[Author Index] [Date Index] [Thread Index]
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Throttle response during downshifts



If this topic has been covered already please suggest what I might search
the archives for, but . . .

I have a problem with my '99 ST that my dealer doesn't seem to know how to
address.  I have mentioned to the Triumph mechanic on several occasions that
I have noticed an annoying symptom that affects 'driveability' and, to some
degree (at least in my opinion), safety.  This problem 'seems' to be getting
worse, but it could also be that I am just becoming more and more aware of
it the more I ride the bike (only 3 months old with less than 3000 km).

Before I attempt to describe the symptom I must admit that I can't really
say that I have noticed this problem during hard riding, which is to say
when engine rpm is kept higher (I seem to remember the term 'on song' ).
However this bike has so much mid-range torque that it is easy to get lazy
and to perhaps wait a tad too long to downshift.  This would tend to point
the finger to my riding techniques more than a problem with the bike.  But I
haven't noticed this problem with any other bike I've ridden, so I would
sure like to get to the bottom of this.

Quite often when I apply a quick shot of throttle to bring up engine rpm to
match the transmission during downshifting NOTHING happens.  And when this
occurs once, it is quite likely to occur during each subsquent downshift
through the gears.  How often does this occur?  Well that's tough to say,
but I would hazard a guess at maybe 30% of the time.  One factor which may
be worth considering is that this symptom seems to occur more often after
longer periods of 'trailing' throttle, as might occur if you are using
engine braking alone to slow the bike to a more leisurely pace.

The Triumph mechanic at my dealer says he's noticed this problem with 'all'
ST's that he's worked on.  I realize that this may not be saying much, and
I'm also not suggesting that this problem is limited to the ST (which I
doubt anyway), but at least I did get some acknowledgement of the symptom.
The problem is that he doesn't know if and how this problem is to be
rectified.  He says he's checked 'everything', including CO level.  At one
point he commented that 'it's a Triumph', which I didn't appreciate, and
compared the Triumph FI unfavourably to that found on Hondas.  He says Honda
FI is way less complicated and works much better.  Is this true?  I thought
the concensus was that the Sagem FI was virtually flawless (or is this just
an opinion expressed by the Triumph crowd).

Is there a possibility that this might be fixed by downloading a more recent
FI tune?  As far as I know my bike still has the original tune and the build
date on the bike is early '99 as I recall.  I understand that FI tune
updates are quite common.  Or is there something else that needs to be
looked at?

Hoping for an easy fix . . .

Neil 'Chili Dawg' Lindsey
'99 Black ST


     *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
      The ST/RS Mailing list is sponsored by Jack Lilley Ltd.
          http://www.TriumphNet.com/st/lilley for more info
   http://www.TriumphNet.com/st for ST, RS and Mailing List info

=-=-=-= Next Message =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=