2002-2012 Triumph Bonneville America Service & Repair Manual

Triu h 0 n ill T100, Speedmaster, America, Thruxton and Scrambler  erv1 e n epair Manu I Models covered Bonneville. 790cc. 2001to 2006 Bonneville. 865cc. 2007 to 2012 Bonneville SE. 865cc. 2009 to 2012 T100. 790cc. 2002to 2004 T100.865cc.2005to 2012 America. 790cc. 2002 to 2006 America. 865cc. 2007 to 2012 Speedmaster. 790cc. 2003 to 2004 Speedmaster. 865cc. 2005 to 2012 Thruxton. 865cc. 2004to 2012 Scrambler.865cc 2006to 2012

LIVING WITH YOUR TRIUMPH Introduction A Phoenix from the ashes Page 0•4 Page 0•7 About this manual Page 0•7 Model development Page 0•8 Identification numbers Page 0•9 Buying spare Page 0•9 Page 0•10 Pre-ride checks Engine oil level Page 0°11 Brake fluid levels Page 0•12 checks Page 0•14 Page 0•15 Suspension, steering and drive chain Page 0•15 Bike spec Page 0•16 MAINTENANCE Routine maintenance and servicing Specifications 1•2 Lubricants and fluids Page 1•2 Maintenance schedule Page 1•3 Component locations Page 1•5 Maintenance procedures Page 1•7

REPAIRS AND OVERHAU transmission and Engine, clutch and transmission Chassis and bodywork components Frame, suspension and final drive Brakes, wheels and Bodywork Electrical system Wiring diagrams REFERENCE Tools and Workshop Tips Security Lubricants and fluids Conversion Factors MOT test checks Storage Fault finding Fault finding equipment Technical terms explained systems Page 2•1 Page 38•1 Page 4•1 Page 5•1 6•1 Page 7•1 Page 8•1 Page 8•28 Page REF•2 REF•20 Page REF•23 Page REF•26 Page REF•27 Page REF•32 REF•35 Page REF•47 Page REF•51 Page REF•55

0°4 Introduction nix from h Where is the most modern motorcycle factory in the World? Tokyo? Berlin? Turin, maybe? No, it's in Hinckley, Leicestershire, Improbable as it may seem, the Triumph factory in the Midlands of England is a more advanced production facility than anything the mighty Japanese industry, German efficiency or Italian flair can boast. Still more amazingly, the first motorcycle rolled off the brand new production line in July 1991, nine years after the last of the old Triumphs had trickled out of the old Meriden factory. It's important to realise that the new Triumph company has very little to do with the company that was a giant on the world stage in the post-war years when British motorcycle h makers dominated the global markets. It is true that new owner John Bloor bought the patents, manufacturing rights and, most importantly, trademarks when the old factory's assets were sold in 1983, but the products of the old and new companies bear no relation at all to one another. Apart, of course, from the name on the tanks. Bloor's research-and- development team started work in Collier Street, Coventry and in 1985 work started on the ten-acre green-field factory site which was occupied for the first time the following year. The R & D team soon dispensed with the old Meriden factory's project for a modern DOHC, eight-valve twin known within the factory as the Diana project (after Princess Di) but shown at Bonneville by Julian Ryder the NEC International Bike Show in 1982 as the Phoenix. The world got to see the new Triumphs for the first time at the Cologne Show in late 1990. The company was obviously anxious to distance itself from the old, leaky, unreliable image of the traditional British motorcycle, but it was equally anxious not to engage in a head-on technology war with the big four Japanese factories. The new motto was 'proven technology', the new engines were in-line threes and fours with double overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. They were all housed in a universal steel chassis with a large-diameter tubular backbone, and interestingly the new bikes would all carry famous model names from Triumph's past. If you were looking to compare the technology level with an established machine, you'd have to point to the Kawasaki GPZ900R launched back in '84. Do not take this as a suggestion, current in '91, that the new Triumphs were in some way Kawasakis in disguise because the cam chain was sited on the right-hand side of the motor rather than between the middle cylinders. Yes, of course Triumph had looked at the technology and manufacturing of the Japanese companies and naturally found that an in-line multi-cylinder motor was the most economical way to go. It's just the same in the car world, the straight four is cheaper than the V6 because it uses fewer, simpler parts. In fact the layout of the new motor would seem to indicate that designers from the car world had been brought in by John Bloor. If anyone still harbours the belief that Triumph copied or co-operated with Kawasaki, try and find a contemporary Kawasaki that uses wet liners (cylinder liners in direct contact with coolant as opposed to sleeves fitted into the barrels). But if Triumph's technology wasn't exactly path-breaking it was certainly very clever. The key concept was the modular design of the motor based around long and short-throw crankshafts in three and four-cylinder configu- rations. Every engine used the common 76

