I really try not to be dissapointed by main dealer support for older kit.
All I wanted was a standerd service item, an oil filter. Think it fits all the Carb bikes, so not a tall order, methinks.
No one serving at the desk that had spares on...Its OK, I'm a Brit, and I wait patiently with hope in my heart.....
The Guy sitting at the desk next to the one I was waiting at for someone to appear, ignored me, then when someone finally appeared, he said I needed to move to the desk where the guy who ignored me was sitting.
Mr Ignoriant then asked me to wait whilst he shuffled some paperwork, then when I asked if he had a standard oil filter for my Tigger, he went tippy tap, tippy tap, computer says no........Can I order it In.
Really, an OIL FILTER for F**ks sake.
I should have known better, as I thought they might have an alternator O-ring last year......LOL, they had lots of Branded TAT mind you...
Well Done Hertfordshire Triumph...
Sorry,, Feel better now...
Quote from: London_Phil on March 02, 2015, 04:17:58 PM
Sorry,, Feel better now...
No need to apologise. I suspect we've all been through this. (My local dealer does stock oil filters, but usually the parts fellow pulls out the one for the newer bikes when I go to get one, so I have to remind him that there was life before Roadies and 800XCs.)
However the attitude that they are doing us, the customer, a favour by being there is rampant. Very sad, because they are the first to complain about us, the customer, buying our stuff online.
I was in the workshop of Cumbria Triumph the other day, old school clean and tidy by the way, and spotted the electrics test rig for the T400 series hanging on the special tools board. I was mightily impressed.
I buy filters from m&p. Got a Kawasaki dealer close to you?
Quote from: threepot on March 02, 2015, 10:29:25 PM
I buy filters from m&p. Got a Kawasaki dealer close to you?
Are you incinerating that Kawasaki filters will fit our Triumphs??? :qgaraduate :qgaraduate
When I have needed spares and had to go to a Triumph dealer I've never known them having anything in stock apart from when Windy Corner were in business as for filters Hiflo buy e'm on line.
I've dealt with Windy Corner,always had stock.
Quote from: nickjtc on March 02, 2015, 10:46:56 PM
Are you incinerating that Kawasaki filters will fit our Triumphs??? :qgaraduate :qgaraduate
NO :nono Triumph filters will fit Kwakers though :hat10
What I thought was impressive for my local dealer was they were out performed by the local yamaha dealer.
Performance Triumph in Cheltenham can get me a throttle cable in two days, ok seems reasonable, except the local Yamaha dealer, Peter Hammond M/Cs can get me one the next morning!
Why do we bother.
Quote from: John Stenhouse on March 02, 2015, 11:44:21 PM
Why do we bother.
Because we wuv our Twiumfs. And put up with bs to get stuff for them.
Quote from: Chris Canning on March 02, 2015, 11:10:40 PM
When I have needed spares and had to go to a Triumph dealer I've never known them having anything in stock apart from when Windy Corner were in business as for filters Hiflo buy e'm on line.
Interestingly, whilst waiting patiently (and seething inside), I did spot the HiFlo catalogue on the spares persons desk.
Maybe even Triumph dealers are using HiFlo??
Quick Google suggests they are cheaper, and in plentifull supply, and Unless I hear any horror stories about how someone used a non Triumph Oil Filter and the very next day the Dog was repossesed by the ex wifes Repo Company, thus proving that using a non oem filter is a bad idea, thats the way to go....
It seems the way of (Triumph, at least) main dealers. I went into my local one for oil (Triumph now recommend Castrol, no longer Mobil One) and their price was competitive when you take in the cost of diesel to get it anywhere else. However, they wanted seven quid more than the Triumph on line price. When I queried it they immediately gave me the on-line price; but if I hadn't gone pre-armed.......
To try to see their side, most folks that do their own servicing shop on line, in a cutthroat market they have be as lean as possible so don't want to tie up funds in slow moving stock and it's not like a service suddenly happens, it can be planned. I have, in the past, rung to check if an item is in stock, ordered and paid for it over the phone and they've posted it to me. about the same as shopping on line then....
There are two different issues here though, the stock, and the attitude. The only way to improve poor service/attitude is to write to Triumph. If they don't know they can't act. And once they know we can then judge by the response.
I wouldn't be surprised to find similar in most of the smaller dealers, recent experience buying Honda parts was even worse, everything comes through a central site in Belgium and even they don't stock some more common items, they the back order from Japan who then order from their satellite factories (Spain is one example) or sub suppliers.
