Some members of this forum might remember i purchased a new 09 Triumph Bonneville a few months ago. With the recent cool change, a problem has come to light.
It seems that some ‘engineer’ at the triumph factory decided it would be a good idea to set the computer to not allow the bike to start if the battery voltage falls below 12.5 volts. A fully charged battery is just over 13v, so it only has to drop half a volt and it won't go. It only affects the new fuel injected twins (2009), alternator output is fine.
Consequently, if the bike is left unridden for a few days, or you do a lot of short runs in the city, it will not start. This problem affects all the new injected bonnevilles and i assume the Americas.
Triumph Australia don’t want to know about it, they have released a statement to dealers advising them to tell customers to put the bike on a charger when they come home from a ride.
Great, every time you ride it, you have to remove the seat, attach a battery charger and let it stay on charge until you want to ride it again. Even with a fully charged battery if you do too many stop/starts in a day it will not start. Even with a freshly fitted yuasa battery.
(A short term solution is to remove the left sidecover and bridge the solenoid terminals with a coin. Much like i used to do with my old holden in the eighties.....)
The whole reason I, and many others, have purchased a new Bonny is to have old school looks with modern reliability. This problem makes a Joke of that.
I wouldn’t mind so much if triumph were interested in fixing it, but they don’t want to know.
I was just about to order a new thunderbird, but if this is how triumph treat their customers, i won’t bother.
Update:
The local bike shop has been in touch with triumph australia's warranty department and i am taking the bike down shortly to have some testing done.
This would appear to be a smokescreen, as triumph are well aware of the problem.
I received a couple of emails from alaska and the states re: same problems. seems a couple of local triumph clubs are considering starting a class action over there.
I don't really mind the actual problem, but the fact they don't want to know about it.
Further info:
I have just taken my bike to the local triumph agent where, at the request of triumph australia’s warranty department, he has undertaken the following tests:
Clutch switch operation, earth strap continuity test, charge test, battery condition test.
All passed....
Next we drained the battery to 12.4v and connected a laboratory standard regulated dc power supply and tested the starting:
12.4v – no start
12.5v – no start
12.55v – no start
12.6v – start
This would seem to prove that the ecu is set to disable starting at a battery voltage less than 12.6v.
Pretty much the industry standard ecu voltage cut off for cars, trucks and bikes is 11.5v.
With a fully charged battery topping out at around 13v, it doesn't take much to drop the initial .5v.
I have just spoken to triumph Australia's warranty agent, who was very evasive and said 'yours is the first one we have heard of with this problem'.....
Typical, won't admit anything. Promised to contact triumph england and get back to me.__________________