mm bore with either 55 or 65 mm throw cranks so that the short-stroke engine would be 750 cc in three-cylinder form and 1000 cc as a four. Put the long-stroke crank in and you get a 900 cc triple and a 1200 cc four. The first bike to hit the shops was the 1200 Trophy, a four-cylinder sports tourer which was immediately competitive in a very strong class. There was also a 900 cc, three-cylinder Trophy. The 750 and 1000 Dayton as used the short-stroke motor in three and four-cylinder forms in what were intended to be the sportsters of the range. The other two models, 750 and 900 cc three-cylinder Tridents, cashed in on the early-'90s fad for naked retro bikes that followed the world-wide success of the Kawasaki Zephyr. The reborn Triumphs were received with acclaim from the motorcycle press - tinged with not a little surprise. They really were very good motorcycles, the big Trophy was a match for the Japanese opposition in a class full of very accomplished machinery. The fact it could live with a modern day classic like the Yamaha FJ1200 straight off the drawing board was a tribute to John Bloor's designers and production engineers. The bike was big, fast, heavy and quite high, but it worked and worked well. And it didn't leak oil or break down, it was obvious that whatever else people were going to say about Triumphs they weren't going to able to resurrect the old jokes about British bangers leaving puddles of lubricant under them. As the rest of the range arrived and tests of them got into print, the star of the show emerged; it was the long-stroke, three-cylinder, 900 cc motor. It didn't matter how it was dressed up, the big triple had that indefinable quality - character. It was the motor the Japanese would never have made, very torquey but with a hint of vibration that endears rather than annoys. Somewhere among the modern, water-cooled, multi-valve technology, the 900-triple had the genes of the old air-cooled OHV Triumph Tridents that appeared in 1969 and stayed in production until '75. The range stayed basically unchanged for two years, until the Cologne Show of '92. Looking back at the first range it is now easy to see - hindsight again - that the identity of all the models was far too close. The sports tourer Trophy models were reckoned to be a little too sporting, the basic Tridents still had the handlebar and footrest positions of faired bikes. Triumph management later agreed that the first range evinced a certain lack of confidence, that was certainly not the case with the revamped 1993 range. Visitors to the Cologne Show in September '92 agreed that the Triumphs were the stars, any lack of confidence there may have been two years earlier was completely gone. Any shyness the management may have felt about the Triumph name's past was shaken off as the new Tridents went retro style. Overall, the identities of the original bikes became more individual and more obviously separated; the Trophy models became more touring oriented, the Daytona Introduction o·s T100 more sporty looking and the Trident models more traditional. The factory even had the confidence to put small Union Flag emblems on the side panels of each model, no more apologising for the imagined shortcomings of British engineering. Despite this spreading of the range's appeal, all these bikes were still built on the original modular concept. There was, however, an exception to this rule of uniformity in the shape of a brand new bike, the Tiger 900. This model was in the enduro/ desert-racer style much favoured on Continental Europe but not at all popular in the UK. Here was a Triumph with a 19-inch front tyre, wire wheels and a lower power output than the other 900s. Judging their market as cleverly as ever, the factory held back another new model for the International Bike Show at the Birmingham NEC. This was the Daytona 1200, an out and out speed machine with a hidden political agenda. Its high-compression, 14 7 PS engine gave it brutal straight-line performance in much the same way as the big Kawasakis of the mid-'80s, and like them it wasn't too clever in the corners because of its weight and length. The bike was built as much to show that Triumph could do it as to sell in big numbers, it also had the secondary function of thumbing the corporate nose at the UK importers' gentlemen's agreement not to bring in bikes of over 125 PS. Next year's