When a simple job just doesn't work out

[Baryonyx]

I went to change the front offside indicator on my T595 today. What a fking waste of time that was. I'd bought a spare from Triumph after someone broke the indicator that's on there now (I suspect my father in law when he used the garage to plug in an Optimate to start his MG up). The indicator itself is still attached, but only by the wire running through the fairing.

I thought the job to change it would be easy. Pop off side fairing, replace part, finished kind of easy. It quickly became apparent it would be more difficult than that, as the side fairing wouldn't come off. It's secured by a nut that threads onto the back of the indicator where it passes through the fairing, to stop the indicator assembly being pulled out of the bike. I couldn't get a fking spanner on that nut to get and loosen it off. There wasn't enough room inside the bike to get a pair of pliers onto the nut either.

It looked as though best access would be had by taking the nosecone off, so off came the fasteners and three of the Allen key bolts. The last one, on the nearside air feed, felt like it would strip if it tried any harder so I gave up, before I broke something.

This fking thing is going to Triumph to have both front indicators changed, to save me the hassle. I hope their labour rate is reasonable. It's been one thing after a fking 'nother with this bike. The fan problem it had when I bought it was by the by. This is accidental damage, I suspect. But what a fking delay it's put on riding the fking thing. God bless whoever decided to integrate indicators with the mirrors instead of running them through the fking fairing.

[Baryonyx]

I gave up when I felt my chances of stripping the bolt or snapping something were equal or better than the chance of it coming off right.

The luck I've had so far, I feel I know what would have happened...!

[Baryonyx]

It's off to Triumph in the morning. I went down earlier and secured the light as best I could (gaffer taped the wire under tension at the back of the fitting on the inside of the fairing). It looks like it'll keep the light in a reasonable position for the trip in. I'll be setting off around 9AM and no doubt the roads will still be full of feckless commuters and school run mothers, so I'll be taking my time and heading along the Central Motorway for Triumph to simplify the route. Then for a walk into town to get my haircut, and hopefully back shortly afterwards to collect the bike and head home. Fingers crossed it all goes well as I quite fancy using it for the nightshifts I've got racked up this weekend. I might try and speak to the Triumph technician when I'm there and get some guidance on where to plug my phone in to remap it when I swap the exhaust.

[Baryonyx]

LoonR1 said:

Right, I'm going to come across as a mechanical muppet again, but doesn't this bike predate smartphones and the level of technology that you're talking about. I know you're pretty young, but smartphones, the Internet, electronics and the like are all very recent inventions. The bike probably can be remapped, but I doubt there'll be an easy way of accessing this.

Of course I could be completely wrong.

No, this bike can be remapped and unlike the usual 'fit the slip on and forget' mantra, they apparently run badly without a remap if you change the exhaust. Some forum user reported putting the Triumph race can on and checked it on a rolling road before and after using a 'canned' remap, it produced 80bhp before he remapped it! I don't profess to understand how it all works as there is no lambda sensor in the exhaust but the bike definitely needs a remap to adjust for the freer flowing can. It's done using a programme you can download to your laptop or phone, plugging a USB cable into an OBD adapter under the seat, with generic maps available online created by other users who've the time and skill to tweak the settings.

I have read that it's an easy process but I've never read a proper guide on it, I've heard mention of having to pull the headlight relay out when you remap it but I don't know what. I don't know if you're supposed to have the bike running, or just have the key in the on position...etc etc. Triumph charge £50 for the remaps but the staff seem pretty easygoing so I could get a heads up from them.

However, when the bike came out, I gather the fuel injection side of things was pretty big news, enough for Triumph to put a sticker on the bike advertising it.

[Baryonyx]

I'm mainly in it for the noise so it'll be a road test. I can think of a few roads locally where I can (briefly) wring it right round to see if all is well. It's not just dropping 30bhp that can happen if it's not mapped, apparently it's obviously as the throttle response is spoiled too, so it should be noticeable if it's not right. I don't even know where the nearest rolling road is, certainly not in Northumberland anyway!

[Baryonyx]

I dropped it off this morning, to be told the LH indicator hadn't arrived, and that it was due today but it could be as late as 1400 by the time the bike was ready. I had intended on just walking to town, running a couple of errands and riding home but now I'll be collecting the bike tomorrow afternoon, hopefully fit and ready. I couldn't think of much to do to occupy myself in town for five and half hours, so I left it for the day. They'd previously taken my number but I didn't get a call regarding the delivery. It's not like I could have begged a demonstrator bike from them for the day either, as I couldn't find my photocard licence before I left. I found it in 15 seconds on getting home! Hopefully, for the inconvenience of not having use of the bike today and having my make my own way home, I'll see if I can talk them into crediting me a free remap as recompense. I know for them, it's a simple and quick job that costs them nothing, so perhaps they'll make a gesture of goodwill for the cockup.

Otherwise, it wasn't a dreadful ride across town. Plenty of traffic around so not really a chance to open the taps.