Engine worries

[tediem]

Hi,



I am very new here (have posted an introduction) and was hoping someone could answer a few questions I have about my Tiger?



The engine sounds quite rattly (in a Honda cam chain kind of way...) at tick over, is this normal? The guy in the shop who sold it to me says they are quitre noisey engines, but then he would.



if I put the engine under load 2/3 ,000 revs 2nd gear (filtering) and roll the throttle on the whole bike vibrates and sounds like a bag of spanners, am I expecting too much of the engine low down? evey other bike I have owned has done this without any problems.



Thanks

Mark

[RedMenace]

These bikes are noisy, and you are probably hearing normal noise. There are a couple of typical "bad noises" on the steamer which indicate needed repairs, the alternator rattle being one. If you can find another Tiger to listen it might help reassure you.

If the shuddering smoothes out as you pass 4000 rpms I would suspect you have been lugging the engine. Try keeping the revs up and see if it feels happier to you. Mine likes 5000-6000 rpm; it pulls well lower than that but does behave as you describe if I lug it. Since I have a sidecar and lower than stock gearing, comparing actual rpm ranges probably means little.

[tediem]

Thanks for that, it does dissapear above 3/4k, was just unsure as only had the bike a couple of days, seems far worse when filtering in traffic.



Cheers

Mark

[Guest]

You don't say which model you're talking about.



So, early "steamer" and pre 955i engines are mechanically noisy. If you have one of these, the best advice has already been given i.e. find another one to listen to.



If you have a 955i, it should whistle (primary drive gears). Otherwise it is too quiet.



Also, these triples do seem to go through a vibration patch at around 3000 rpm. I think it's due to the rocking couple of the engine or something technical like that. It's nothing to worry about. They all do that sir!

[BR]

I had similar thoughts when I first got my '98 Steamer last summer.  Engine does sound a bit mechanical compared to the Japanese 4cyl bikes I've been riding for the past 15 yrs.  My Tiger has 30K miles on it and had been well maintained by prev owner.  When I'm riding it does have some drive-line shudder up to 3K rpm then it's very smooth so I just keep the revs up a little and avoid lugging it.  No problems and I just love this bike for my commute!  This spring I'll be doing a valve adjustment, carb synch and idle circuit enrichening (very cold-blooded in the morning) and maybe that'll smooth it out a bit (must do this stuff regardless).



Brendan

'98 BRG Steamer

[tediem]

Thanks for the advice. Its a 885i on an x plate with 7k on the clock. Am taking it back to the dealer on fri for them to have a look at and basically assure me that nothing is wrong.



Cheers

Mark

[Guest]

Thanks for the advice. Its a 885i on an x plate with 7k on the clock.

In that case I think you're probably worrying over nothing. They do sound like a cement mixer full of bricks at the best of times. Character is what some people call it.

Best to get it checked all the same.

[Brock]

For what it's worth I can only agree with everyone else...for anyone used to fully-faired in-line four cylinder engines the triple does sound rather "agricultural".

Having said that, have you ever listened to a VFR with the fairings removed? And nobody ever worries about those, do they?

Chris

[Guest]

Having said that, have you ever listened to a VFR with the fairings removed?

So does the VFR fairing emit sewing machine noises? 'coz that's what they sound like with the fairing fitted.

[Brock]

Neither of mine ever did...I suppose the sound-deadening foam layers on the inside of the fairing helped a bit. Personally I used to love the noise a VFR made. Lumpy down low but like a whistly whiney growley turbine when you opened it up. I could have another one tomorrow but I'm a bit VFR'd out after two of 'em. Having too much fun on the Tigger anyway. HEY...ANYONE OUT THERE EVER FITTED THE "SPORTS CAN"? I'M TEMPTED.

[tenpaq]

Neither of mine ever did...I suppose the sound-deadening foam layers on the inside of the fairing helped a bit. Personally I used to love the noise a VFR made. Lumpy down low but like a whistly whiney growley turbine when you opened it up. I could have another one tomorrow but I'm a bit VFR'd out after two of 'em. Having too much fun on the Tigger anyway. HEY...ANYONE OUT THERE EVER FITTED THE "SPORTS CAN"? I'M TEMPTED.

first off, my 04 tiger has 1500 miles on her and also has the "3000 vibration patch". i checked with this and other web sites pertaining to this situation and found it to be very normal.

