Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Post dealer performance drop off

Wotcha all,

had my America in for a 'Winter Service' and replacement rear brake pads.

since getting it back however it feels like its rev range has totally changed. I.e. i'd quite happily scoot around in 2nd or 3rd gear along back country lanes (about 30-50mph) and now it feels like the engine is really straining (i.e the rev range feels much closer to red lining) when i try that.

is there anything they could have changed that would change the rev range of my bike?

could be in my head of course, but it certainly feels different.

Ant

Did you check your new brakes? Could be dragging with new pads on. But I would think you would smell'em gettin' hot. Just a thought.

Is the clutch slipping?

there doesn't seem to be a noticable difference in my brakes, possibly they are slightly firmer at the back (though also slightly softer at the front). No wierd smells coming from the bike.

Clutch seems the same as usual, gear changes are still pretty smooth.

just seems like i have to change sooner than before, like it's climbing up the revs much quicker..

Check your rotor next time out and see if it is overly hot and even before you go next time check it to see if there is any discoloration. Only thing they could have changed other than adjusting the clutch so loose it slips that would change the RPM range would be sprockets or tire size. If they messed with your carbs enough I suppose it could feel weaker if they screwed it up but the RPMs at a given speed wouldn't change.Vacuum leak would hurt performance too if they knocked off a squirrel condom or something similar. If they did something like drop a rag in the air box when they changed the filter (if they did that) and it blocked the air intake that would make it like riding with the engine choked.

don't you have a mapped system?

sounds like they knocked a line loose or the mapping reset. No, the ride should still be as it was, but rather as it was.

A rag in the box would be a put off. Bark Bark for sure.
Had you a lift you could spin the wheel and check the canine discolouration without riding it.

inquiring brains, (though not abby normal, but jammin on the Derek Trucks Band) want to know precisly what

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'Winter Service'

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means,i.e., regurgitate the work items invoice.

Got to confess i'm not entirely sure what 'winter service' entails. I suspect (though i don't factually know) that it's checking brakes, fluid levels etc etc.

I got rear ended a few days before i got on the bike so it's possible it's partly in my head, will get a brakedown of what they did to the bike next week though as apparently the cush (?) drive needs replacing by the Dealer too.

i'll check the bits you guys pointed out though, see if there's anything that looks odd there.

cheers for the help guys

Hi, Ant. A winter service is generally just checking various components (battery, brakes, fluids, tyres, lights, etc.) Could it be that the brakes were binding (rubbing) before you had them changed, and now they're not? Does the bike seem under-powered or just revs/gets up to speed quicker?

If you're on back roads and in 3rd at 50mph, you're changing up too soon (did you not learn anything at the Cat and Fiddle?!!!) You can take it to 75ish in second; the faster an engine spins, the more stable the bike is, due to gyroscopic effects and other mystical things that I don't understand!

You got rear-ended again? You and Gina should talk!!

The cush drive is a bit of rubber inside the rear wheel-hub and, basically, is a cushion between the wheel and the rear sprocket. This makes the transition from on-throttle to off-throttle (and vice-versa) much smoother than if it was solid. If you grab your rear sprocket and twist it back and forth, it should move without the wheel moving. A good one will only move slightly. I had 2 go in 4000 miles; they did the first under warranty but not the second (which I still haven't done due to lack of funds). See if they'll install one from a Thunderbird Sport, which is a better fit.

Ride safe(r), Neill

Luckily this time i was rear ended i was in the car rather than on the bike, though i think the downshot is that it's made me a tad more nervous on birmingham roads - nothing i won't get over.

back to the bike though, the tips you gave me back at the cat and fiddle have improved my riding style (and comfort) no end - certainly i felt i had a lot more control in twisties etc and on average was always in 2nd (or 3rd on long straights) on our A roads.

which is why when i got on it post service i was surprised at how uncomfortable the bike felt doing the same thing in second or third. Almost like pre-service/hit i was happy doing most of my action in second without worrying about the engine's ability to take it and post-service/hit it feels like it's a lot more 'vibey' and that it's being pushed harder - so to answer your question i would say it feels like it's going up the revs much quicker for less increase in actual speed.

not sure if the brakes were rubbing before they were replaced (both front and back) but certainly the front feels less 'grippy' and the back i'm not sure about.

if you managed to get your cush drive replaced under warrenty, do you reckon i'll be able to blag the same for mine? (it's under 4000 miles - in fact i've only put about a grand and a half on it in the few months i've owned it).

might take it out for another ride in a minute actually, just to have a bit more of a think about it

cheers again matey.

Ant

Change the cush drive yourself and save the money.....Order a ThunderBird cush drive and replace your old one with the Tbird drive......Angelis

It's just a thought but you might be running lean. Was there much of a difference in temperature between when you took the bike in and when you picked it up?

I went out for a ride on Friday. It was sunny but blowing a gale, freezing and there was ice in the shadows. I'd been ill all week and just needed to cheer myself up a bit. Despite the conditions, it was a lovely ride round local roads.

My bike ran like crap, improved as the temperatures rose slightly then got worse as they dropped again. If you're running stock jets (120's) then you're probably much too lean.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Regarding the brakes, this is common whenever you change anything; they need to 'bed in'. Just go easy for the first 100 miles or so.

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What's the maximum allowable play according to actual specification?

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Not sure about Triumph spec. but it's generally no more than 3mm.

Usually the sprocket carrier is a snug fit in the cush drive rubbers. Any "play" felt in the sprocket is due to wear/compression of the rubber...and you need to feel it rather than see it. Movement itself is not neccessarily indicative of a problem.

Just thinking if your tyres where soft and they pumped them up as required at the service it would change the feel of the bike, surprising difference a few PSI make.

good point, my tires were definitely a bit soft before i put it in. that could explain it.

best bet is for me to give it a ride tomorrow to find out!

cheers for all the suggestions guys

so, didya sort it, Ant?