2020 Rocket 3 GT won't start first go when cold

[sepfj]

Wondering if this has happened to anyone else.
This issue has been ongoing for almost 2 years. Triumph dealer has tried various things but has given up. Triumph Australia have now been out to the dealer, run some tests, and declared that it is "normal" and there is no issue.
Everything has been put back to stock - original tune, orginal pipe, as demanded by Triumph. No difference to behaviour.

When the bike is cold, it won't start first go. Starter motor cranks over, but it seems to not be getting fuel. It usually starts on 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th go, depending how cold it is.
It was great for 2 years, then this just started happening one day, and has been the same ever since.

I'm at my wits end.
I have completely fallen out of love with the bike, and Triumph Australia are on my **** list.

Does your Rocket always start first go from cold?

Mine does this but not very often. What I've noticed is that if it doesn't fire up immediately then it will just crank and never fire until I let up on the start button and push it again. It almost acts as though it's not getting any spark. If I let up on the start button and push a second time it always fires right up instantly. I wonder if there is a relay that enables the ignition coils that may not be working correctly since I always hear the fuel pump run on the first push. I haven't really been too concerned with mine since it always fires right up on the second push and this only happens about once or twice a month.

 

[TURBO200R4]

Mine does this but not very often. What I've noticed is that if it doesn't fire up immediately then it will just crank and never fire until I let up on the start button and push it again. It almost acts as though it's not getting any spark. If I let up on the start button and push a second time it always fires right up instantly. I wonder if there is a relay that enables the ignition coils that may not be working correctly since I always hear the fuel pump run on the first push. I haven't really been too concerned with mine since it always fires right up on the second push and this only happens about once or twice a month.

I have not the checked the late models but early ones does not have a relay they just power from ignition and ecu grounds to make the spark.
your problem is very interesting that you can keep cranking with no start i wonder if may be some of the others will do the same? if so maybe that would open triumphs ears.

 

[gadget_ho]

I run 95 octane, which is the cheaper “premium” we have in Oz. Never use 98 unless it is the only premium option.
91 octane here generally has ethanol so avoided.

95 is all Triumph states is required. I used to run 98 for the first 18 months or so, but after a couple of updates to the ECU at the dealers I noticed it was a bit lumpy down low and figured Triumph was "refining" the engine maps over time, I suspect to further throttle the torque down low to protect the drivetrain. When I mentioned it to the dealer, their response was to ask if I was running 98 instead of 95, as they thought the extra resistance to detonation might contribute to it. I have switched back to 95 since then, but as it only partly cured it, I found reloading the Penner tune after each visit to the dealer where they said they did a software update stops the worst of it. A friend's GT got "the lumpys" so bad he stalled his GT at the lights and fell over!

So what is your starting procedure? I click up to turn the bike on (accessory mode), down to turn the ignition on and prime the fuel pump, then down and hold to crank and start. I know some guys click up, then click straight down and hold and the bike fires through the startup procedure and cranks. I recall this coming up when one of the guys could never get TuneECU to work on his bike because he only ever saw the accessory power position or have the engine running, he never found the ignition on position. If you're a "straight down" guy, maybe give it a second or two to prime before you start it?

 

[Nashvegas]

95 is all Triumph states is required. I used to run 98 for the first 18 months or so, but after a couple of updates to the ECU at the dealers I noticed it was a bit lumpy down low and figured Triumph was "refining" the engine maps over time, I suspect to further throttle the torque down low to protect the drivetrain. When I mentioned it to the dealer, their response was to ask if I was running 98 instead of 95, as they thought the extra resistance to detonation might contribute to it. I have switched back to 95 since then, but as it only partly cured it, I found reloading the Penner tune after each visit to the dealer where they said they did a software update stops the worst of it. A friend's GT got "the lumpys" so bad he stalled his GT at the lights and fell over!

So what is your starting procedure? I click up to turn the bike on (accessory mode), down to turn the ignition on and prime the fuel pump, then down and hold to crank and start. I know some guys click up, then click straight down and hold and the bike fires through the startup procedure and cranks. I recall this coming up when one of the guys could never get TuneECU to work on his bike because he only ever saw the accessory power position or have the engine running, he never found the ignition on position. If you're a "straight down" guy, maybe give it a second or two to prime before you start it?

