Triumphrat

tiger69

Hello all,

Friday afternoon I couldn't start after a short stop at a shop.

Tachometer did as usual but didn't come to 0 rpm. Also number of kilometers was back to 0 on speedometer.
I just noticed one "clac" for the starter relay.

Then, nothing !

Fortunately I was 200 meters far from Triumph dealer and left the bike.

Called back yesterday they told me it was the alternator and were waiting Triumph agreement to take it under warranty.

Precision : the warranty is over since July (bike bought July 2007)

Regarding number of kilometers : 32600.

Is anybody having the same issue?

Note : I had previously a 955 Tiger and had to change Alternator and regulator due to charging issues. Expensive bike : one battery per year .

Conclusion : no real progress on electrical at Triumph or bad suppliers.

Best regards

Tiger 69 from France.

RedBird

If my memory is correct, I have only read of two other people having alternator problems on a Tiger 1050. This item may even be common among other bike manufacturers--guessing here as I have no idea.

__________________
Larry
2003 T-100 (790cc), NARK, NH Togas, 8100 rpm rev limiter, 158 main jets, 42 pilot jets (less than 1 turn out on pilot screws), stock needles--no shims. 13 A/F ratio from 1100 rpm to 4000 rpm; 12 A/F ratio from 4000 rpm to 6000 rpm; 13 A/F from 6000 rpm to 8100 rpm.:D
2007 Tiger 1050--White:D--SW-Motech crashbars, Skidmarx rear hugger/chain guard, Calsci +7 windscreen.

Bruce.B

I've had my 2010 Tiger for all of 3 weeks now and discovered Friday that the alternator keeps the battery at 14.5 V at idle, dropping to 14.3 V at higher rpm (voltage check was with the battery fully charged). Seems awfully high if you want to have decent battery life.

So if my regulator is set like yours, I'm not surprised you're going thru 1 battery per year. My dealer's tech says "...that's about what we usually see." Looks like I'll be buying a lot of batteries too!

Bruce
Santa Fe, NM

RedBird

Bruce, I think you will find the specs for the 1050 call for the measurement at 2000 rpm to be 14.5 Volts +/- 0.5 volts. My reference is the first chapter in the Service Manual where detailed alternator and rectifier tests are given.

I believe most manufacturers shoot for around 14.6 volts when designing the components. The measurements you got on your battery should not hurt battery life in any way, IMHO.

__________________
Larry
2003 T-100 (790cc), NARK, NH Togas, 8100 rpm rev limiter, 158 main jets, 42 pilot jets (less than 1 turn out on pilot screws), stock needles--no shims. 13 A/F ratio from 1100 rpm to 4000 rpm; 12 A/F ratio from 4000 rpm to 6000 rpm; 13 A/F from 6000 rpm to 8100 rpm.:D
2007 Tiger 1050--White:D--SW-Motech crashbars, Skidmarx rear hugger/chain guard, Calsci +7 windscreen.

marauder2

Be glad its not the starter motor, I just priced one up with triumph and they want £400.00 for it, the best part is its the same motor on loads of different models, so I stripped it down to have a look and its the carbon brushes that have worn away.

Now as it happens the motor I want is for a 900 legend, and when you ask if you can buy the brushes and stator plate separately, its a big NO, so I looked on bike bandit and you can get all the internals for a tiger, and they are the same part numbers, and they are only £30.00.

So why don’t they list the internals for all models with the same starter, I ended up buying a new one of e- bay for £40.00

i just wish triumph would be a bit more user freindly on parts,instead of me having to be sherlock holmes to find anything out

Bruce.B

RedBird-

I have a lot of experience with marine charging systems and nearly none with m/c charging. I'm aware that 14.6 V @ 2000 alternator rpm is a typical number for maximum output for an alternator. My concern is when the battery is close to 100% charge. Lead-acid batteries start gassing after reaching 80% charged, so the regulator should start cutting back the charge current till the battery is 100% charged, then float the battery (typically 13.2-13.5 V; depends on the battery type) while delivering all the current the load needs.

In my case I saw the kind of alternator voltage I would expect to see with a battery that's less than 80% charged, yet it should have been very close to 100% charged. I don't have a way to measure the current into the battery which is the real criteria. [ Now that I think about it, one thing I hadn't considered is that it could be I have a problem with this new battery and need to keep an eye on it. ]

In any case, if folks here are not having early battery failures with these charging-system numbers, then maybe it'll be all good news down the road. I can live with that!

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Bruce
Santa Fe, NM
2010 Triumph Tiger 1050 SE

iansoady

In an ideal world that's right, but our charging systems are pretty crude things (although not as crude as the old Zener diode on the Lucas alternator systems). And the batteries on my Norton Commando used to last for years.

I have experienced premature battery failure myself but suspect that may be down to not charging the battery properly before installing it.

2 years seems to be about all you can expect these days which is rather sad.

__________________
Ian
2004 Tiger 955i
1961 BSA A10 Golden Flash.

droopydawg

Hooray! I am not the only one. On my 3rd stator after 18,000 miles.

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Drew Mobley
Decatur, Ga

tiger69

Hi droopydawg,

Do you think then I should quickly throw that bike away before having the same issue?

Well, what type of use do you have with yours?

On my side I am using the Tiger to go to my job every days and I am very often stuck in trafic jams.

I thought that could be the reason...

What's your opinion?

Otherwise the dealer called me back this evening and the bike is ready with brand new stator + seal : nothing to pay due to warranty.

Thanks Triumph

I will tell you later on how it works

See you

Tiger69

droopydawg

Triumph Corp U.S.A. said that the company that supplied the original stator (in fall 06) in the UK was of poor quality, and have since changed suppliers. The second stator was from a U.S. source, and Triumph said it was just a defective unit. Personally, I think there is more to it than that.
I read in the most recent RIDER Magazine, that 2 DL650 riders (v-strom) have also had stator failures in their bikes, and they both happen to run Royal Purple oil.....just like me. I wonder if there is an additive in RP oil that makes the stator more susceptible to engine heat?

Triumph U.S.A. said that if this 3rd stator burns up within a year, they will replace this one too, even though my warranty expired this past April. I bought the extended warranty when I bought the bike in April 07, so I am covered until 2012, but I am still reluctant to take any road trips, since I broke down this past summer 80 miles away from the nearest Triumph dealership. The guys at Castle Powersports in Nashville, TN, as well as a guy named Shell from Triumph U.S.A. here in Georgia all trouble-shooted the problem and came up with no answers.

I commute daily on my Tiger, unless the weather forcast is bad.
I will be moving in to a colder climate very soon (Chicago), plus, I may start using the Mobil 4T oil that Triumph recommends, and see what happens to the bike then. I plan on keeping my Tiger.

Good luck with yours.

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Drew Mobley
Decatur, Ga