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Triumples Triple Failure...

squirrls

squirrls

My dad is an engineer
Joined
Oct 26, 2005
Location
Bakersfield, Ca
Moto(s)
06' CBR600RR & '06 ZX-6R
I was talking to my dad, who is an degreed Engineer from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and I was telling him about all the new bikes and when I got to the Triumph Triple he laughed in my face. I, obviously, confused asked whats wrong w/ the bike? He stated that one of the first things he learned in school was the major design flaws for three cylinder engines. The flaw is YOU DON'T MAKE ONE. They can't be balanced right and this causes major wear and tear in the engine and possibly heat problems. Three cylinder engines are not a good idea. although, personally, I think the 675 looks gorgeous... I totally ruled it out of my books the moment he told me this. Don't know if people have already mentioned this, but I haven't seen anything on it and thought I'd share my new knowledge on the matter.
 
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Tell him to go pick up an older 955, and then come report when the thing self destructs. Hint: don't hold your breath.
 
of course he is right! just like when he told you that the earth is flat.
 
One of the problems of the highly educated is that they often don't know shit, or put more kindly, they allow relatively minor theoretical considerations mentioned in passing in some text as being more important than empirical evidence right in front of their eyes.
 
/shrugs

Maybe they designed it differently than my dad had been taught or something. However, no offense to you, my dad is probably slightly more educated in this area. I'm not ruling out that my dad could be wrong. I'm not at all. I mean if they are going to make a bike and sell it worldwide... I'm sure they know something... however engineering is engineering and I seriously doubt that something would change that would allow a 3 cylinder engine to balance well. Maybe they have. Maybe not. If you could show me proof that'd be awesome. I'm just trying to seek the truth and since my dad knows infinitly more about engineering and mechanics than I do, I'll take his word until proof has been shown to me. Proof is not saying "grab a bike w/ 3 cylinders and see if it falls apart" I never said anything about the bike falling apart. I said heat problem and problems with wear and tear (meaning faster than normal wear/tear than say, a 4 cylinder engine)
 
Triumphs have a lot of downsides...being English is number one. :twofinger However, I've never heard of any problems with the triple cylinder engine. It's quite a lovely ride actually and the new S3 ain't a half bad bike if I may say so. ;)
 
xgambit said:
of course he is right! just like when he told you that the earth is flat.
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Don't bash things that you do not know. You obviously don't carry a BA in Engineering and don't have to draw up designs and all that crap on a day to day basis. Shut the fuck up before you talk shit about my dad who probably has way more knowledge than yourself. I didn't grab some schematic of the triples engine (which I think I have in a magazine) I just told him it was three cylinder and he told me what he know. Before you bash someones father, do research and show proof.
 
budbandit said:
One of the problems of the highly educated is that they often don't know shit, or put more kindly, they allow relatively minor theoretical considerations mentioned in passing in some text as being more important than empirical evidence right in front of their eyes.
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I understand this and generally agree. However, my dad isn't just one of those book smart people. My dad is extremely intelligent and logical. and btw, he rode a suzuki dual purpose for 35 years. So he isn't some crappy cager m/c basher. I used to ride dirt bikes w/ him all the time. So don't think he is bashing on bikes because he is a typical cager. He isn't. He might just be slightly misinformed (mostly due to my own fault, bash myself, not my dad)
 
"Triumples Triple Failure..."

How I get the letter 'l' mixed up w/ the letter 'h' I do not know. I also don't know why I added an 'e'... I'll blame it on my sisters laptop since I'm not on my own rig... lol :-/
 
I have a mechanical engineering degree from Cal Poly myself, and I'm afraid your dad is not correct. With proper design the triples are fine or Triumph would not be building them. I would say it is safe to say Triumph's engineers are more knowledgeable than your dad when it comes to engine design. I would love to have the new 675!
 
i'd probably respect your dad a lot more if he want to Cal Tech instead of CAL Poly :p

ask your dad what he thinks of the wankel.
 
