Tl* the contact owns a 2010 triumph thunderbird. The contact stated that the motorcycle made an abnormal noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the alignment needed to be readjusted. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
The worst 2010 Triumph Thunderbird problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Acceleration3
- Fuel system2
- Brakes1
- Electrical1
- Engine1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Acceleration3
- Fuel system2
- Brakes1
- Electrical1
- Engine1
- Suspension1
Recalls 1
Equipment
- What is wrong
- Triumph is recalling certain model year 2010 thunderbird and thunderbird ABS motorcycles manufactured from september 2009 through august 2010. These motorcycles were built with an incompatible thread locker/screw combination at the front fender mounting.
- Risk
- The screws may work loose and the screw heads can contact the side wall of the front tire, leading to tire deflation, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install new screws, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during june 2011. Owners may contact triumph customer service department at 1‑678‑539‑8782.
Recall number 11V277000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird 98
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Dealer notice announcing the availability of Daignostic software and dealers should begin using it...
- Dealer notice advising to check for an immobiliser software update before replacing any TPMS components on...
- Dealer notice announcing the availability of Triumph Diagnostic Tool 2026-07 and dealers should begin...
- Dealer notice announcing the availability of Triumph Diagnostic Tool 2026-06.1 and dealers should begin...
- Dealer notice announcing the availability of Technical Bulletin 264.
- Dealer notice announcing the availability of Triumph Diagnostic Tool version 2026-06 and dealers should...
- Technical Bulletin 264 provides instructions that relates to: Triumph Diagnostic Tool
- Dealer notice advising the availalbility of TDT version 2026-05.2 which resolves the ABS as Not Connected...
- Dealer notice announcing the availability of Diagnostic software 2026-05.1 and dealers should begin using...
- Dealer notice reminding of Motorcycle Cleaning, prohibited use of High-Pressure & Steam Cleaning equipment.
What 2010 Triumph Thunderbird owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Turning right from a side street onto a major road, I began accelerating and the throttle became inoperative, snapping immediately back to idle speed. Subsequent turning of the throttle grip had no effect. There was traffic on the major road that fortunately was able to slow down in response to my unexpected and sudden loss of speed. The attachment for the throttle cable snapped off of the throttle grip assembly. My grips were authentic oem triumph accessories - heated grips. Apparently, this is a not an infrequent failure. Triumph has superseded the original accessory kit with a later part number, but could not tell me if the supersession involved a material or design change for the throttle grip assembly. The throttle operated perfectly and then failed without any warning. There was no excessive freeplay in the throttle linkage, nor did it bind in any way prior to the failure.
This happens when shutting the throttle off to make a corner or a stop light, or to adjust speed in traffic. The engine backfires through the intake of the throttle bodies and the airbox under the vehicle seat and dies. There is no warning this is about to happen and the engines dies and you are stranded in traffic while you coast to a stop, find neutral and the engine usually starts as nothing has happened and runs normally until the next time.
While traveling down a long steep incline at approximately 40 MPH,and down shifting to slow the motorcycle,the motor stack fired thru the throttle bodies and quit for no apparent reason. As luck had it,there was no traffic on the road at the time. However,if I had to accelerate at that instant to avoid another vehicle,it would have created a tense situation to say the least. When I got close enough to the bottom of the hill,I let the clutch out to restart the motor while the machine was still moving and was successful. All was well after that and the problem hasn't occurred since. This was the first time that this has happened, but gives you a little rush as far as control of the vehicle goes. I understand others who own the same motorcycle are having the same problem.
I was driving my 2010 triumph thunderbird motorcycle to work and the assembly that attaches the throttle cable to the throttle grip froze. I had not throttle control and had to coast the bike to a safe stop on the left shoulder of a highway. This was the second time in a year that this has happened. This is a known issue of the factory heated grips. After repeated heating, they get brittle and the attachment to the throttle cable breaks. This is the second time this has happened to me in a year. What was particularly scary about this incident is that my throttle was stuck in the "open" position and I had to twist the grip really hard to get it unstuck, which broke the assembly. Thankfully I was able to pull over safely. The first time this happened, triumph replaced this under warranty. The second time, they covered the costs as well for customer goodwill, for which I am grateful. In reading the triumph forums, it is common for this assembly to break. I'm attaching a link to the relevant forum article here. Http://www.triumphrat.net/thunderbird-cruiser-chat/183312-busted-throttle.html please investigate this as this is a very dangerous design flaw and could lead to significant injury or death.
The rear brakes on my 2010 triumph thunderbird began making noise. I took the bike into the dealer and apparently the brake pads are worn to nothing and the rotor is worn to the point of having to be replaced. The bike only has 4000 miles on it and the first scheduled maintenance check on the brakes is 6000 miles. In addition to this issue, the speedometer on the bike has stuck 3 times but the dealer has not been able to witness this issue and so they will not replace the speedometer. It will sometimes show a much slower speed than actually traveling and at other times has shown a much higher speed than is actually being traveled (e.g. Shows 30 MPH when doing 55 and shows 100 MPH when doing 60). Usually clears when motorcycle is turned off.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 triumph thunderbird motorcycle. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign id number: 11v277000 (equipment) and the dealer was contacted. The dealer advised that the part needed for repairs was not readily available. The contact stated that the recall had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for anticipated repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 3,400. Updated 09/15/11 *bf updated 11/28/11
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Questions about the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird
Is the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird reliable?
Owners have filed 7 complaints about the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird, 1.8 times a typical Thunderbird model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird?
Acceleration and speed control, with 3 complaints. Next is fuel system (2).
How many recalls does the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird have?
1 recall, covering equipment.
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