Triumphrat

Brock42 · 07-05-2012, 02:27 PM

Long time reader; first time poster.....but here's my tail of woes...

After collecting several used parts from Ebay suppliers, I just modified the foot controls on my 2005 Thruxton from the set back stock location, to the mid control position of a Bonneville.
(I don't bend like I once did)
This involved installing Bonneville foot pegs and hangers, brake pedal, gear changer and brake master cylinder.

The only electrical interaction was the pressure switch that controls the brake lights.
The brake lights appear to work fine after the change.

However, post modification I have had difficulty starting the bike.
After several hours of tinkering with connectors I was able to get it running, although I don't know what I did that made it work.
I then took the bike for a local ride with a couple of stops.
The bike restarted easily when warm.

Tried again last night to start the bike after several days and I cannot start it again.
Tinkering didn't do it this time.
The starter relay clicks, engine turns over, gas is on, choke is pulled, but engine
doesn't appear to fire.

I don't understand how the foot control modifications could possibly affect the starting and suspect that it is just coincidental timing.

With that thought, I pulled each spark plug and was unable to see any sparking in a dark garage when I tried to start the bike again.

My thoughts were to replace the spark plugs, which are likely 7 years old and a
cheap investment.
That didn't do it, so the plan now is to work back through the ignition system.

Does anybody have any advice on trouble shooting this situation?
thanks

BigAl8295 · 07-05-2012, 06:22 PM

Maybe your battery is shot.

Haggis · 07-05-2012, 06:36 PM

Moved for more input.

The battery could be 7 years old!

Brock42 · 07-05-2012, 09:52 PM

Battery is fully charged and on a tender while I play with the bike.
It was new two years ago when I had a previous electrical issue, replaced the stator and regulator/rectifier then too and had no worries until now.
I've just changed plugs which did nothing (wishful thinking) and am heading back to the garage to start looking at other ignition components.

mike-tt special · 07-06-2012, 09:22 AM

did you have the seat off the bike when you did the work, some have had problems with the seat pressing on the ecu connectors causing bad connection

richm · 07-09-2012, 09:21 AM

I would start looking for the problem around where you were working...... How about the kick stand cut-out switch - maybe with the changes you made, it got knocked out of position - or it's connector?

alfacliff · 07-09-2012, 09:32 AM

the kickstand switch and neutral switch are both bypassed with the clutch pulled in, might try pulling in the clutch while stateing and see if that gets your spark back.
cliff

LukiSevenAce · 07-09-2012, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richm

I would start looking for the problem around where you were working...... How about the kick stand cut-out switch - maybe with the changes you made, it got knocked out of position - or it's connector?

<ditto this one>

Probably tugged on the connection and it's loose, not out.

"Intermittent", it is a German word.

Good luck and report back on results (if you please.)

Brock42 · 07-11-2012, 06:48 PM

It does not appear to be one of the cut out switches (clutch or kickstand).
Both the kickstand and the clutch switches seem to prevent the engine form turning over and my engine does turn over when I push the ignition switch.
I know this because I intentionally tried starting the bike in gear with the kick stand down just to see what would happen and absolutely nothing does.
Pull the clutch in and it turns over, just like it does when the bike is in neutral.

I've also disconnected and reconnected every connection along the wiring harness, including the ones in the light bucket.

I also pulled the tank and checked the HT coil.
Power appears to go in but nothing comes out, not thru the spark plug or thru a circuit tester when I push the ignition.
I tried this directly from the coil to block, thru the spark plug wire to the block, thru each spark plug to the block and even touching the spark plugs together while touching the block (that last one was tricky with just two hands).
I checked the primary and secondary resistance thru the coil using a multi tester, as per my maintenance manual.
Assuming I did that correctly (big assumption) I believe the coil is NFG.

Based on the $160 cost of a stock coil at the dealer and a $75 cost for a Nology coil from the good folks at BC, I ordered the latter.
It will take a couple weeks to come, but the stock one would have too, at twice the price.
I also ordered some Nology wires and plugs, all for less than the cost of the stock coil.

Timing works because I'm away anyway.
I'll report back back once I plug the new parts in.

Hopefully this does the trick.
Inshallah!

alfacliff · 07-12-2012, 11:37 AM

don be too suprised if the new coil connections are thinner and smaller than the origionals. mine was. my starting trouble was ninally the ignition module, the seat had rubbed on it, and it was dead. a new procom unit and my Bonnie is running like never before, and getting better gas mileage too.
cliff