Author Topic: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?  (Read 10913 times)

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Offline cb750fbomb

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Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« on: May 13, 2009, 11:22:12 PM »
I don't mind, but I was just wondering if this was normal. I wouldn't think that it is. The more it warms up the higher it wants to idle at stops. As it warms up I just reach down and adjust it and play with it until it's where it sounds right.
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Offline martino1972

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2009, 11:31:18 PM »
not sure on your 750 but on my 650 when you apply the choke,it opens the trottle slides a bit via a little plastic cam on the choke contraption thus making it to idle higher,it's adjustable... it's normal that they start to idle higher as they warm up....but having to adjust your idle with the set know sounds weird... when mine runs on choke and warms up,i take the choke off and she drops to normal idle...i never have to manually set the idle.....

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Offline Skonnie Boy

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2009, 12:15:00 AM »
Yup.  I adjust it about 2 or 3 times between start and warmed up idling.  I sorta like fiddling with it in traffic, makes me feel like a big man.

I kid.

Not saying its normal, just saying I do it too.  Makes sense, in that the engine revs faster while warmed up than when cold.   
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Offline cb750fbomb

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2009, 12:20:47 AM »
I was thinking it wouldn't be uncommon as everything heats up and the gas is more efficiently diffused, yadda, yadda, yadda
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Offline Hush

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2009, 12:24:05 AM »
The answer is a definite yes (unless you are Marti, I'm sure he welded his chokes open ;D) remember you are warming up 4 full cylinders of a 30+ year old machine, it's just part of the charm of owning a classic.
You may find your riding mates give you some grief over this but hey, if we wanted to be owners of some modern plastic rice rocket we wouldn't have bought our old ladies now would we. :)
I think the thing I most like about motorcycling is the speed at which my brain must process information at to avoid the numb skulls who are eating pies, playing the ukulele, applying make-up etc in the comfort of their airconditioned armchairs as they make random attempts to kill me!!!!!!!

Offline cb750fbomb

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2009, 12:41:33 AM »
 ;) It adds to the mystique of an old bike and her jockey ;) Everyone thinks you have mad skills if you mysteriously reach down and make you bike run better. It's not fun to try it while your riding down the road, though. I learned that fast (I am sofa king retarded sometimes) :P I'm glad it's not just me that's adjusting my idle and there's not something wrong.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2009, 12:57:18 AM by cb750fbomb »
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Offline heyjones

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2009, 12:55:09 AM »
Ha, I do the same thing! You do kinda feel like a badass reaching under there and tinkering around at a red light.
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Offline Hush

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2009, 01:17:36 AM »
I thought that's why they invented red lights, so Honda SOHC4 riders could adjust their idles. :D
I think the thing I most like about motorcycling is the speed at which my brain must process information at to avoid the numb skulls who are eating pies, playing the ukulele, applying make-up etc in the comfort of their airconditioned armchairs as they make random attempts to kill me!!!!!!!

Offline cb750fbomb

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2009, 01:30:53 AM »
I thought that's why they invented red lights, so Honda SOHC4 riders could adjust their idles. :D
That's what I was always told growin' up here in the states.  :P
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Offline Gordon

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #9 on: May 14, 2009, 07:07:41 AM »
If you pay close attention to how many turns up you give the screw when you first start it, you can then back it out the same number of turns at a red light once it's warmed up and you don't have to do as much fiddling.

On my K1 I give it three half-turns up in the morning, and then about halfway to work I turn it back down the same amount.  On my 550 it's about twice as many turns, but then it's much easier to reach on that bike, too.  The K1 throttle screw is way up under the left side between and above carbs 1 & 2. 

Some here say to leave the throttle stop screw set for operating temperature idling and only use the throttle grip or throttle grip friction screw to keep the engine idling while it's cold, but there's nothing wrong with using the throttle stop screw.  I find it easier to use the throttle stop screw, so that's the way I do it. 

Offline Industrial Cafe

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2009, 07:09:43 AM »
i fiddle with my idle thru the warmup too, looks like I'm doin somethin cool at a light.
-skonnie ;D
everything I say is pure speculation and
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Offline Gordon

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2009, 07:13:58 AM »
i fiddle with my idle thru the warmup too,

That some kind of euphemism? ;)

Offline Frankencake

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2009, 07:18:00 AM »
This feels like a big confession group here.  I, too, fiddle with my idle upon warming the engine.  My 750F model has about 10 minutes of solid riding before it is ready to idle.  My girl even "fiddles" with her idle at the stop light.  I heard it's not illegal in this state.
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Offline Industrial Cafe

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2009, 07:42:29 AM »
illegal? fiddling with your motor... huh?
everything I say is pure speculation and
I have no idea what I'm talking about  ._.