Aye, last time I went to Honda for Blackbird service items, I asked for spark plugs and the young lady just looked at me as if she'd never come across anyone who wanted to work on their own bike before. "I only book services" was all she could say. Thing is, they used to good before moving in with the Honda car main dealer. Car dealer approach seemed to have rubbed off on them....
Triumph major failing here in the Midlands has been the dealer network I have lost track of how many there have been and then closed the irony!! Triumph pulled the plug on Winder Corner one of THE great survivors because they wouldn't go smoke and mirrors and gave it to Stratstone in Leicester and guess what's happened to them!!!
As for Hiflo used them on the Tiger/1100s and my XT for years.
Think I've only used a genuine filter once . Used Hiflo several times with no problems. Kawasaki filters for the t3/t4 engines are cheaper than original..no surprise there though!
M&P have good deals ..oil and filter £25.
I do appreciate I'm not really the target demographic, and I understand high stock levels are costly, but, I can't reconcile a bunch of overpriced Tee shirts, mugs and the like, a lack of a basic service item, and frankly appaling customer service. Its a damm shame is all..
I think you just put your finger squarely on their target market and I don't think you and I figure near the front of the pack.
Quote from: Sin_Tiger on March 03, 2015, 08:47:03 PM
I think you just put your finger squarely on their target market and I don't think you and I figure near the front of the pack.
I think all the 'new' riders on the roads now are mostly the new merchandise targeted Sunday boys, warm weather and born again bikers, but its good to see the increase of two wheelers, and if nothing else it at least - hopefully - makes us more common place in car drivers minds and therefore increases their awareness.... I like to think so anyway :blah
Quote from: London_Phil on March 03, 2015, 08:36:15 PM
I do appreciate I'm not really the target demographic, and I understand high stock levels are costly, but, I can't reconcile a bunch of overpriced Tee shirts, mugs and the like, a lack of a basic service item, and frankly appaling customer service. Its a damm shame is all..
I've seen this happen on another board where the bike has become old hat still practical and usable but not profitable to anyone bar the owner to make the trade tick over it needs folks who part chop their 18 month old bike for a new one or have their bikes serviced at a dealer the financial input from the guys on this board is minimal to say the least I think the term is we will/have become marginalized.
An opportunity for more independents to start up doing early Triumphs.
Quote from: threepot on March 03, 2015, 02:37:09 PM
Think I've only used a genuine filter once . Used Hiflo several times with no problems. Kawasaki filters for the t3/t4 engines are cheaper than original..no surprise there though!
M&P have good deals ..oil and filter £25.
fram ch6012 is the same filter ....
$4.11 from
Amazon and they will even
auto deliver every 4, 5, or 6months , you pick the interval .
Quote from: Mustang on March 04, 2015, 06:26:33 PM
fram ch6012 is the same filter
Since this thread has devolved into an oil filter discussion........... I read on the TriumphRat site (written by someone "who knew what he was talking about") that we were to avoid Fram filters like the plague because of their build quality. This person threatened all kinds of dire consequences for the motor if the filter spontaneously disintegrated....???
I had a moble oil change business for a couple years and did my best to investigate oil and filters.
The oil industry is very closely guarded and good luck finding the differences in oils. The filter industry is like all replacement parts and quality does vary greatly. Fancy labels and paint schemes and brand names mean squat. Loads of filters sold under different names.
There are forums dedicated to oil filters. Guys taking them apart and comparing side by side. The Fram filter brand is not robust in comparison to others.
It's been long enough since I have studied it I won't give recommendations but I stayed away from Fram myself since then.
Quote from: motoOzarks on March 04, 2015, 10:05:45 PM
The Fram filter brand is not robust in comparison to others. It's been long enough since I have studied it I won't give recommendations but I stayed away from Fram myself since then.
I have to admit I have never used anything other than 'reputable' motorcycle brand oil filters on any of my bikes (but then again, what is 'reputable'???) but confess I have routinely used Fram filters on four wheeled vehicles.
Wouldn't be surprised if Hiflo make the filters for triumph, after all they don't make them themselves.
Quote from: NKL on March 08, 2015, 05:33:25 PM
Wouldn't be surprised if Hiflo make the filters for triumph, after all they don't make them themselves.
hi-flo makes K&N's oil filters ........................... :nod
Mustang,Hiflo refers to the speed the oil flows thru the filter? I've read that the only way to achieve this,is the size of 'holes' in the filtering component,thus allowing 'larger' particles thru? This is why I've always said,there is not enough info available for the consumer to choose what they use :icon_scratch:
HiFlo is a brand name
http://www.hiflofiltro.com/
They may well have a Hi Flow as well....