NEC show saw two more new Triumphs, both reworkings of what was now regarded as a modern classic, the 900 triple. The Speed Triple was a clever reincarnation of the British cafe racer style, complete with clip-on handlebars and rear-set footrests. The other newcomer was a more radical project, the Daytona Super Ill. Externally the motor looked like the usual 900 cc three with 115 PS as opposed to the standard 900 Daytona's 98 PS. Triumph's next big step was into the US market, where the old company was so strong in the post-war years when the only competition was Harley-Davidson and where there is considerable affection for the marque. The name Triumph chose to spearhead this new challenge was Thunderbird, a trademark sourced in Native American mythology. This time the famous name adorned yet another version of the 900 triple but this time heavily restyled and in a retro package. Dummy cooling fins give it the look of an air-cooled motor, the logo was cast into the clutch cover, and there were soft edges and large expanses of polished alloy. Inside those restyled cases, the motor was retuned even more than the Tiger's for a very user-friendly dose of low-down punch and mid-range power. The cycle parts were given an equally radical redesign, although the retro style stopped short of giving the Thunderbird twin rear shock absorbers. But everything else, the shape of the tank, the chrome headlight and countless other details, harks back to the original Thunderbird and nothing does so as shamelessly as the 'mouth-organ' tank badge, a classic icon if ever there was one. The first Thunderbird derivative, the Adventurer, appeared for 1996 with a different rear subframe and rear-end styling including a

o·s Introduction America sissy bar and single seat. That same year, the short-stroke 750 cc motor bowed out of the range, but it went with a bang not a whimper not in a final batch of Tridents but in a limited-edition run of 750 Speed Triples. The bigger Speed Triple's motor was inserted in the Sprint and the result called the Sprint Sport. The reason for using up all those motors was the advent of the new range of fuel-injected and heavily revised three-cylinder engines that first powered the T509 Speed Triple and T595 Daytona of 1997. The first fuel-injected Triumph, the Daytona T595, was a major milestone for the Factory. It represented a change of policy, the first time Triumph would venture to confront their opposition on the cutting edge of technology. In early 1997, the Honda FireBlade and Ducati 916 ruled. The T595 was able to play in the same ball park. Only on a race track could the Japanese and Italian machines be shown to be better. In the real world the T595 was at least as good a bike. The old long stroke of 65 mm was retained but everything else was new, it was a radical departure from the modular concept that had dominated production until now. You could see how the new motor was a lightened version of Scrambler Speedmaster the old triple, but fuel injection was new and the frame was a radical departure from previous practice. Serpentine tubing ran from steering head to swingarm pivot and it was aluminium. Bodywork looked tasty too. Despite what Triumph had said about not taking on the Japanese back in 1991, the T595 came out of comparative tests with the 'Blade and 916 on equal terms. The new bike was also given the Speed Triple treatment and adorned with bug-eyed twin headlights in the fashionable 'streetfighter' style. You liked it or loathed it, but you couldn't ignore it The trouble with the Supersports end of the market is that the goal posts keep moving, so Triumph hedged their bets by softening the 955i's nominal 128 PS to 108, housing it in a simpler twin-beam frame and calling the result the Sprint ST. This continuation of the original Sprint concept was one of the hits of 1999. As a sports tourer, the fuel-injected Sprint ST was right up there with Honda's class leader, the VFR. Some magazines even preferred the British bike. High praise. The Tiger got the fuel-injected 855 cc motor in '99. Not that development of the carburetted bikes was neglected. Triumph got a Thunderbird derivative right in 1998 with the Thunderbird Sport. The Legend TT is the same bike with a different exhaust system and graphics. Up to 1999 Triumph concentrated on big bikes but then they took another giant step towards the big time by taking on the Japanese in the most competitive market sector of them all, Supersports 600, with the TT600. For 2001 the most famous name of all was bought out of retirement: Bonneville. The new Bonneville shared the name, engine configuration and style of its predecessors, the T120 and T140, but that was where the similarity ended. It used a 360° carburetted air-cooled twin engine in a utterly non-traditional capacity of 790 cc. The nostalgic picture was completed by wire

