I recently installed and flashed my bike with the Fuealpak Fp3 with the canned map corresponding to my current setup:
2014 Slim, high airflow intake of course, V&H BSS.
Didn't ride it that much so far but the first impression is very good! One thing I noticed immediately is that the decal popping is COMPLETELY resolved!!

I would like to lower my Idle RPM and the Fp3 let you do it very easily. The reason is that I would like a nice, low idling sound, kinda old style rather than the quite high we all know on the EI bikes.

I know that lowering it can also lower the oil pressure and this is where attention is needed. How low can I go and be safe that nothing will happen?
The idle is set at 1000 rpm (hot idle) at stock and at this first flash I did.

Anybody has insight or experience with this?

 

I wouldn't want to lower it much. In addition to oil pressure, you may have charging issues associated with lower rpms.

No matter what you do to the idle speed, it's never going to sound like an Evo or Shovel head.

 

I set mine at 960. This was the lowest recommended by the tuner from Zippers for my TMax.

 

It isn't safe to lower it much and I strongly recommend you leave it stock. Shovels have a very much heavier flywheel than later bikes and idle at around 800rpm IIRC, almost like a barn engine. Later bikes idle at around 1,000rpm, which is not so much quicker, but one reason they sound different is they have better carbs or EFI, which sorts out the poor fuelling that helped give a shovel that sound.

As for the safety thing, and this applies to all engines, the slower the idle goes the more irregular the rotation of the crankshaft becomes. The crankshaft speed slows as each piston reaches compression, then accelerates as the cylinder fires, then slows, etc. Once that slow/fast feature starts then a lot of bad loads are transmitted to the engine, to the bearings especially. The idle speed is set to provide uniform crankshaft speed, so no damage can result.

Hope that helps you to love your idle speed just as it is!

 

Interesting.
I read several different theories, many guys set it around 850-900 with no problems. A good article I came across did explain that for the 103 engine, as long as the oil pressure is 10psi or more while idling it's more than fine.

Chatting with V&H support few minutes ago: they said that down to 900 is no problem.

Any other experience in the matter?

 

If you feel the need to have it idle that slow at least do the motor a favor and dump 6 oz. of Lucas Oil Stabilizer in it.
I run the stuff in my engine and transmission.

 

Interesting. I hear and read quite a lot about this and looks like there is some controversy about the use of oil stabilizers..Not sure I want that stuff in my engine.

 

1,000 + or - a few is about as good as you can get with efi. The potato, potato, potato idle is a thing of the past.

 

I've run it in my truck and car engines for years, it works as advertised from my experience.
In my 600 horsepower Cummins diesel it has done its job for 1.9 million miles.
In the bike I run 6 oz. in the motor oil at every change and 6 oz. in the transmission at every oil change.
I ran it in my '89 FXR for 200,000 miles ( I didn't use it for the first 100,000 miles) and it quieted the valve train and gear whine noticeably.
I swear by the stuff....I usually tear down and build my own engines and have never seen any negative effect from running the stabilizer.

That's been my personal experience with it.

 

Good information. Thanks.

What's your opinion on the idle rpm?