Rough Idle After A Wash

[Charp]

The last two times I washed my bike, I took it for a ride the same day, and both times it started to idle poorly a couple of miles out. Then, for few more miles, I had to keep the revs up to keep it from stalling at a light. When pulling away, it felt like I was in 2nd gear when I thought I was in 1st. In both cases, everything cleared up after about 15 or so minutes of riding. My thinking is that something got wet and didn't get a chance to dry out, but that's just guess, so I'm posting here to see what others think about the possible cause. Thanks in advance.

 

[sikatri]

Sounds like electrical being wet as you noted.

 

[Vector]

I’m sure you are aware, no high pressure water on a bike.
When I clean my bike, I only get it wet from below the gas tank down. I never wet the gas tank or the instrument cluster or the seat.

 

[Qship]

Checking electrical connections and applying some dielectric grease to the seals and connections will help with keeping them dry and clean(coils and plug wires especially). Also make sure to lubricate your ignition switch. WD 40 will work well, but only for a short while, needing to do it more frequently.

 

[sikatri]

Checking electrical connections and applying some dielectric grease to the seals and connections will help with keeping them dry and clean(coils and plug wires especially). Also make sure to lubricate your ignition switch. WD 40 will work well, but only for a short while, needing to do it more frequently.

Good point. Applying the grease will help keep the issue away especially if you ride in the rain.

 

[atomsplitter]

At least it starts and runs. I had a XS650 back in the 70's that wouldn't start after a wash. The points would get wet and that was that until I pulled the cover and dried them off. Your Speed Twin doesn't have that problem, so take the above suggestions and make sure connections are clean and tight and kept dry.

 

[Charp]

Thanks all! I don't use a high pressure washer, but do hose down the seat and tank. I'm only careful about the speedo. I'll change up my habits for the next wash to see how it goes and I'll check into getting my hands on some dielectric grease.

The first time it happened, I thought something was seriously wrong, so I started to head back home, but it cleared up shortly after that. My other thought was that I got some bad gas, but after this second instance I'm feeling like it had to be water in the wrong places.

 

[sikatri]

Thanks all! I don't use a high pressure washer, but do hose down the seat and tank. I'm only careful about the speedo. I'll change up my habits for the next wash to see how it goes and I'll check into getting my hands on some dielectric grease.

The first time it happened, I thought something was seriously wrong, so I started to head back home, but it cleared up shortly after that. My other thought was that I got some bad gas, but after this second instance I'm feeling like it had to be water in the wrong places.

Do a visual inspection and if you have an air compressor blow the water out of any crevices it might have gotten into. The grease is a must.

 

[Charp]

@Qship I have a question about the use dielectric grease. With a little Googling, I found some reference to using it in the boot of the spark plug connector and on the porcelain part of the plug itself - but warned not get it on the metal bits. The explanation given made sense, but I also found videos of motorcycle and car mechanics filling electrical connectors with the grease before snapping them into place. Are both of these described uses correct?

 

[Philois]

Make sure the drain holes for the spark plug recesses aren’t blocked and all the above.

 

[Qship]

Apply the grease sparingly. Don't want it oozing out of a connector as you try to re connect it. Enough to coat the metal pins(male and female) sides of the connectors. May need to use a screwdriver with grease on it or suitable dull object to get the grease into the sparkplug boots.

 

[jermag24]

I follow most of the tips here, and use my battery powered leaf blower to dry the nooks and crannies before going for a ride to get everything hot. Glad you are figuring it out.

 

[PhilsTTR]

I have a Thruxton rather than a Street Twin, but the plug caps on the earlier Thrux 1200's had a known probkem of shorting out to the cylinder head and causing a misfire, especially when wet. Triumph bought out a modified cap to fix this problem. Any Triumph cap you buy now will be the modified type.
Might be worth a go