Tickover not ticking over

[RantyDave]

So I rode my bike home last night in the pissing wet. This is not that unusual. I rolled it out this morning and started it up and where normally it runs a bit fast while being enriched (fuel injected bike) it was running at a reasonable pace. Once it had warmed up and the enrichment was off the bike would stall when I didn't have any throttle on - waiting at junctions, and (nightmare) tipping into slow corners. This was still the case once the bike was warm, although it only got to about 80c.

I'm guessing the throttle cable has slipped a bit since if I hold on a _tiny_ amount of throttle we're all good and back to where we should be.

I followed the cable around and the carb, or whatever it's called when you have fuel injection, is on the left side of the bike but underneath one of the big aluminium girder things that makes the frame. I can see it through the gap between the tank and frame, and took a picture but you can't see shit (cellphone), and can't get a finger to it. On the left hand side of the carb there's an obvious idle adjust screw - it changes where the semi-circular rocker lands when under no pressure, and I think there could be passage for a sufficiently long screwdriver to come up behind it without having to take the tank off. Other than that I'm completely in the dark.

At the other end of the cable the twist grip itself doesn't appear to have any means of adjustment, which is a real shit and not the kind of thing I'd expect from Mr Triumph to be honest. It's held on with two cross head screws/bolts ... is there a possibility that these working loose would have the same effect?

So, can anyone shed any light on what might be my best approach? I'd be pretty keen on a v.short term fix so that I might at least be able to ride home without the stalling. Has anyone stuffed a screwdriver into that part of a Speed4/TT before and can give some recommendations as to length, end etc. Finally, if it all gets a bit involved, how hard is it to remove the fuel tank - I'm vaguely aware that I need to do it at some point as a sort of motorcycle maintenance virginity losing event - and this would seem to be a good time. Kinda.

Dave

(PS contemplating trying to get a small bit of sticky tape on top of the idle adjust for now)

[Delphinus]

Dunno about your problem, but we had to whip the tank off my TT600 which I understand is a similar setup.
The mechanic was extremely impressed with how it came off. 3 bolts and a strap thing and we were away.

[98tls]

If injected it wont have a carb,you will have a fast idle lever (some call it a choke) on the bars and if its anything like my injected TLS it will have a knob..see pic.. for adjusting the idle,that can sometimes come loose and you can end up turning it all you like with no response.

[98tls]

Bugger,i just reread your post,if no lever then its automatic when started from cold,surely though it still has something easy and obvious for adjusting idle.

[RantyDave]

Well well. Went to threaten it with some computer fixing tools and lunchtime and the mere threat appears (appears) to have sorted it. Fuck knows what that was about.

Re: removing fuel tanks ... I can see where it's connected, it's the part where you then don't piss fuel all over the floor that I don't get. I suspect it's also related to not getting air into the fuel injection and buggering that up too. Hmmmm.

Dave

[RantyDave]

if its anything like my injected TLS it will have a knob..see pic.. for adjusting the idle

Yeah, that would be ideal. It's nothing like that

Dave

[Delphinus]

it's the part where you then don't piss fuel all over the floor that I don't get.

I think we just pulled out the hose and it was sweet.. dont quote me on that

[vifferman]

Went to threaten it with some computer fixing tools and lunchtime and the mere threat appears (appears) to have sorted it. Fuck knows what that was about.

Perhaps the bit about the throttle cable was a bit of a red herring.

So I rode my bike home last night in the pissing wet. This is not that unusual.

While it's not unusual, maybe some water got in where it doesn't normally. Some bikes (like the FahrtSurm I used to own) can be real picky - not having a fuel pump, it wouldn't take much to impede the flow of fuel to the carbs; just some road spooge on the end of the tank breather would do it.

On the VFR (EFI), it has a small rubber bung on the frame rail, which covers a hole through the rail to adjust the idle mixture. No manual enrichment - it uses "starter valves" which are slidey thingies (technical term) that have wax in their innards. As the bike warms up, the wax liquifies and expands, and the "slidey thingies" move to adjust the amount of air for the idle. The adjustment screw merely moves all the starter valves in and out a small amount.

You really need to find out about your tank sometime. The last three bikes I've owned allowed you to prop the tank up to get at things underneath, without having to remove it completely. Kinda useful when there's no fuel tap...

[RantyDave]

While it's not unusual, maybe some water got in where it doesn't normally.

I was wondering about the oxygen sensor. After all, it appears to be something that got wet and got upset - and that (to me) means electronics. A misreading oxygen sensor would also, presumably, annoy the hell out of the fuel injection and quite possibly persuade it to squirt less fuel in. Not that I know even *where* the oxygen sensor is, or if the bike has one, or what effect it has on EFI.

I'll shut up, shall I?

Point is that I obviously need to get more into maintenance

Dave

[Devil]

You cant prop the Speed Four tank up unfortunately, you need to take it off. Take care with the fuel taps/valves underneath, because if you break them, they're horrendously expensive.
The fuel hose is supposed to disconnect cleanly and self-close, but after a while, it's not uncommon for them to just keep on leaking, so get someone to help you do it, and make sure you dont have too much fuel in your tank when you do it.

I believe there is no manual idle adjustment for the speed four, it's all in the computer. If the balance of the throttle bodies is right out for some reason I guess it could cause your problem.

Extreme variances in the temperature and humidity will get it idling funny. Best to take it to the shop to check out the master mixture control (computer). They can make adjustments to the overall mixture from there.

If it's a very lumpy idle then stalling it may just be running too lean.