nuhawk

I started out my Thanksgiving Day with a 80 mile ride on the VFR. It's been a long road to get her road ready but now that I'm taking the bike out on "shake down" missions I am noticing some differences between the VFR and the VTR. I have written before about getting into the turns faster/earlier (not running wide) and I notice that the throttle response on the VFR helps accomplish just that because it doesn't have a "dead zone" like the VTR. When I decel on the 'Hawk then get back into the throttle there is a half to three-quarters inch space as I rotate the handle where nothing happens. Then when I do get to it, the bike wants to jerk forward instead of advancing smoothly. Is there a way to adjust this dead zone out or do I need to replace some worn parts. I don't know where to start.

Hawkrider

There is a locknut on the throttle cable by the grip. Loosen that and then rotate the adjuster out. You should have as little play as possible. Check that the idle doesn't rise when you turn the bars lock to lock. Retighten the locknut.

nuhawk

Thanks, Greg! I'll give it a try!

swordfish

ya know I've noticed alot of new bikes come stright off the showroom floor with alot of play in their throttle cables. my wife's friend had a zx636 and it had way too much slack. I offered to adjust it for her but she said she liked it like that. how do you "like it like that"? when I rode it, it did the on-off thing because of the slack, but since it had no low end anyway compared to the hawk, it was never a problem.

The Hawk Guy

Well, I did notice the huge slack in the throttle cable when I first got my hawk from the dealer. I thought it was out of spec so I asked the manager to adjust it to the right position. I asked him why is it so loose (lots of play) and he said it was due to some safety concerns and it is set this way by the dealership. He said it is always good to have some throttle play just in case of emergency you will have enough time to react between your throttle and your front brake lever.

I think it does make sense everything he said to me but I'd rether keep my throttle cable tight to shorten the response time when I get back on the throttle after exiting a corner.

nuhawk

I agree Hawk Guy. I did tighten mine as Greg suggested but I'm still not happy with it. I was careful not to change the r's of my idle but it still doesn't have the feel that I am looking for. I understand what the dealer is saying because the range on my VFR is very tight and it's easy to rev it when you don't mean to (it has almost no "rest" space at all). HOWEVER, the dam thing corners incredibly smoothly - just the way I want it to - and that's what it's all about for me. When I want to get back into the power I don't want to go searching for it. It needs to be right there for the timing dictated by the corner. One of these days I will tell you all about one of my "running wide" experiences (small novel) and while it didn't scare me it is one of those things that I really don't want to do a great deal of (if ever again - twice is enough!)

Hawkrider

You know that "feel" might just be the return spring tension or excess friction in the cables or throttle mechanism, or a combination of the two. Have you tried disassembling, cleaning, and lubricating the throttle? A lighter return spring is not really viable since they are pretty much a non-replaceable item.

captainchaos

"how do you 'like it like that'?"

LOL! I'm sorry, some people just make you laugh. You figure one would rather take a ride or two to adjust and get used to it being correct rather than "like it" being wrong...

nuhawk

I think the cables are excessively heavy and I didn't know if it was spring load or the cables needing service. That sorta goes in contrast to the bikes tho. The Interceptor was just driven - nobody did anything to that bike. The Superhawk was babied, never outdoors, and only two carbs not four. And I have been driving it Captain. I hope the cops are not listening but I use the loops on the freeways later in the evenings to check my settings. In most of Texas the freeway interchanges are built with u turn lanes that return you to the opposite service road. You can then either get up on the freeway or continue to the next interchange and hit another u turn again. If the cops start watching I just move a couple exits down the freeway. It's like running in a big hot dog shaped race track - usually the exits are about a half mile apart in this part of town. Makes for an interesting little proving ground.

captainchaos

I was quoting swordfish referring to the girl he said had all that slack and when he offered to adjust it for her she said no. I'm sorry I wasn't laughing at you

nuhawk

So now the cops are laughing. "So that's the S.O.B. that's been tearing up the on ramps and the u turns" It really is quite fun. The lanes of the freeway are elevated above the service roads so you come bombing down the exit ramp, down shifting all the way, hit the turn and then dial the power up just as your're going under the bridge - the sounds are incredible :-D I don't do it hours on end but I make one pass to make sure there's no gravel or other **** in the way and then I'll make three or four complete ovals. Because traffic moves you're always working with different people. That exhaust will definitely move the faint of heart out of the way!

