Bonneville wont Start

[Hedge]

First of all I should be booted for not checking in for so long and I apoligize! The new job is great and I'm doing well. Secondly, as some of you old-timers might remember about the last time this happened . . . the Kill switch is not on! I get gas and the starter turns over good but it just won't fire. Me thinks it is spark so I pulled a plug and checked it and it came out really clean. I grounded it to the cylinder wall and cranked the engine and no spark. I checked all the fuses and they appear good. I can smell gas so I know it isn't that. I took off oil cap and smelled oil tank and no gas in there. This is strange because I have been riding the bike 5 times a week to work and back for the entire Spring & Summer without issue until Monday morning. It was fine last Friday when I drove it into the garage and Monday morning she won't start. I am now considering dropping it off at the Triumph dealer unless anyone has some other ideas. :d

 

[LoVel]

Well holy fuck. Look what the cat drug in. Good to hear from you old man. :welcome:

No I don't have an answer. Just had to say hi. HI.

Is it in gear with the side stand down?

 

[bluesforchallah]

First of all I should be booted for not checking in for so long and I apoligize! The new job is great and I'm doing well. Secondly, as some of you old-timers might remember about the last time this happened . . . the Kill switch is not on! I get gas and the starter turns over good but it just won't fire. Me thinks it is spark so I pulled a plug and checked it and it came out really clean. I grounded it to the cylinder wall and cranked the engine and no spark. I checked all the fuses and they appear good. I can smell gas so I know it isn't that. I took off oil cap and smelled oil tank and no gas in there. This is strange because I have been riding the bike 5 times a week to work and back for the entire Spring & Summer without issue until Monday morning. It was fine last Friday when I drove it into the garage and Monday morning she won't start. I am now considering dropping it off at the Triumph dealer unless anyone has some other ideas. :d

I've got a riding buddy with an '05 Thruxton who experienced the same issue. He pulled into his garage after a ride one day everything running fine, next morning he saddled up to ride to work and no go. Turned out to be his pick up coil had gone bad. He replaced it and was off and running again.

When I swapped out mine, with the bike on the side stand, I didn't lose a drop of oil.

 

[Hedge]

Well holy fuck. Look what the cat drug in. Good to hear from you old man. :welcome:

No I don't have an answer. Just had to say hi. HI.

Is it in gear with the side stand down?

Good to hear from you my Alabama Buddy! How's the Mrs and HiVel?

 

[Hedge]

I've got a riding buddy with an '05 Thruxton who experienced the same issue. He pulled into his garage after a ride one day everything running fine, next morning he saddled up to ride to work and no go. Turned out to be his pick up coil had gone bad. He replaced it and was off and running again.

When I swapped out mine, with the bike on the side stand, I didn't lose a drop of oil.

Good call! ANyone else have any other ideas as well?

 

[Hedge]

Well holy fuck. Look what the cat drug in. Good to hear from you old man. :welcome:

No I don't have an answer. Just had to say hi. HI.

Is it in gear with the side stand down?

Neutral on the Center stand

 

[whyme]

Is the handlebar switch on?? Is it plugged in??

 

[drlapo]

each "switch" needs to be individually tested: clutch, side stand, neutral.
unplugeach adn bypass to determine if that's the problem
its usually the simplest thing
next would be the igniter because its easy ot get at but very expensive. borrow a good one and swap them out; then you'll know
the pick up coil is next but there is no test for that just swap it out
good battery? sometimes they just die, don't trust the voltage (should be 12.7+) do a load test: hook up the headlight direcctly to the battry and see how long it lasts
the bike won't spark much below 12 volts

 

[LoVel]

Good to hear from you my Alabama Buddy! How's the Mrs and HiVel?

Everyone is doing pretty well. HiVel is down to 2 motorcycles. Sold the Sprint and the Tiger. Keeping the Bonnie and the Thruxton.

Robin is still riding her original 2002 Bonnie. We made the bash this year. Will have to play it by ear next year.

