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Speed triple starting issue

229 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  pedrito321
Hi all, I need some assistance and expert advice. The 2008 Speed Triple is intermediately failing to start. Everything functions as normal yet it won’t kick over.
I have check a number of things already, clutch, kick stand, fuses, relays etc. I hope someone has a trained ear to diagnose the issue from the video here:

Tire Wheel Vehicle Fuel tank Motorcycle
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I dusted off my old 2008 this spring also, and have exactly the same issue as you have in your video, but only when bike is hot. Like when fueling at some banjo-county fuel station in the middle of nowhere - not a great feeling when the bike refuses to start.

On mine the start immediatelly falls on it's face like with a dud battery, gauges do the reset dance and then still no-go if I retry. If I allow bike to cool for ~15min it starts right up. Or if I push start downhill, then bike also starts and runs normal.

I'd start with a new battery on your case, but it did not help mine. I am starting to suspect the starter motor itself is the issue: there was talk of poor ground internally way-back when, and on mine issue only appearing when hot would make sense to be somehow related to starter heat soak. The original starter motor of our 2008 VIN is no longer available, we have to get the full update kit T1229901 (starter motor, right engine covers, intermediate gears with updated gear ratios, updated sprag clutch+gear).

Just the kit existing points a bit to Triumph aknowledging an issue with our years of bikes, but being too cheap to have offered it as a recall.
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You might want to try cleaning the commutator brushes in the starter motor. Lots of starters will build up a ton of crap in there and a good cleaning is all they need. Brushes could be completely gone in which case finding parts could be impossible.
Did you measure voltage drop between your fresh battery and the starter motor when hot?
I had a simular issue on my 2011 even with a tested battery. Measured a voltage drop of around 2 volts.

I had two plus cables and one negative cable made (boat supplies company) to add to the existing cables of the starting circuit.
That solved it for 95%. I have had maybe two hot-no-starts since.

Starter motor sounds very plausible as well.
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