2011 Kawasaki Concours 14 hanging throttle help.

[Concours144545]

I got the tank off and inspected all linkage and everything looks OK. Could a TPS cause this condition by chance?

[clogan]

My throttle hangs up every now and then, especially when I inadvertantly tighten, (or forget to completely loosen) my Throttlemeister, LOL!

I've learned to check that first, and it has always been the culprit so far: a partially-engaged Throttlemeister causes the throttle to hang up every time.

[VirginiaJim]

Assuming everything on the bars are stock...and you can't figure it out, take it back to the dealer and let them figure it out.

As to the rest of us....mellow out, please.

[Concours144545]

My throttle hangs up every now and then, especially when I inadvertantly tighten, (or forget to completely loosen) my Throttlemeister, LOL!

I've learned to check that first, and it has always been the culprit so far: a partially-engaged Throttlemeister causes the throttle to hang up every time.

I appreciate the tip, but I don't have one of those. Weird it on happens when I am moving and about 3/4 throttle. I I'm just cruising I have zero issues.

[MAN OF BLUES]

I got the tank off and inspected all linkage and everything looks OK. Could a TPS cause this condition by chance?

the TPS on this bike is very passive, and really can't malfuntion in a manner to make it stick, and if there something up in there rubbing on the rod, as I noted you would see error messeges for certain, we have seen numerous instances of this on bikes where people removed the secondary flies, and just pressed a bit too hard on the screws, which deflected the rod minutely.... and they had error messages.

I'm with taking it into the dealer, its under warranty.

[B.D.F.]

All the errors reported were on the secondary throttle plates, never on the primary. This gentleman is talking about the primary throttle, not the secondary throttle. If the primary throttle were to bind for any reason, the throttle position sensor would not report any error as it has no input on there the rider is trying to place the throttle in the first place.

To put this another way, the secondary throttle system generates errors when the stepper motor is trying to send the throttle rod to a place it cannot reach, and the sensor notes this. As it is purely the rider who positions the primary throttle through the throttle cables, the primary throttle position sensor would not sense any result of binding or fault- it would simply report the position of the primary throttle whether that position is what the rider wants or not.

Brian

the TPS on this bike is very passive, and really can't malfuntion in a manner to make it stick, and if there something up in there rubbing on the rod, as I noted you would see error messeges for certain, we have seen numerous instances of this on bikes where people removed the secondary flies, and just pressed a bit too hard on the screws, which deflected the rod minutely.... and they had error messages.

I'm with taking it into the dealer, its under warranty.

[B.D.F.]

A remote possibility but only if it was seizing itself, which is extremely doubtful.

A lot of modern bikes, the C-14 included, have poor throttle feel and glide due to the handlebars being made of aluminum. I struggled with my own throttle tube dragging, sticking ("stiction") and generally behaving badly until I tried someone else' suggestion to wrap the handlebar with Teflon tape. I really thought the stuff was far too soft (Easy Boys!) to last but it has been on my bike for years and 10's of thousands of miles and still works great.

The underlying problem is a plastic tube sliding around a piece of aluminum. Those two materials make a terrible bearing surface, and in addtion to that both are very soft (Boys!) and wear very quickly, leaving lots of grooves to trap grit and debris and make the whole situation worse. I cleaned my tube (!!) and bar (!!!) several times as well as trying dry lubricants but in the end nothing really worked for more than a few days other than the Teflon. Old bikes had the advantage of having steel tube handlebars that were chromed- a very hard (Steady Boys!) material with very low friction which entirely by mistake was a pretty good surface for a throttle tube to rotate around.

I suspect if you take your throttle tube off the bike, which is pretty easy to do, you will find both crud as well as significant wear on the aluminum bar. Even replacing the handlebar and throttle tube with new ones (not inexpensive) is not really a solution IMO for the reasons mentioned above.

If you do try the tape, please be careful to put it on evenly and tightly- you do not want a ball of that stuff stuck between the handlebar and the throttle tube. :-(

Brian

I got the tank off and inspected all linkage and everything looks OK. Could a TPS cause this condition by chance?

[maxtog]

A lot of modern bikes, the C-14 included, have poor throttle feel and glide due to the handlebars being made of aluminum. I struggled with my own throttle tube dragging, sticking ("stiction") and generally behaving badly until I tried someone else' suggestion to wrap the handlebar with Teflon tape. I really thought the stuff was far too soft (Easy Boys!) to last but it has been on my bike for years and 10's of thousands of miles and still works great. [...]Even replacing the handlebar and throttle tube with new ones (not inexpensive) is not really a solution IMO for the reasons mentioned above.

