(07 FLHX 5500mi) Don't know if this has ever happened to anyone here but, I rode to south Georgia (5 hrs or so) this weekend and lost all control of my throttle. I rode about 250-300 miles and noticed the engine light was coming on and going off. It wasnt blinking but it was on and then off. I came to a traffic light and my idle was stuck around 2000rpm. I took it to Albany HD and they ran the codes and said it should be okay to ride. I appreciated them helping me out that much b/c it was right at closing time. Long story short, by the time I got to Cairo (40 or so more miles)the throttle was stuck at WOT. I burned up both sets of brakes just trying to control it enough to get it somewhere safe. A friend of mine got me and the bike back to the local dealership today and I'm waiting to hear form them. My bike is bone stock and i bought it new not even a year ago. Any ideas???

 

Air leak maybe? I had a leak at the manifold & it wouldn't idle down either. A couple of fasteners had vibrated loose causing the leak, and with the additional air theECM thought the throttle was open so it dumped more fuel, ergo higher rpms. Worth a try.

 

Burr on the throttle plate? How does the idle cable feel when you roll off the throttle?

 

Im not on the throttle. I went from dead stop to 70+ without ever touching the throttle. It was a hell of a ride to say the least.

 

That must have been a wild ride to safe ground. It sounds like a 08 problem with the fly by wire?. Are any of the cables broken

 

Just for the record I don't believe there are any documented cases of an 08 going WOT. Considering the potential liability I have to think the possibilityof that happening is next to impossible.

Ride well,

Jim

 

It almost has to be the idle cable that isn't returning the throttle to idle. The throttle grip should "snap" back to idle when you let go of the grip from WOT.

 

Anytime anyone posts anything about a throttle issue these days, we have to hear all about the dread "08 fly-by-wire debacle" all over again.

The bike's a 2007. Read the post.

My question to the OP, who said, "I burned up both sets of brakes just trying to control it enough to get it somewhere safe.", it would seem that there should have been some options open which would have made it possible to avoid burning up the brakes.

The ignition switch, clutch, and kill switch all interrupt power to the the drive train. Were all of them inoperative?

 

Ok, I gotta ask. The throttle opened up all by itself? By the time you got to Cairo? You went from dead stop to 70+ without ever touching the throttle? Did you shift while this was happening? I hate to sound like I'm doggin' ya, but there is a "kill" switch which will stop all of this.

 

It was a wild ride, sort of fun but also kinda freaky when the brakes got too hot. The cables are fine, with the engine throwing a code im pretty sure its a valve stuck in the fuel injection somewhere or something electrical. Im going to the dealership first thing in the morning and will let yall know what they say.