 

[bonZa]

if the starter cranks the engine ok then it cant be neutral, sidestand, clutch or kill switch.
check to make sure the connections to the igniter are ok and load test battery or replace if still the original. but the culprit going by other similar issues elsewhere is probably the pick up coil

edit, there also was a change to the gap setting of the pickup coil, it was 1.1mm and the spec changed to 0.8mm about 2007-2008. easy to check, but symptoms of this are usually stalling

 

[strokerlmt]

good to hear from you ....check every connection bars, lights in the bucket every connection before you start payin 50 and hour...
LMT

 

[Hedge]

Like BonZa said it can't be the neutral, sidestand, clutch or kill switch because it cranks over strongly which makes me believe the battery is good. All Lights and blinkers work. I smell plenty of gas. Me thinks it is the Ignitor or coil but since I need a new clutch and general service and I no longer have the time to do this myself, I have it on the trailer and will bring it to Libby's Triumph today and lever her there for them to figure it out. "You can always replace Money but you can never replace time!"

 

[bonZa]

the pick up coil is easy to test, unlike the ignitor or ignition coil which are best tested by swapping with a known working spare

to test the pick up coil, trace the wire from the right hand alternator cover where the pickup coil (Triumph call it an ignition sensor) is located to where it plugs into the harnes located under the seat near the battery. the sensor is simply a coil of wire wound around a magnet and enscapulated in plastic. the only thing that can go wrong is the wire may break down. to test use a multi meter and swich it to Ohms, probe both the connection tangs and measure the resistance. at normal temperature it should read about 600 Ohms. if the winding has broken the meter will read infiniti or 0.L on as shown on this meter

here is a spare sensor I have showing a test

 

[Hedge]

Thanks bonZa - very helpful. I dropped the Bonne off at Libby's yesterday and they think it is the coil but will do a complete test. I have the Nology setup so I'm hoping it is not there. I'm probably getting a new clutch as well since the bike has just turned 9200 miles and the clutch is original. It slips. Sorry - I'm out of the loop, is there a better Clutch that I should be using instead of the stock one?

 

[Baltobonneville]

Hedge, I was just wondering yesterday what happened to you when I pulled my 8-ball choke knob out to start the bike. Really. Welcome back!

Barnett "green" springs in the clutch will probably solve the slipping, for $16 or so, plus a new gasket, and a few hours of work, mainly involved in scraping off the old gasket. They did for mine, and for many others on the other Triumph forum. You probably don't need new clutch plates at 9200 miles. If the mechanic does the work, tell him that you want the Barnett green springs installed, regardless of what else is done to it.

 

[bluesforchallah]

I'm probably getting a new clutch as well since the bike has just turned 9200 miles and the clutch is original. It slips. Sorry - I'm out of the loop, is there a better Clutch that I should be using instead of the stock one?

Barnett "green" springs in the clutch will probably solve the slipping, for $16 or so, plus a new gasket, and a few hours of work, mainly involved in scraping off the old gasket. They did for mine, and for many others on the other Triumph forum. You probably don't need new clutch plates at 9200 miles. If the mechanic does the work, tell him that you want the Barnett green springs installed, regardless of what else is done to it.

+1 on the 'green springs' I replaced my springs earlier in the season and they have cured my slippage 100%. I had over 12,000 miles on the bike at the time and my plates were still fine.

Side note: I purchased the Triumph tool that centralizes the mounting plate that goes over the springs and had a bitch of a time getting that plate centered. I wound up ditching the tool and doing manually by feel.

Here's an overview of my experience: http://www.newbonnevilleriders.com/forum/showpost.php?p=138686&postcount=66

 

[Hedge]

Excellent info Blues! Balto - great to hear from you! I have been very busy working and trying to keep this job this time! ;-) However, I have been riding my bike a lot to work and back each day during the Spring and Summer. I miss being part of this community and I'm going to try and work my way back in . . . carefully this time!

 

[Hedge]

Libbys just called me and said that it was a bad Pickup coil and they are going to replace it now and hopefully it will fire. There is a slight chance that it could also be an ECU unit as well but they will let me know