calitoz

You and your D and D's

captainchaos

LOL Guys used to ride on a loop of intersections/on off ramps in Ft Lauderdale called 9 turns. Late on a Fri or Sat night it was like a roadracing course out there. I guess not really funny at all a bunch of people got hurt really bad and also killed out there. Anyway that reminded me of it.
When I used to have the D&Ds they just sounded insane. I even got chased down in my neighborhood by some older guy in a Suburban going nuts over my "Ducati."

RCVTR

Sounds like Houston, nuhawk. I was there for a month, last month.

How is the off-idle response? I never had any kind of hesitation rolling the throttle back on, except when I had a lean lean spot and needed to raise the carb needles. do you have some mixture-induced dead spot in the power band?

nuhawk

I don't think so RC. I think this is a cable issue. The tension on the cable is overly heavy and a coming off "rest" you have to turn 1/2" to 3/4" to engage the carbs. It's like your turning the throttle but nothing is there. Then when you get to it the throttle behaves normally (heavy but normally). This is especially troublesome in the turns where you are getting off the throttle entering but then when you (I call it "set your angle" or "attack" or whatever you call it)you need to get back to the juice it needs to be there - not scrolling through dead air. I adjusted it like Greg said above and it's better but I still need to come a little farther. I just haven't had time to mess with it again. I'm going to give one more shot at adjustment then I'm going to take them apart and clean and lube the cables. With my body weight and the power of this machine and I'm not afraid to lay it over (and my tires show it - I'm an inch from the crest of the side tread) I should be able to turn this thing around a can of paint!

Hey - did you check on the engine to 78729 yet?

RCVTR

I'm not sure why your cables would get fouled. Maybe all that humidity and sulpher dioxide in the air Are the cables kinked? Have you lubed the throttle grip? I like my cables adjusted with about 1/8" of free play. Just enough to know that the throttle closes. There is another adjustment point at the carbs. Maybe it has come loose.

I replied about shipping on the parts thread.

nuhawk

[QUOTE=RCVTR;35996] I replied about shipping on the parts thread.

So did I!

nuhawk

BTW RC, the 1/8" play that you describe is where I'm trying to get to. I think that would be ideal. I really tried to get her out today but we had truck issues and the day just got too short. The weather is supposed to go to **** the next couple days so I'll definitely get a chance to work on it but probably not ride until the weekend. Looks like we're going to be down for a couple days so I might even open up the cables and pour some lube through them. I'll check the carb ends like you suggest when I do that because I don't want the stuff running down the motor. We'll get it right yet! Thanks for the suggestion

swordfish

she's one of those girls who doesn't like listening to correction even if she knows she's wrong. you know, the female kind.

nuhawk

Thanks for all your help. I got down to the shop today and with the colder weather actually had some quiet time to spend on this cable issue. Before any further adjustment, I though I would open up the housing and have a look. I tried to squirt some lightweight oil down into the cable sheath but it was too much too soon and most of it leaked out of the return cable hole onto the fairing! Idiot Next I tried using just one drop then forcing it into the sheath with a small blast of WD40 with a straw in the nozzle. I packed the lower part of the cable at the carbs with a rag so if anything came through it wouldn't dribble down the engine. After the first shot - not much change but after about four shots - light oil then WD - it started to loosen. When I got it all cleaned up and reassembled the slack space disappeared! The cable ran much more freely and retracts without hesitation to the idle set screw. I left the rag packing in the carbs but will take it out tomorrow. It will be too cold to ride here anyway so I can let any excess drain into the rag. There were little or no signs of wear any place in the throttle. It was all about just a little lube to let the springs do their thing!

shayne

So it sounds like lube was needed after all. In order to to a getter job of it, get yourself a cable oiler. It is a little clamp that goes over the end of the cable and allows you to put the WD40 nozzle into. You then et more pressure into the cable. Works pretty good, and they are cheap enough.