Strange noise when engine stops - advice for buying bike

[Solon]

           Hello, guys!
           I  went recently to see a steamer for sale and I noticed a strange noise when engine stops, it sounds like something would still be rolling inside for a couple of seconds - it sounds pretty similar to the rolling of the engine starter.
I've never heard this sound on any of my bikes - but I've never had a Triumph - so I wonder if this is a problem, or something usual to Triumph bikes, or Steamers. This would be the main  question.

          I would also like some advice on assesing the bike. This bike has stood in a garage for two years or so, 35 000 miles on board, looks clean. Current owner didn't use it  at all.
         The bike seems to be needing cleaning the carbs - the engine dies out when accelerating, but with the choke pulled, it does accelerate - not exactly smmothly. It might also need new spark plugs, the owner told me that when he first started the bike, it ran only on two cylinders, until it got warm. Otherwise, the engine idles pretty smoothly at 1000 rpm. It has some funny clicks in the upper part, suggesting it needs valve adjustment. The engine cover seems to have been welded - probably a valve adjustment job gone bad when mounting the screws.
           I couldn't try the bike on the road as the engine went out immediately when releasing the clutch.
           I'm a bit afraid there may be more difficult issues to this bike than just carbs cleaning and spark plugs, and I'm also scared that when I open the engine to adjust the valves, I find it has already gone out of "adjustment room" due to neglect from the previous owners.
Opinions?

[Nick Calne]

Rough running. ...probably a combination of things.  Most likely problem is the ignition coils. Very common complaint on this bike.  Old fuel, weak battery charge etc probably factors toom

Not sure about the sound after turning it off.  Sprag problems are common and you dont want that.
Someone will be along with an opinion shortly.

Every steamer at 30k will have issues if not maintained well. Normally everything is fixable and is documented well here. After that they are normally pretty good.

Where are you based?

[akendall1966]

You got to factor in worst case into the price as it could be a real dog or a fantastic bargin after a few minor fixes.  If price is too highor you not  up for the work walk away. Certainly no sound like you describe on mine.

[Solon]

Most likely problem is the ignition coils. (...)Not sure about the sound after turning it off.  Sprag problems are common and you dont want that.
(...)Where are you based?

If it were for the ignition coils, it wouldn't matter whether the choke was on or off, the engine would die out anyway, ar at least that's what I hope and why I suspect more of a dirty carbs problem - but I am no big mechanic anyway. As regard the sound after turning it off... I know about the sprag clutch problems which are usual to steamers, but if it were a sprag clutch issue, shouldn't the sound be after starting the engine, when the starter would still roll a couple of times? I mean, this sound is coming when the engine stops, so, if the sparg clutch wouldn't let the starter go off and it would still be rotating with the engine, until the engine stops, the starter would be destroyed in a few minutes. Or not?
And, by the way, I'm based far far away, which is in Romania, very few steamers around, and even fewer mechanics who know about this brand.
The price is pretty good - 1000 Euros, but I would have to fix everything in service (ughh, costly), I know little about mechanics, and I know that steamers require "tech competent" owners, so it may not be the choice for me in this respect, but I really love this bike; I've always wanted one.
So, other steamers don't make that sound? I previously owned jap bikes, and the engine would always stop instantly, without any strange noise coming out of it for a second or two...

[Mustang]

need to hear it , to diagnose it ..........................

how about a video?

[Solon]

need to hear it , to diagnose it ..........................

how about a video?

Not possible, unfortunately. The bike is very far from where I live, I wouldn't go there again, unless I had some serious buying intentions.

[JetdocX]

If you're not a mechanic, walk away from it.  Sounds like an expensive education if you want to be a mechanic.  Just my .02.

Good luck.

[Solon]

Against any reasonable thinking and wise advice from others, I decided to buy the bike, the was low enough to make accept the risks of expensive repairing. I will certainly have technical questions for more tech-competent and steamer-experienced riders, but now it's too cold, as I don't have a garage, it seems that the red lady will have to wait for spring to be broken down into pieces.
The papers say it's been produced in 2000, but it's probably a translation mistake, and it's been probably first  registered for circulation in 2000. The VIN is a little confusing: SMTTG711NKX087854 would situate it in 1999, when they were no longer produced.
For now, I only want to check an information I found on some sites, contradiceted by other sites: is it true that the '98 steamers are not at the risk of sprag clutch problems, as the producer started using a better one in '98?

[Mustang]

no they improved it but it is still possible to fail .

[Solon]

no they improved it but it is still possible to fail .

Hmmmm, I see... Not very comfotable to know that, I really had force that sprag clutch in order to get the bike going.

I seem unable to find a steamer service manual for download (legal or not).
Suggestions?

[Mustang]

most places expect you to pay for them ..............................

like here http://www.repairloader.com/manual.php/5f060b6#.ULYjI2f4Kkc

I used to have one on my hard drive that I got free off the net
quality was a little bad but useable
then the hard drive crashed and I have no idea where I got it from

maybe someone will be along with a working link............

[Solon]

Thanks for the link, but it's for the injected girlies. I know the engine is quite similar, but it's not the same, and for a rookie to mechanics, like me, it may not be the choice.
In the meantime, I have found this:
http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/148732610-triumph-tiger-900-workshop-repair-manual-download

I have nothing against paying for a legal download, as long as it's worth the money, this one is cheap, but I wouldn't bet on how reliable it is, the link says nothing about authors, competence or any details, doesn't sound very trustworthy. Is there such a thing like a Haynes manual, or other well-known editor? I found on the haynes site only something general about fixing Triumph triples, but I'd like something more specific.

[Solon]

I've just found a link with something interesting:
http://www.bikersoracle.com/triumphsprint/forum/showthread.php?t=5884

[Mustang]

thats the one you want 

good find Thats also the one I lost in the hard drive crash .

I have the hard copy I bought years ago for a hundred bucks from triumph .
Some people like the haynes ........... I prefer the factory book .I think it is more thorough than the haynes manual .

[FoothillRyder]

Actually, all three of my Triumph Triples ('97 Trophy, '98 Tiger, and '03 S3) make a sound that could be described that way (like something 'rolling around'). Not necessarily every time I shut them off; but nearly every time.

The rough running is definitely carburetors being gummed up from sitting. The 'fix' might be as simple as using something like Seafoam (or other similar carb treatment you add to the fuel).

For what it's worth, I bought my Steamer with about 35k miles on it, and it runs like a Swiss watch.