Help w/1998 Triumph Legend-Not mine

[suzukizone]

Hi, I am on right coast & my son on the left coast. This regards his 1998 Triumph Legend (885cc Triple) but hoping someone reading this can offer a tip. I am NOT familiar with this bike & he owns a restaurant so works 23 hrs a day & not too mechanically inclined anyways so he is stumped. I have offered to help him try to figure it out from the "other side of the world". This is basically how he described the problem to me.

He tried to replace old wet type lead acid battery with a new sealed AGM. New battery confirmed fully charged & in good shape by shop he got it at as he took it back after the problem surfaced.

Lights come on as expected when he turns the ignition key to the run position. When he hits the starter button, he hears a click and the lights that had come on, go out as if a fuse blew. Checked fuses but all are OK. If he returns after a bit, the lights come on when ignition key is turned on but same result.

Realize this is the GS site but hoping either one of you smarter than me folks can ascertain a likely prob or even familiar with these bikes of the limey DNA. Last time I was out there I couldn't even figure out how to get the seat off so I'm in the dark. Nice bike, never had trouble til this other than the battery dying from lack of use.

Thanks for any help.

DH

 

[posplayr]

Assuming battery is really good and assuming there is not a headlamp cutout (??) then it sounds like a starter problem of some type of starter clutch engagement problem.

If he has a volt meter he could do a Quick Test" and get a better read on the situation leaving much less to guessing. However from the description he has neither the time nor inclination to work on it, so it should sit unless you take it to a shop or have someone else more inclined look at it.

 

[steve murdoch]

Years ago a buddy had a similar bike
Check for the neutral/starter switch.
The clutch had to be pulled in to start and the switch itself was iffy.
I think it has to be in neutral and the clutch pulled in?
Can't remember if it was at the bars or at the clutch housing where the problem was.

 

[suzukizone]

Years ago a buddy had a similar bike
Check for the neutral/starter switch.
The clutch had to be pulled in to start and the switch itself was iffy.
I think it has to be in neutral and the clutch pulled in?
Can't remember if it was at the bars or at the clutch housing where the problem was.

Thanks Steve, he's had the bike for a couple of years so I'm sure he has the basic starting procedure down. It's less of a doesn't turn over issue & more of a sudden loss of electrics with accompanying "click" when he hits the starter button. It almost sounds like if the bike had an automatically resetting circuit breaker somewhere in place of a fuse & there was some sort of short or overload. Of course this can't be the case.

I was thinking today, after posting, could he have a fuel cock that requires manual shut off & he had forgotten to turn it off & one or more cylinders filled with gas? Not likely as I'd think the fuel would keep flowing out all over the place.

He said it started up with old battery after it was charged up, all he did was pull the battery, replace it w/ a new one & this problem came in.

Lucas, Prince of Darkness at work? Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of British electrical engineers. The Shadow do! Yuk Yuk Yuk

Thanks,

DH

 

[suzukizone]

Assuming battery is really good and assuming there is not a headlamp cutout (??) then it sounds like a starter problem of some type of starter clutch engagement problem.

If he has a volt meter he could do a Quick Test" and get a better read on the situation leaving much less to guessing. However from the description he has neither the time nor inclination to work on it, so it should sit unless you take it to a shop or have someone else more inclined look at it.

I'll forward that to him. Not sure even if he has the time to try it, that he could figure it out. He does need to get someone to look at it.

Thanks

DH

 

[bwringer]

It might have a factory alarm system or immobilizer.

I've removed the factory alarm systems from two Triumphs, and I don't even know that many people who own Triumphs. Apparently alarms are all the rage across the pond because you get lower insurance rates or something. Over here, they're mostly an annoyance.


Could also be a bad battery or corroded connections somewhere. Can he take some voltage readings and do some troubleshooting?

 

[steve murdoch]

I figured he knew how to start it but sometimes the switches can go south.
Lots of ideas in this thread from a Triumph site. Battery, solenoid, switches, starter.
http://www.triumphrat.net/hinckley-classic-triples/119739-solenoid-clicks-but-bike-wont-start.html

Thanks Steve, he's had the bike for a couple of years so I'm sure he has the basic starting procedure down. It's less of a doesn't turn over issue & more of a sudden loss of electrics with accompanying "click" when he hits the starter button. It almost sounds like if the bike had an automatically resetting circuit breaker somewhere in place of a fuse & there was some sort of short or overload. Of course this can't be the case.

I was thinking today, after posting, could he have a fuel cock that requires manual shut off & he had forgotten to turn it off & one or more cylinders filled with gas? Not likely as I'd think the fuel would keep flowing out all over the place.

He said it started up with old battery after it was charged up, all he did was pull the battery, replace it w/ a new one & this problem came in.

