2016 Triumph Speed Triple Gearbox Issue

[8IKERDAVE]

I set off from a set of lights yesterday relatively hard and used the Quickshifter to shift into 2nd. Unfortunately hit a false neutral and ever since then 2nd gear has gone very clattery. I limped the bike home (around 15 miles) avoiding 2nd gear, all other gears were fine. My thoughts are I've sheered a tooth on 2nd gear, but could it be anything else worth checking before I chuck it in the van and take it to my local garage?

[Tango13]

That does sound like 2nd gear is fubar. The only thing I can suggest is dropping the oil into a spotlessly clean pan and go prospecting for steel fragments with a magnet.

If you do end up having to replace the 2nd gear pinion I'd get the entire gearbox polished whilst the cases are split as it improves the gearbox from utter ste to ste.

PDJ Vibro in Bletchly are the people to speak to.

[Jazoli]

I've always thought that using a QS from 1st to 2nd gear is a bad idea and never have on any bike I've owned with one, it does sound like its knackered 2nd gear

[Tango13]

Jazoli said:

I've always thought that using a QS from 1st to 2nd gear is a bad idea and never have on any bike I've owned with one, it does sound like its knackered 2nd gear

I was watching the superbikes at Cadwell last year and as they went 1st to 2nd out of the chicane before the mountain you could see air under the rear tyre as the load came off the transmission and the tyre rebounded.

I use the clutch 1st to 2nd and the only problem is that sometimes it doesn't feel like it's changed gear as it's too smooth IYSWIM?

[8IKERDAVE]

No I typically don't use the QS from 1st to 2nd unless I'm gunning it (which I was) and it's normally faultless.

[Steve Bass]

You might have sheared a dog off if you hit a false neutral and thenbsnged it back into 2nd at higher rpm. Drop the oil into a clean pan and start fishing with a magnet.....

[Andybow]

I had the same on my speed RS a few times but never used the QS between 1st and 2nd, had it a few times from 3rd to 4th to 5th, the gearbox on speeds seam to be not man enough for the job. It kept going back to the dealers and they always said it was cured, happened so many times I got rid

[8IKERDAVE]

Andybow said:

I had the same on my speed RS a few times but never used the QS between 1st and 2nd, had it a few times from 3rd to 4th to 5th, the gearbox on speeds seam to be not man enough for the job. It kept going back to the dealers and they always said it was cured, happened so many times I got rid

Interesting! What did they diagnose it as mate? Did you end up having any work done in the gearbox?

[Andybow]

8IKERDAVE said:

Interesting! What did they diagnose it as mate? Did you end up having any work done in the gearbox?

They had the bike in 3 times and said it was the quickshifter rod fowling the shift arm which I new it wasn’t, my bike was the first one to have a adapted shift arm made by triumph, since then all speeds with a quickshifter have them (basically a cut out on the actuator arm)
I reckon 4 th gear was particularly fked, I would bang it up a gear and it would hit a false neutral then bang into gear, I’ve heard a few bikes with similar issues and others with none, apart from that I never really trusted it so traded it in, great bike but I think the QS/blipper is a afterthought and the gearbox isn’t developed with it. Keith huewen mentioned the moto 2 bikes have been having a few gearbox issues with false neutrals etc?!?
I’m interested in the all new speed when it comes out next year but will wait and hear about any potential issues

[Tango13]

False neutrals on the 955/1050 are usually down to the chain not being adjusted and lubed spot on.

Another recurring problem with the 955/1050 and other Triumphs is the front sprocket retaining nut working very slightly loose, the tab washer stops it coming off completely but it allows a small amount of play between the sprocket and the output shaft which is enough to cause problems with the chain tension and thus false neutrals.

[Ho Lee Kau]

Andybow said:

8IKERDAVE said:

Interesting! What did they diagnose it as mate? Did you end up having any work done in the gearbox?

