Left cylinder and Tach malfunction

[Bike Whisperer]

Well, it looks like work on the Super 3 is going to have to take a back seat to a problem on my Speed Triple.

I inadvertently cut across a very freshly painted centre line, and managed to add yellow flake to the previously prestine black finish. So I took the bike to a do it yourself car wash and tried to get the paint off with a power washer. I had some success, but after I left the wash the the bike started running badly. Today I start her up, and the tach cuts out, and the bike starts running on two cylinders. Judging by the heat off the pipes, I am pretty certain it is the left (clutch side) cylinder that is not firing.

Any ideas where to start looking? Is the Tach wired to the coils?

As usual I am forever in debt to all the patient people who always help me out.

[KitNYC]

Tach gets its signal from #1 (left) coil. The potting at the base of the coils shrinks over time, separating from the sides. Spray water from a pressure washer in the general vicinity of a coil that's separated like that and it won't work until it dries out, if at all.

Give it a couple days. If it starts working again, you can seal it with RTV. If it doesn't, time for a new coil. Either way, you probably want to check and/or seal the others.

Cheers,
-Kit

[Legman]

A good rule to employ here is to keep pressure washers away from your motorcycle. There are so many places on a bike you don't want water squirting into, especially at high pressure.

[born to be mild]

Check also that it isnt pooling around the LH sparkplug in the head if its got past the rubber plug boot. If youve got the time, disconnect and spray with Duck Oil/WD40 etc any contacts that you come across. its probably just a matter of the bike needing time to dry out.

[Bike Whisperer]

Thanks Kit. It was still not working today, and in this climate it wont dry out until the spring. Luckily I just happen to have a Super 3 lying around imitating a pile of parts. Tomorrow I will swap out the #1 coil and bring the wet one inside to dry.

Legman, I agree. I don't like them anywhere near my bikes. Then again I REALLY don't like yellow paint all over my bike, and hand washing was not doing any good. (not to mention its too damn cold in Canada in November to hand washing a bike.

Born to BE Mild. I think I will take your advice and bring out the WD40.

Thanks everyone. I guess my next thread will be asking for advice on removing road paint.

[KitNYC]

Actually, WD-40 would potentially be a good solution <ba-dum!> to the road paint as well.

Cheers,
-Kit

[Bike Whisperer]

It just keeps getting better. I went to start the bike yesterday to see if the igniter had dried out. When I pressed the starter switch, …..Nothing. So I took apart the switch, and the spring was flat. So I cleaned the contacts, rewound the spring, and still nothing. I figured that it is a simple device, it just uses the spring to connect the two wires via the plate. So I figured if I jump the wires, it should start. There is power, and the wires heat up real quick, but no start. Does anyone have any ideas what I am doing wrong, or what might be wrong?

[Buckwheat]

Is the cold weather zapping your battery now...in that it doesn't have enough juice to roll over your starter?