I joined the forum yesterday, looking for answers to a specific problem I am having with my 2009 Speed Triple 1050, but I couldn't find anything. Anyway, I'm an expat Pom, living in South Africa for 38 years now, and the Speed Triple is my second Triumph. I did have a Daytona 675, but that was written off by a (expletive deleted) in an Amaphela (Xhosa for cockroach - it's an informal taxi, normally a beat-up Toyota Tazz, driven by a brain-dead moron with no license and zero road sense). I am now of the opinion that motorcycles in this country don't need horns, they need small-caliber gatling guns with a firing rate of at least 6000 round per minute! Anyone who can tell me what to look for with a bike that starts fine when cold, but occasionally refuses to go when hot, please reply. I have had the battery checked - on a 60A discharge for 5s, the battery doesn't drop below 10.7V, even after three cycles, and it recovers quickly to 12.6V. Symptoms are a half to one turn of the engine, then the starter cuts out, the temp gauge shows all the bars, the ECM warning light comes on and the bike won't respond to the starter button for a minute or so (ignition off). Sometimes there is no response at all to the starter button, other than the ECM light coming on. If I let the bike cool off for 10 minutes, there is a 50/50 chance I can get it going, otherwise she gets in a huff and the only way to get her running is jump-leads off a car battery. Anybody got any advice? Mike
Hi Mike welcome to the Asylum you should fit right in. Someone will be along to help you shortly. The only help I can give you is paint it black. Tucker
If the starting problem is reduced when you connect a car battery with jumper cables, I would day that the problem is electrical and probably lies in the battery and or the charging circuit. This is how I would proceed : 1. Charge the bike battery overnight then reinstall in the bike; 2. Assuming the bike starts OK (do not touch the throttle at all during the start procedure) measure the charging circuit by putting a volt meter across the two battery terminals. At tickover you should get a reading of at least 13.5v. 3. Post your results on here. Good luck........... Dave
Hi mate and welcome Sounds like your battery is on the way out Batteries can recover a bit when left for a while which sounds like your starting symptoms
I too would suspect the battery. Age? It sounds like the ECU is detecting insufficient output and shutting down. The fact it accepts a jump says the problem is your onboard power supply.
Welcome in. Have to admit someone searching through our ramblings and deciding to stay and post must be a first or at least one of a few.
Thanks for the info Dave although, as I said, I have had the battery tested and when discharged at 60A for 5s it does not drop under 10.7V. Test was repeated 3 times, same voltage each time. This was done at a lab that is accredited to ISO17025, so all the instrumentation is calibrated. As far as charging is concerned, I see 14.2V just after starting, dropping to around 13.5V after a few minutes.
Thanks, but I have checked all the cables and they all look fine. I cleaned off some corrosion a while back, but it didn't solve the problem.
Its probably the solenoid or both the wires, also check the starter relay as it should cut the head light on cranking.
However well the battery checks out,the fact it accepts a jump start tells you that, unaided, the power supply is marginal. Logically it is either the battery itself or a dry/lazy connection somewhere. Battery age and specification matter. I think the Speed demands a minimum of 180 CCA. Any idea of your battery rating? Your charging circuit is clearly healthy.
Welcome to the forum! You've already had some good suggestions, but I'll throw out three things. First, the voltage dropping to 13.5 when running >2,000 rpm may indicate a bad alternator (meaning the battery really doesn't have the amps needed) and there is a test procedure to verify that. Since you are at 14.2V right after starting, you are probably OK, but as noted in comments above, there are certain power thresholds that are required for starting and running. Second, you might want to look 'hard' at your starter relay switch as the possible problem which could be something as simple as a bad ground wire on the relay. Third, you might want to pick-up DealerTool or TuneECU to see if you have any fault codes stored in your system to help you diagnose the problem. It's simple to check for them and the information is invaluable. Finally, it would be great if you 'report' back to the group when you do find your gremlins so others can take advantage of your new knowledge.