Trophy problems with Triumph Trophy

Discussion in 'Sprint & Trophy' started by tedred57, Jan 10, 2016.

  1. tedred57

    tedred57 New Member

    Aug 23, 2015
    4
    3
    Widnes
    afternoon folks...got my Trophy 900 out of hibernation today,obviously wouldn't start straight away but jump started it from my car...ran the bike for about 15 minutes then turned it off,tried starting it again and it was having none of it..battery went dead pretty quickly...have now put battery on trickle charge to see if that can solve the problem...however whilst I had it running I thought i'd check out the lights,indicator etc..all ok but couldn't get the front brake light to work,thought maybe the front pads were seized as its been stood since late October,so gave the calipers a few whacks with a rubber hammer..still no joy with the front brake lights,rear brake light was fine but as I was trying it I noticed that the headlights were coming on faintly as I pressed the pedal down...could this be a faulty earth?...bit at a loss at what I can do other than charge the battery up overnight..which incidentally is less than 12 months old...any advice would be welcome
     
  2. thebiglad

    thebiglad Old fart, still riding !

    Sep 25, 2013
    5,066
    1,000
    Central France
    Hi Tedred, even though the battery is only a year old don't discount the fact that it could be buggered, as it got Soooo flat. Leave it on charge overnight or even a few days (assuming you've got an 'intelligent charger') to bring it back to life.

    Also the next time the engine is running, check the charging circuit of the bike (at a minimum of 1000 rpm) by measuring across the battery terminals with a multi-meter - set on +20v range. It should read between 13.5 and 14.0 volts. If it reads below 13v there is a charging problem.
     
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  3. Yorkshireman

    Yorkshireman Crème de la Crème

    Dec 12, 2015
    3,399
    1,000
    Barnsley
    Don't take this as criticism but what were you hoping to achieve by whacking the calipers with a rubber hammer? If the front brakes were seized you'd need to strip the pads out and clean then pins and sliders etc. Charge the battery with a trickle charger overnight and see if the bike will start after that. My guess is that the battery could be dead even if it's less than a year old, I've killed a few over the years leaving the bike stored over winter without an optimate or similar connected and charging them always put enough charge in to start but the battery wouldn't hold the charge cos the plates were knackered. The front brake lamp switch is near the brake lever, check the contacts are clean, test it with a meter if you are able but that or the wiring is likely to be your problem if the rear brake puts the light on. Re the headlights coming on faintly I'd guess at an earth problem and some bikes have a common earth block, hopefully someone with more triumph experience can point you in the right direction on that one.
     
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  4. crispey

    crispey crispey creme de la creme

    Nov 6, 2014
    7,229
    1,000
    Uk
    In teds defence of hitting it with a rubber hammer, I have often tried to solve a mechanical problem with some hefty strikes with a booted foot, didn't fix anything either!
     
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  5. stevethegoolie

    stevethegoolie Elite Member

    Oct 16, 2014
    2,454
    800
    East Riding of Yorkshire
    Ah ... you need a 'Yorkshireman's Tweezer' aka a 5lb lump hammer (that size is ideal for delicate and intricate work!!:p).

    Oh, and your battery is fooked! :eek:

    Well, mine was under similar circumstances, though it was a couple of years old.:(
     
  6. steve lovatt

    steve lovatt Something else

    May 12, 2014
    9,218
    1,000
    North Yorkshire
    Battery is buggered - don't let the age of it fool you, had this with my Bonnie and a 9 month old battery.
    Best way to avoid this is to ride all year.
     
  7. tedred57

    tedred57 New Member

    Aug 23, 2015
    4
    3
    Widnes
    Thank you gentlemen for your replies...bike was difficult to move at first so I assumed the calipers had siezed..they did however free up after using my trusty rubber mallet ...put the battery on trickle charge overnight,currently at work so will connect it back up when I get home and see what transpires..had a few mates have a similar battery problems after standing the bike all winter and a new battery has solved the ignition problem..will whizz the bike into the local bike shop if I'm still having the same result with the lights/bad earth issue..many thanks guys
     
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  8. H.O.

    H.O. Noble Member

    Nov 28, 2015
    1,045
    300
    ARDROSSAN, AYRSHIRE
    Just had much the same problem as I was un-expectedly imprisoned in hospital from boxing day morning, bike hadn't been started for a week before that, so near 3 weeks before I tried it, battery flat, put it on charge for an hour or 2 and it fired up, battery minder fitted and a week later still fired up so your battery may have survived if given a good charge.
    Having said that at the next sign of a problem I will fit a new battery.
    Batteries from £20(ish) - £50 on fleebay so not worth the fkcuing about and hassle a dead battery can give you..
     
  9. H.O.

    H.O. Noble Member

    Nov 28, 2015
    1,045
    300
    ARDROSSAN, AYRSHIRE
    Nope battery is having none of it so its sacked!
    Taking a charge but dropping too soon for my liking, don't want it to die on me when I'm out so new one on its way.
     
  10. Sprinter

    Sprinter Kinigit

    Aug 17, 2014
    6,029
    1,000
    uk
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