I'll Be There Even If I Have To Walk.

[Speedblastr]

Paul, sounds to me like it could be an ECU problem.

My Honda XR650L refused to start one morning (of course it was when I was supposed to be meeting some people for a dual-sport ride). It eventually started up after I'd taken a bunch of stuff apart and opened up the battery box; turned out the CDI unit, which lives in the battery box, had developed an intermittent contact somewhere, and if it was less than about 65 degrees the bike wouldn't start. As I was trying various things with the bike apart, the sun shone into the battery box and warmed up the CDI, and eventually the bike started up with a single press of the starter button. A new CDI box solved the problem, and it's been running fine since.

Ignitor boxes on Bonnevilles have been known to fail on rare occasions too.

In all cases, the situation ends up pretty much like yours -- the bike will turn over, it'll get plenty of fuel, but it will never catch and run.

Given all the problems you've had with your bike, yeah, I'd demand a new one too. I hope the dealership comes through for you.

--mark

Or partially sheared woodruff key in flywheel will send it off time, or the magnets have lost their magnetism. Last Resort ( ICM) quite expensive,usually always very reliable.... problem is likely to be found in other area of ignition.

[rndtaylor]

A story just to make you feel better.....

I stopped for a beer sunday, and when i went to start the bike later, nothing.....dead as a hammer. No gauges sweep, no fuel pump, but the lights work. My dumbass checks battery connections and is prepared to make some emergency phone calls, when a bystander said, "What about the kill switch?"

I never use the switch, always the key.

When it started, I had to tell the guy holding jumper cables, thanks, but I am too stupid to use those.

[Touko]

Well, initially it seemed as if the fuel had been cut off but from what you say about the plugs and the fuel pump coming on that doesn't sound like the problem. I would think the shop would have a known good ecu they can plug in to see if thats the culprit or not. It's the trying to start thing that has me stumped. Why would it just die out then try to start; sputter but not catch? Weak spark? What could cause a weak spark and finally to no spark? Bad coil or weak ground to the coil? Bad ecu or weak ground to the ecu? Wish I knew more about electronic ignition but what I do know is that poor grounds can wreak a lot of havoc on an elec. system. Good luck Paul and I'm quite interested in what the techs come up with.


Todd

[mark]

I stopped for a beer sunday, and when i went to start the bike later, nothing.....dead as a hammer. No gauges sweep, no fuel pump, but the lights work. My dumbass checks battery connections and is prepared to make some emergency phone calls, when a bystander said, "What about the kill switch?"

One day early last summer, I'd ridden my new V-Strom to work, and when a major storm blew in, I ran outside and re-parked the bike in a nook against the building to give it some protection from the wind gusts.

A few minutes later the storm hit, it rained cats and dogs for 15 or 20 minutes, then like most of those sudden early-summer thunderstorms, it blew past.

After work, I went outside to go home, but the bike wouldn't start. Same sort of situation -- headlights, but no fuel pump whirring, and an error message on the LCD panel in the middle of the instrument cluster. "Goddammit!" I said (probably out loud). "Fucking Suzuki... I thought Japanese bikes weren't supposed to get shorted out by the rain? How the hell am I going to ride this thing 3000 miles through the Canadian Maritimes with Tito if it quits on me when it rains? Son of a cocksucking motherfucking bitch!" I'm sure a longer string of profanities followed.

I ended up getting a ride home from a friend. Sat there for a while mulling things over, looking through the owner's manual for error codes, then it suddenly occurred to me... I hopped in the car and drove back to work, checked the bike... and sure enough, I'd forgotten that when I parked it against the building, I put it in gear to make sure the wind didn't blow it off the sidestand. V-Stroms won't start in gear with the sidestand down, even with the clutch lever pulled in.

So I put the sidestand up, put the bike in neutral, and it fired right up as if it had been sitting in a nice dry garage all day. Boy, did I feel stupid.

Rode the bike home, left the car at work, then at lunch the next day had a friend follow me back home to drop off the car and give me a ride back to work. I still felt stupid.

And of course, the V-Strom ran flawlessly for the entire 3000-mile Canadian Maritimes tour with Tito (and ever since), even when we got caught in a torrential downpour.

--mark

[Speedblastr]

I stopped for a beer sunday, and when i went to start the bike later, nothing.....dead as a hammer. No gauges sweep, no fuel pump, but the lights work. My dumbass checks battery connections and is prepared to make some emergency phone calls, when a bystander said, "What about the kill switch?"

One day early last summer, I'd ridden my new V-Strom to work, and when a major storm blew in, I ran outside and re-parked the bike in a nook against the building to give it some protection from the wind gusts.

A few minutes later the storm hit, it rained cats and dogs for 15 or 20 minutes, then like most of those sudden early-summer thunderstorms, it blew past.

After work, I went outside to go home, but the bike wouldn't start. Same sort of situation -- headlights, but no fuel pump whirring, and an error message on the LCD panel in the middle of the instrument cluster. "Goddammit!" I said (probably out loud). "Fucking Suzuki... I thought Japanese bikes weren't supposed to get shorted out by the rain? How the hell am I going to ride this thing 3000 miles through the Canadian Maritimes with Tito if it quits on me when it rains? Son of a cocksucking motherfucking bitch!" I'm sure a longer string of profanities followed.

