Triumph Triple Engine Quirk?

[Golfinc]

The backstory, I own two Triumph triples, a '98 Thunderbird Sport and an '03 S3.

Yesterday, I started up the S3 and let her warm up a little. I always do that on any bike. Then after taking off and riding about a mile, I realized I had forgotten my wallet. I turn around and get back home. I shut off the bike, go inside, get said wallet and start the bike back up. 3 minutes tops. Only now, the thing spits and sputters like it's got a clogged injector or something. It sort of surges and pukes. This clears up at speed and higher rpm. I run my errand and get back on the bike. Same thing at low speed in the parking lot. I get on the freeway and "blow out the soot" as they say around here by really getting on the rpms.. Seems to work but since it's raining here today, I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see.

Funny thing is, this exact same thing happended to me a year ago on my carburated TBS. Start up, warm up, short ride, shut off, rough idle/low rpm, blow it out by thrashing, everything ok.

Anyone else experience this?

[13]

I'd check battery...

run Seafoam or Berryman carb & injector cleaner (eighth to quarter bottle);

replace plugs (stock) - check coil resistance (.07 ohms spec on my Triple);

remove fuel tank & clean/ dielectric grease all electrical connections from tank to plugs;

check fuel filter...

Suggest not riding hard till you find problem and fix.

[Golfinc]

Super,

Thanks, I'll check each of those. BTW, I didn't ride the bike to hard. "Thrashing" was probably too hard of a description. I just made sure I ran the bike through the rpm range, not too high though.

Since posting yesterday, I've taken the bike on a couple of short rides today. Each time it seems that the bike wants to idle erratically until it warms up completely. Then it runs and idles perfectly. It hadn't done this before yesterday having always been smooth running after a short warm up sitting in the driveway.


[ This message was edited by: Golfinc on 2006-05-14 19:38 ]

[cheapbastard]

I tell you what Golf, I've come to realize that this 3 cylinder motor is just a bit more touchy than anything else I've owned. Before this bike, I was used to just buying one, changing the oil and tires, and riding the piss out of it. This bike requires a little more attention, but IMO, it's worth it. Just keep a good check on the routine maintenance stuff.

[nortoncharlie]

Did you give it a little throttle when you started it. I know this can be a habit from carburated bikes. If so the fuel injected bike can temporarily reset closed throttle position offset causing running problems. I hope your problem is something as simple as this. Start it with the throttle closed. I have had to give my Tiger a little throttle to get it started after sitting a while and being very cold (also when my valves got to tight), but then I restarted it with the throttle closed after it warmed up for a minute.

[cheapbastard]

yeah, that's true Golf, make sure you're not giving her any throttle on startups. Hey Nortoncharlie, I didn't know anyone lived in Waverly, Iowa except for Terex Crane employees!!! :hihi: You don't happen to work there, do ya? I work at Superior Mfg in Winston-Salem, we build the crane cabs for Terex. I was just up there in March visiting for the 1st time.

[Golfinc]

Nope, no throttle.

I'll get it checked out and let everyone know what I find.

[Furque]

99% sure you'll find water in the right hand spark plug well. When the engine is nice and warm, the steam rises and shorts out that cylinders ignition cycle. It's happened to me three times now!. Triumph are apparantly aware of the problem and are supposed to have some re-designed coil/lead rubber grommets which will allow the condensation out of the spark plug well. What happens is that due to heat expansion of the engine, the grommet which has previously allowed a small amount of water to seep in, becomes a very snug fit. I actually cut two small slots in my grommets (oooh er missus!) in lieu of the re-designed Triumph ones and have had no problems since Christmas...... :hammer:

[maxed66]

Not knowing much about the workings of the Triumph (yet), this sounds to me like vapor lock. I used to live in the desert, and one year the oil companies dumped their winter gas onto poor spupid New Mexicans. Babsically, if your engine is hot enough to heat the gas significantly, it will not pump through the fuel pump properly, causing stalling, spitting, sputtering, and a lot of cursing!

Just a guess, but maybe the fuel line is getting heated by the stopped, non-moving hot engine. I might fill up the tank with new fuel.

As another posibility, two friends got bad gas (at different places). The gas on one actually left an oily goo on the plug and dripped out of the exhaust and stained the concrete!

Good luck!

Jerry