Fast idle doesn't lock?

[Grey Thumper]

My choke lever is kinda weird. When I pull it up, the idling speed rises (duh), but when I release it, it just springs back down to its regular position. I'm assuming something's wrong with the lever, otherwise, holding it up is pretty useless and I might as well just use the throttle a bit more while idling.

[Karmøy]

Mine to is a bit dodgy...goes up a bit on revs.but slide a bit down when start driving.
But thats OK you dont need it while driving..

[TNOutback]

I believe it is a sprung lever; at least the top position. Mine has a center position that it will release and hold to in order to hold the fast idle. I turn it off when I begin to ride.

[Boxer]

Yes, there are two (2) positions. The top one, which you pull it up to and hold as you hit the starter, is the top one. Once it starts you let it go back to the next position where it should stay until you physically push it down to the bottom position after the bike is warm.
If yours isn't staying in that second position, you probably have dirt or grease inside there where there is a small metal ball bearing and a spring, causing it to not rest properly in the recession which holds it in place. The cable end inside the junction box also has a shape to it that catches slightly in the second position. The junction box may just be dirty as well. That's a real chore getting that all the way out to clean, but you may need to.
You can disassmble the lever up top and clean it good, But WATCH OUT! That spring and ball bearing are teeny tiny and will get away from you in a heartbeat, never to be found again.

[boxermania]

Phil...I'm confused....

The top one, which you pull it up to and hold as you hit the starter, is the top one.

Does that mean that the middle one is the middle one and the low one is the low one......now I'm really confused....

[iowabeakster]

Just for the sake of confusion...I vote the lever has three (3) positions, just like Phil said.

up: lever must be held here while hitting starter button or it will spring down to...

middle: for use during first 60-120 seconds of running, idle should be about 1400 in this position

down: you must manually push it down from the middle position, idle should be at 1100 when fully warmed up in this position

[Boxer]

Al, now you've gone and done it!

I just don't see how a Cajun guy from a third world island country can give talkin' lessons to a red blooded, Alabama born Amurcan!

I still stick to my original theory: 2 positions! Top-Middle-Bottom...Like the fellow who can jump two heights, 3 inches, 1 inch and on the floor. On the floor not being a jumping height...That's where he rests from all that jumping.

[motorcityrider]

My 2003 R1150R bike seems to idle at just about 1000 rpm. Seems a bit low to me. What do you guys think? Can I easly adjust it? If so, how. Thanks.

[Boxer]

Take a screwdriver and turn each of the Big Brass Bypass Screws just a smidgen counter-clockwise. Try to turn them the same amount, but without a synch tool of some kind, its just guesswork. It should be 1100 rpms when warm.

[boxermania]

motorcityrider

I'll assume you know little about the bike and don't have a manometer......locate the Big Brass Screws on the right and left Throttle bodies. With a screw driver turn each screw 1/8 of a turn in the CCW direction and see where the idle rpm runs. If the adjustment gets the rpm past 1150 to 1200 turn the screw CW the same amount until the desired rpm is arrived at.

This will get you in the ballpark, ideally and for significantly better results you should do a proper Idle Speed and Throttle Body sync. Post your city and there might be someone close to you that can lend you a hand.....we are kind of helpful in this forum.

Good luck.......

[motorcityrider]

I would love to meet a fellow rider in the area that could help me out. I live in Novi Michigan.

[iowabeakster]

I still stick to my original theory: 2 positions! Top-Middle-Bottom...Like the fellow who can jump two heights, 3 inches, 1 inch and on the floor. On the floor not being a jumping height...That's where he rests from all that jumping.

I get it now!!! I feel so goofy. The bottom position does not exist. The bottom one is in a state of NON-positioning.

[Grey Thumper]

The bottom position does not exist. The bottom one is in a state of NON-positioning.

You really get great info on this board. I never thought a question about a choke lever could lead to all sorts of philosophical answers.

[OU812]

I still stick to my original theory: 2 positions! Top-Middle-Bottom...Like the fellow who can jump two heights, 3 inches, 1 inch and on the floor. On the floor not being a jumping height...That's where he rests from all that jumping.

I get it now!!! I feel so goofy. The bottom position does not exist. The bottom one is in a state of NON-positioning.

Now you got it mate!

[goomicoo]

My fast idle lever cannot be return to it's "home" or "resting" position.
I have slid it off the bar as much as can be done without removing the heated grip and nothing seems out of place up top.
I'm afraid I will have to pull the bowden box out and have a look.
Oh joy!

[Xdot]

My choke lever did this. I bought a spring at Lowes and got a 3.5mm ball bearing (I think) and trimmed the spring until the retention force seemed "about right." Put it all back together with some Lithium grease and Presto! Works again. Cost less than $3 to fix. And about 3 hours. I've got another ball bearing and the same spring. I will be happy to send them to you in an envelop with a stamp on it! PM me if you want them.

Used this as a go-by for the repair: http://kbasa.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Fi ... 2456_vgFTJ

[goomicoo]

That would be great!
I'll paypal you for shipping.

[grwrockster]

I just did mine as it had stuck ON.

Like Towerworker says - it's the spring and ball bearing that ride up over a metal strip. The metal strip is shorter than the recess it sits in, which allows the spring/ball to act like a spring catch on a door - holding the lever open. When you apply additional downward pressure this overwhelms the spring resistance and the ball slides back onto the metal strip and you can shut the fast idle down to normal idle speed.

BTW - there is only one 'lock' position for the fast idle (i.e. ON or OFF). Yes, it will lift higher than the lock ON position, but won't stay there unless you hold it up with your finger.

Water ingress caused mine to corrode and jam up. To clean it up you need to remove the bar -end weight and the handgrip so you can remove the screw that holds the fast idle lever on. Also remove the mirror to get at the rest of the screws and take the fast idle section of the LH cluster apart.

I removed the metal strip and rubbed it down (I have a brass wire wheel on a bench grinder that's great for such things) to get rid of the corrosion, clean up and grease and back together. It doesn't take long.

Towerworker's words are wise..... the ball bearing and spring are VERY easy to lose (yep - you got it - I lost mine ). So at the moment I have a lovely, smooth-operating, but non-locking fast idle Lever!

[Boxer]

FYI, that wasn't Towerworker who gave that sage bit of advice. It was ME. Towerworker don't know nothing about anything except radiator maintenance...and working towers.


He might be choking his lever, but that has little to do with motorcycle maintenance.

[grwrockster]

Humble apologies Boxer - you are duly credited! (I did realise my error after I'd hit the submit button , but hoped no-one would notice )

Even being aware of how easy it is to lose the pesky little bits, I still managed to mess up. While looking for the ball bearing, (which 'pinged' out of the jaws of my vice-grips while I was polishing the rust of it on the brass wheel) I managed to drop the little spring, which 'boinged' off somewhere and has avoided all attempts at detection (I found the ball, but not the spring ).

Ah well - you don't need the fast idle for long anyway, and are supposed to shut it off as soon as you want to move off, right? Mine has just been modded so I can't forget to switch it off! Actually when I do a TB soon I plan to raise the tickover from 1100 to 1200 or so anyhow - I found that the bike was less 'clattery' at idle, was a lot smoother coming on & off the throttle and easier to manouevre when the fast idle was sticking on a bit - I don't want to raise it too much but it's worth having a bit of a play to see if its better raised a bit.