Triumphrat

mongo76

Colin_In _ Ottwa,

Sorry I confused you I confuse Myself some times.

The problem started several months ago and the dealer could not get it to repeat the issue.

So #1) I left the bike for three weeks and they did a bunch of checking and changing stuff and could not find the problem or get it to repeat the engine stalling/dieing issue.

#2) I came up to try and get it to die/stall and I could not get it to do that either.I want my bike back before it sits all summer and the season to ride is over!
#3) I was told they wanted to replace the seat with a new one and build a guard to protect the "Black Box"
#4) I thought a better idea would to heat up the seat pan and push it towards the cover/padding to give the "Black Box" more clearance, help it stay cooler, and prevent pressure from my butt if it is "flexing the seat pan" and causing the problem.(I really do not think it was/is the problem, however it may cause the clearance to be reduced /or "Heat from my butt maybe coming through and heating up the "Black box". A note of caution, if your Wife /Girlfriend has a hot Butt, maybe you shouldn't take her on your Triumph until this issue is fixed.(The owners manual will say no hot Butted ladys as it my kill engine do to overheating the "black box" under the seat!)I'd better stop before the moderators kill my post....
#5) Before they(the dealer) "Modiffied" the seat pan, I rode the bike like I normally would ride for 150 miles and around three hours and it didn't even hiccup once.So what ever they did previously I figgured had "fixed" the issue and I was on my way.I didn't know what "fixxed it but it didn't die anymore so I am Happy.
#6) But just to be on the safe side I wanted them to melt the seat pan and push it away from the "Black box" just in case it was a issue also.So that was the last thing done to it at the dealer.
#7) I took the bike home the next day after they modified the seat pan and rode it for around 700-800 miles over the next few weeks and it ran perfect withpout any issues at all !!!!I was pretty sure all was fixed and was just getting ready to write my thank you note e-mail and...... then it started again.
#8) We had put yellow grease paint on the corners and edges of the "Black Box" so if the "Modified" seat pan started touching the "Black box" it would leave evidence.It did and it was touching the box.After it started the first stalling episode I pulled the seat and saw the paint on the pan.
So I reinstalled the seat with out doing anything to it,or the "black box" or any of the conections.
#9) I am getting ready to do my 12,000 mile valve adjustment,Tires,oil etc.The bike has only 11,000 miles and I wanted to get another thousand on it real fast, so I have been rideing it alot more than my other bikes , (rather than switching on and off of my new Super Motard R --LC-8 950 KTM ) or another one of my bikes.
So any how I though that I would have to re-do the seat pan, but even though I figured the bike might die on me,once or twice since it already has once again....boy was I wrong yesterday I rode around a 140 miles and it died at least 10-15 times(Sometimes about every minute or mile or two,) and a couple times that it I was in a pass or in traffic with talagating cars behind me that almost ran over me from behind......The ride was over..... and all I wanted was to get home alive and I was hopeing that I wasn't going to be left stranded on the side of the road!
Needless to say I was very upset yesterday, thus my post was as scrambled as I was......
#10) Yesterday I took a heat gun and heated the pan enough to press it in and away from the "Black Box" around a 1/4 inch.
I did not touch anything else.I just melted the seat pan.
I remounted the seat.I didn't even wash the bike thinking it may affect my "test".( I am an anally clean bike washer and my bikes always are washed and garraged and I try to keep that showroom "New" look all through the bikes life ,even on my dualsports, and yes I ride the heck out of all my bikes!)

#11) So today I went out for a ride.I just got in after a 150 mile ride at all speeds,today it is around 70-80 degrees. So not a exccedingly hot day but not cold either.

My conclusion at this time is: That the jury is still out......BUT MY BIKE RODE SPECTACULAR AS IT ALWAYS DOES NEVER EVEN HICCUPED ONCE! Was just a perfect day and I will be on "Billy Jack" first thing tommorrow to get some more mileage! I will post as soon as I get to the 12,000 sevice miles or if it stalls/dies!

I suspect that the seat pan clearance IS the reason that the bike(s) are stalling and causing the engine to die. I don't think it is a loose conection issue.The reason for that is, if it was, everytime you hit a pot hole /railroad track/etc. at any speed, it should die or at least hiccup.(My bike won't)
Also it seems that it will die on a smooth stretch as often as in a curve or after a bump, thus leading me to believe, that it is a clearance issue and I think it is related to HEAT.My understanding from the dealer is that Triumph moved/relocated these "black boxes" to this position under the seat, as the were by the engine somewhere else before this location .And he said the heat was "cooking" them and Triumph was tired of replacing them all the time.
I also need to mention on my seat pan there is a plastic "Ribb" that is around three inches long and it crosses the wires that come into the "black box" from the rear.I took a razor blade and "notched out the middle so it will no longer push down on the wires where they are going into the "black box". If your seat has it, it is real obvious and I could see a mark. (pressure line across the wires protective sleeve) So I concluded that it might possibly put some "pressure on the wires" and sort of "pull" them out towards the rear of the bike.
I really don't think that this is the main problem. I think that when two people are on the seat or one heavy person (like me) that it reduces a already too small of clearance issue and the "Box" heats up inside ans it shuts off or kills the engine.This might be to "protect the box" I don't know. I just know my engine stalls and I have to pull in the clutch and hit the starter to get it to start.I also know this is really a dangerious situation and given the wrong set of circumstances it could be fatal.I thankfully have always been able to get safely going again and I hope you(all of you with this problem do also) but I really think Triumph needs to issue a recall on these seats /and or modify the existing ones and start making the new ones differently to solve this issue.
Hopefully they will after I ride around a thousand miles with out it haveing any problem I will post again or start a new thread.
I am planning on contacting Triumph about this and I hope they will address this issue in a fasion that is satisfactory for all of us that are concerned before someone is killed when their bike "Dies" in traffic before they can pull off a "restart"

Oh and one last tip if you do decide to "modify" your seat pan.(I think you should, as I am pretty certain it will solve this problem) Get another person to help you and be careful not to "ignite your plastic seat pan" as some heat guns are just like a solder iron and one of mine will get up to 1450 watts.I used a Milwakee brand and I used the 1000 watt setting.
Heat up the pan do not touch the plastic with you bare skin(hands) as it will stick and produce nasty burns.
I used a Stanely metal thermos jug with the staineless coffee cup attached and pressed down in four spots and poured cold water to make the plastic take a "Set" as it kept wanting to "remember" the way it was and would rebound back to its original shape.
Your might want to get a helper and your "helper" can push the plastic (with what ever you deem suitable) and you can run the heat gun keeping the plastic seat pan pliable as necessary to shape the cavity and then pour the cold water and it will set, Mop it up/out with a rag/towel and if you need more clearance re-heat again. Go slowly so as not to ruin your seat pan/seat and remember not to go to far or you'll deform the pan so much it will make the foam inside hard/brittle and or make a bump that you don't want showing up on the top side of the seat cover.
I think this a easy modification but don't try it if you are not sure.
(like if you do not already own a heat gun..good excuse to buy one) but be sure to melt some plastic milk juggs or something for some practice if your not sure...
I also think that some modelers clay made into a pancake and set over the "black box'" and "pinched " between the seat pan will give you an exact measurement of your clearance and after you modify it you can reapply this technique to see how much clearance you have achived.

Good luck,,,or maybe make your Triumph dealer do this if he still can't figure out how to fix your bike to get it to stop the engine from dieing.