wheels and a paint scheme harking back to the 1960s. A factory custom version, the America, followed in 2002. From a standing start in 1991, the Hinckley factory was competing in all the major motorcycle market sectors . Much bigger production volumes meant the original modular concept was no longer a necessity. By the dawn of the 21st Century Triumph had sold over 100,000 motorcycles. Then the factory was struck by one of the biggest fires ever at a British industrial site. In March 2002 the production line, moulding shop and stores were destroyed and many other parts of the plant severely damaged. Just six months later the rebuilt factory was running at full capacity. The first new product out of the doors was the Daytona 600, a replacement for the TT600. Where the first Supersports 600 Triumph had failed to compete with the Japanese this one was good enough to win an Isle of Man TI. Development of the Bonneville family continued, with derivatives in the form of the T100 and the custom styled Speed master being introduced for the 2003 model year. With the introduction of the Thruxton in 2004, the original 790 cc engine got a 4 mm overbore to increase its capacity to 865 cc. The Thruxton, named after the small 1965 run of hot Sonnies for production race homologation, is styled along the lines of a modern cafe racer. The Speed master and T100 benefitted from the 865 cc engine from 2005. Next on Hinckley's resurrection list was the Scrambler which harks back to the models originally designed for the US market with both pipes sweeping at high level down the right-hand side of the bike and high, off-road style 'bars. The nicely differentiated range was now well established: Triumph call the Daytonas, Sprints and Tiger 'Urban Sports' while the Bonneville and its derivatives are billed as 'Modern Introduction 0· 1 Thruxton Classics'. With an eye on America Triumph then unleashed their most audacious bike yet: the Rocket Ill. (Whisper it, but Rocket Ill was actually a BSA model name back in the 1970s.) They call it a cruiser but behemoth would be a better description, it's the first production bike to boast a capacity of over two litres and the only thing on the roads that can make a Harley V-Rod look shy and retiring. Triumph has gone from hesitant newcomer (or should that be returnee?) to a player on the world motorcycling stage. To anyone who remembers the state of the Briti sh industry when the original Triumph factory closed its doors, that is nothing short of a miracle. Acknowledgements Our thanks are due to Fowlers of Bristol who supplied the machines featured in the illustra- tions throughout this manual. We would also like to thank NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd for supplying the colour spark plug condition photographs, the Avon Rubber Company for supplying information on tyre fitting and Draper Tools Ltd for some of the workshop tools shown. Thanks are also due to Julian Ryder who wrote the introduction 'A Phoenix from the Ashes' and to Triumph Motorcycles, Hinckley, for permissi on to use model pictures of the Triumph models. Triumph Motorcycles Limited bears no responsibility for the content of this book, having had no part in its origination or preparation. About this manual The aim of this manual is to help you get the best value from your motorcycle. It can do so in several ways. It can help you decide what work must be done, even if you choose to have it done by a dealer; it provides information and procedures for routine maintenance and servicing; and it offers diagnostic and repair procedures to follow when trouble occurs. We hope you use the manual to tackle the work yourself. For many simpler jobs, doing it yourself may be quicker than arranging an appointment to get the motorcycle into a dealer and making the trips to leave it and pick it up. More importantly, a lot of money can be saved by avoiding the expense the shop must pass on to you to cover its labour and overhead costs. An added benefit is the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that you feel after doing the job yourself. References to the left or right side of the motorcycle assume you are sitting on the seat, facing forward . We take great pride in the accuracy of informatio n given in this manual, but motorcycle manufacturers make alterations and design changes during the production run of a particular m otorcycl e of which they do n ot i nform us. No liability can be accepted by the authors or publishers for loss, damage or injury caused by any errors in, or omissions from, the i nformation given.

