Triumphrat

drmuela · 06-09-2005, 03:50 AM

Hi S3 riders!

I own a wonderful S3 for almost a month now, and I'm close to finishing the break-in mileage. The bike has 1350 Km now and I rev it up to 8000, with ocasional peaks at 8500 - 9000 at lower gears.
I had heard from some of you that this bike power wheelies in second gear fairly easily (6000 rpm and sudden throttle twist to max and it should be up). Well, mine doesn't. It's not that I'm particularly heavy, I weight 80 kg. The maximum I get, if I rev it up to 6000, close throttle, then open it again to max as fast as I can, is a small jump of the front wheel, that raises 5 to 10 cm off the ground, just to touch the ground again in a second or so.
I thought it would be wonderful to get a power wheelie in second gear every now and then coming out of the corners. I hoped that it would be very natural. Exiting from slow corners, start opening at 3000 - 4000 rpm, and once the bike is upright, open wide and wheel aiming at the sky. As of today it doesn't seem possible to me, not with my unit.
It felt kind of strange to me, because I previously owned a '97 VTR 1000 F. According to the specs, it had less power (20 HP less) and less torque (about 7 Nm less), and moreover gear ratio in second gear was 12% longer. My VTR ocasionally power wheelied in second when going over the crest of a hill, which made me assume that it should be muuuch easier with the triple to get that wonderful feeling, even in a flat road. I just assumed that 7% more torque plus 12% shorter gear ratio would give me (give or take) 20% more torque on the rear wheel, which according to the feel I have on the bike doesn't seem to be so.
And don't get me wrong! I still think its a marvellous bike! It's very torqy from low down, and handles extremely well. Even with it's drawbacks (cluncky gearbox, spongy front brakes) I still think I like it a lot. And I mean A LOT! It's my first Triumph, but I'm very happy with it, and I wonder why these bikes are not more sold in Spain. They are hardly seen on the streets!
Just to close on the power "issue", I wonder if it has something to do with the break in procedure. Some of you mentioned that you did the break in in three heat cycles, and that past 50 miles and an oil change it was all ready to go. I have followed the owner's manual procedure, and at this point I wonder whether it's safer for the engine long term, but at the cost of not reaching the maximum power and torque it can deliver.
What do you think, guys?

bikeordie · 06-09-2005, 11:05 AM

i posted that thread about the 2nd gear power wheelie and mine wont do it either. i can MAYBE get the front wheel an inch or two off the ground in seond.

i've read a lot about the guys setting the suspension to the stiff setting and i'm sure this would help a bit. the stock setting is just too mushy. i'm sure that the stock setting is soaking up a lot of the power.

i'm going to adjust my forks and rear suspension this weekend hopefully and i'll let you know if it makes a difference.

Diego · 06-09-2005, 02:39 PM

> I have followed the owner's manual procedure, and at this point I wonder whether it's safer for the engine long term, but at the cost of not reaching the maximum power and torque it can deliver.

No, I don't think that accounts for it. Mine is being broken in 'by the book' and already has ample quantities of both power and torque.

Knowing that some European nations have lower engine power limits than others, I wonder if it is possible your bike was tuned to (perhaps) 75KW maximum output? Has Spain adopted new power restrictions in recent years?

Also, if you can clear the ground by as much as 10cm, that suggests it's delivering enough torque to overcome gravity for a while. Is it possible that you are not leaning back far enough to help the bike stand up further? This is one of those times when those of us who weigh a little more may actually have an advantage.

Ephtriple · 06-09-2005, 06:02 PM

drmuela just lean back and try again just as Diego said...I weight 70kg and it works quite good but I still wheelie better while using the clutch.

ow595 · 06-10-2005, 02:41 AM

Last but not least, Triumph motors need more miles before they make full power. Once its good and warm (15-20+ minutes) start getting the motor up to red line for short bursts. The check back in in about 2000-3000 more Km (3000+ miles).

Cheers,

William

drmuela · 06-10-2005, 03:32 AM

Thanks for all your advice!

I'll give it a try, leaning back and setting the suspension a little bit harder. It's not that I want to wheelie all the time, I just wanted to know if my unit was delivering slightly less power than it should. In Spain we don't have any power restrictions, and I don't think the bike has any because it already feels more powerful than my previous VTR. It's not easy to say because the gear ratios are significantly shorter on the S3, so I don't know if I'm accounting for how easy it revs up instead of how hard it accelerates. I think I would need a stop watch to tell the real differences, but my feeling is that the Triple is stronger than the VTR.
And as you told me, I will recheck it after the bike has more miles in (5000 Km or so), but you are right, the bike feels more powerful as it increases the mileage.

crashmasterd · 06-11-2005, 01:48 PM

Let me reiterate what's been said. All of my Triumphs have run better at 5000 to 7000 miles than they did at 1000. I think this is due to the excellent engine build quality and tight tolerances. With 40,000 miles on it my old Trident still performs way better than new.

I get the occasional power wheelie in second, usually when I'm not expecting it. You have to get the power and throttle just right and up she'll come. It also may have something to do with street conditions. When I'm at the race track it happens a whole lot more. Of course, there the surface is really sticky and I'm running the thing balls-to-the-wall.

When in 2nd at about 4000 rpm, try just snapping the throttle completely closed and then back to full rapidly. I think you'll be amazed how easily it comes up.

No, I think the horsepower on your bike is right where it should be. A new set of race cans and a FI remap may surprise you though.

OMEGA · 06-12-2005, 12:27 AM

I second that, I only just turned a thousand miles but I feel like I gained 20% more power just in that time, it just keeps feeling smoother and accellerating harder with every ride, and the tranny is really buttery and precise now.

crudmop · 06-12-2005, 12:53 AM

I wouldn't worry too much yet. I'm at 6k miles on mine, and it is clearly stronger than it had been early on. I can bring up the wheel in 2nd quite easily, with a good blip around 5-6k. If you push it up in 2nd, and blip hard around 8 it'll come up easily too. The 8k burst does wonders for a skyward wheel

[ This message was edited by: crudmop on 2005-06-11 22:59 ]