Triumphrat

MilwFreddy

Update on my 02 Trophy 1200. After 3 weeks I picked up my Trophy after what was initially a fuel starvation problem that turned into a replace the faulty tach problem. I am STILL having some stalling and have noticed the symptoms of some of the other rider's postings. After stalling, I open the tank and a lot of air is released. Even though the dealer claims it was not a venting problem it sure seems to be. Any ideas out there?

jimballard

Check for a kinked hose going to the "tip-over" valve. This valve can be clogged as well, but I think that the dealer would have checked it out when the bike was there. They just might have gotten the hose caught when they put the tank on.

Hope this helps: Jim

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Jim Ballard

The older I get, the faster I was....until lately!! (Speed IS the fountain of youth)!

MilwFreddy

Thanks for the reply Jim. I had my bike out last night and had a key in the gas cap to test the venting. Sure enough, when the bike started to stall I opened the gas cap a bit and the bike ran fine. This happened 2 more times, including at idle. Both times opening the gas cap eliminated the rough running and the bike was temporarily fine. Dealer claims that removing a vent hose with a check valve in it will be the answer. Says it will take 10 minutes to do. They have done it before with other Triumphs. We'll see.
Freddy

MickMaguire

I say this till I am blue in the face Never, ever, run a bike (that was originally fitted with this valve) without it. Doing so will render the bike extremely dangerous if it lands on its side as it will literally spew gas everywhere. Imagine how much gas a 1/4" hole in the bottom of your tank would let out in how short a time and this is how much gas you would spill. the valve is there to stop this happening if the bike gets laid down and thereby to avoid the huge fire risk.

If you don't believe me, remove your tank, disconnect the valve and turn the tank on its side and just watch how much comes out.

The valve can and does get blocked due to fuel vapors causing gumming, the solution is basically to replace it - I have heard that it can be cleaned but don't remember the procedure. to test the valve you should be able to blow through it when it it vertical, but it should shut off when horizontal - it should also rattle when shaken.

Some dealers recommend removing this valve, but quite frankly they shouldn't it is irresponsible and dangerous! If the valve and hose are fitted correctly and clear the system works fine.

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Mick...

Just remember; an awful lot of the free advice you will get on forums is worth exactly what you paid for it. There will always be somebody trying to convince you to do something really stupid, just because they did it or want to do it.

Freddy, hopefully my email will resolve the fuel problem. For the benefit of others, it's not the tank venting or tip-over valve. It's the vacuum line to the fuel petcock being pinched usually by the wiring harness on the frame backbone. Triumph does little to tell their assemblers where to run wires and such, so it's hit and miss if yours has this problem. But if you do, it's maddening as there is just enough vacuum to let the bike run, but not enough to let it get enough fuel to run well.
Move the wiring harness, put on good, new fuel and vacuum line, and look to make sure it's not pinched off after you put the tank back on. Then, sync your carbs, and run happily ever after.
Why Triumph can't admit what's wrong is beyond me.
Greg

MickMaguire

If it were fuel startvation from the vacuum line then you wouldnt get the whoosh and immediate cure on flipping the gas cap open.

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Mick...

Just remember; an awful lot of the free advice you will get on forums is worth exactly what you paid for it. There will always be somebody trying to convince you to do something really stupid, just because they did it or want to do it.

SoCal

This *IS* correct- the problem is either the infamous roll over valve, or the "butterfly" valves in the gas cap (if you have them).

The sucking of air into the tank is a dead giveaway.

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SoCal

aldtech

Check out my posting here:

Triumphrat

In short:
"3-Checked gas cap – Some, maybe all, bikes are fitted with California emissions spec gas caps, apparently these caps are more restrictive on air flow than “normal” caps meaning a build up of pressure. At the recommendation of others, when I was experiencing the hic-up/stall problem they suggested to open the gas cap, when I did there was a definite whoosh/pop signifying equalizing pressure. The replaced the gaskets in the cap (converted it to a normal/standard gas cap) and that significantly improved the performance and eliminated the stall but hic-up was still present."

"I think the gas cap is an important thing to check and in light of all the other recommendations in regards to “gas starvation” issues and the significant whoosh/pop sound when opening the gas cap, this to me seems to be high on the food chain of contributors. Also, I now smell gas on occasion which I never smelled before the gas cap refit. I don’t know if that is good or bad but I think it indicates that there was a problem with venting through the cap before."

Think about it, everyone recommends the same thing and for gas starvation we all hear the whoosh/pop sound when opening the gas cap. Changing the gas cap or the gaskets in it seems to be a less evasive measure than removing the tip-over valve, and less dangerous.

AL

Seeker

Posted simply for general information:

I never had any problems with hiccups or fuel starvation. On rare ocassions, I might stall when I wait for a traffic light for a few minutes and just as it turns green to go...but I have always felt that was due to having the idle set alittle too low.

However, my Trophy has always made very high pitched whistling sounds from the gas cap. I only hear them when the bike is parked in the garage and everything is quiet enough to hear them. It's very faint, but I have deduced that they are coming from the gas cap because sinply inserting the key into the cap lets the pressure out even before I turn it or open the cap.

JRave

I had the valve removed after having the vapor lock issue, since I didn't feel like doing the gas cap thing every few miles. It was a five minute fix and hasn't happened since. While it is a safety concern, my bike is dear to me. My intent is NOT to drop it, and if I do, it will most likely slide farther than I will. God bless great insurance.

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JRave

Life is short, ride it hard.