Throttle Return Sticks

[Twitty]

My 1150RT has been in storage for months. A test run shows it's running well, but the throttle return sticks (I must forceably twist the throttle control handle to return to idle). I understand the throttle cables are not to be lubricated, and at a loss what would cause this to happen.

 

Would sure appreciate some tips on what to do.

 

Thx.

[T__]

Twitty, I have seen the twist grip tube get sticky on the handlebar itself. Can you tell anything by how it feels if you twist it slowly? (if it is just lube the twist grip to bar with some spray Teflon)

 

Twist grip sticking on the bar will give a stick even with a very slight movement,, a sticking cable or TBI area will allow a little looseness in the grip before the sticking is felt..

 

Twisty

 

[Twitty]

Twisty1 - thx for the reply. There is no looseness at all, so I'm willing to try the handle lube. By teflon, do you mean WD40? And where would you recommend applying the spray? Don't see an obvious application point.

 

Thx again.

[T__]

Twitty, DO NOT use WD-40 or any lube like that.. Tri-Flow has Teflon in it.. You want a lube that won’t hurt the plastic tube or attract dirt.. Personally I use Tri-Flow..

 

You can probably removed the outer bar weight & work some in through the end of the grip tube as well a working some in from the inner end next to the switch housing..

 

 

Twisty

 

[Twitty]

Twisty - Thx much for the advice. Already made some headway...removed the bar weight and that alone eliminated most of the sticking, but now I can feel some very slight resistance which I expect will benefit from a shot of Tri-Flow.

 

Thx again!

[T__]

Twitty, your bar end weight doesn’t have a throttle lock affair in it does it? Some of those aftermarket bar ends have twist-to-lock throttle locks built in.. That will make the grip down right real sticky if set to the lock position..

 

Twisty

 

[Twitty]

No throttle lock involved. Just purchased some teflon-silicone spray and am about to give it a try. It's usually the simplest things that bite me, so I'm pretty optimistic...

[ShovelStrokeEd]

You may also wish to create a bit of extra clearance between the switch housing and the throttle to bar end. Remove the lower portion of the switch (2 Philips head screws), and then use a 4mm hex wrench to loosen the clamp bolt for the throttle/switch housing and move it slightly toward the center of the bike. Put it all back together and you should be good to go.

[Twitty]

Thx for the tip. Lubing the throttle handle did not improve matters. When I tightened the bar end, the handle did not rotate freely. Since riding with a lose or removed bar end is not desireable, I will attempt to move the housing as you suggest, and post the results.

[T__]

Twitty, you can move the switch housing but a much easier way is to just install a thin washer between the bar end insert & the weight.. Just a slight spacing washer will give you all the clearance you need..

 

Twisty

 

[russell_bynum]

Thx for the tip. Lubing the throttle handle did not improve matters. When I tightened the bar end, the handle did not rotate freely. Since riding with a lose or removed bar end is not desireable, I will attempt to move the housing as you suggest, and post the results.

 

As I see it, you have a few possible causes:

1. Throttle cable is hanging up somewhere

2. Throttle tube is dirty/gummed up

3. Spacing between bar-end and throttle tube is too tight.

 

I suggest you first disconnect the throttle cable from the twist grip. That's easy...remove the phillips screw that holds the plastic cover on, and you'll be able to get the cable out. If the grip twists freely after that, your problem is in the cable somewhere and you'll need to dig deeper to fix it.

 

If the problem still exists, remove the bar-end weight. If the problem goes away with the bar-end weight removed and the throttle cable disconnected, then you have a spacing issue and you can fix that by doing what Ed suggested.

 

If the problem does not go away with the bar end weight removed and the throttle cable disconnected, then the throttle tube is gummed up and you'll need to clean and lubricate it. It's a royal pain in the ass to clean it because the heated grip wires get in the way and keep you from being able to easily remove the grip.

 

[Twitty]

Well, addition of a washer did the deed. The throttle now moves freely. Why several months in dry storage would cause this change is a mystery to me. But it worked and I am most appreciative for your help. Many thx.