Lucas, Prince of Darkness at work? Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of British electrical engineers. The Shadow do! Yuk Yuk Yuk

Thanks,

DH

 

[suzukizone]

It might have a factory alarm system or immobilizer.

I've removed the factory alarm systems from two Triumphs, and I don't even know that many people who own Triumphs. Apparently alarms are all the rage across the pond because you get lower insurance rates or something. Over here, they're mostly an annoyance.


Could also be a bad battery or corroded connections somewhere. Can he take some voltage readings and do some troubleshooting?

Well thanks for your input. I will forward this to him. It is so hard to help him as his eatery consumes nearly all of his time (BTW The OSO Market & Bar is a not to be missed stop if anyone is in Portland, OR. see osomarket.com) So much for the plug

Not sure if this might be it as I never heard mention of it in the number of years he's owned it. Like I said, it was sudden onset with the removal of the old battery & installation of the new.

Realize this is not a Triumph site, just hoping since there are so many great GSers out here & possibly some who are "Triumphant" as well.

I certainly will post the final solution when he gets it but in the meantime,.....keep those cards & letters coming folks!

Thanks,
DH

 

[suzukizone]

I figured he knew how to start it but sometimes the switches can go south.
Lots of ideas in this thread from a Triumph site. Battery, solenoid, switches, starter.
http://www.triumphrat.net/hinckley-classic-triples/119739-solenoid-clicks-but-bike-wont-start.html

Thanks for that one Steve, missed it at first. Looks promising. Just forwarded it to Colin. Wish I could send him some time. We'll be visiting in mid-July but hope he doesn't have to wait for me,.....assuming I have enough wits to be helpful.

DH

 

[dorkburger]

Really no help from me, other then to watch this thread. My late uncle had the same, with 85k miles on it. The only trouble he ever had was a bad ignition coil.

 

[megatwin]

Polarity?????

 

[suzukizone]

Polarity?????

I had stressed that to him when he first let me know what was happening & he assured me he had looked at this carefully. Nonetheless I'll ride his butt on this again as I had thought it might be the case up front. It always is possible as he may have been rushing as his time is so limited. I got a fair number of comments on loose connections from the Triuphrat forum as well.

Thanks for your interest & input.

DH

 

[Mista M]

Check the triumph site, it is comparable to our gs knowledge base.
On my 99, 955 daytona there is a procedure in the service manual regarding installation of a agm battery, involving the cables. I don't have the manual in front of me. This may be something to check.
He Might have let the electronic smoke out, it is a British bike!

 

[suzukizone]

Check the triumph site, it is comparable to our gs knowledge base.
On my 99, 955 daytona there is a procedure in the service manual regarding installation of a agm battery, involving the cables. I don't have the manual in front of me. This may be something to check.
He Might have let the electronic smoke out, it is a British bike!

Sir, are you impungigating the integrity of The Royal College of British Electricians??? Fie. The name of Lord Lucas shall not be drug through the muck of the colonial upstarts.

I will try to find this reference on the Triumphrat site where I have been engaging with those of the Britannic Persuasion. If you do get ahold of that manual, I'd love to hear what is said. I feel bad as I had recommended to him to get an AGM battery over traditional wet cell or expensive lithium type.

Thanks, I know with all the input I've been getting, the answer, sad tho it may be, will blossom.

Thanks so much, I shan't report you to the Queen!

DH

 

[limeex2]

Clutch and kick stand switches? Ive owned 3 885's. All bullet proof.

 

[Guest]

It all sounds like a bad battery to me but if the shop says it's good? I would swap it out or jump it just to rule that out.

If not the battery, then the connection on the battery terminals. Measure the voltage at the battery and see what it drops to when the starter is applied.

Having a 885 triple I know they depend on having a really good battery in really good shape.

 

[suzukizone]

Success in Portland. Here the the gist of the email Colin sent me.

"As most of America suspected, it was 'user error' and somewhat embarrassing. On the negative terminal of the battery, I have three wires that stack between the terminal and the tightening bolt. They were simply in the wrong order it seems b/c I just swapped them around a few times which led to the bike starting right up. Turned out to be a very simple but unexpected solution at least from my angle. Did not know that the wires needed to be stacked in a specific order and I don't recall reading that anywhere in the Haynes manual."

Wish I had figured it out, I never had that symptom on any of my bikes so it didn't ring a bell. Other than having the main leads sitting directly on the battery terminals I don't know that any other leads need to be in a particular order. But with several leads I am thinking he may have not had them sitting flat and probably used a screwdriver rather than a wrench so it may have felt tight. Who knows I wasn't there. Colin sheepishly asked me to send thanks to all. He sort of had a similar event about 5 years back when he installed a battery in his car.:ambivalence:

Your guidance and wisdom are appreciated.

DH