It Lives!!!!!
Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 3:27 pm
Well, today I took to trying to find out what was wrong with the 1999 Triumph Trophy 1200 I just bought. As of last weekend it would start temporarily, sputter and die, particularly if you gave it any gas. I'd tried half-heartedly to get it going Saturday, but no go.
So today I decided to get to work. I pulled the seat off and then the plastic body surround under the seat. Started to look around to see what the next step should be. Looking at the underside of the tank and all of the screws holding the fairing together, I decided maybe I'd try to start it again (trust me, it wasn't just laziness- well, maybe it was).
So, pulled the choke about half way, hit the starter, and- viola- it fired! Well this is novel! Let it warm up a little, turned the throttle a smidge, and it didn't die. So then I started easing the choke off. Running like crap, but running.
Got it down so it was idling at proper speed and just kind of let it go ( that laziness thing again). Chnk, chunk, whir, sputter, chunk chunk, whir. I could tell that it was trying to do something normal.
Well, after a couple minutes, something seemed to click and it settled into a normal idle. Yeah!!!! Twisted the throttle and it revved right up.
Put it all back together with the enigne running and spent the next 30 minutes whizzing through the nieghborhood just seeing if it would stay running. It did. Gave the wife and both my kids rides on the new bike that they've never seen run. Yippeee!!
Shut it down, fired it up again an hour later and did a couple more laps.
I think there may still be an issue, but I'm a firm believer that mechanical equipment must be run to stay functional and that running can clear a lot of cobwebs (that, and I'm lazy), so I'm just going to ride it for a while (I think the bikes seen a lot of storage in the last couple years). I'll see if there are issues after 500 miles or so and a couple tanks of gas. Then, when I have a better handle on the real nature of the problem, I'll attack it again. I bought it with the express purpose of being an almost daily commuter, so perhaps a few days of the 50 mile ramble to work will make the bug go away. I'll stay off the interstate until I'm confident and the other route is more scenic anyways.
I'll keep y'all posted.
So today I decided to get to work. I pulled the seat off and then the plastic body surround under the seat. Started to look around to see what the next step should be. Looking at the underside of the tank and all of the screws holding the fairing together, I decided maybe I'd try to start it again (trust me, it wasn't just laziness- well, maybe it was).
So, pulled the choke about half way, hit the starter, and- viola- it fired! Well this is novel! Let it warm up a little, turned the throttle a smidge, and it didn't die. So then I started easing the choke off. Running like crap, but running.
Got it down so it was idling at proper speed and just kind of let it go ( that laziness thing again). Chnk, chunk, whir, sputter, chunk chunk, whir. I could tell that it was trying to do something normal.
Well, after a couple minutes, something seemed to click and it settled into a normal idle. Yeah!!!! Twisted the throttle and it revved right up.
Put it all back together with the enigne running and spent the next 30 minutes whizzing through the nieghborhood just seeing if it would stay running. It did. Gave the wife and both my kids rides on the new bike that they've never seen run. Yippeee!!
Shut it down, fired it up again an hour later and did a couple more laps.
I think there may still be an issue, but I'm a firm believer that mechanical equipment must be run to stay functional and that running can clear a lot of cobwebs (that, and I'm lazy), so I'm just going to ride it for a while (I think the bikes seen a lot of storage in the last couple years). I'll see if there are issues after 500 miles or so and a couple tanks of gas. Then, when I have a better handle on the real nature of the problem, I'll attack it again. I bought it with the express purpose of being an almost daily commuter, so perhaps a few days of the 50 mile ramble to work will make the bug go away. I'll stay off the interstate until I'm confident and the other route is more scenic anyways.
I'll keep y'all posted.
) in the tank with some fresh gas. This stuff really works on carbs that aren't too gummed up to run but still need a little cleaning. Might save you from having to do a full carb cleaning. 
. But it was nice to get it up and moving. Handles really nicely and feels quite comfortable for my dimensions, even at slow speeds. And the kids couldn't stop grinning.