Triumph Speedmaster 865cc (2009-2016) Maintenance Schedule
This is the maintenance schedule with associated service intervals for the Triumph Speedmaster motorcycle made with the previous generation 865cc fuel-injected engine.
It’s very similar to those for other motorcycles with similar engines, like the Triumph Thruxton of the time.
Triumph improved its 865cc parallel twin engine with a 270-degree crank by adding fuel injection in 2009. Since then, there were other incremental upgrades to fuelling and style, but the Speedmaster didn’t change fundamentally until 2017, when Triumph released the Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster with the 1200cc “High Power” water cooled engine.
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What you need to service a Triumph Speedmaster 865
When servicing the Triumph Speedmaster 865, you need a similar set of reusable parts/components to the earlier generation Triumph Scrambler and Triumph Thruxton. They all share the same basic platform of an 865cc air/oil-cooled fuel-injected engine with a 270-degree crank.
| Part | Triumph Speedmaster 865 EFI |
|---|---|
| Oil | Triumph recommends 10W/40 or 10W/50 semi or fully synthetic motorcycle engine oil that meets specification API SH (or higher) and JASO MA, such as Castrol Power 1 Racing 4T 10W-40 (fully synthetic) engine oil, sold as Castrol Power RS Racing 4T 10W-40 (fully synthetic) in some countries. You can also use any high-grade synthetic, like Motul 7100 which has thousands of positive reviews. |
| Oil filter | Replace the oil filter every time you change the oil. Use Triumph part number T1218001, which fits a lot of motorcycles. You can also use Hiflofiltro HF204RC which has a neat nut on the end. |
| Brake fluid | Triumph motorcycles need DOT 4 brake fluid (the 865cc range has a clutch cable, so you don’t need fluid for the clutch). |
| Front brake pads | Standard brake pads code is T2020543. The equivalent part number for EBC brakes is FA142HH. |
| Rear brake pads | Use original part number T2020071. The equivalent part number for EBC brakes is FA214/2HH. |
| Spark plugs | NGK code DPR8EA-9. Note they’re sold individually. Make sure they’re gapped to 0.8-0.9 with an appropriate spark plug gap tool. |
| Air filter | The part number for the air filter is T2202450. You can use K&N part TB-8002. |
| Chain | Maintain your chain with a Motul chain care kit or just lube it with Motul chain paste. |
| Grease | Lubricate external pivot points (bearings, kickstand etc.) with lithium soap-based grease |
| Clutch cable | Lube your clutch cable with Protect all cable life. |
Maintenance Schedule for the Triumph Speedmaster
We’ve simplified the maintenance schedule somewhat, separating out the daily checks from the rest of the table for clarity.
Daily checks
| Triumph Speedmaster — Daily checks |
|---|
| Engine and oil cooler – check for leaks |
| Fuel system – check for leaks, chafing etc. |
| Throttle cables – check/adjust |
| Lights, instruments and electrical systems – check |
| Steering – check for free operation |
| Forks – check for leaks/smooth operation |
| Brake fluid levels – check |
| Brake light – check operation |
| Brake pads – check wear levels |
| Drive chain slack – check/adjust |
| Fasteners – inspect visually for security |
| Wheels – inspect for damage |
| Tyre wear/tyre damage – check |
| Tyre pressures – check/adjust |
| Clutch cable – check/adjust (Protect all cable life) |
Service Schedule
Below is the full service schedule for the Speedmaster.
Notes:
- (T): You can only do this if you’re a Triumph mechanic with the official tools.
- The break-in schedule is not shown as these are all broken in
| miles x 1000 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km x 1000 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | Every |
| Daily checks (see above) — Perform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year |
| Autoscan – carry out scan (T) | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Engine ECM – check for stored DTCs (T) | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Engine oil – renew (Motul 7100) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year |
| Engine oil filter – renew (HF204RC) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Spark plugs – check | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Spark plugs – renew (DPR8EA-9) | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Air cleaner element – renew (TB-8002) | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Valve clearances – check/adjust | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Fuel filter – renew | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Brake fluid – renew (Castrol DOT 4) | 2 years | ||||
| Headstock bearings – check/adjust | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Headstock bearings – lubricate | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Fork oil – renew | ✓ | ||||
| Brake calipers, check for fluid leaks and seized pistons | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Brake master cylinders – check for fluid leaks | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Wheel bearings – check for wear/smooth operation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Secondary air injection system – check/clean | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Fuel and evaporative hoses (if fitted) – renew | ✓ |
Chain Maintenance
Triumph recommends you lubricate your chain and check the wear periodically according to the following schedule.
| Item | Every |
|---|---|
| Drive chain – lubricate | 200 miles (300 km) |
| Drive chain – wear check | 500 miles (800 km) |
You also need to regularly check the slack of the chain per the schedule.
How to check chain slack on a Triumph motorcycle
Every brand of motorcycle measures chain slack differently. For Triumph, slack is the free vertical movement of the center part of the bottom chain segment.
- You need a ruler (or tape measure) and nitrile gloves or a rag (to avoid getting grease on your hands)
- Put the motorcycle in neutral, on a level service, and elevate the rear wheel with a stand or center stand if you have one fitted.
- Rotate the wheel and find the tightest part of the chain, in the middle.
- Use a finger to lightly push the chain up and down. Measure the deflection, which is the chain slack.
Target chain slack: 35-45 mm (1.4-1.8 in)
How to adjust chain slack on the Speedmaster 865
The procedure is similar to on many motorcycles, but of course specifics vary between brands.
You need wrenches and torque wrenches to re-tighten the rear wheel. You need a breaker bar and a large torque wrench for the rear axle.
- Keep the motorcycle’s rear wheel elevated.
- Loosen the rear axle nut with the breaker bar.
- Loosen the lock nuts on the left-hand and right-hand sides.
- Turn the adjuster bolts, usually counter-clockwise, extending the bolt “outward” to lengthen the chain and make it tighter. (Sometimes you’ll want to make it looser — in those cases, turn it clockwise / inward)
- Make sure to adjust the bolts the same amount on each side — check the markings.
- Tighten the lock nuts on both sides.
- Tighten the rear axle to 110 Nm / 81 lb-ft, and the adjusters to 2 Nm / 1.5 lb-ft (these are the specs for the Triumph Speedmaster).
About the Triumph Speedmaster 865
The Triumph Speedmaster is (to be reductionist) a Bonneville 865 in cruiser format, with a slightly funkier engine.
The base engine is the same as the Scrambler or Thruxton of the time — an 865cc parallel twin with a 270-degree crank. It makes 62 hp at 6800 rpm, which doesn’t sound like much, but what you really feel is the torque — 53 lb-ft at 3,300 rpm.
The Speedmaster never feels like it’s lacking for power or torque for the kinds of speeds you’d do with it (anything up to around 85 mph, after which it does start to get uncomfortable due to windblast).
For the Speedmaster, Triumph blacked out the engine and machined the cooling fin edges, drawing the eye more.
The previous generation Speedmaster, had a carburettor-fed engine. These are classic motorcycles already and are getting thin on the ground, although they’re not too expensive if/when you can find one. Expect oil leaks, though. Triumph have definite improved over the years 2010-2020.
Reference — Manual for the Triumph Speedmaster 865
The above maintenance schedule comes directly from the user’s manual for the Triumph Speedmaster 865, which is available on the Triumph website.