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Offline Gordon

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2009, 07:43:46 AM »
illegal? fiddling with your motor... huh?


Get your mind back IN the gutter, IC! ::) ;D ;D

Offline Soos

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #15 on: May 14, 2009, 07:44:52 AM »
I  have to fiddle with my idle too.


With the 750 carbs I used to run I would just decrease the amount of choke more and more as she warmed up.
I didn't adjust the idle screw with those.



The stocker 650 carbs I ran... the choke was... well less than user friendly IMO.
So with those I adjusted the idle screw.


And now with the kawasaki CV carbs I am running, again am finding myself fiddling with the idle screw.
But I don't even have a cable lever or anything for the starter circuit(yes starter circuit, no choke on these carbs), so I get no real choice.
I will change that soon(hopefully).




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Offline Industrial Cafe

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #16 on: May 14, 2009, 07:48:52 AM »
illegal? fiddling with your motor... huh?


Get your mind back IN the gutter, IC! ::) ;D ;D

OH... bleh heh heh heh mmmmm  :P
everything I say is pure speculation and
I have no idea what I'm talking about  ._.


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Offline Industrial Cafe

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #17 on: May 14, 2009, 07:50:56 AM »
my bike is strange, I only have to choke it to start it cold, and only for a split second, otherwise it'll choke out right away...  wassat mean?
everything I say is pure speculation and
I have no idea what I'm talking about  ._.


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Offline flybox1

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #18 on: May 14, 2009, 07:52:34 AM »
Hi, my name is flybox.....and i'm a idlefiddler.   ::)
Been fiddling for about 5 months now.
ESPECIALLY at red lights (kinda like Pavlov's dog)
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Offline Gordon

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #19 on: May 14, 2009, 07:58:32 AM »
my bike is strange, I only have to choke it to start it cold, and only for a split second, otherwise it'll choke out right away...  wassat mean?

That's how my K1 is, too.  On a cold morning I close the choke all the way to start it, but then immediately open it a little or it will die.  On a warm day I only close the choke about halfway to start and then it's off after about ten seconds. 

Offline MCRider

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #20 on: May 14, 2009, 08:07:24 AM »
I think it is normal, on the older bikes. Remember pre-EFI cars, they had fast idle on start up, then you kick it off once its warmed up?

Also, some bikes had cams in the choke to advance the idle on start up, then as you drew the choke off the idle would drop to pre set level.

Computers and EFI makes all that old hat now.

I use a vistacruise type throttle drag to hold the throttle open during warmup while I don my gear. Then kick it off when underway.

http://www.casporttouring.com/thestore/Vista-Cruise.html
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Offline Borkunit

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #21 on: May 14, 2009, 08:12:58 AM »
I used to have to adjust the idle screw at least a turn to get it to idle right when cold.  It also used to require a bit of choke for a couple of minutes.  This year I have done a complete tune up (except carb sync) and it seems to need almost no idle adjustment or choke to get going.  It also starts readily with one kick.

Maybe I have just miraculously found the perfect state of tune for this bike... Who knows.  But I do miss having something to fiddle with at the first several stoplights  ;D

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #22 on: May 14, 2009, 08:14:29 AM »
I think it is normal, on the older bikes. Remember pre-EFI cars, they had fast idle on start up, then you kick it off once its warmed up?

Also, some bikes had cams in the choke to advance the idle on start up, then as you drew the choke off the idle would drop to pre set level.

 If cb750fbomb has a 77F with the PD42 carbs that is how it should work, so no you don't have to fiddle with the idle.

Offline cb750fbomb

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #23 on: May 14, 2009, 08:22:22 AM »
How's that?
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Offline Industrial Cafe

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Re: Is it normal to have to adjust your idle as she warms up?
« Reply #24 on: May 14, 2009, 08:32:23 AM »
high idle cam on the choke..?
everything I say is pure speculation and
I have no idea what I'm talking about  ._.


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