I run 93 (ethanol-free when I can find it,) since that is what it was tuned/dyno’d with. I think your RON+ or whatever that formula is, is different in the U.S. than yours. I have gone lower to 90–91 without noticing any valve noise or issues. I have never tried 87 octane.

My starting procedure sounds like yours. First start of the day I click up and zero out the odometer and look at gas level. Then I click down once (I think it is actually 2 clicks but hardly noticeable) let off and let the fuel pump prime and then press again to start. It starts first time, every time. If it has been running and it was just a short stop, I just go straight to start and it cranks right up.

 

[gadget_ho]

I run 93 (ethanol-free when I can find it,) since that is what it was tuned/dyno’d with. I think your RON+ or whatever that formula is, is different in the U.S. than yours. I have gone lower to 90–91 without noticing any valve noise or issues. I have never tried 87 octane.

My starting procedure sounds like yours. First start of the day I click up and zero out the odometer and look at gas level. Then I click down once (I think it is actually 2 clicks but hardly noticeable) let off and let the fuel pump prime and then press again to start. It starts first time, every time. If it has been running and it was just a short stop, I just go straight to start and it cranks right up.

Yeah, we run straight RON, the US runs (RON+MON)/2 and allowable levels of ethanol are also different around the world, and whether you have to declare it or not. Here in Australia, unless the fuel is sold as E10 (10% ethanol and 94RON) or E85 (85% and 100-105RON), it won't typically have ethanol in it.

 

[arnaudth]

Wondering if this has happened to anyone else.
This issue has been ongoing for almost 2 years. Triumph dealer has tried various things but has given up. Triumph Australia have now been out to the dealer, run some tests, and declared that it is "normal" and there is no issue.
Everything has been put back to stock - original tune, orginal pipe, as demanded by Triumph. No difference to behaviour.

When the bike is cold, it won't start first go. Starter motor cranks over, but it seems to not be getting fuel. It usually starts on 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th go, depending how cold it is.
It was great for 2 years, then this just started happening one day, and has been the same ever since.

I'm at my wits end.
I have completely fallen out of love with the bike, and Triumph Australia are on my **** list.

Does your Rocket always start first go from cold?

Hello,
I have exactly the same problem as you.
Triumph has noticed the fault, and has changed the battery, checked the valves and camshaft adjustment.
They have upgraded the ECU, and have not found any faults with the connected control equipment.
Triumph has not yet received any information to resolve the problem.
I will let you know if I have any information.
Kind regards

 

[Gimlet]

I had this happen once. It normally fires up after a couple of spins, sometimes a bit gruffly but it does it. After half a dozen revolutions it hadn't fired and that felt wrong. I turned the ignition off, waited a few seconds and tried again and it fired up straight away.
With all the battery issues reported, it seems to me that a bigger battery is needed for these big engines and possibly a revised starting map as well.

 

[arnaudth]

Cela m’est arrivé une fois. Il se déclenche normalement après quelques tours, parfois un peu bourru, mais il le fait. Après une demi-douzaine de tours, il n’avait pas tiré et cela semblait faux. J’ai coupé le contact, j’ai attendu quelques secondes et j’ai réessayé et il s’est allumé immédiatement.
Avec tous les problèmes de batterie signalés, il me semble qu’une batterie plus grande est nécessaire pour ces gros moteurs et peut-être aussi une carte de départ révisée.

Je pense comme vous. La batterie est vraiment sous-dimensionnée. En revanche, j’ai installé une batterie de voiture à la place : la panne est toujours présente.

 

[Gimlet]

Je pense comme vous. La batterie est vraiment sous-dimensionnée. En revanche, j’ai installé une batterie de voiture à la place : la panne est toujours présente.

Sorry can you hit the translate button. That's all come up in French.

 

[arnaudth]

Sorry can you hit the translate button. That's all come up in French.

I agree with you. The battery is really undersized. However, I installed a car battery instead: the fault is still there.