Triumphrat

rdh900

Not sure if this is a common problem, but after sitting a week or more, my bike is tough to start. Local dealer says he has seen many Triumph triples have this problem, lately.He feels it is because of the fuel available and the small jets, which gum up quickly.He recommends running carbs dry if I know the bike's going to sit. Anyone else have this problem?

Tbirdnz

Hi RDH900. Never had your problem of bad starting after a week or so layoff. Mine has started first time everytime no matter the last start duration. However I do forget to turn off the petrol tap most of the time, it doesn't leak and it is probably bad practice. I also use BP Ultra 98 octane fuel, the highest you can get in NZ or Shell 96. Have never had fuel problems. Your advice given of draining the carbs before long storage is probably right. Even good fuel goes bad after a long period. (but not a week !). Mine needs choke everytime it's cold but only a quarter turn, summer or winter, winters are not bad in north island of NZ so local climate could be a factor in other countries. I assume your bike starts well with normal frequent use so draining the carbs is probably best advice. Cheers. :hammer:

BritBloke

I have a 95 TB bought this summer with 1400m. Now has 4500m but has not been trouble free.
My list:
- had to make replacement rubber bushes for under the seat as these had fallen off
- coolant leak under starter (had to change the coolant - would it have hurt anyone at Triumph to put the coolant filler neck somewhere accessible?)
- sucky horn (need to fine tune)
- peeling paint in tank filler, resulted in
- gas in oil (never good but caught and oil/filter changed)
- carbs needing new o-rings, jets and diaphrams (installed in line filter to help catch debris before it does damage to the carbs, and now always shut off petcock!)
- broken trim mounts on airbox (could Triumph have made it any harder to remove carbs? holy cow!)
- had to change clutch fluid (finally fixed leaky cover plate)
- temp light came on when not overheated, and with indicator light (fixed with heavier ground wire from frame to battery, also crimped connection to sender on valve cover)
- peeling chrome on plastic indicator stalks
- bottoms out with two up (non ajustable rear suspension)
- gas mileage 35-45
- quits for no apparent reason then starts up almost straight away (have replaced tipover valve and have serviced the stock filler cap - hope this fixes it)
- brakes good solo but underpowered two-up
- engine sounds like a bag of spanners in a washing machine but the sealer tells me this is how the early birds should sound (guess I need to make some muffler mods to drown it out - the local Kawasaki dealer says it sounds like a diesel)

No problems with the Spragg so far (but if it does go out I'm betting 'she-who-must-be-obeyed' won't waive the $1000 repair cost in the divorce settlement)

All the above apart, I love riding this bike. It has good manners and is fast enough for my needs. Would have liked a shaft drive but then it wouldn't be a classic, would it.

whodatpat

TOP HEAVY! In a pinch take it easy on the front break. If you lock it up the high C-O-G will make her slam down on the pavement like a basket ball.
I LOVE everything about this bike and its reliability, but the handling in emergcy situations needs to be on your mind at all times.
Patrick
(Broken Pelvis, Hip, & Femer thanks to high side at less than 20 mph.)

__________________
Patrick http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung...smiley-083.gif
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal labotomy."

LeeW

Thanks guys for all your helpful messages as I've just bought a '96 Adventurer with 20,000 miles on it and I'm about to start taking it apart to sort out a few little quirks. It runs great but sometimes it struggles to start when cold with full choke and no throttle (like it says in the book?) It's fine when warm though and pulls well for a 900. I have noticed that the front brake lever has a lot of travel and is non-adjustable - is this a 'trait'? I'll try a bleed and new pads to see if that helps. The final thing is I'm after a chrome rear rack (possibly with cissy pad?) does anyone know where to get hold of one or a good aftermarket accessories site?

Cheers lads, summers nearly here!

SWare

If you are not already doing it, try holding in the clutch lever when starting cold. That takes a lot of load off the starter. On mine it starts almost immediately with the clutch disengaged.

Stan

LeeW

Cheers Stan, you're a star. It started first time - God Bless the USA. (I guess I'm too used to italian bikes!)

renegade1alpha

I own a 2000 T-bird and the only problem I have had was an overheating problem which was an easy fix. Other than that, no problems.

__________________
"A bike is not yours until you make your own."

GeneralPig

My 98 T'bird has just decided to cut out its starter motor when it's hot. IE-ride it hard, it gets hot (as you's expect), I stop cause I want to and it won't start again until it's cooled down (10 minutes or so). Is this usual (wasn't when I got it)? which bit of the wiring do I need to look at?

mstamper

My 1998 TBS has had the following problems/issues:

1) Broken shift return spring (fixed under warrantee)
2) Bad coil (fixed under warrantee)
3) Bad fan switch (fixed under warrantee)
4) Refused to start/turn over (dirty contacts in electrical starter interlock at clutch lever)
5) Weak rear brake (replaced pads with metalic EBC pads)
6) Uncomfortable seat (replaced with Triumph king/queen seat)
7) Weak low speed and midrange performance (local shop altered jetting - runs great now)
8) Three instrument bulbs failed in 26,000 miles
9) Sticky calipers (bi-annual disassembly and cleaning required)
10) Maintenance issues: tough to change that center spark plug! Air filter replacement requires carb removal(!); Fork oil change requires fork disassembly and removal; No center stand provided (I had to buy one)

Does this sound like I don't like my TBS? Not at all! I'm just a cheapskate who prefers to do his own maintanance. If I were wealthy and could afford to pay shop labor rates, none of this would even be worth mentioning. I've been riding for 37 years, and this is the best bike I've ever owned. This is my 7th seaon on the TBS, and I have no plans to trade it.