Triumphrat

choppergreg74 · 05-13-2008

I've never been on a forum and am desperate for answers so please be kind. If anyone can provide me with info I would greatly appreciate it. Here's what happened: My husband performed an oil change, lubed the throttle and clutch cables on our 2005 Bonneville. When he did the oil change he used car engine oil rather than an oil specially designed for motorcycles. On the second ride after the oil change the bike starting acting weird: backfiring, surging forward and then stalling continuously, but always restarting immediately. When this happened he contacted a triumph dealership and spoke with a mechanic there and was told that he shouldn't have used the car oil and to get it out. So he performed another oil change and filter change too. The bike backfired, surged and stalled for the first twenty minutes, but then all symptoms completely disappeared while riding for another two hours. We went to a family function, rode for another twenty five minutes without a problem. We went home and took the bike out an hour later for another ride and it was fine for the first ten minutes, but then the original symptoms reappeared as bad as ever. We rode it on two other occasions and it remained troublesome.
We have since emptied the gas tank and cleaned the filter and checked out the carb which seems spotless. Any suggestions would be appreciated because I am insistent on keeping this bike, while my husband is not.

u wish u could ride · 05-13-2008

sounds like the throttle cables need to be looked over .( he get everything back to where it was before the lubing?)as one may be out of sync with the other. the oil change has NOTHING to do with the sputtering and surging ,stall .it would only apply if the clutch was slipping and that would make the bike rev with the car oil.

TigerBonnieRich · 05-13-2008

If you still have that car oil in your Bonnie, then change it asap with a good oil which is designed for motorcycles.

If your bike is broken in, I would recommend a good synthetic oil. I use Amsoil 10/40 motorcycle oil in my Bonnie. You must have friction modifiers for an oil which operates the engine, tranny, and especially the wet clutch.

Your symptoms sound possibly like a gas cap which is not venting. Take the bike for a ride with the gas cap loosened just enough to creat an air gap and see if that works. I had that problem with my 05 Bonnie.

The husband? You might have to trade him in, but the blue book value on a husband whom puts car oil in a motorcycle is very low right now.

Plumb him up a bit, he may come around....

Keep the Bonnie, it's a great bike. It was test rode at the factory before it was shipped. It's got to be something simple...

Cheers, and good luck...

Colin_In_Ottawa · 05-13-2008

Check to see if maybe one of the rubber vacuum plug nipples hasnt popped of of the intake mainifolds so that it is sucking air. If it "backfired" you might have lost one or the two.

choppergreg74 · 05-13-2008

Thanks. I'll have him check this tomorrow in the light. Its just weird because until he touched it the bike never showed any signs of impending trouble.

CAPTDON · 05-13-2008

Also check the rubber carbie boot clamps!! They are notorious for being loose & making the bike run crappy!! Its been a problem I have seen on MANY Bonne's!! The gas cap/ vent could be another as well? Itdoesnt sound real serious!! DONT get rid of the bike for a small problem like that!! I am sure its a loose something. Mine (I have reckamped the boots x 2)
& sealed my little rubber nipples before. I also run some carb/ injector cleaner thru the tank every 3 mos! Makes a BIG difference. It was running like crap & I ran some injector cleaner thru & now runs rite on!!

oldroadie · 05-13-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colin_In_Ottawa

Check to see if maybe one of the rubber vacuum plug nipples hasnt popped of of the intake mainifolds so that it is sucking air. If it "backfired" you might have lost one or the two.

This is your most probable culprit, one of the vacuum plugs has gone missing.

fastbike · 05-14-2008

Cmon folks, the "car oil" has nothing to do with the symptoms described. The worst that can happy with automotive oil is that a wet clutch may slip a little if you use the "energy conserving" oil. This is typically only in viscosities that are too light for most motorcycles (0w-30, 5w-30, some 10-40).

propforward · 05-14-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by fastbike

Cmon folks, the "car oil" has nothing to do with the symptoms described. The worst that can happy with automotive oil is that a wet clutch may slip a little if you use the "energy conserving" oil. This is typically only in viscosities that are too light for most motorcycles (0w-30, 5w-30, some 10-40).

+1 alright - it's a vacuum hose / plug issue for sure. Just check all those lines really carefully. Pinched fuel line can do it too.

Got to wonder about how knowledgeable the dealer is, not coming up with that.

You might want to get your bike over to a good dealer though, have them check all the vacuum connections if you're not overly confident as to what you're looking at.

Don't get rid of the bike! It's a lovely machine and you'll get over this issue.

modre · 05-14-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by choppergreg74

On the second ride after the oil change the bike starting acting weird: backfiring, surging forward and then stalling continuously, but always restarting immediately.

So he performed another oil change and filter change too. The bike backfired, surged and stalled for the first twenty minutes, but then all symptoms completely disappeared while riding for another two hours.

that rules out a vacuum cap...once they're off. they don't straighten out by themselves

took the bike out an hour later for another ride and it was fine for the first ten minutes, but then the original symptoms reappeared as bad as ever. We rode it on two other occasions and it remained troublesome.

because of the intermittent nature, I'd check for a tank vent that causes vapor lock, a sticky float valve that changes. or possibly an intermittent spark.

next time it fails, pull the plugs out, check for consistent sharp blue spark and look for a cracked porcelin or broken wire, and do a compression check to rule out bent valve stem or crap under the seat...and check the spark. backfiring suggests either a valve not seating or a spark at the wrong time...more than vent blocked.

I'm assuming the backfire is in the exhaust and not thru the carbs? that means there's raw gas past the combustion chamber that gets lit...and that says valve seat or a spark lapse that lets it pass.

BE CAREFUL WITH THE HEAT but when it's running afoul, check the pipes for one colder (relative) best way is with an infrared sensor AC guys use...but hand works if you don't burn all the flesh off...that should correspond with the black-ish plug...and that can be loss of spark, or a float valve stuck open and flooding intermittently.

Oh...and the oil change had nothing to do with it...fire the numbnuts mechanic