They had the bike in 3 times and said it was the quickshifter rod fowling the shift arm which I new it wasn’t, my bike was the first one to have a adapted shift arm made by triumph, since then all speeds with a quickshifter have them (basically a cut out on the actuator arm)
I reckon 4 th gear was particularly fked, I would bang it up a gear and it would hit a false neutral then bang into gear, I’ve heard a few bikes with similar issues and others with none, apart from that I never really trusted it so traded it in, great bike but I think the QS/blipper is a afterthought and the gearbox isn’t developed with it. Keith huewen mentioned the moto 2 bikes have been having a few gearbox issues with false neutrals etc?!?
I’m interested in the all new speed when it comes out next year but will wait and hear about any potential issues

Since I am very interested in purchasing Speed Triple RS, with quickshifter, I sifted through internet looking for typical RS problems and very quickly arrived at this:

https://www.thetriumphforum.com/threads/speed-trip...

What you describe corresponds 100% with what people write there. I haven't finished the whole thread, but it seems modified linkage fixes the problems, unless you have already fked up your gearbox by quick-shifting at higher revs into 4th and 5th.

When I test rode the Speed RS last week I realized 3 things:

1. Suzuki GSXR1000R QS/Blipper is very good, smooth, no jerks/bangs up or down, at basically any rpm, even below 3000, even from 2nd to 1st and from 1st to 2nd. I use QS/B in all gears, including 1 and 2.

2. Comparing to the QS on my 2014 Daytona 675 the QS on Speed seems to have improved a little, but Blipper shifting from 2nd to 1st was an unpleasant eye-opener (that after Suzuki), the whole bike shuddered and the clank was very loud. I was very surprised that Triumph still hasn't perfected that piece of technology. I did have one false neutral on Speed RS.

3. QS/B on Street RS seems to work much better than on Speed RS.

I really liked the Speed RS. I took it out first, then I took out Street RS and it seemed to be more exciting (certainly much lighter), then I took Speed out again and I liked the Speed RS more, heavier but more planted, sounds better, more multi-purpose (pulls up the hills in 4th and one can totally relax) and it does not make me wanna go faster like Street RS does, even though I preferred to ride Speed in 2nd gear and Street in 3rd!

Anyway, what I wanted to say, maybe you damaged your gearbox BEFORE you have replaced the QS linkage and the problem was not gearbox per se but the linkage.

[Yazza54]

Steve Bass said:

You might have sheared a dog off if you hit a false neutral and thenbsnged it back into 2nd at higher rpm. Drop the oil into a clean pan and start fishing with a magnet.....

Damaged dogs was my thought too, not a tooth on the gear. Either way though it's a strip down.

Quick shifter or not I've always used the clutch 1st to second, or a well timed and positive lift and shift.

[the cueball]

Jazoli said:

I've always thought that using a QS from 1st to 2nd gear is a bad idea and never have on any bike I've owned with one, it does sound like its knackered 2nd gear

Read the OP and thought to myself, am I the only ones that doesn’t use my QS 1st to 2nd.

I thought that was a complete no no.

Can’t help with your gearbox OP, hope it’s not too bad.!

[trickywoo]

the cueball said:

Read the OP and thought to myself, am I the only ones that doesn’t use my QS 1st to 2nd.

I thought that was a complete no no.

Can’t help with your gearbox OP, hope it’s not too bad.!

They are supposed to work 1st to 2nd but I don’t do it either. Just doesn’t seem like a good idea.

[jrich123]

I can't help with the mechanical advice on this but had similar false neutrals on my speed between 1st and 2nd.

When I viewed the bike, it had no QS but dealer fitted on my request. At first a few false neutrals between 1st and 2nd, seemed to get better with a real firm nudge up but got p!ssed off with it so use the clutch 1st to 2nd now. Not to mention the rather embarrassing traffic light start and revving the t!ts off it as it hit the false neutral! The rest of the QS up the box is as smooth as silk, hardly feel the change.

Dealer said nothing wrong with it (as I what I expected them to say) when went in for its service.

The street I had previously was quite the opposite, all QS up the box smooth as silk even 1st to 2nd, but the gearbox when cold and idling in neutral sounded like it had socket stuck in the box! Sounded awful. No noise when warm. The dealer said "they all do that sir". But the speed is silent at idle.

