Can you elaborate on the ‘sputters and dies’? Is it like switching to reserve or a more obvious loss of sparks? The described symptoms seem like classic pick up coil but could it be fuel starvation with a blocked breather or a build up of rust in the fuel lines and flow not keeping pace with consumption. An ignition failure will produce an immediate loss of signal to the tachometer. The ignition coils are separate sticks so you would likely only lose one cylinder. However you need to prove all your connections back to the igniter and eliminate dodgy clutch and side stand switches sticking or arcing. A night time start up is also a good way to check HT leads for earthing out as the sparking is often invisible in daylight.
Thx. Ok can keep it running sometimes by revving to 5krpm.I have had the tank coated to keep rust from reaching carbs. If I let it cool down it will start and run a mile or two but only by over revving. It. Pulling my hair out as local motorcycle shops apparently don't like trouble shooting and repairing mid-90s Triumph s. Thx for any help. Pat.
That is starting to sound like a fuelling problem. On a 24yr old bike (I assume you haven’t owned it from new) you need to look at flushing/cleaning everything from the tank and tap (including its gauze filter) through the fuel lines (replace?) to the carbs themselves. If you have a local machine shop with an ultrasonic bath then that is your best bet. This is what you are in for. Loads of inter web guidance.
Additional thoughts...... Pull the vent tube rear right of tank. Blow and suck! It should blow freely but close up the harder you suck (anti spill valve). Secondly, how humid was it when you stalled in 70F weather? Does your fuel contain ethanol? There is an outside chance you encountered carb freezing.
I have been riding these early 900's for 18 years. I own two of them. I know I will get rocks thrown at me for saying this, but everybody blames the carburetors. If it is not the crank pickup, it is the coils. I have been through this with both my '95 Sprint AND my '00 Legend. I bought expensive Nology coils for the Sprint. When it happened on my Legend, I bought some.cheap, no name.coils on the internet. No difference. Both times it solved the problem. My feeling.about Triumph ignition coils is "if.they are not bad now, they will be". Don't waste.your time fooling with them. Throw ALL THREE of them In the trash. Please let us know what happens. ...J.D.
I wouldn’t discount the possibility but Pat’s description doesn’t quite match misfire...... but it can be devilishly difficult to tell the difference if you are new to tinkering. Certainly Gill electrics have a reputation for going South which may be why Triumph stopped using them.
I have had both of mine just flat quit due to this problem. I have also seen them cough and misfire and.continue to run for a time [this probably depends on whether the offending coil is going open or shorted to ground]. My take on this is that it is not so much the brand of coil. I think thier problem is more the location on top of a very hot engine with the fuel tank so close. It shortens the life of the coils. When you also consider that all three coils are probably about the.same age, you triple the chance of problems. I would get the issue out of the equation before I burned anymore time on diagnostics. Time is money. You pay your money and take your choice. ...J.D.
Believe me, I know how frustrating that can be. I am pretty good at diagnostics, but when I get to where I don't know, I am hard pressed to find competent help. There are a lot of "parts changers" out there that pretend to be mechanics. It is not so much an issue of finding someone who knows old Triumphs. More an issue of finding someone who can properly diagnose problems. I am 90% sure it is an ignition problem, but realistically, I am 3000 miles away. ...J.D.