Triumph Motorcycles America, LTD (Triumph) is recalling the Triumph Street Triple RS, Tiger 1200 XCx and Tiger 1200 XCA, Speed Triple S and Speed Triple RS, Tiger 1200 XRT, Tiger 1200 XR, Tiger 1200 XRx and Tiger 1200 XRx LRH and Tiger 1200 Alpine Edition and Tiger 1200 Desert Edition motorcycles manufactured between 2018 to 2020, in the United States for faulty brake pad component. The brand has not recalled the motorcycles sold in the Indian market pertaining to the issue as of yet.
According to the report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 23 Triumph models have been affected by the recall with 3,691 number of potential units. The reason for the recall is a defective brake pad friction material used on the front brakes from the component manufacturer Brembo, which contains a high concentration of Nickel in the compound which does not favour the sintering process and could lead to reduced adhesive area percentage. The brake material could also have a porous compound combined with micro-cracks on the copper back plate could lead to penetration of salt and water promoting oxidation and corrosion higher than the acceptable range.
The corrosive environmental factors could also further contribute to the corrosion process being faster than normal leading to the detachment of the braking compound from the backplate. Consequently, the distance between the brake pads and the brake cylinder could be altered leading to inefficient braking, degrading braking distance that could cause injury to the rider and vehicle. While the unaffected brake pads will work maintaining their required performance the disbalance caused between the dual-disc on the front could also affect the braking performance of the vehicle. It is also speculated that the brake failure may occur without warning.
Having identified the root cause, the manufacturer has instructed Triumph dealer to notify the motorcycle owners and have the front brake pads replaced free of charge. The new brake pads have been tested for rust ratio and comply with other tolerance thresholds. The manufacturer has also corrected the motorcycles on the assembly line with the remedy components.
The recall is based upon a review of factory records and 1% units have been estimated to have the defect.