Rough Running 1400 and Red Herrings

[et18]

I filled up at my regular station yesterday using the same pump I always use, and almost immediately afterwards the bike started running rough above 3500 rpm.  If I gently rolled on the throttle it would run OK, but if I suddenly twisted it WFO it would wind up normally to 3500 and then buck like a rodeo bull.  I noticed that the pump hose had some fuel running out of it this time as soon as I removed it from the pump receptacle.  Maybe a faulty vacuum seal that allowed some water in?  I mean, it had to be bad gas, right?  So I siphoned out the fuel with the worlds slowest siphon hose (Premium Siphon Hose, $3.75 at Autozone), put some fresh gas from another station and a little fuel system cleaner into it and it had zero result.  Sometimes it would wind up fine a couple of times before returning to the same condition leading me to believe the "blockage" was starting to clear.

Finally a new thought occurred to me:  Maybe it's the ignition..  I used a key to push the spark plug caps down through the slots in the decorative cover that goes over the valve cover and it immediately returned to running like a champ. 

So, I've read here a number of times that the V7 OEM spark plug caps are crap and should be replaced on day one, does this also apply to 1400s?  It has 17.6 K on it so I'll be doing the 18K service on it sometime this week.

Thanks,
Eric

[TN Mark]

et18,

     I read recently on this forum that you should never pull up on the plug wire caps from on top of the plug. But to push the plug cap up from the bottom to lift it off the plugs. So, yea, it seems like a delicate item and others have had to replace them at similar mileage.

     Someone with much more knowledge than I have about the 1400's will have to let you know if there's an improved aftermarket plug wire set. It would seem something could be made from components but again, I don't have direct knowledge of this particular item. 

[Kiwi_Roy]

It seems like you have narrowed it down to an ignition problem, l think its quite common to find a bike is running ok then on restart run like crap.

The fill up as you say is probably a red herring but why not drain the tank and use it in another vehicle that's not so fussy and get a gallon from different trusted source, easy to eliminate bad fuel from the mix.

As a sparky I tend to focus on electrical problems as a cause for bad running for example a relay dropping out or loose connection upsetting the ECU
Check the main ground for tightness. Read through this thread carefully and see if there are any similarities, in this case it was refusing to start but at times it would run, i'm sure not well.
https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=102669.0
Disconnect the battery, scrape the terminals exposing bare shiny metal then apply some Vaseline, I cannot stress strongly enough the benefit of doing this to prevent battery disconnection, the grease coats the metal protecting it from the ravages of Oxygen exposure, Lead Oxide is a perfect insulator. Treat the main ground the same way, it's not as likely to corrode but a little grease will eliminate the possibility. I use Vaseline on/in any crimp lugs especially the ones exposed to wet, a greasy wire will never corrode in the terminal.

[oldbike54]

 Yes , replace the spark plug wire end caps .

 Dusty

[Two Checks]

The fill up as you say is probably a red herring but why not drain the tank and use it in another vehicle that's not so fussy and get a gallon from different trusted source, easy to eliminate bad fuel from the mix.
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[/size]Reread the first post.

[oldbike54]

 Guys , et18 very clearly stated that pushing the spark plug caps down fixed the running problem 

 Dusty

 

[et18]

It was the spark plug caps.  I used NGK SB05E boots as recommended by various posts, I understand these are also a common replacement part used on Stelvios.  Never done this particular repair before but it was one of the easiest repairs I've ever done.  Thanks for the recommendations!