Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Bike lacks power

This morning I started up my TBA and it ran as if only one side was firing. After a short ride the problem stop. Went to a restaurant and when I started it back up it experienced the same symptoms. This time it was just for a short while (2-5 minutes). The bike hasn’t started in a week and we were pelted with 2.35 inches of rain Thursday. Be advised I keep my bike outside covered.

Any ideas?

Sounds exactly like the itermitten problem I had for a month. It would just happen on occasion, usually after running at least 20 miles but go away. I narrowed (with help here) it down to the igniter. I thought it must be bad, but after I unplugged the multi-pin connector, cleaned with contact cleaner, and replugged, it hasn't done it since.

Mine would start cutting out on the right cylinder and run like it had no power. After I'd sit a bit, it would run ok again. The first time it happened I was convinced it was water in the fuel cause it would run but not fire.

I would try lifting off the tank and unplugging and replugging in the plugs, other end to the coils, inputs to the coils, and most importantly the ignition control unit.

Dude… That’s exactly what I was thinking, bad gas or water in the gas.

I’ll try that your suggestions and give you some feed back on the outcome.

Thanks again
Bill

My experience is posted here just one page or so further down from yours. Look for "Major problem, need nelp!". This was the second time the probem had occured as I first was convinced it was bad fuel, probably water. I did all the bad fuel stuff, but it came back (usually when the engine was hot - longer than short trips).

After a lot of reading different posts, I realized it had to be an electrical problem i.e.: plugs, plug wires, coils, ignition control unit. One of these is more likely the problem than the fuel.

You might want to do a search under "igniter" and you'll find a lot of posts with similar problems. It appears to be a classic symptom of the ignition control unit which controls the firing of the plugs. I'm going on a 100+ mile run tomorrow. If it doesn't show up again I'll be 100% confident it was a bad connection to the unit. Hope that turns out the be the case with yours.

While you are in there, repack your connections with dielectric greese, too.

the last time I had a problem with the triumph running like crap, I found an air cleaner 3/4's full of dog food.....got to love field mice.....

Pulled off all the electrical leads and reconnected them using dielectric grease. So far so good, everything running fine.

I want to thank all of you for the feedback in helping through this dilemma. You help in lifting this load of my shoulders