 It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 524
Adjunct
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OP
Adjunct
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 524 |
The America has become a garage queen for the last couple of years because of electrical problems (coil?,cdi?) Although intermittent, I don't have confidence in riding it very far. Work schedules make it difficult to drop off the bike. The closest place for service near Little Rock is out in the boonies. Wish there was a convenient place to take it. 
Didn't buy into the hype, you can keep the change.
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
And here we have the one reason why purchasing the ubiquitous Harley-Davidson motorcycle could be considered a smart move. Because of course due to the ubiquitous Harley-Davidson dealerships located throughout this great country of ours. (...please note that I said the "ONE" reason in my above text)  
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,271 Likes: 17
Saddle Sore
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Saddle Sore
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,271 Likes: 17 |
Ya know, if it's a question of dependability and a dealer to service the bike for you on every corner I'd by a Honda 
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,212
Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,212 |
Quote:
The America has become a garage queen for the last couple of years because of electrical problems (coil?,cdi?) Although intermittent, I don't have confidence in riding it very far. Work schedules make it difficult to drop off the bike. The closest place for service near Little Rock is out in the boonies. Wish there was a convenient place to take it.
between everyone in here and a few bucks we should all be able to help ya figure it out andget here back on the road.
2007 Speedmaster and miss it!
2013 T-Bird Storm and Luvin it!
Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 70 mph can double your vocabulary
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,590
Check Pants
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Check Pants
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,590 |
Quote:
ubiquitous
Three, count'em three "U"s. You are making progress my friend. Now can you pronounce Pro-gress properly?
None of which helps eddieb lacking a Triumph dealer in the neighbourhood.
jh
"It's not what I say that's important, it's what you hear" Red Auerbach
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,393 Likes: 1
Second Wind
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Second Wind
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,393 Likes: 1 |
Many Honda parts fit our triumphs.
I have no faith in human perfectability. I think that human exertion will have no appreciable effect upon humanity. Man is now only more active - not more happy - nor more wise, than he was 6000 years ago.
Edgar Allan Poe
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,471 Likes: 3
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,471 Likes: 3 |
My Triumph dealer is the local Honda dealer. I use the Suzuki dealer. 
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
Quote:
Quote:
ubiquitous
Three, count'em three "U"s. You are making progress my friend. Now can you pronounce Pro-gress properly?
Yes, but none, "count'em", NONE of THOSE "U"s are superfluous, John ol' boy!!!
Quote:
None of which helps eddieb lacking a Triumph dealer in the neighbourhood.
jh
And yes again, but MY guess is that Eddie's problem with his bike is that now common CDI unit intermittent malfunction...and ya don't have to be a master mechanic to replace that baby on your bike, as I think many of us know.
(...oh and btw, all "good Americans" pronounce that OTHER word you mentioned as "PROG-ress", BUT of course pronounce that stuff you make salads with as "PRO-duce"...so THERE!!!!) 
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12,964
Stickman Yogi
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Stickman Yogi
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12,964 |
Eddie... you don't need a dealer to keep your bike in top running order. The nearest dealer to me is a 4 hour ride from home but even if it was 15 minutes away, I'd still not need them. I'm not a mechanic and was in fact quite intimidated about working on my bike. My bike suffered from electrical problems leaving me in a pickle, but with the help from the good folks here I sorted it all out on my own. I saved money, became more familiar with my bike and gained precious confidence in doing my own work. You can do it too!!
Live to love, love to live.
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 524
Adjunct
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OP
Adjunct
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 524 |
Thanks guys. Not being able to ride is driving me nuts.
To summarize:
- if it's the cdi, it will fire on one cylinder intermittently.
- if it's the coil, the bike will stop running then restart after a little while.
Is this correct?
Didn't buy into the hype, you can keep the change.
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,531
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,531 |
Bring it to Fort Smith. The head dude at Wheeler is awesome and he has an affection for Brittish iron.
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12,964
Stickman Yogi
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Stickman Yogi
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12,964 |
Quote:
Thanks guys. Not being able to ride is driving me nuts.
To summarize:
- if it's the cdi, it will fire on one cylinder intermittently.