Rcorace said:
I have a mechanical engineering degree from Cal Poly myself, and I'm afraid your dad is not correct. With proper design the triples are fine or Triumph would not be building them. I would say it is safe to say Triumph's engineers are more knowledgeable than your dad when it comes to engine design. I would love to have the new 675!
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You're probably correct. Show me proof. Explain to me why it balances as well as a 4-cylinder and how it doesn't have significant wear/tear in comparison to a 4-cylinder. I am not being sarcastic or demeaning. I'm being serious I want to know so I can show him and see what he thinks. (I have no doubt the engineers know more than him, but it still doesn't change the fact that it is possible, Harley put out super crappy bikes that feel apart for years and whos to say Triumph couldn't do the same but for a sport bike?)
 
my daddy said, "boys have a penis and girls have a vagina!"

sorry...always wanted to say that "no it's NOT A TUMA!!!"
 
The 955 is balanced at least as well as most four cylinder engines. If it takes a balance shaft or two, no big deal, since there are *ahem* four cylinder engines that have resorted to balance shafts. The only fundamental objection I can think of off-hand would be balance, so that's been addressed.

There have been numerous three cylinder engines over the past three decades. Triumph and BSA triples, Kawasaki triples, Yamaha at one point, and currently Benelli in addition to Triumph.

It is empirical, not theoretical, to note that there are no known fundamental problems with the Triumph Triples, going back over ten years. No broken crankshafts, common mechanical failures, whatever.

So without knowing more about what the specific deficiency is, it's hard to say too much more.
 
stan23 said:
i'd probably respect your dad a lot more if he want to Cal Tech instead of CAL Poly :p

ask your dad what he thinks of the wankel.
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He didn't get an mechanical degree. He has an engineering degree in another field. However, it doesn't change the fact of what he learned and what he told me. The evidence he showed me makes logical sense. When he went to school, that was the technology they had and at that time 3 cylinder engines hadn't been perfect as I guess they are now. I just want proof.

I don't care if you respect my dad a lot or anything... Just don't bash because of your ignorance like some of these other barfers are doing (and I don't hold it against you that do and I don't take bashing personal when its done in ignorance...)
 
Don't crash your new bike when you get it.

Your avatar is just annoying.
 
Paging Thatch to the Triumph defending phone.

Here's how you balance a triple -
http://www.autozine.org/technical_school/engine/smooth1.htm

The most gruelling of tests surely is MotoGP which sets standards for 3 cyl engines. While not perfect for MotoGP they still perform fine and are great for street bikes. Aprilia tried one last year...
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/21february05_motogpengines.htm

Companies are still developing them - http://www.sae.org/automag/globalview_07-00/03.htm
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/08/new_mitsubishi_.html

Remeber the Geo Metro? Had a three cyl engine and they sold a ton of those. I've personally seen a few with over 150k miles on them with no rebuilds...
http://gtkgeo.50megs.com/

Not to mention many motorcycle manufaturers produced triples at some point. It's not a perfect engine from a performance standpoint but I think it makes for a damn fine street engine. Only Triumph stuck with it.

Sorry dood - too many data points prove him wrong....
 
As an owner of a Triumphe triple cylinder bike, I can say that the engines are more than balanced. You get a hell of a lot more vibes out of a 600 i4 than you do out of a 1050 i3. Might want to mention to your dad that there's this little thing inside the engine called a balancing shaft. You might also mention to him that triples are nothing new and that he should look into the old Triumph/BSA triples that were winning races probably before your dad was even close to getting his degree. There are also those little Jap triples that according to your dad shouldn't have been good bikes. Tell your dad to do some research on the Kawi H2 and H3 engines as well as the Suzuki water buffalo.

Triples are nothing new, and neither is the closed minded opinion of them.
 
squirrls said:
... He stated that one of the first things he learned in school was the major design flaws for three cylinder engines. The flaw is YOU DON'T MAKE ONE. They can't be balanced right and this causes major wear and tear in the engine and possibly heat problems. Three cylinder engines are not a good idea. although, personally, I think the 675 looks gorgeous... I totally ruled it out of my books the moment he told me this.
Click to expand...

Yeah, man. Those old K75 BMW's had a reputation for not lasting more than 300,000 miles!
 
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