New Grips... Now I Can't Adjust the Idle : V-Twin Forum: Harley Davidson Forums

91fe · 04-03-2008, 06:34 AM

I'm in the process of installing new bars (504's), grips (Kury Iso's) and chrome switch housings. After a little wiring SNAFU, I've got the bars wired internally and all of the switches working properly. I'm trying to button everything up, but can't get the idle adjusted right. I can't for the life of me get it to snap back to idle from WOT. I tried adjusting the cable the whole way out, in... and everywhere in between and can't make it work. When I release the grip from WOT it *slowly* makes its way back to idle. It snapped back a couple times, but mostly there was some hesitation.

I spent about two hours last night going through the manual and searching the forum for an explanation. Right now, my best guess is that I've got a bind in the cables under the headlight... but I'd like to hear from you guys first before I tear it open again. It's a total PITA to pull the headlight, passing lights and nacelle to get in there... and I'm pretty sure that stupid-ass pot metal stud on the nacelle trim is going to break the next time I touch it.

So... any other suggestions before I tear her apart again?

The bike is an '03 fuel injected road king classic.

y2kflhr · 04-03-2008, 07:07 AM

I think you answered your own question, you need to undo the cables, and see if there are any kinks in them. my 2 cents

elPrez · 04-03-2008, 07:23 AM

Do you have cruise? I seem to remember that the friction knob thing inside my non-cruise grip got hung up if I wasn't careful when reinstalling.

se2deuce · 04-03-2008, 07:44 AM

you could have one cable adjusted wrong they have to be adjusted together if one is to tight it will stick and also i put a set of bars on a bike last year and the chrome was to thick for the throttle and we had to sand some of it down did you try the throttle on the bar with no cables first to make sure it spins easily

91fe · 04-03-2008, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98RKC

Do you have cruise? I seem to remember that the friction knob thing inside my non-cruise grip got hung up if I wasn't careful when reinstalling.

Yes. I forgot to mention that the bike does have cruise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by se2deuce

you could have one cable adjusted wrong they have to be adjusted together if one is to tight it will stick and also i put a set of bars on a bike last year and the chrome was to thick for the throttle and we had to sand some of it down did you try the throttle on the bar with no cables first to make sure it spins easily

The grip fits the bar fine. I checked... and it spins normally without the cables attached.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I'm really trying to avoid taking it all apart again.

LE PEW · 04-03-2008, 08:05 AM

Check out the friction shoe for the throttle lock to see if it is set properly.

If that checks out OK then check to see if the grip is bottoming out against the handle bar end, that would definetly make it hang up. Try loosening the screws for the right hand control and wiggling it outwards away from the end of the handlebar. That might free it up.

Good luck.

1L243 · 04-03-2008, 11:15 AM

Sometimes if you go witn new handlebars you have go with new cables because the stock cables are too short?

How are you adjusting your Idle? Manual says "Idle speed can only be set using the SCANALYZER or DIGITAL TECHNICIAN.... Use of the throttle stop screw will not permanently change idle speed".

If its not that, you got to go back to the beginning and watch how you route your cables...

91fe · 04-03-2008, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DLeppik

Sometimes if you go witn new handlebars you have go with new cables because the stock cables are too short?

How are you adjusting your Idle? Manual says "Idle speed can only be set using the SCANALYZER or DIGITAL TECHNICIAN.... Use of the throttle stop screw will not permanently change idle speed".

If its not that, you got to go back to the beginning and watch how you route your cables...

Thanks, but Wild1 says the 504's will work with the stock wires and cables.

I'm not trying to adjust the actual idle speed, but rather the throttle snap back to idle. She won't snap back.

Flyer · 04-03-2008, 12:22 PM

Can you reply with a step by step adjustment of how you went about it?
The idle cable will give resistance to snapback if it's not adjusted right.

91fe · 04-03-2008, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyer

Can you reply with a step by step adjustment of how you went about it?
The idle cable will give resistance to snapback if it's not adjusted right.

Sure. I started by putting the adjuster nuts pretty much back to where they started. I checked WOT, which was fine. Let go... and noticed something was 'off' with the snap back to idle. Figured I'd be better off starting from zero, so I loosened both cables to full slack, adjusted the throttle cable so that the throttle body was just hitting the open stop at WOT, then started adjusting the idle cable to get it to snap back. There didn't appear to be any adjustment that would make it completely snap back on its own. Some adjustments were better than others, but none were just right.

Flyer · 04-03-2008, 02:39 PM

Check engine side cable bracket for cable ends sitting true. Long needle nose if you can't reach with finger. Check idle cable run on right side of frame back of neck, where cable is hooded, make sure cable hoses are not pulled apart.

91fe · 04-03-2008, 02:44 PM

Will do... thanks. What do you mean by cable hoses not pulled apart?

Flyer · 04-03-2008, 03:56 PM

Idle cable hose (or cover, whatever you wanna call the thingy the cable lives in) is a two piece job covered by a soft plastic shroud. Pull the shroud back and you'll see what I mean. The two ends should butt on each other.

91fe · 04-03-2008, 07:37 PM

Fixed it!

I started with the easy stuff. Confirmed the cables were fine at the throttle body... they were. Pulled the headlight (didn't have to remove the nacelle...woo-hoo) to make sure the cables weren't kinked...they weren't. Removed the switch housing and presto... the throttle snapped right back to idle. I screwed with it for a bit to see if something was binding the grip... couldn't find anything. Removed the Kury Iso to compare to the old HD grip... all looked fine. Threw the old HD on for grins... AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY!!! Who would have thunk it?

F Kuryakyn! They're 0-2 in my book. First, the cheesy handlebar dress-up kit that never came out of the package because it was so hoakie looking (bought online and can' return it), now this. I spent 3 days trying to get the idle working right. I intend to call them tomorrow for a replacement. Hopefully they make it right and avoid that third strike.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

prophet · 04-05-2008, 07:30 AM

Take a digital picture of your install so we can see it. Hopefully it's just a burr in the plastic. I thought the instructions ask you to check for that though. If its not a burr, I would still hesitate to blame Kuryakyn on the grips, but the guy you bought them from maybe put some ricer grips in a Harley package...and/or shipped you the wrong grips. Did you compare your part number with the one for Harley's? I've never had a problem with Kuryakyn and there are many of others on this forum that have had success with them. Like you said before, grips should be easy. I put my last pair of Iso-grips on in the parking lot of Wausau HD, 600 miles from home after the rubber on crappy Harley Flame grips finally wore out after 1.5 seasons. It took about 30 minutes. My first pair went on a RKC with a Kuryakyn chubby handle bar and took 6 hours including threading the wires through to the Nacelle.