I did note that when I installed the Throttle Tamer, which is a replacement throttle tube, the feel of the throttle immediately was much smoother and has stayed that way.  Theirs is an aluminum tube and lined with some type of nylon or something.  So I got rid of the "throttle snatch" exactly as claimed, but got a smoother, better throttle to go along with it as an unexpected bonus.  I would certainly recommend THAT route if one were ready to plop down money to try a replace the tube...

[tomp]

Mine sticks, especially when it gets close to 90+ degrees outside. I need to disassemble and correct, but I leave home on it early in the AM, and go home on it in the evening, when it is too damn hot to care.  One day it will come apart and I will find the problem, whether it's the tube, grip expansion or woolly buggers/gremlins living in the right side of my C14.   HOPE EVERYONE HAS A SAFE AND WONDERFUL RIDING TIME THIS WEEK.....tp

[martin_14]

A lot of modern bikes, the C-14 included, have poor throttle feel and glide due to the handlebars being made of aluminum.

That's because your bikes are made of that inferior aluminum. Here across the pond, our handlebars are made of aluminium, hence feeling great and gliding nicely 
As usual, I don't agree with MoB's ways, but his advice should be heard: a bit of friction at either side of the grip might be the simple culprit. All I read in this thread hints me in that direction.
OP: please keep us posted.

[Concours144545]

Is this to much throttle play do you think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNkym1mhceE

[tomp]

Is this to much throttle play do you think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNkym1mhceE

This is from the owners manual: Throttle Grip Play, 2 ∼ 3 mm (0.08 ∼ 0.12 in.) That looks like possibly a little more, but mine resembles the video, and seems good to me.  tp

[maxtog]

This is from the owners manual: Throttle Grip Play, 2 ∼ 3 mm (0.08 ∼ 0.12 in.) That looks like possibly a little more, but mine resembles the video, and seems good to me.  tp

Mine actually seems like it is more than that, but I also have felt like I probably need to adjust mine again.

[Concours144545]

Not what I wanted to hear. Dealer said it's not under warranty. Grrrrrr

[gPink]

That's a bunch. I adjusted mine with the bike warmed up and running. The proverbial hair thickness is all the movement I've got. Just enough to know it's at idle and not held open by the cable.

[tomp]

Not what I wanted to hear. Dealer said it's not under warranty. Grrrrrr

The adjustment technique is in the owner's manual, it's simple and uses a just couple of wrenches or pliers. 

[maxtog]

The adjustment technique is in the owner's manual, it's simple and uses a just couple of wrenches or pliers.

Yeah, it really isn't all that difficult.  And it seems like it is something that does need to be done about once every year or two.  I imagine the cables probably stretch a tad with use.

[tomp]

Yeah, it really isn't all that difficult.  And it seems like it is something that does need to be done about once every year or two.  I imagine the cables probably stretch a tad with use.

Stretching probably depends on how hard and often the throttle is twisted... tp

[MAN OF BLUES]

Is this to much throttle play do you think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNkym1mhceE

ok, somebody help me out here... I own an '08 what is with is that shroud that is sitting over the throttle housing where 2 screws should be visible... ?
there is more here than meets the eye, but when this meets my eye, I have to ask....

Beuhler?
and throttle cables are soo robust, you could actually pick a bike up with one... without it stretching....
once adjusted, I have a hard time believing it would need readjusting ever, due to stretch.. removal and reinstalling yes, stretch.... not happenin.

plot thickens

seeing the vid shows me the grip ain't rubbing on the pod, but I can't be positive on the other end by the bar weight...
also, the "metalic" sound you hear both in the vid, and when manually closing the throttle when it sticks, is the throttle rod set screw slamming home on the metalic "lump" it rests on to maintain adjustment.

you really need to turn the bars to the left, remove the screws and throttle assembly, and insure the guts are clean and lubed. and when reinstalled not pushed on soo far as to let the outboard end of the grip, rub the end of the bar.

[tomp]

ok, somebody help me out here... I own an '08 what is with is that shroud that is sitting over the throttle housing where 2 screws should be visible... ?
there is more here than meets the eye, but when this meets my eye, I have to ask....

MOB, heated grips, and that is the cover/shroud, protecting the wire coming from the grip.  At least that's what I see...tomp