Thunderbird 900 Ignition Failure

My TBS is similar. Sometimes, when its warmed up and I've stopped for a break, it starts up again fine, but the first time I pull the clutch in it just cuts out and won't re-start. A flick off and on of the kill switch solves it though!
Fires up immediately after doing that!

 

check the obvious first, you may have inadvertantly knocked the kill switch on. Also is it in gear ?

 

Maybe the battery was low, hence the clunks when it started originally. Try charging it fully or if poss use another good battery .

Check for blown fuse.

As I said it's best to do simple things first. I am not saying it ain't your cps but usually they give you a warning as you already know

 

Tim Williams
Welcome to the forum. I would agree with you there could be a loose connection there. Also check your fuel is delivering. I had a Thunderbird around that year and they have a air over flow pipe that gets blocked and cuts the bike out. I used to run a bit of stiff pipe down there. I also think there is a air pipe by the fuel lines that blocks aswel.
Ride Safe
Joe.

 

Not an exhaustive test but a fair indicator......

Ignition on.

Check for battery voltage at a coil +ve terminal to earth. If present it suggests a pick up coil failure (the lost trigger to tell the igniter to cut power) if missing then suspect the igniter itself.

Self evidently a wiring break could also be the culprit but a powered up coil points at the pick up.

 

Side stand switch stuck in, did you drop the stand down when it cut out

Whatever you do dont keep trying to start it with a weak battery. These bikes need a strong fully charged battery or the sprag clutch may give out and it is an expensive job, engine out etc on these models. How do I know? Guess, lol, yep mine went.

 

That's the trouble with today's tech....so many nanny safety devices to fail and that's before you can get to the other possibilities so start with them and the associated wiring and work your way to the other things suggested, IE check for spark , continuity and component failure, and if all checks out move onto fuel delivery.

 

Sounds like its some sort of alarm/immobilizer by the behavior.

 

Measure the voltage across the battery terminals as you depress the starter. If you get anything much below 10v your battery is shot.

 

If it is the alarm, then it should be a simple fix, also check out the wiring loom in the headlight, a friend of mine thought he had alternator failure when his died for no apparent reason, after checking the alternator was ok, he found a lose wire in the loom within the headlight shell.
Good luck with it, unfortunately this is the problem with modern bikes, too many things to go wrong, the price we pay for modern sophistication ?

 

Maybe a bad voltage regulator.

 

With your thunderbird there should be 2 alarm plugs one to the sounder and one to the alarm unit itself, the one to the sounder may need a shorting plug to be fitted which has a connection between the two Black/White tracer wires as they complete part of the circuit for the sidestand switch.

Please check the connection details with Triumph as I am working from the haynes manual which "should " be correct, they should be able to supply the plug you need to a VIN number