Starting issue (seems random, hard to reproduce)

So I just had a bit of a job getting my Tiger 1050 started just now. This has happened before too but it seems pretty random when the issue occurs. Here's what happens:

1. Previously when the issue has happened I'll be in neutral, side stand down, pull in clutch press starter and then the starting motor goes and then there's a whir but the engine does not catch. If I try to start again using the same process I'll get nothing from pressing the starter button. I have to turn the bike off with the key, turn it on and do everything again. It usually starts on the second try if this is the case. The gas gauge gets reset though (which I thought was odd).

2. Today at work it wouldn't start first time again (it was fine this morning for getting me to work, no issues after sitting in a cold garage). Tried the above and it didn't start second/third/4th time etc. I was worried about letting the battery run down so I left it for a bit. Came back, tried another couple of times so I went through the other scenarios. Eventually I shifted into first, pulled the sidestand up pulled in clutch and it started.

So, 2. led me to believe it was the sidestand activator switch. However, I can't reproduce this at home at all. It seems to be starting OK with the stand down apart from one time when the starter didn't do anything with the clutch pulled in.

Here's what I'm thinking. What I need to know is how do I remedy each of these things:

1. Sidestand switch. What do I need to do? Get some WD40 in there? Electrical contact cleaner?

2. My clutch seems to be a little looser than before. Is it possible that the clutch isn't activating enough for the engine to start? Perhaps it's just at the tipping point for it to be on/off? Does that sound reasonable? Adjust clutch I'm guessing.

3. I haven't done anything electrical to my bike in a long time so I don't know if it's a short or not. I do have a low beam HID bulb in but it seems to working OK and I haven't had any issues with it in the past. I have a multimeter....I have no clue what to do with the multimeter. What should I look for?

4. I've been doing short commutes with the bike so wonder if the battery is charged enough? It seems to be since it did start after about 10 or more tries but I will trickle charge it tonight to be sure.

Anyone had a similar issue? What was the solution? If it's not reproducible does this point to an electrical short problem? Here's what's weird, this has never happened first thing in the morning when I set off for work, it's always when the bike is at work. So there is one last possible scenario....someone is ****ing with my bike. Seems unlikely though.

Cheers in advance.

I hate intermittent electrical problems.

Does that bike require the clutch to be pulled in for the starter motor to operate, even if it is in neutral? I'm not familiar with Triumph's interlock systems. On a Kawasaki or Honda, it either requires neutral or clutch pulled in (one or the other or both) for engine start. On a Kawasaki, the side-stand interlock kills the already-running engine if it detects side-stand down + not in neutral + clutch not pulled in (all three conditions have to be met). If that happens, the not-in-neutral and clutch-not-pulled-in scenario also prevents starter motor operation regardless of the side-stand switch. If it's in neutral, none of this matters, starting motor operation is allowed and engine-run is allowed.

A situation that allows the starter motor to operate but won't let the engine start is exceptionally odd. The same interlock that is preventing engine-run should also prevent starting-motor operation.

If it's a crank-but-no-fire, it's more likely that the cause of non-starting is one of the usual causes of crank-but-no-fire: Fuel delivery out of spec, spark plugs or ignition issues, coolant temp sensor out of whack leading to fuel delivery out of spec, idle-air control valve inop leading to insufficient air getting into the engine to allow it to cold start, low battery state of charge leading to weak/inop ignition or fuel injection, etc.

Yes, it needs the clutch pulled in to start regardless. Normal behavior is won't start in gear with sidestand down, even if the clutch is in. I went out to the driveway just now after leeting the bike sit for a while and it's starting fine. I plugged in the trickle charger and it's taking a charge OK too.

Thing is, I'm a rational kind of person so I go through all the different scenarios, kill switch, sidestand, try in neutral (check for false neutral), try in gear etc etc. Just can't reproduce it. Bike sounds fine, no misfires, seems that all cylinders are working once the engine is running. When the engine is running it never cuts out on me. It's just this random intermittent starting issue and it's only been like this the last few months. Today was the worst though in terms of it not starting on the second try. Plus, it never happens at home, always at work and oddly almost always when I park it in this same spot. I went through what's different about the spot and it's the only one where I duck walk the bike backwards a fair way to get in before switching the bike off in neutral.

One other thing...could it be a blocked air filter? It's due a cleaning and I was going to get to that soon.

I feel like taking the morning off and cleaning/greasing/lubing everything. I hate things I can't reproduce either. That's why I wondered if it could be a short somewhere.

It is most likely clutch switch. I had same thing on mine. It is intermittent it's hard to troubleshoot.
Simple way is to push and hold starter button and pull clutch in few times. If you get crank it is clutch switch for sure.
This should be done in neutral.

To fix it I pulled switch from the lever mount and used electronic cleaner spray to clean without disassembly. Once done with that I used dielectric grease and loaded the switch through slots in the casing. Grease in tube works best for that.
To remove switch there is a small tab on the bottom that needs to be pushed in. I had to move lever mount down a bit to clear switch path out.
More detail on tiger1050.com

Cheers!

Germax said:

It is most likely clutch switch. I had same thing on mine. It is intermittent it's hard to troubleshoot.
Simple way is to push and hold starter button and pull clutch in few times. If you get crank it is clutch switch for sure.
This should be done in neutral.

To fix it I pulled switch from the lever mount and used electronic cleaner spray to clean without disassembly. Once done with that I used dielectric grease and loaded the switch through slots in the casing. Grease in tube works best for that.
To remove switch there is a small tab on the bottom that needs to be pushed in. I had to move lever mount down a bit to clear switch path out.
More detail on tiger1050.com

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Cheers Germax. I will be trying this ASAP. Things is driving me nuts.

It is well covered on the tiger board, I think due to age it needs some love. Can't buy new one, it is part of whole control cube assembly. It is simple enough to sort out...

Germax said:

It is well covered on the tiger board, I think due to age it needs some love. Can't buy new one, it is part of whole control cube assembly. It is simple enough to sort out...

Click to expand...

I gave the switch assembly a good squirt of electrical contact cleaner. Everything was fine today. Will give the bike some more TLC this weekend unless it snows.

My switch has been going bad for months. I was not sure what it was but if I dropped clutch few times while rocking the bike in gear it would always start. Eventually it got to the point that I had to deal with it while in PA on a few days ride. In my despair I bought HD branded dialectic grease in a bike store on a side of the road and it did not ruin my bike
Some people just use contact cleaner and it works, as I did initially but was not 100%. Bit more cleaner next time and and HD magic ointment and all is good now. I used same approach for Street triple as well as it was also getting intermittent start issues. Ever since that has been done bikes did not give me a single problem. Switch is not protected and it is only normal that it needs some care after 60K I put on the bike. Some people take it apart and clean it but that is tricky as it is very easy to have spring fly away. As I mentioned that switch is permanently connected to control cube and can not be purchased separately. Messing it up is quite costly so be gentle....

Cheers!