o·a Model development Bonneville The first model in this new parallel twin range, the Bonneville, was launched in November 2000 for the 2001 model year. It combined the styling and character derived from the most popular of the original Meriden models with the technology of modern design and technology. The Bonneville used a 790 cc parallel twin air- and oil-cooled unit engine. Its 360° crank meant the pistons rose and fell simultaneously, but were set to fire on alternate strokes. Twin balancer shafts ran off a gear on the right-hand end of the crankshaft to eliminate most of the vibration, leaving enough to provide some essential character. A central cam chain drove the double overhead camshafts actuating the four valves per cylinder. The cable-operated clutch was a wet, multi-plate unit with conventional springs. The five-speed constant-mesh transmission drove the rear wheel via chain and sprockets that run unconventionally down the right-hand side of the bike, allowing the looks of the original design engine covers to be retained. The engine had a wet-sump lubrication system incorporating two pumps. The rear pump drew oil from the sump via a strainer and distributed it, via the filter, to the crankshaft's main and big-end bearings, the camshafts, and to the transmission output shaft. The front pump drew oil in the same way and circulated it around the cylinder block and head to cool them before sending it to the oil cooler at the front. The cooled oil then returned to the sump. The front pump also fed a lubrication circuit for the transmission input shaft and the clutch. Fuel was fed by gravity to the two 36 mm CV carburettors. The carburettors were elec- trically heated to prevent icing and incorporated a throttle position sensor that transmitted information on throttle angle and rate of change to the ignition control unit (ICU). The ignition system was fully digital electronic. A pick-up coil mounted on the right-hand side of the engine received signals from projections on the alternator rotor and sent information on crankshaft position and speed to the ICU. This, together with information from the throttle position sensor, was used to determine and the ideal firing point. A primary voltage was sent to the single ignition coil which provided the HT voltage to each spark plug simultaneously on a 'wasted spark' system. The engine sat in a tubular steel, twin-cradle frame with removable sections. Front suspension was by 41 mm oil-damped telescopic forks. Rear suspension was by tubular steel swingarm pivoting through the crankcase and acting on twin shock absorbers that were adjustable for spring pre-load. The front brake had an hydraulic, twin-piston sliding caliper acting on a single 31 O mm disc, and the rear brake had an hydraulic, twin-piston sliding caliper acting on a 255 mm disc. The wheels were steel-spoked and ran tubed tyres. In 2007 the Bonneville was given the new, larger capacity 865 cc engine originally fitted to the Thruxton. The engine was all-black with polished covers. A major mechanical change took place in 2008 with the introduction of electronic fuel injection, ensuring the 865cc twin kept within Euro 3 legislation. The throttle bodies were cleverly designed to give the appearance of carburettors and thus retain the bike's traditional look. The year 2009 was significant because it marked the 50th anniversary of the Bonneville name. There were no mechanical changes for 2009, but the bike's styling reflected many features of the 1970s T1400. Cast wheels replaced the wire-spoked items of the 2008 models, the mudguards were smaller and neater, the shorter silencers were borrowed from the Thruxton, the front brake master cylinder had a remote reservoir and decals replaced the chromed fuel tank badges of the earlier model. For 2010, new electronic instruments were fitted and the speedometer was activated by a pick-up off the gearbox rather than via a cable off the front wheel. Bonneville SE A slightly higher spec Special Edition Bonneville was introduced for 2009. It was as the regular model (including its 2009 improve- ments), but with a tachometer included in the instruments, brushed alloy engine covers and a chrome tank badge. The SE model received uprated electronic instruments in 2010. T100 Launched initially as a centennial edition of the Bonneville for the 2002 model year, the T100 was then incorporated into the Triumph range in its own right the following year. From 2002 to 2004 it used the same engine, frame and suspension as the Bonneville, but with added styling cues reminiscent of the sixties machine. Differences included the addition of a tachometer, rubber knee pads mounted on the fuel tank, alternative colour schemes and polished engine covers. In November 2004, for the 2005 model year, the T100 was given a slightly de-tuned version of the new 865 cc engine first used in the Thruxton. Apart from receiving electronic fuel injection in 2008, changes to the T100 have amounted to the addition of fork gaiters in 2009 and electronic instruments in 2010. In celebration of the Bonneville's 50th, an anniversary model was produced for 2009 only with a special logo on the side panels, two-tone paintwork and chromed valve cover. A Steve McQueen edition T100 was released in 2012 in the style of the TR6 Trophy he rode in the film The Great Escape; it differed from the standard model in having a single seat, bash plate, khaki paintwork and special graphics. Also in 2012, a special edition T100 was launched to celebrate 11 O years of Triumph motorcycles and is rec- ognisable by its two-tone silver and Brooklands green paintwork, black