Triumphrat

punisher

Have noticed a strange burning smell at stoplights lately. It comes from the right side, near the radiator. Doesnt smell like oil or coolant. Im scared!

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Will

Have you adjusted your clutch cable recently? The clutch is on the right side, about halfway back on the engine. A slipping clutch smells like burning electrical insulation. Make sure you don't have the cable cranked down too tight, because Triumph won't warrant your clutch. A new clutch assembly is very expensive. It is easy to make sure you have enough play in the cable, so it is an easy fix- if you don't keep slipping it, you should be fine.

If that doesn't help, then we can go on to plan B to try to figure it out.

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Will
It's a squid thing. You wouldn't understand.
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punisher

thanks Will. I did check the cable yesterday, and it has plenty of play, maybe needs to be adjusted tighter if anything. It is coming from that side of the motor though, but more toward the front, by the radiator.

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Joe275

i had a burning smell once, it was a celophane wrapper, from like a cigarette pack that had blow against my headers and melted, it was small and hard to see so i didn't notice it for a few days

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"when i let off the throttle it gets all squirrely, so, i just stay on the throttle.."

WcS

even if youve just replaced your oil recently a few drops could settle towards the bottom and slowly burn off. i highly doubt this is anything significant if you cant find any other external deviances.

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Punisher
I would also check for stuff thrown up by the road which has burnt onto the pipes.

You can check for electrical burning smells by leaving the ignition & lights on when the bike is parked in your garage so the smell accumulates.

I know you said it doesn't smell oily but some of these bikes weep from the sump screws so check down there anyway.

Oh yes and the Bellypan should not be used to carry roadkill! Wash it off before it rots!

Good luck

Jon :-D

punisher

the smell has seemed to have dissapeared, so some sort of debris would seem logical. Will continue to monitor the situation.

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Will

That is good news. I was really scratching my head about what is on that side of the engine that could burn. Maybe a badly routed cable or wire that got too close to the exhaust. On your bike, you don't even have to remove bodywork to look for something like that.

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Will
It's a squid thing. You wouldn't understand.
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Go soothingly on the grease mud, as there lurks the skid demon.

punisher

I did find a bunch of gravel that had accumulated right at the collector on the exhaust header. Had to use a long skinny screwdriver to work it forward and out of there.

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Will

That could make a burning dust smell, so that may have been the problem. Gotta stop doing motocross on your Triumph! :wink:

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Will
It's a squid thing. You wouldn't understand.
SponsorHouse profile

Go soothingly on the grease mud, as there lurks the skid demon.