Is it normal for the idle to go up and down in first minutes of riding?

[katata1100]

I have noticed that on my '11 C14, the idle will hunt, go to 2000rpm, down to 1000rpm go up and down. It is most noticeable in eco mode, goes away after a few minutes. is this normal?

[maxtog]

I have noticed that on my '11 C14, the idle will hunt, go to 2000rpm, down to 1000rpm go up and down. It is most noticeable in eco mode, goes away after a few minutes. is this normal?

That is not atypical for some gasoline engines but a 1,000 RPM swing seems kinda large.  Lots of things could cause this- type of gas, not running right grade, ambient temps, ignition miss, flaky plug, problematic sensor.... others can make additional suggestions.

I don't see much fluctuation at all on my 2011 Concours.   Eco mode runs very lean, so it is likely to amplify any variance that was present.

You should report:

1) Exactly how old the bike is
2) How many miles on it
3) Has it always done that
4) When did it start
5) What type/grade of gas being used
6) Where you are located (temp/altitude hints)

[momo65]

Did you post on COG's website also by any chance, if you did they gave you tons of information.

[VirginiaJim]

Unlike us where we hardly give you the time of day....

Oh, my bike will fluctuate a bit until it warms up but it's more of a vibration/hum than changing of the rpms.
 

[katata1100]

You should report:

1) Exactly how old the bike is
2011
2) How many miles on it
7000 miles
3) Has it always done that
yes
4) When did it start
first notice when bike had maybe 1000 miles
5) What type/grade of gas being used
premium gas, 91 is the best I can get, occassionally toss in a little Techron
6) Where you are located (temp/altitude hints)
altitude 4700', temp today was 68

[gPink]

Unlike us where we hardly give you the time of day....

Oh, my bike will fluctuate a bit until it warms up but it's more of a vibration/hum than changing of the rpms.

[Pokey]

Probably due to that really expensive gourmet fully synthetic pure ester base oil you use.......just sayin.

[maxtog]

2011
7000 miles
premium gas, 91 is the best I can get, occassionally toss in a little Techron
altitude 4700', temp today was 68

Hmm, pretty new bike.  Pretty much always did it.  Reasonable temps.  Way high elevation!  That might explain the lower octane max available.   I thought for sure other people would jump in with some suggestions.  My only one would be to contact the dealer and ask them.  The Concours has an excellent warranty and most dealers are happy to troubleshoot.

[ZG]

Unlike us where we hardly give you the time of day....

Isn't the time of day always martini time Sparky? 

[stevewfl]

A thread full of win right here

[Son of Pappy]

Humor me, what do you have idle set at (warm)?  We seem to have come to a range of 1150-1250, helps smooth out shifts as well.  Maybe a squirt on the linkage is order, see if the cold start linkage is binding?

[katata1100]

Probably due to that really expensive gourmet fully synthetic pure ester base oil you use.......just sayin.

Nope, it also did it with the cheap Rotella 5-40 I used between 500-2200 miles
91 octane is no just limited to my area, it is the highest you'll find in CA. Our gas comes in from the SF Bay area. Go to Los Angeles or anywhere else and you'll only find 91. There might be a few places selling race gas, but that stuff will go for maybe $6 a gallon or more.

[Awaz]

One thousand jumps seems high to me. Mine is a 2008 and will jump a wee bit (barely noticeable) when it is cold, but not by 1000. I do not think it will harm to have dealer check it out or like SoP said, set the idle a bit high to see if it will go away.

[W14]

My 09 runs a little bit rougher when first started, but the rpm does not vary by much - I would say a 1000 variation in rpm  is unusual.

[ugocon]

Just after cranking up the bike rpms are high: didn't take note of the exact number, but they're clearly udible.
I usually let the engine warming up for less than one minute on the side stand while wearing the gloves and adjusting my gear.
Then I mount the bike and pull it vertical.
When doing so, magically the rpms go down to the normal value.
It seems that there's some kind of inclination sensor. 

Mine is MY2011

[Shoe]

That's not normal. Mine is an 08 and has never done that.

Does the idle speed settle down after the bike warms up?

[Boomer]

Sounds to me like the engine temp sensor is fubar.
When ya start a cold motor, the sensor detects the low temp and engages "fast idle" until the motor warms up.
Once it's warmed up it drops back to regular idle.
Take it back to the Kawi dealer as a warranty repair.
Ideally, trailer it there so you can demonstrate it happening to a cold motor.

There is a tilt sensor but all it does is detect if the bike is more or less than 60degrees from vertical.
If more than 60degrees then you have crashed and the sensor kills the motor.

[VirginiaJim]

Isn't the time of day always martini time Sparky? 

Of course!

[OregonLAN]

When my bike is cold, the idle speed will vary slightly but not 1000 RPMs.

[Gearhead82]

Do you have a power commander?  If so, you can richen up your idle by replacing the "0"s with say a "5" in the 0% column from 500-2000 rpms.  After doing intake an exhaust mods on my FZ1 I got the "hunting" idle you're describing until I adjusted my PC map.  My '09 C14 with same mods has never needed any adjustment to the idle mix.  Also make sure your power commander is calibrated correctly to your TPS within the software.