VOL. 52 ISSUE 37 SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 P35
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
JOHN
GASSO
TRIUMPH SLAMMED WITH $2.9 MILLION FINE
F
our little bolts near the steering head have
caused Triumph a world of financial pain.
The National Highway Transport Safety Admin-
istration has imposed a $2.9 million civil penalty
to Triumph Motorcycles Ltd and Triumph Motor-
cycle (America) Ltd for violations of Safety Act re-
porting requirements and failure to fully respond
to communications from NHTSA.
"Manufacturers must comply with their report-
ing obligations. The law requires it, and public
safety demands it," said U.S. Transportation
Secretary Anthony Foxx. "When companies fail
to meet those obligations, we will hold them ac-
countable."
The penalty comes after Triumph's 2014 recall
of more than 1300 Street Triple R machines
where four bolts that hold cable guides to either
side of the headstock could work loose, which
could reduce the available steering lock and
cause a crash.
Triumph UK had issued the recall on June 10,
2013, however the U.S. recall was not instigated
until September 2014, some 15 months later.
This April, the NHTSA began an investigation
into whether Triumph had violated the require-
ment to report the defect in a timely manner, and
into other potential violations, including failure
to submit quarterly reports on recall completion
rates, failure to supply copies of technical service
bulletins, and failure to file early warning data
reports on death and injury claims,
warranty data and other information.
Under a consent order issued to
Triumph, the company must pay a $1.4
million cash penalty and must spend
at least $500,000 meeting a series
of requirements to improve its safety
practices. An additional $1 million in
penalties could become due if the
company violates the consent order
or if additional Safety Act violations
emerge. CN
work for their new Mission R and Mission RS
electric superbikes.
Seeger is still embroiled in a lawsuit with
his former partner Vincent Ip. Mission Motor-
cycles filed a suit in December 2013 claiming
Ip signed a stock restriction agreement that
allowed the company to buy his shares if he
left the company, which he did in Novem-
ber 2013. Ip has since countersued, saying
he was duped into signing the agreement
and that Seeger refused to reveal Mission's
finances to Ip. CN
Triumph has been hit by a hefty $2.9 million fine.
Mission
Motorcycles is
no more, but the
troubles haven't
stopped for
CEO, Mark
Seeger.