2nd, i also checked all the sites about "race cans" and found out that some people have modified their stock cans with great results.

so, i checked futher with Staintune and Thunderbike exhausts and found that you don`t have to remap with their race cans.

i also checked the prices. for me the price wasn`t worth the power. But i wanted the "SOUND".  so what i did was take a long Prybar, about 3.5 ft. in length and put it down the can and poke a small hole.  if you look closely down inside the silencer (can) towards the bottom half of the can you can see a "Wall". on the other side of this wall is the inlet side of the can.

 now what i first did was make a small hole about 30mm wide 20mm tall (this demension is obviously the same size as the end of the prybar i poked the said hole with)

i had a friend ride the bike as so did i to check the "sound". riding and from afar test. the bike had to be a little louder, but i could`nt tell.

so, i went back in and opened up the hole to about 30mm wide and 30mm tall.  now the bike began to have a "low pitch growl" dare i say it , the "TRIPLE HOWL". now i did NOT want  a "Raspy" sounding bike. and the bike did NOT sound raspy "AT ALL" in any way.

so, after three or four more "adjustments" and tests, my punture hole is the same size as the inlet hole . as you look inside the can as your doing this(making , the hole), you can see the actual inlet pipe.

so, basically my can is straight thru. now all this may sound crazy, stuffin your can with a prybar but, all i can say is the "sound" is there.  it`s a low growly sound at idle (sounds the about the same as stock) and as you open it up it just sounds like the "Coolest""Meanest" low pitch "Growl' you`ve ever heard! (all my friends ride Jap and they love it)... if you go to the Thunder bike site and listen to their exhaust "sound bite" , theirs sounds "higher" and "raspy", this mod definatly does`nt sound that loud or raspy.

 i think it sounds way better actually!

 i also took out the "divider" inside my air box. so you get another "lil HOWL" coming from there.

 your WARRANTY will be voided, i am sure, so you decide. maybe buy the after market can. that mite be best.

for me , i build race engines for all the local shops here in orlando(2 strokes, jet skis and motcross bikes) so at service time they over look my "lil mods" to TIGER!

all i can say is after doin these mods, i could never go back to that stock sound. it was just to quite and "Balless"!

hope that helps, see ya!  oh and yes the bike is defiantly faster, how much i can`t say but i can feel it!  just an added bonus! man i love my bike!!

[Robbie]

My Lady bought me the off-road can for an Xmas present. I fitted it myself and the sound is great IMO. However any change in performance wasn’t noticeable. Downloading the off-road tune and the bike is transformed. I would recommend that anybody fitting or modifying his or her exhaust get this tune. The standard tune is compromise by having emissions related areas.

The power comes from the tune not the pipe, you cannot gain much just fitting the can and you cannot release the full power of the tune without a free flowing can.

[Chris Canning]

Strangely enough i've just gone from a Triumph Race can or Off road can to a Remus silencer,i'm getting quite a collection on my garage wall!!!,but the important thing for you guys who haven't tried more than one engine tune,their not all the same,i think the latest is 16 or 17 but there have been some real dud's i can tell you.



Chris

[Brock]

Mmmmmmmm...the sound is the thing. I feel the bike is powerful enough at the moment but just that little bit "sanitised". Needs a bit more "attitude". Maybe I'll scout around for a nice cheap Triumph Race Can...at least the fuzz may think it's the OE if they don't look too close.

My local Triumph dealer is good so the re-map would be no problem.

Hey Robbie...You're only up the road from me! Fancy a ride when the weather improves? By the way...me Ceebaileys screen came today. It looks great. Can't wait to try it on the road. Forecast tomorrow's crap but Sunday should be better. Think I'll be coming home from work the long way 'round!

[tenpaq]

don`t make me say "TUNE BOY".  search that (internet)and it gets really complicated. or at least very interesting!  but everyone is correct. i was just talkin "SOUND"!.....  but with daytona cams, total mod. airbox(wide open with K&N), any  fiberglass packed silencer, 1 down on the counter and "tuneboy"remapping and now your talkin almost 142 hp at the rear wheel....( i seen it somewhere on the net)..triumph offroad maps are a cheap fix but they are the easiest fix for the average cyclist.

all new motorcycles have a 4000 to 5500 rpm range at which they are "detuned' for emissiom purposes, mainly sound dbs. you can see it on most dyno readings on most bikes.  that is the "Wheelly area" as far as i`m concerned.  so what you want to do if you have the `Dener-O.... aka.... $.  is to perform those mods while attaining a 12to1 air fuel mixture ratio with the tuneboy and "LETER EAT!"  

      but then you probably should have bought a suzuki "Hyabusa". all my friends ride em, but they all look the same and sound the same........except for me,    sweet!



but when i`m in for "mandated" service (6000 mile) i`m am goin to try the triumph offroad tune, my dealer said it would be i hour=$60.00  what a Jipp! but i can`t wait.