- if it's the coil, the bike will stop running then restart after a little while.
Is this correct?
Does it misfire on the SAME cylinder every time? Try changing wires over from one coil to the other and see if it's the same cylinder misfiring. If it's the other cylinder misfiring, you have a faulty coil.
Live to love, love to live.
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 524
Adjunct
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OP
Adjunct
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 524 |
Keith, I'll try it next time it acts up. Last week when it started misfiring, both headers were too hot to check which side was firing.
Didn't buy into the hype, you can keep the change.
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,271 Likes: 17
Saddle Sore
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Saddle Sore
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,271 Likes: 17 |
Keith's suggestion is spot on. Let's eliminate the possible coil issue then move on to the CDI if the coils and coil wiring is good. It's not an easy job when the bike is hot, but a necessary task. Leave the gloves on and get up in there. Once you figure out where the gremlin is you'll feel good about sorting the issue
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,681 Likes: 1
Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,681 Likes: 1 |
Sounds like ignition coil to me. My 2002 TBA did that for 2 years. I even went to a Ga. rally and back with it acting up. I ordered the coil and a non-Triumph shop put it in. Try these Hot Springs shops:
Lonny's Cycle Supply 501 Airport Rd. (501) 673-2483
Java's MC repair 3270 Albert Pike Rd. (501) 760-1580
Spa City V-twin 1010 Cental Ave. (501) 625 7677
"Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at seventy miles per hour can double your vocabulary" Author unknown
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,028 Likes: 8
New Tires
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New Tires
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,028 Likes: 8 |
Make sure it's not a stuck carb float. If one cylinder is flooded, I mean FLOODED, it will cause that side not to fire.
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
H. L. Mencken
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,063 Likes: 8
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,063 Likes: 8 |
When you swap the coil wires, make sure you swap the 2 small primary wires and single high tension lead on each coil with the other. - If the coil is defective, the misfiring cylinder will switch sides - If the CDI is defective, the problem will stay with the same cylinder. I posted this sketch some time ago to help with the explanation. 
12 Rocket Roadster
03 Bonneville America
69 BSA Firebird Scrambler
73 Yamaha TX 750
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 Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,847
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,847 |
Is it like, turn off a switch? Then restart most of the time? symptoms I had, Rectifier Regulator went south with wires obviously shorted. Bottom of bike, middle of frame, box with fins on it and wires attached. 
Warren
04 Caspian Blue and Silver America
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 524
Adjunct
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OP
Adjunct
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 524 |
Thanks again folks for the added info and diagram. One of the threads suggested pulling the plugs and seeing if the spark is yellow or blue. The spark was yellow- didn't see any blue.
Will try to find the post again and see what that means.
Didn't buy into the hype, you can keep the change.
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 170 Likes: 24
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 170 Likes: 24 |
I have had two Triumph dealers go belly up on me first was Canton Cycles 9 miles away in Canton, CT. They sold the dealership to Gengras in East Hartford. 33 miles away. Now the only two Triumph dealers are Libby's in New Haven 50 miles from home and Marks Triumph in Enfield. I go to Libby's for service, never had a problem. But not they do not do service on Saturdays. So I will take a day off Cough, Cough get the 60,000 service done. After having two Hondas in my younger days would only get another Triumph. Dreaming of a Thunderbird. But divorce could be expensive.
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 5,720
Check Pants
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Check Pants
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 5,720 |
Quote:
Thanks again folks for the added info and diagram. One of the threads suggested pulling the plugs and seeing if the spark is yellow or blue. The spark was yellow- didn't see any blue.
Will try to find the post again and see what that means.
Yellow is a weak ignition spark, blue is normal and what you're after.
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Re: It's frustrating not have a dealer nearby
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 524
Adjunct
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OP
Adjunct
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 524 |
Quote:
Quote:
Thanks again folks for the added info and diagram. One of the threads suggested pulling the plugs and seeing if the spark is yellow or blue. The spark was yellow- didn't see any blue.
Will try to find the post again and see what that means.
Yellow is a weak ignition spark, blue is normal and what you're after.
Is the weak ignition spark due to a bad coil or cdi?
Didn't buy into the hype, you can keep the change.
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