Rolling off the throttle now brings out the inherent pops and crackles from the exhaust.
BHPian nikhn recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
I had some free time to continue with the rest of the service and planned to change the air filter, and spark plugs, check/lube all cables and clean the throttle body. The bike has hardly been used since the oil change. A friend dropped by because I needed to remove the tank to access the throttle body as well as the spark plugs. Purchased a set of three laser iridium spark plugs since they last longer and are supposed to give better performance.
The tank was fairly easy to remove with just three bolts holding it in place. Followed the service manual to the dot and everything was straightforward. Started by unplugging the two breather hoses, the fuel pipe and two power connectors for the fuel pump and fuel level sensor. Next was accessing the airbox. This required 9 screws and the ECU bracket to be removed. The MAP sensor bracket was removed as well. I wanted to avoid disconnecting any unnecessary cables as this would lead to fault codes being generated. A workaround would be to disconnect the battery altogether but that would end up resetting a lot of stuff on the dash which I did not want to do.
Once the airbox was opened, we were surprised to see the state of the air filter. Significant amount of debris, especially bugs and a lot of dirt. I guess frequent riding in the countryside had taken its toll on the air filter.
Opened airbox. Cleaned the butterfly plates and the inside of the airbox which had quite a lot of dirt and debris. Spent a lot of time cleaning this up.
The next step involved removing the lower half of the airbox to access the throttle bodies and spark plugs. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures at this stage as we encountered another issue.
I purchased new NGK laser iridium spark plugs as a replacement. To our surprise, the spark plugs on the bike were already the laser iridium ones. Looks like the previous owner swapped the OEM ones out for the better ones. My friend suggested that retain the ones already on the bike and keep the ones I had purchased for a later stage. I still had to get the valve clearance checks done (planned for next month) and need to visit a dealer then. I might get them changed then even though these spark plugs are expected to last around 80-100 thousand miles. They are ridiculously cheap here anyway (compared to India) and similarly priced to OEM ones.
With the spark plugs put back, it was a quick job fitting everything back the same way they were removed. The service manual came in very handy during this process. The bike was started up to check for faults and erase any fault codes. This was done with the TuneECU app on Android phones. If you are a Triumph owner who prefers to service the bike on your own, this app is a must.
TuneECU is a third-party app that works with most European bikes to read, diagnose issues and reset service lights, which can be done only via dealers. It’s not available on Play Store and costs 25 EUR per year. It works with specific verified Bluetooth OBD adapters that allow ELM327 connection with the ECU. The adapters verified by TuneECU are expensive. There are a few cheaper alternatives but they are a hit or miss when communicating with the adapter. I found one brand – VGate – that does work well with this app and it cost me around 15 GBP.
A few features of the app include testing the radiator fan, the fuel pump, the throttle body etc. One can also check sensor voltages, and temperatures at different points in the bike to see how well the systems are working as well as air pressures across the cylinders. This is useful for throttle body synchronisation/balancing. The MAP values for the bike were well within tolerances so they did not need balancing.
With most of the major service done, standard procedures such as chain slack, lube, clutch and throttle cable were checked and adjusted as necessary. I always check the drive chain slack and oil levels before every ride. Having done a few adjustments in the past at regular intervals, they were still within spec this time. Brake pads were also within spec and have quite a bit of life in them. Took the bike for a quick spin around the block, and checked tire pressures, that there were no leaks and, fluid levels were within specs.
The constant rain had given way to some nice weather today. With less traffic on the roads, I took the bike for a ride to the countryside, to listen to the new exhaust and check improvements with the new upgrades. The first thing I noticed was a smoother engine. The throttle was a bit snatchy earlier and now with the new air filter in place, it has a much better and quicker response. Gear shifts are slick, thanks to fresh engine oil and complemented by the quick-shifter. Rolling off the throttle brings out the inherent pops and crackles from the exhaust. Hope to cover more miles this year.
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
