Throttle Sensitivity Adjustments?
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,397
Likes: 402
From: Australia
Try this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MM_t13v5no
hope it helps.
Seems lots of people are having trouble with throttle adjustments latley.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MM_t13v5no
hope it helps.
Seems lots of people are having trouble with throttle adjustments latley.
How will adjusting the cables make the throttle less sensitive?
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,908
Likes: 19
From: Dayton
I think of the two cables as a loop and adjusting one or the other will snug it up (within reason). Too snug and there's too much friction and it won't snap back to neutral - ever. If you just want it snugger, use the friction **** underneath. It also helps to not 'hang' on the bars when hitting bumps. This will force you to rev the bike and you hit the bumps. Slack your arms when on rough roads.
If there's too much spring resistance in the throttle, you'll wear your hand out holding speed on longer rides.
If there's too much spring resistance in the throttle, you'll wear your hand out holding speed on longer rides.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,395
Likes: 153
From: Utah
I do not think that the crude HD cruise lock is to be used for this purpose. A constant setting of this will wear on the ramps until it doesn't work at all.
There should be slack between the two cables when they are properly adjusted. This allows for flex in the bike frame and the normal variation in your hand position as you ride. The spring keeps the tension held on the return cable. The 'slack' is only between the two cables, not really at the throttle body even though that is where it is measured. This means that ONE CABLE OR THE OTHER is holding the throttle position (your hand when accelerating or decelerating or the return spring when doing neither with your hand for a small amount of turn).
You need to adjust both cables according to the shop manual. OF course, I'm not looking at an '08 shop manual and HD could have changed everything... but that's the typical manual configuration.
C#
There should be slack between the two cables when they are properly adjusted. This allows for flex in the bike frame and the normal variation in your hand position as you ride. The spring keeps the tension held on the return cable. The 'slack' is only between the two cables, not really at the throttle body even though that is where it is measured. This means that ONE CABLE OR THE OTHER is holding the throttle position (your hand when accelerating or decelerating or the return spring when doing neither with your hand for a small amount of turn).
You need to adjust both cables according to the shop manual. OF course, I'm not looking at an '08 shop manual and HD could have changed everything... but that's the typical manual configuration.
C#
Thread Starter
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2nd Gear
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Springfield MO
Update on what I found...
Okay, so here's what I found/did: First, I found the thumbscrew to adjust the basic friction on the cable. I had been looking right past it all along - even when I was looking for it on purpose! Bad news is that when I got the overall feel of the throttle to where I was used to it being, it wouldn't snap back to idle, so I abandoned that avenue and loosened it back up. I'll keep that option for actual cruise control use.
In examining the entire system, I instead opted to do a slight mod to the return spring on the throttle body itself - where the throttle and idle cables end up. I just took off the spring, and using some vice grips, gently straightened out 1/2" to 3/4" more of the spring, so that it would resist a little more. After a bit of testing and tweaking, it's right about where I feel comfy with it. Of course, if I change my mind and want to lighten the tension a bit, it will be easy to take the spring off and put a bit of the curl back in it. I haven't had an opportunity to test it yet - literally just finished it and it's now nearly midnight. Plus, the new battery that I just bought is also still charging, so I wouldn't have been able to test it anyways!
Thanks for all the input guys - I really appreciate it!
mike
In examining the entire system, I instead opted to do a slight mod to the return spring on the throttle body itself - where the throttle and idle cables end up. I just took off the spring, and using some vice grips, gently straightened out 1/2" to 3/4" more of the spring, so that it would resist a little more. After a bit of testing and tweaking, it's right about where I feel comfy with it. Of course, if I change my mind and want to lighten the tension a bit, it will be easy to take the spring off and put a bit of the curl back in it. I haven't had an opportunity to test it yet - literally just finished it and it's now nearly midnight. Plus, the new battery that I just bought is also still charging, so I wouldn't have been able to test it anyways!
Thanks for all the input guys - I really appreciate it!
mike
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