Seems lately there's been a lot of problems with the FBW... high idle... low idle... dies... etc. Just yesterday, a friend of mine told me he almost lost it going around a turn because the rpm's shot way up... WTF?

He takes it to the Harley dealer and they say they've never heard of any problems with the FBW... C'mon, you can't tell me they don't know. Anyone know anything else about these issues?

 

Only that H-D Customer Service does know that there is a problem with some TBW bikes experiencing steadily increasing idle until the idle is up around 2000 rpm and that there is a ECM 'flash' being worked on within H-D that is going to 'cure' the problem. I also know that the fast idle is sometime self-caused by riders that inadvertently keep a little 'on' throttle while shutting down while using the kill switch. Do that several times and the ECM is now 'taught' that the higher idle is the nominal. H-D is now asking '08 TBW owners to shut down taking the right hand off the throttle to turn off the ignition switch and not to use the kill switch at all. That procedure would prevent the unintentional roll-on of the throttle while turning off the engine.

Also, the procedure for reprogramming the idle position of a new throttle sensor (within the twist grip) is published on page 4-17. If your bike's twist grip sensor is exhibiting a non standard idle use that procedure. H-D is advising to change to a ten second interval for each 'on' cycle instead of the published four second interval.

My '08 Road Glide exhibited a steadily increasing idle of about 100 rpm for each on/off riding cycle. I complained and they referred me to H-D Customer Service. In the meantime, I found the above procedure in the '08 Touring Service Manual. It reprogrammed my bike immediately each time the fast idle occurred. The referred procedure can also be used to program in any idle faster than the nominal 950/1000 rpm that you would want by holding the twist grip sensor at that position while shutting down the bike, then going thru the whole programming sequence while continuing to hold the grip at that position. After you are done with what ever you wanted the fast idle for the same programming can be use to return to the default idle speed of 950/1000 rpm.

I just hit 3K miles on my '08 two days ago and the ever increasing fast idle seems to be not occurring anymore. Thank goodness! It was a royal pain in the butt to be going thru the reprogramming procedure every day. .............. BC

 

I posted this 3/8

https://www.hdforums.com/m_3000605/m...tm.htm#3000605

My problem appears to be related to the eitms. I've turned mine off.
Even when my idle was way high, it still ran just fine. Never saw unintended acceleration.

 

Almost 2300 miles with no FBW issues. I don't use the kill switch.

 

1800 miles...no issues.

Just switched handlebars an did the TBW reprogram procedure just in case....will check it this weekend.

 

Let's face it, if there is one item you must have full control over, it's the throttle.....And you also must have full confidence in it.

Bikes ain't like cars in that we must constantly balance them...A bike by it's two-wheeled design wants to fall over....We riders counter that with throttle an brakes as we round turns....It's a graceful dance where we balance forces against each other......We MUST have predictable and reliable control of those forces at all times, and that control MUST be consistant.....Our lives depend on it.

What idiot at HD allowed the computer to reprogram idle speed based on where throttle was positioned when bike was shut down?....DUH?

Poorly thought out designs like that plus poor workmanship/quality in their electronics spell death for your chrome or maybe even you.

Once again I state: "TBW was notimplimented to remove 'unsightly' throttle cables, it was implimented to remove control of throttle from you and give it to the computer.....it was done to meet EPA requirements where the computer is only concerned with emmissions and not your skin.......now that it is done, one slight glitch results in unpredictable throttle response and there goes your balance of forces and there goes another rider down.

And once again I state: For those of you who have not had trouble with it, just give it more time.....then if you do end up bleeding because of it,the world will not blame HD, they will simply shrug and repeat "All motorcycles are dangerous"

 

There are usually teething problems when something new like this is first used. With that said HD is not the first to use ETC. Once the bugs are worked out I am sure it will be a better system than the cables. I have had ETC in my cage since 2000 with zero problems. I am 100% confident that the MOCO will work it out....its not rocket science. Also.....I have not noticed any abnormal reaction from the ETC on my 08' SG.......and so far I am happy with it.

People naturally resist change, but in this case I think change is good......as long as the MOCO addresses any future problems that may come up.

 

4500 miles and never a problem........

 

9500 miles and it works great for me. I use the kill switch all the time.

Is there a possibility that people are just misinterpreting a high idle at start up as a problem? There are times that when cold or the bike has been sitting for a couple of days that it will have a high idle at start up, but if I let it run a minute or two, it warms up and drops down to normal on its own.

I'd also be curious about the riding experience of the people with the acceleration problems. How many times have you hit a bump in the road or had a gust of wind hit you and cause you to twist the throttle slightly unintentionally? I wonder if these people with the acceleration problem or doing it on their own and just don't realize it?There isn't any cable slop in a wire. They are sensitive. Just a thought.

I'm not saying there isn't a problem. I don't care how good something is built, a mechanical piece of equipment will break and malfunction eventually. It's a fact of life that if you build 10,000 of something as complex as our bikes, at least one of them is going to have a problem. We Harley owners can be pretty picky group of people and sometimes we feel like we got the one that's not right.

And then again, every once in a while when the service writer says " That's normal, they all do that." .....He's right.

 

You don't fix something that don't need fixin and TBW is a F&%King joke. One more attempt by HD to paint the after market industry into a corner. *****, wake up ! Thats why folks purchase HD, as to be able to modify their HDanyway they want.

I own an 01 carbed and never, and I mean never will I purchase a HD with EFI or TBW.

What a joke!

What do you mean "I never usea kill switch"? Great solution, let me tell you.!!