Engine stumbling

Jim/Maine

Supercharged
Joined
Jan 12, 2011
Messages
242
Just had my 500 mile service and mentioned to the dealer that there was a fairly significant stumble, surge, and otherwise not smooth engine run in the low to mid 2,000 rpm range, most noticeable in first and second gear. Sometimes I hear what sounds as a internal clank like a chain noise. So the service manager made a note to check out the map for proper fuel management. Talking with the technician he said that they did not have the map for the Roadster yet, but that running the one they had showed no technical difficulties and that I should just give it time to continue to break in. I trust YOUR thoughts more than theirs at this point and would very much appreciate any feedback. THANKS!
 
Is it when you are in 2nd or 3rd gear and slow to a certain point where the drive line has no load on it, a kind of neutral point where the gear lash slaps back and forth .... does it make a terrible clatter internally and the bike kind of bucks? .......



Yeah, that's normal. LOL



It does sound funny when I think about it, but mine does just that and it is normal. R3's have bigger gears cut different than other smoother shifting transmissions, but they stand up to the extra torque better. If you still have the stock exhaust and intake, you will hear all kinds of new noises other bikes don't make. Louder exhaust helps fix most of those issues. And the transmission will get smoother over time as well.
 
Thanks, all good info. It seems that it does occur with either little or no throttle. Heavy roll on throttle goes smooth. Seemed to me to be more engine stumble, and a bit of surging, than anything with the transmission, but then again I am still just getting use to owning and riding the beast. Feels fuel related I guess.
 
You might also want to look at your gas. If there is water there you may be getting some detonation and that will sound "interesting. Could also be high ethanol content. Try a fuel additive to remove water. I think "Heat" is one name brand. If this is among the first rides since winter then I'd start with water as a condensation in the tank. You could have gotten a bad batch of fuel in your last fill-up.
 
Surging can be caused by improper throttle body balancing. This is an easy chaeck using Tuneboy or the dealer using the Triumph diagnostic tool. If the throttles aren't synchronized the bike surges as one piston is fed more than the others. Easy to check and easy to fix.
 
It feels like water but I have added something for the ethanol and for water and several fuel tank changes to no avail, so maybe throttle body balance. Sure would like a Tune Boy anyway so this might be a very good time. Is there a tune for the Roadster? Seems I have read here that it has yet to be released?
 

If you don't have a Tuneboy, see if TuneECU has an application for checking throttle bodies. I know that turneboy is working on Roadster tunes but I'm not aware of any tune files yet available.
 
No one has touched on this subject yet so I will.... NO PREMIUM FUEL !!!
High octane will cause running problems as well, be sure to use the cheap stuff from a newer, high volume gas station. QT's, WAWA's and other high volume convenience stores are good choices since they have new equipment, tanks and their fuels do not sit around long. 87 octane or even lower is best, some owners have the desire sometimes to use premium because it's a high performance bike, it's also a LOW COMPRESSION engine. High octanes don't burn well in tractors and R3's.
 
Well I'll be ****. The stumbling started when I experimented with a tank of premium gas. I will go for the cheap stuff tomorrow and report back. Wow, that would be great. While I have you all, thanks so much, as always. Interested in the
Tune ecu. Is there a definitive thread for a newbie like myself? Thanks again.
 
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