Author Topic: What does your bike like to idle at?  (Read 1376 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline VTCBike750

  • Hot Shot
  • ***
  • Posts: 743
What does your bike like to idle at?
« on: July 16, 2011, 08:34:56 PM »
Im in the process of setting the timing and got to thinking, what RPMs does everyone else's bikes like to idle?

Before new points 1500
After new points and static timing 1100
After ignition timing light, who knows the light crapped out.
-Adam

1972 CB750 (current project)
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=87951.0

Offline DJ_AX

  • Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,279
  • ?!
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2011, 08:42:40 PM »
I like to set the idle at 1100.
It can idle as low as 700 to 800 though.
~ Vincent . . . '75 CB750 K5 . . . '97 BMW r1100rt . . . had; '75 CB550 K1 (sold) . . .  '73 CB350G (gifted) HELL YEAH!
Disclaimer: I could be wrong. :)

Offline TrueSpin

  • Not Really An
  • Enthusiast
  • **
  • Posts: 201
  • 1978 750F3
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2011, 08:45:51 PM »
Try to keep the idle right at or above 1000.... any lower and it stumbles opening the throttle.... any higher and it seems to stick more often.

81cb650

  • Guest
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2011, 08:47:19 PM »
mines at 1500, truespin, What do you mean by sticking? somtimes mine stays at 4krpm for no reason... is that what you mean?

Offline WarwickE36

  • Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 761
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2011, 08:07:08 AM »
74 cb550  Idles fine at 1,000 .... I set it at 1,200 as it seems to downshift better coming to stops.
" Why does anyone get offended by what someone does to their own bike? I dont get it. "

You made me think about it after I cheered knowing someone else would like to know what these control freaks are up to.
 Every time any owner strips whatever precious Honda part the horrified purists parts go up in value. That's not the part that bothers them.
 What bothers them is they sat up late at night, their breast full of wonder and estrogen, unable to sleep, dreaming about their lovely darling and all her glory... and next thing you know someone else doesn't share their emotional deluge and their reaction is they must spread their mind museum as far as they possibly can, taking over as much of the real world as possible.

Drink fast, drive slow, but ride it like you stole it

1974 Cb550 with style
2004 SV650s

Offline TrueSpin

  • Not Really An
  • Enthusiast
  • **
  • Posts: 201
  • 1978 750F3
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2011, 08:09:30 AM »
mines at 1500, truespin, What do you mean by sticking? somtimes mine stays at 4krpm for no reason... is that what you mean?

Yes, it is... though for me it's usually 3k~. Typically as I'm stopping at a light, when I clutch in from 1st after walking the gears down, it'll actually hold 3k, and it'll drop a bit when I actually stop, but then I have to give the throttle a quick kick for it to drop down to idle.

Offline BobbyR

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 12,367
  • Proud Owner of the Babe Thread & Dirty Old Man
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2011, 09:21:24 AM »
Most people have reported somewheer around 1500. Take into account that the tachs are not very precise, so there can be a lot of variation.

The having to blip the throttle to slow it down means something is sticking. You have very little engine braking at 3k, so it is something you need to attend to. How old are your cables? 
Dedicated to Sgt. Howard Bruckner 1950 - 1969. KIA LONG KHANH.

But we were boys, and boys will be boys, and so they will. To us, everything was dangerous, but what of that? Had we not been made to live forever?

Offline skamagedon

  • Mad Scientist-Gearhead
  • Hot Shot
  • ***
  • Posts: 295
  • My other car is a motorcycle
    • Arcade and pinball repair
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #7 on: July 17, 2011, 09:45:20 AM »
between 900 and 1200, depending on my mood.
1976 CB550 mutt "Tiger Pain"
(stock carb setup, unifilter, 4-2 baffled)
1976 CB360T "Resto Wifebike...wink wink"
Hot glue is your friend

Offline mjstone

  • I'm definitly not a
  • Hot Shot
  • ***
  • Posts: 689
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2011, 11:34:57 AM »
About 1000-1100.