mudguards, chromed valve cover, chainguard and grabrail and its tank-mounted jubilee crest. The Bonneville America was launched in 2002 and was designed to compete directly with the cruisers and low-riders so popular in America. It used the 790 cc engine of the Bonneville but with a different crankshaft throw, giving it a firing interval between the cylinders of 270°, and a resultant off-beat feel and sound. Combined with slightly taller gearing achieved by changing the final drive ratio, it mimicked the traditional V-twin cruiser characteristics of the bikes against which it was designed to compete. While the core of the bike remained the same as the Bonneville, with shared frame, suspension and braking components, a number of design features such as the forward- mounted foot-controls, low-slung seat, raked-back handlebars and raked-out forks, and instruments mounted on the fuel tank, gave it an entirely different character and establish it as a significantly different machine. In 2007 the America was given the new, larger capacity 865 cc engine originally fitted to the Thruxton. The engine was all-black with polished covers. Additional changes Included newly styled cast al!oy wheels, and re-designed pillion footrest brackets, fork shrouds drive sprocket cover and front fork shrouds. In 2008 the America received electronic fuel injection and a new fuel tank with increased capacity. Electronic instruments were fitted in 201 0, then for the following year the America received a make-over with changes to riding position and steering geometry. The front wheel diameter was reduced by two inches to 16", the front turn signals were repositioned from the handlebars to the bottom yoke and the separate rider and passenger seats were replaced by the dual.seat already fitted to Speedmaster models. Speedmaster The Speedmaster was launched in 2003 and was designed to be a Bonneville America with attitude. For 2003 and 2004 it used the 790 cc engine of the America but with shorter gearing, achieved by altering the final drive ratio, to give it more acceleration. For 2005 the Speedmaster was given the new, larger capacity 865 cc engine, further detuned than the 2005 T100, giving it more torque at lower engine speeds, and again utilising the 270° crankshaft of the original America to retain the off-beat firing pattern. The Speedmaster had twin front brake calipers and discs, different handlebars, controls and seat, and cast alloy wheels which ran tubeless tyres. In 2007 the Speedmaster was equipped with newly styled cast alloy wheels, and re-designed pillion footrest brackets, fork shrouds and drive sprocket cover.

Apart from receiving electronic fuel injection in 2008 and electronic instruments and restyled front discs in 2010, changes to the Speedmaster were not outwardly obvious. In 2011, however, the deletion of the metal shrouds fitted to the front forks of earlier Speedmasters, a single front disc brake, new design wheels and a host of detail styling refinements gave the Speedmaster a fresh new look. Thru:xton The Thruxton was launched in November 2003 for the 2004 model year, and was the first machine to be equipped with the new 865 cc version of the parallel twin engine. The new engine featured a traditional 360° crankshaft and was tuned to a higher level than those used later in the other machines in Frame and numbers The frame serial number is stamped into the right-hand side of the steering head. The engine number is stamped into the top of the crankcase on the right-hand side. Both of these numbers should be recorded and kept in a safe place so they can be furnished to law enforcement officials in the event of a theft. The frame and engine serial numbers should also be kept in a handy place (such as with The engine number is stamped into the top of the crankcase on the right-hand side of the engine Model development o•9 Triumph's line-up, establishing the Thruxton as the 'sports' bike of the range. The Thruxton had drop handlebars and adjustable spring pre-load for the front suspension, with a steeper steering angle for more agile handling and longer rear shock absorbers. In addition to electronic fuel injection, a number of other changes were made to the Thruxton in 2008; the original clip-on drop handlebars were replaced by a one-piece handlebar, an integral front brake master cylinder and fluid reservoir replaced the separate items of earlier models, and handlebar end mirrors were fitted. In 201 O electronic instruments were fitted and a special edition model with flyscreen, special paint finish and black-painted engine casings was available. The Scrambler was launched in 2006, styled after the dual-purpose street scramblers that were produced in the 1960s for the American market. The engine was the same 865 cc unit fitted to the America and Speedmaster, with a 270° crankshaft and mild state of tune. However, in keeping with the off-road theme, steering geometry was altered and ground clearance raised. The Scrambler was equipped with dual- purpose tyres and high level exhaust pipes as standard, with solo seat and luggage rack, headlight grille, handlebar brace and sump guard available from a range of accessories. Changes to the Scrambler have been few. It was fitted with electronic fuel injection from 2008 and electronic instruments from 2010. Identification numbers your driver's licence) so they are always available when purchasing or ordering parts for your machine. Buying spare Once you have found the identification numbers, record them for reference when buying parts. Since the manufacturers change specifications, parts and vendors (companies