I ordered some from a local Green K dealer, as cheaper and quicker.
HF401
Regards
Phil
What about one of these? :augie
Quote from: threepot on March 08, 2015, 10:29:55 PM
What about one of these? :augie
Erm, where would one put it?? :qgaraduate
Quote from: threepot on March 02, 2015, 10:29:25 PM
I buy filters from m&p. Got a Kawasaki dealer close to you?
Just checked with the local Kawi dealer (2km away, as opposed to 55km for the Triumph dealer): Kawi filter $10.99. Triumph filter $15.98. Hmmm
Quote from: nickjtc on March 09, 2015, 12:34:21 AM
Erm, where would one put it?? :qgaraduate
You really shouldn't ask questions like that with this lot :bad
Here's a link to a write up on motorcycle filters by a motorcycle guy.
More links in this article if you really want to study. Most links are dead.
http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Filters.html#OilFilters
Oil filter comparison by the same guy
http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/FilterStudy.html
He arrives at the same conclusion I did years ago when I looked into it.
Quote from: motoOzarks on March 11, 2015, 07:15:00 AM
http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Filters.html#
That's the one I had read which says that Fram filters are bad, bad, bad.
While I agree that spin ons are usually different from manufacturer to manufacturer.............we're talking about steamer oil filters ........right ?
buy an emgo filter ,cheap money at most bike parts supply places
buy a fram ....8 bucks or so at most any auto parts store
buy a kawasaki filter
buy a triumph original filter
Buy an stp filter
even a hi flo (other than the media is red )
the bypass valve on a steamer is in the engine not the filter .
take them home and compare ................
wait , what ?........they're all the same :bug_eye
same case, same filter media ,same construction
K&N
(https://www.denniskirk.com/dk/product_images/30/600pix/303573.jpg)
EMGO
(https://www.denniskirk.com/dk/product_images/dk/600pix/dk301677.jpg)
HI-FLO
(https://www.denniskirk.com/dk/product_images/dk/600pix/dk303867.jpg)
FRAM
(http://www.z1enterprises.com/images/parts/DSC03425.jpg)
Quote from: Mustang on March 11, 2015, 05:27:20 PM
wait , what ?........they're all the same
As always, Mustang is the voice of reason!
Yes Mustang,their all the same! My gripe is theres no comparison or data to tell us how well they filter? :icon_scratch:
You can only know what the manufacturers want you to know !
But I can tell you that in over a quarter million miles of steamer travels on my 4 steamers , they have all seen at least one of every brand filter and the oil pressure is always the same (have a gauge )on 2 of the steamers . and there is no surprises in the oil at changing time either .
OIL filter and OIL threads are a lot like TIRE threads ...................everyone has their own opinions of what's best .
and you know those sites where you can send in an oil sample and they'll tell you what's in your used oil for contaminants ?
Well if you believe them , I've got a Bridge for sale .................................
We sent samples to one once , got two different reports of what was in the oil .
according to the reports , one of the samples was contaminated with main or rod bearing material .
and the bike was due to have a major failure because of it .
The other sample's report said everything is fine .
Funny part is both samples were from the same oil change from the same brand new bonneville . :ImaPoser
Quote from: Mustang on March 11, 2015, 07:31:01 PM
OIL filter and OIL threads are a lot like TIRE threads ...................everyone has their own opinions of what's best .
Hmmm. Haven't seen an oil or tyre thread for a while. Perhaps we should start a new one....?? :icon_lol: :icon_lol:
Just kidding. Everyone knows that Firestone tyres and Wal Mart oil are the best choices.
Oh god, what have I started
Now that's what I call research :thumbsup
I have had duff Lubricant Analysis myself but almost every time I investigated I found the reason, be it a contaminated container, poor sampling procedure or just a screw up in the lab. In isolation, Lubricant Analysis will seldom give you a smoking gun and in the cases where I have experienced it, I found that I could have pretty much come to the same conclusion on site immediately using, my nose, a magnet, a piece of white card, strong light and a magnifying glass and some accurate scales and a heart source. I would expect most of our engineers to be able to do the same and if they can't they need some basic training.
Like most of these technical analysis, including vibrational analysis, combustion products analysis, power output and cylinder efficiency measurements, they are largely useless without a trend over a significant period and I'd certainly only use one set of results in conjuction with others.
Now that bridge you have for sale, you didn't buy it from some English guy based on the Thames by any chance :pimp :ImaPoser