I ended up getting a ride home from a friend. Sat there for a while mulling things over, looking through the owner's manual for error codes, then it suddenly occurred to me... I hopped in the car and drove back to work, checked the bike... and sure enough, I'd forgotten that when I parked it against the building, I put it in gear to make sure the wind didn't blow it off the sidestand. V-Stroms won't start in gear with the sidestand down, even with the clutch lever pulled in.

So I put the sidestand up, put the bike in neutral, and it fired right up as if it had been sitting in a nice dry garage all day. Boy, did I feel stupid.

Rode the bike home, left the car at work, then at lunch the next day had a friend follow me back home to drop off the car and give me a ride back to work. I still felt stupid.

And of course, the V-Strom ran flawlessly for the entire 3000-mile Canadian Maritimes tour with Tito (and ever since), even when we got caught in a torrential downpour.

--mark

I dropped mine. Pulling up at a BBQ , Wife was talking to one of the hosts...Lots of people in front yard. I saw Wife,pulled up in driveway, put both feet down and continued to do the lean for the side-stand. Whoops..... Down we went. I thought WTF, as my head turned back and forth like a rubber neck giraffe to see if anybody was looking , uh , everybody.The wife helped pull it off me , got up brushed myself off , she (wife) looked me dead in the eye and said " God" !
By that time everybody's eye's shrank from 50 cent pieces to slivers, then to a great burst of laughter.
I thought to myself yeah,yeah I know , you oughta' be in this shell. LoL
Another day in the ditch.

[LoVel]

So today is Friday. I took the bike in last Saturday. They have not been able to get it started yet and they do not know what is wrong with it.

Not so sure what to think about that.

Have called Peter Carlio at Triumoph USA and left him a message telling him we have talked before about this bike. Left him a message telling him it was time to invoke the Lemon Law and wanted to know if they wanted to pay my attorney as well as replacing the bike or wanted to go ahead and do the right thing. I told him I knew paying the atty was no big deal for Triumph but this was a very big deal to me. Asked him to get back with me and let me know what they were going to do.

I also mentioned in my message that the mechanic told me my bike was put together wrong at the factory. That was why the cam chain broke.

Speed, I don't know what is wrong with it yet.

[Speedblastr]

So today is Friday. I took the bike in last Saturday. They have not been able to get it started yet and they do not know what is wrong with it.

Not so sure what to think about that.

Have called Peter Carlio at Triumoph USA and left him a message telling him we have talked before about this bike. Left him a message telling him it was time to invoke the Lemon Law and wanted to know if they wanted to pay my attorney as well as replacing the bike or wanted to go ahead and do the right thing. I told him I knew paying the atty was no big deal for Triumph but this was a very big deal to me. Asked him to get back with me and let me know what they were going to do.

I also mentioned in my message that the mechanic told me my bike was put together wrong at the factory. That was why the cam chain broke.

Speed, I don't know what is wrong with it yet.

Wow Paul , I did not realize that you had quite a lot of trouble w / bike.
I sort of gathered that a little , w/ Mark's response to you but wasn't sure , now I am.
Do what you gotta do , Bro.
Cam chain Broke previously , WTF.
I see now that this is not one problem , but many stacked on each other.
I'm afraid I'd be a little , O.K. I lied , a lot of pissed off as well.
Good Luck , Man. Speed.

[LoVel]

Called GM and Service guy at Bogart's as well as Triumph USA customer service and told them they would be receiving a letter from my atty this week. Took all the paperwork(timelines) to the atty on last friday. Told the dealer to stop any and all work they thought I was going to pay for because they were not getting anything out of me until my atty told me to pay them.

Have not heard a word from anyone related to Triumph. Hope to have a new bike by the Bash. Hopefully a Triumph but that depends on Triumph.

[bennybmn]

So Peter Carillo never called you back? When I went down to GA a couple years ago, one of my friend grenaded his recently big bored America on the way down. The piston literally did a flip in the cylinder... Peter helped him get a new head and some other parts for it, and we even met him. Seemed like a nice guy.... Sorry you've had so much trouble man, I really hope it get's settled soon! Keep us posted.

[LoVel]

I have talked to him several times and he does seem like a nice guy normally. I know he is trying to protect Triumph's interests. That is what they pay him for. I don't think he understands how much time my bike has been in the shop.

Once I left messages telling them they would hear from my atty no more contact has come from anyone.

We will let the lawyers handle it at this point. I asked them to call just to let me know they got my message but the incredible silence on all fronts seems to be a pretty good indicator that they did.

I'm sure it is company policy to no longer discuss it with me once attys get involved and it is also a good way to call my bluff if they think I am bluffing. They should get the letter this week or early next week.

[bennybmn]

Best to not cause anymore confusion by going around the lawyers anyway... I hope the wheels turn quickly for you!

[LoVel]

On a brighter note, if this is not resolved, which is very possible, dad will let me ride the Tiger.

[TonUp]

Glad that you are riding a blue color bike, I will be able to track you down on the twisties amongst all the GREEN MOUNTAIN Landscape! See you and Robin soon! Looking forward to meeting your dad.



Tito


Ton Up!

[Speedblastr]

What was the outcome ?

[LoVel]

No outcome yet speed. The friend of the family atty didn't really want to get into it so I contacted a consumer rights atty out of Atlanta that has an office in Birmingham. They are supposed to get back to me by today about taking my case. If they don't call I will probably call them this afternoon or Monday. They only take cases they are pretty sure they can win so I hope they accept it. If they don't I'm srewed. I will pay to have it fixed and get rid of it as quick as I can.