that manufacture various components on the machine), providing the ID numbers is the only The frame number is stamped into the right-hand side of the steering head way to be reasonably sure that you are buying the correct parts. Whenever possible, take the worn part to the dealer so direct comparison with the new component can be made. Along the trail from the manufacturer to the parts shelf, there are numerous places that the part can end up with the wrong number or be listed incorrectly. The two places to purchase new parts for your motorcycle - the franchised or main dealer and the parts/accessories store differ in the type of parts they carry. While dealers can obtain every single genuine part for your motorcycle, the accessory store is usually limited to normal high wear items such as chains and sprockets, brake pads, spark plugs and cables, and to tune-up parts and various engine gaskets, etc. Used parts can be obtained from a breaker for roughly half the price of new ones, but you can't always be sure of what you're getting. Once again, take your worn part to the breaker for direct comparison, or when ordering by mail order make sure that you can return it if you are not happy. Whether buying new or used parts, the best course is to deal directly with someone who specialises in your particular make. The VIN plate (arrowed) is riveted to the frame behind the steering head on the left-hand side

0·10 Safety First! Professional mechanics are trained in safe working procedures. However enthusiastic you may be about getting on with the job at hand, take the time to ensure that your safety is not put at risk. A moment's lack of attention can result in an accident, as can failure to observe simple precautions. There will always be new ways of having accidents, and the following is not a compre- hensive list of all dangers; it ls intended rather to make you aware of the risks and to encourage a safe approach to all work you carry out on your bike. Asbestos • Certain friction, insulating, sealing and other products - such as brake pads, clutch linings, gaskets, etc. - contain asbestos. Extreme care must be taken to avoid inhalation of dust from such products since it is hazardous to health. If in doubt, assume that they do contain asbestos. • Remember at all times that petrol is highly flammable. Never smoke or have any kind of naked flame around, when working on the vehicle. But the risk does not end there - a spark caused by an electrical short-circuit, by two metal surfaces contacting each other, by careless use of tools, or even by static electricity built up in your body under certain conditions, can ignite petrol vapour, which in a confined space is highly explosive. Never use petrol as a cleaning solvent. Use an approved safety solvent. • Always disconnect the battery earth terminal before working on any part of the fuel or electrical system, and never risk spilling fuel on to a hot engine or exhaust. • It is recommended that a fire extinguisher of a type suitable for fuel and electrical fires is kept handy in the garage or workplace at all times. Never try to extinguish a fuel or electrical fire with water. Fumes e Certain fumes are highly toxic and can quickly cause unconsciousness and even death if inhaled to any extent. Petrol vapour comes into this category, as do the vapours from certain solvents such as trichloro-eth- ylene. Any draining or pouring of such volatile fluids should be done in a well ventilated area. e When using cleaning fluids and solvents, read the instructions carefully. Never use materials from unmarked containers - they may give off poisonous vapours. • Never run the engine of a motor vehicle in an enclosed space such as a garage. Exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide which is extremely poisonous; if you need to run the engine, always do so in the open air or at least have the rear of the vehicle outside the workplace. The battery e Never cause a spark, or allow a naked light near the vehicle's battery. It will normally be giving off a certain amount of hydrogen gas, which is highly explosive. 8 Always disconnect the battery ground (earth) terminal before working on the fuel or electrical systems (except where noted). • If possible, loosen the filler plugs or cover when charging the battery from an external source. Do not charge at an excessive rate or the battery may burst. • Take care when topping up, cleaning or carrying the battery. The acid electrolyte, evenwhen diluted, is very corrosive and should not be allowed to contact the eyes or skin. Always wear rubber gloves and goggles or a face shield. If you ever need to prepare electrolyte yourself, always add the acid slowly to the water; never add the water to the acid. Electricity • When using an electric power tool, inspection light etc., always ensure that the appliance is correctly connected to its plug and that, where necessary, it is properly grounded (earthed). Do not use such appliances in damp conditions and, again, beware of creating a spark or applying excessive heat in the vicinity of fuel or fuel vapour. Also ensure that the appliances meet national safety standards. • A severe electric shock can result from touching certain parts of the electrical system, such as the spark plug wires (HT leads), when the engine is running or being cranked, par- ticularly if components are damp or the insulation is defective. Where an electronic ignition system is used, the secondary (Hn voltage is much higher and could prove fatal.

2002-2012 Triumph Bonneville America Service & Repair Manual

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