[trickywoo]

jrich123 said:

The street I had previously was quite the opposite, all QS up the box smooth as silk even 1st to 2nd, but the gearbox when cold and idling in neutral sounded like it had socket stuck in the box! Sounded awful. No noise when warm. The dealer said "they all do that sir". But the speed is silent at idle.

I had that noise on my Street also. One of the reasons I sold it after just a few months.

On my bike I could feel it also and while it was quieter when warm it still sounded dreadful and like it was ready to destroy itself.

[8IKERDAVE]

So a quick update. The dealer I purchase the bike from in February kindly offered to collect my bike and take it to a Triumph dealer local to them for a diagnosis.

It transpires that the 2nd gear is screwed and needs replacing. They haven't fully investigated it yet but I've been informed I'm looking at a bill of £1300-£1500 unless there is more internal damage.

I'm pretty pissed off about the whole thing, the bike wasn't even 4 years old when I bought it with a measley 2,200 miles on. I look after it fastidiously as I do all my vehicles so this came completely out of the Blue. I have written to Triumph to exercise my dissatisfaction and will wait to see if they offer to help in anyway. I understand its a mechanical machine and things go wrong but a catastrophic gearbox failure goes a bit beyond that. The bikes never been on track, always warmed up properly, etc.

I'll wait and see what Triumph say but I'm not holding my breath. If they aren't any use I'll more than likely be going back Japanese next year!

[trickywoo]

8IKERDAVE said:

I'll wait and see what Triumph say but I'm not holding my breath. If they aren't any use I'll more than likely be going back Japanese next year!

Triumph will give you zero help. They don't care they turn out rubbish bikes. There are enough people who keep buying them whatever it doesn't matter.

I'll never own a Triumph again.

[WarnieV6GT]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Yes it was me. My 2017 R was a lot better after adjustment but I'm still getting the odd false neutral which is putting me off using it most of the time.

And after reading this thread I think I'll sack it off altogether.

I was planning to keep this bike for longer than my usual year because even now its only on 4100 miles. But unless the dealer can sort it out on the next service which is due now I will be selling it.

Shame as I love the looks and sound and it seems to be just right power wise for the road.

Edited by WarnieV6GT on Saturday 26th September 08:14

[Ho Lee Kau]

8IKERDAVE said:

So a quick update. The dealer I purchase the bike from in February kindly offered to collect my bike and take it to a Triumph dealer local to them for a diagnosis.

It transpires that the 2nd gear is screwed and needs replacing. They haven't fully investigated it yet but I've been informed I'm looking at a bill of £1300-£1500 unless there is more internal damage.

I'm pretty pissed off about the whole thing, the bike wasn't even 4 years old when I bought it with a measley 2,200 miles on. I look after it fastidiously as I do all my vehicles so this came completely out of the Blue. I have written to Triumph to exercise my dissatisfaction and will wait to see if they offer to help in anyway. I understand its a mechanical machine and things go wrong but a catastrophic gearbox failure goes a bit beyond that. The bikes never been on track, always warmed up properly, etc.

I'll wait and see what Triumph say but I'm not holding my breath. If they aren't any use I'll more than likely be going back Japanese next year!

That sucks.

I am very fond of Triumph and of Speed Triple.
That is why I just bought a new Speed Triple RS.

I could have bought a second hand one, but I decided against it, exactly because of the QS+gearbox problems.
I am going into this ownership with eyes open, I have read the forums and know about destroyed gearboxes.
I will get 2 more years of warranty as soon as I can (currently it is not available in Switzerland).
I have ordered QS installed on the bike.
The shifting times are very long, feels prehistoric that QS compared to my GSXR1000R.
I shift from 1 to 2 and from 2 to 1 on GSXR1000 very often, it works absolutely splendid.
I would not do it on Speed Triple, especially 2 to 1.

I guess there are no ideal bikes.
Speed Triple RS - the QS/B is the biggest problem, I think shifting by hand is ok, the gearbox seems to be ok.