My first bad day riding: Any thoughts?

[anrajala]

Its weird but thinking of reliable bikes Triumph rarely pops into my mind. Or anybodys mind. Anyways, reliability is not a competitive requirement, its a basic one.



- cruiz-euro

[BlueDuck]

Agreed it sounds electrical. You might want to know that the low voltage connector to the starter solenoid can be easily dislodged while mucking around with the fairing lowers, and will knock out the starter. Also consider junking the crap Ducati clutch slave in favour of a Yoyodyne or similar, whatever year your ST2. Mine failed twice (2001) and died slowly the second time, dripping DOT4 on the o-ring chain which, from my experience, doesn't much care for getting lubed with brake fluid. Very expensive lesson! Otherwise, the bike is pretty durable not to mention gorgeous.

[Dangerousdave_2]

If you can find the battery and have about seven tools, you probably have enough to check & clean the battery connections. You can buy one of those cheapo trickle chargers for maybe tweny bucks here in the states, they must have them over there too. You might be sure the battery has water while you're at it. Everyone says used distilled, but if you don't have any, many a battery has gotten by on regular. Let it trickle charge for a good long time. Then, take a ride, with somebody able to follow you if it dies again the next few times you ride. Charging systems can certainly go south on any machine, but batteries have a lifespan too. The last one I bought cost fifty or sixty bucks. You mentioned riding in Switzerland, which probably means that it sat all winter. That's hell on a bike, especially the battery. Trickle chargers can help with that sort of thing, but there are other things that need to be done to properly winterize a bike. Being a pampered Californian, I don't know much about that stuff. (I just fire the thing up and ride it eight or ten miles every week or two) but some of our battle hardened easterners can probably tell you what ought to be done if it's going to sit for a few months.

[yellowduc_1]

LOL!!!! I wasn't going to mention that.