Throttle Freeplay Adjustment

[mcmd]

Hi Friends,
I watched this video the other evening by John5XR and it inspired me to check my throttle freeplay.

Well, sure enough, I did have more freeplay than was necessary. Rather than repeat what John says so well, just watch the short video. As he says, it really smooths out a "twitchy throttle" at slow speeds. I noticed an enormous improvement when accelerating from a stop and when making slow turns and on tight turn-arounds. It would't surprise me if many of our fellow forum members need this adjustment. I'm not at all mechanically inclined and this adjustment was simple and takes very little time. Oh, and if you don't have two 10mm wrenches, an adjustable wrench serves quite nicely on the wider nut. I'd love to hear how many of you folks found that you needed this adjustment and if so, what you think of the performance after making the adjustment. Be safe out there!

 

[dmonkey]

I had the same issue on my bike when new, it left the dealership with way too much chain slack and throttle freeplay. Took care of the chain tension right away, got around to the throttle freeplay a bit later.

 

[mcmd]

I had the same issue on my bike when new, it left the dealership with way too much chain slack and throttle freeplay. Took care of the chain tension right away, got around to the throttle freeplay a bit later.

It's amazing how much smoother these bikes ride with simple but proper adjustments.

 

[AZ7000']

It's amazing how much smoother these bikes ride with simple but proper adjustments.

That’s not covered in your $800 dealer prep I guess!!

 

[mcmd]

That’s not covered in your $800 dealer prep I guess!!

Yeah, the only thing covered there is your wallet!

 

[oldskool]

When I got my bike the chain was bow string tight, the tires were low on pressure and the throttle almost as loose and twitchy as Madonna. My dealer prep was only $500 so I guess I didn't get the "delux" service. This video will help my low speed operation.

 

[mcmd]

When I got my bike the chain was bow string tight, the tires were low on pressure and the throttle almost as loose and twitchy as Madonna. This video will help my low speed operation.

Yes, I was glad to learn about this, too.

 

[oldskool]

Yes, I was glad to learn about this, too.

I owe you a beer. The low speed twitch is gone, easily putter along at 5 mph without spastic lurching

 

[mcmd]

I owe you a beer. The low speed twitch is gone, easily putter along at 5 mph without spastic lurching

Hey, that's great! I was really happy with what it did for my bike and felt that others must surely have the same issue. Perhaps one day our paths will cross and I can collect on that beer! Happy riding!

 

[SneakyDingo]

I had the same issue on my bike when new, it left the dealership with way too much chain slack and throttle freeplay. Took care of the chain tension right away, got around to the throttle freeplay a bit later.

Same for me. Did it pretty much straight away, no regrets.

That’s not covered in your $800 dealer prep I guess!!

Mine was within spec, but holy f there is a big difference between either end of the freeplay range when doing low speed maneuvers.

 

[G19Tony]

I'm going to adjust mine tonight.

 

[KYtrailfan]

Hi Friends,
I watched this video the other evening by John5XR and it inspired me to check my throttle freeplay.

Well, sure enough, I did have more freeplay than was necessary. Rather than repeat what John says so well, just watch the short video. As he says, it really smooths out a "twitchy throttle" at slow speeds. I noticed an enormous improvement when accelerating from a stop and when making slow turns and on tight turn-arounds. It would't surprise me if many of our fellow forum members need this adjustment. I'm not at all mechanically inclined and this adjustment was simple and takes very little time. Oh, and if you don't have two 10mm wrenches, an adjustable wrench serves quite nicely on the wider nut. I'd love to hear how many of you folks found that you needed this adjustment and if so, what you think of the performance after making the adjustment. Be safe out there!

Thanks to this thread, I removed the excess throttle free play on my bike yesterday.

 

[mcmd]

Thanks to this thread, I removed the excess throttle free play on my bike yesterday.

Yeah, makes a world of difference!

 

[harleyddad]

This is why I follow this forum, great information. will fix my wife's bike and mine as well.
Thanks....

 

[Cardinal Direction]

The little ribs on the grip are about 2mm so one of those spaced is the min adjustment just for a quick check