[ST] Fuel Connector Help

[David Earl <dlearl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Lisa, et al.

Couple of points:

>Come on.  That's why an RS or ST is a few thousand less than the
competition.  Why put a $10 metal fitting in when you could use a $0.10
plastic fitting.

FWIW, $16,000 BMWs use the same connectors.  (and come with even cheaper suspensions than a Sprint)  
And BROKEN CONNECTORS are different than CUT O-RINGS.  One is  a manufacturing flaw (usually, a ham-fist ALWAYS goes a long way), the other a botch usually done by a mechanic on re-assembly.  The O-rings need to be lubed (silicone is fine, I use spit) and the connectors made very carefully or the O-ring gets pinched, cut , and henceforth and forever leak.

Secondly, Even the most open and honest manufacturer or their importers (which I consider Triumph US to be, based on my dealings) probably won't act globally based on 1 or 2 (or ten or twenty) complaints.  Lisa's response was probably typical.  I'm sure ToA spends much more time and money fixing scratched paint.  The NHTSB, OTOH, will react much stronger on fewer complaints.  I don't know the exact number, but I could venture a WAG that if TEN people filled out OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS that there bikes were leaking gasoline due to a manufacturing defect, they would expect an OFFICIAL answer from ToA.  WAG, part II:  If 100 people filed complaints, they would demand a recall.  That very thing just happened to the BMWs that use the same cheeze-ball connectors.  To the government, this is an environmental issue as well as a safety one.

As for the cheap crimp connectors,  well it the way of the world.  AFAIK, every manufacturer in the world now uses them.  They cost 1/10th what a REAL hose clamp costs and (the REAL issue) they can be installed in 1/10th the time.

If anyone is interested in a solution for the cheezy crimp connectors,  I have a line on very high quality OEM type NON-SLOTTED (no damage to hoses) fuel injection hose clamps.  I can be reached at my tag line above.

David
'99ST

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