wanted to repatriate it back to the UK, and were happy to drop my bike at the quayside in Le Havre, for me to push it onto the ferry !! then be picked up by the AA at Portsmouth and taken home.
Fortunatley I had an alarm plug with me. I phoned Woods Triumph at Abergele and spoke to their mechanic Paul, who told me how to bypass the alarm with the plug. I drove back to the compound at Le Havre and sorted my bike within 20 minutes. I then phoned the breakdown company to tell them I had fixed it, to which I didn't even get a thank you.
It spoilt my holiday and must be costing the insurance companies a fortune.
A big thank you though to Woods of Abergele for their help, and if anyone still has an alarm on their Girly 'GET IT BYPASSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE !!'
Just to repeat and stop the same thing happening to others GET YOUR ALARM SORTED!!!!!
For what it is worth maybe going home doesn't count but when the battery on my K went tits up a couple of years ago the ferry people at Portsmouth said that If I could ride the bike onto the ferry under it's own power we couldn't go.
:thumbsup @Mustang.
Chris, I took out temporary cover with Green Flag through Europeanbreakdowncover.com, cost me about £35 for the week. I rang a UK number and they did everything which included contacting the French office, sending someone out and ringing me back to tell me what was happening. It took about an hour and a half for them to find me. It's worth taking the time with a map to pinpoint your exact location before ringing them. Green Flag don't use grid references and my Garmin, when using the "Where am I?" button, lied and put me about 5 miles from where I actually was. Had I been on my own they'd have sorted a hotel for me as well, but we already had that covered.
Quote from: chinchliffe on July 07, 2014, 08:22:57 PM
It spoilt my holiday and must be costing the insurance companies a fortune.
A big thank you though to Woods of Abergele for their help
Methinks all insurance overheads are eventually passed on to customers :nod and 10/10 to Woods`s for the info, hear nothing but good stuff for that place :thumbsup
Just been reading this thread with interest. I have never had a problem with my alarm/immobiliser but I know they can be a real pain and I have always worried about what to do if the worst should happen when I'm abroad on one of my big tours. I have never heard about the alarm bypass plug trick. I did a search on here and only this thread came up. Can you tell me more? eg What is the plug, where do I get one, where/how does it fit etc. etc. I think I must get one. Thanks!
Ian
I bought my steamer 2 yrs ago,and it has a spyball ,factory fitted? It has never worked,don't even have the remote for it. But it decided to work on the way back from the Scotland meet! Rode for it for ages with the alarm sounding. Got some strange looks! Anyway,I parked up,traced the speaker,and cut the wires. Luckily the imobiliser didn't kick in! Do you think this by-pass plug is fitted to the steamers?
Quote from: threepot on August 07, 2014, 11:09:07 PM
Do you think this by-pass plug is fitted to the steamers?
The factory alarm plugs into the harness at the tail end . and on bikes without the alarm you need the special little plug
which lets the ignition work without the alarm fitted .
Haven't time to look it up this morning, but if you go to world of Triumph, your model and lookon the electrics page it's listed there with the part no. I think they were about £7. Once you have one, to get rid of your alarm, it's plug and play.
Thanks BB. Just had a look at most sections here and couldn't find it :icon_sad: Am I on the right website? Cheers. Ian
http://www.worldoftriumph.com/triumph_motorcycle_parts_catalogue.php?model_id=232917
Hmm, site's changed recently. I couldn't find it either. Try ringing your dealer, he should be able to help. If not, I wrote a bit about which pins to connect together a while ago when doing a Sprint ST for a mate. It's only necessary to get the power to the ECU and the starter going ie two pairs of jumpers. The rest are red herrings or for things like flashing LEDs.
Thankyou. I'll do a bit more research.
Quote from: chinchliffe on July 07, 2014, 08:23:31 PM
Just to repeat and stop the same thing happening to others GET YOUR ALARM SORTED!!!!!
I threw mine away years ago figuring that no-one would want to nick 5 year old Tiger anyway. And no-one would want to nick any Tiger anyway. Just carry a decent Abus shackle lock instead which doesn't arm itself at fuel stops and doesn't conk out if you park near a radio mast etc. etc.
Quote from: Mustang on August 07, 2014, 11:35:43 PM
The factory alarm plugs into the harness at the tail end . and on bikes without the alarm you need the special little plug
which lets the ignition work without the alarm fitted .
And the supplying dealer should have given the plug to the owner. Mine did. I actually kept it under the rear section of the seat in case the alarm ever went wrong. just plugged it in when I threw the alarn away.
Thanks guys,I'll take a look
Quote from: Mustang on August 07, 2014, 11:35:43 PM
The factory alarm plugs into the harness at the tail end . and on bikes without the alarm you need the special little plug
which lets the ignition work without the alarm fitted .
In all markets, I wonder? On my '96 the female plug sits there completely open.