MJ
1972 CB500Four (Honda)
1973 CB500Four (Oliver)

Offline TrueSpin

  • Not Really An
  • Enthusiast
  • **
  • Posts: 201
  • 1978 750F3
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #9 on: July 17, 2011, 11:37:27 AM »
Most people have reported somewheer around 1500. Take into account that the tachs are not very precise, so there can be a lot of variation.

The having to blip the throttle to slow it down means something is sticking. You have very little engine braking at 3k, so it is something you need to attend to. How old are your cables?

The pull cable is new, the push cable I don't know.
It's worse if the idle is set above 1200~, and rarely/never happens if set below that.

Offline camelman

  • Man... Myth... Legend
  • Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,899
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2011, 11:40:38 AM »
My 350f idles around 1100 when warmed up.  It has a slight skip which I think is due to a bent advancer shaft per HondaMan's analysis a while back.  It sounds like garbage when it is cold though, and I do not idle it below 1500 or so until it warms up.  By "garbage" I mean that it makes nasty clanking sounds inside the engine as cylinder fight each other.

Before setting my mixture screws, it idled erratically between 1100 and 1800 rpm.
Before replacing the points, it idled poorly and would often die, if I did not have it set around 1500.
Before replacing the 2/3 condenser, it would skip worse at idle, and became a 175 twin last night 30 miles from home on Highway 1. After replacing the condenser, it runs even better than before, but still with the slight skip.
With the timing off by a couple degrees between points, it would make an awful racket and not idle at all well until the rpm were above 1500.

Not sure why I wrote all that, but there you go.

Camelman
1972 350f rider: sold
1972 350f/466f cafe: for sale
1977 CB400f cafe:sold
1975 CB400f rider: sold
1970 CB750 K0 complete bike: sold
2005 Triumph Sprint ST 1050 rider

We've got to cut it off... and then come down on rockets.  (quoted from: seven minutes of terror)

Offline strynboen

  • Old Timer
  • ******
  • Posts: 4,883
    • http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?PHPSESSID=0aflsrdks2m79eeb1hstqe45k7&/topic,60973.0.html
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #11 on: July 17, 2011, 11:48:25 AM »
mine 550 goes 1000 kold..vhen varming up it rises..and i have to adjust.
i kan not speak english/but trying!!
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=60973.0
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=144758.0
i hate all this v-w.... vords

Offline BobbyR

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 12,367
  • Proud Owner of the Babe Thread & Dirty Old Man
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #12 on: July 17, 2011, 05:17:56 PM »
Most people have reported somewheer around 1500. Take into account that the tachs are not very precise, so there can be a lot of variation.

The having to blip the throttle to slow it down means something is sticking. You have very little engine braking at 3k, so it is something you need to attend to. How old are your cables?

The pull cable is new, the push cable I don't know.
It's worse if the idle is set above 1200~, and rarely/never happens if set below that.
Try shooting some lube down the push cable, if it improves it may be time to replace it. Also make sure the cables are attached properly at the carb. These annoying things are usually simple, but a pain in the ass to find.
Dedicated to Sgt. Howard Bruckner 1950 - 1969. KIA LONG KHANH.

But we were boys, and boys will be boys, and so they will. To us, everything was dangerous, but what of that? Had we not been made to live forever?

Offline Trav-i

  • Has finally become an
  • Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 930
Re: What does your bike like to idle at?
« Reply #13 on: July 17, 2011, 05:36:46 PM »
My 750 idles at 1,200RPM (so says the tach), but I'm not really sure exactly what engine speed it's set at.  Oh and I set it with the engine at operating temp.
Forum member #9962

I don't know a lot about anything, but I know a little about practically everthing. 

If your not first, your last - Ricky Bobby

1992 GL1500 Interstate

73 CB750 Bobber Project (Always an on going project) Sold
71 CL350 Scrambler Project (Done and riding it) Sold
78 CB750 F3 Super Sport with F 0 engine (Current project)