Caution with Throttle Spring Unwind Mod

[TriggerT]

I want to thank everyone who responded to this thread. I recently bought a replacement '06, and the previous owner had unwrapped the spring by one turn as so many people do. The problem was that after I added my my G2 throttle tube, and some different grips there was no, I mean ZERO, return tension on the throttle. When I took the bike out for a test ride I could take my hand off of the throttle and the bike would maintain speed. No return at all. Not at all a good feeling IMHO.

I ended up cleaning out the G2 throttle tube, polishing the handlebar a little bit, adding a wrap of the spring back in ( not bad to do using the zip tie method) and adjusting the throttle cables. All in all about a 1.5 hour job, but the throttle feels good now, and returns the way it should.

THANKS AGAIN!!

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

The problem was that after I added my my G2 throttle tube, ...

If it aint broke...

What was wrong with the tapered copper shim that was on the throttle pulley? I worked great for me.

 

[ekms377]

The problem was that after I added my my G2 throttle tube, ...

If it aint broke...

What was wrong with the tapered copper shim that was on the throttle pulley? I worked great for me.

Just unwound mine this weekend. It has to be better than stock. My wrist would hurt pretty quickly beforehand. Can't wait to try it out.

 

[YummYam]

Unless mine went around the world twice....it happens fast, and with the tang and loop configuration, not sure it can happen....mine ended up looooose.

Center thorttle spring under after unwind:

<img src="https://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/a-tdaniel/Andy/FJR/ThottleSpring.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Lubed, loosened, tightened cables and nuts to no avail. Engine would over rev on shifts and slow to settle down on decel.

Ended up going back and fishing the spring back around one turn.

This is how mine looked after unwinding. I adjusted most of the slack out of the cables at the same time but the throttle still returns and closes positively every time under spring tension and is much more comfortable in use. Curiously, a small amount of slack has reappeared in the cables but I'm happy the way things are now.

 

[painman]

I have an 06 as well with the G2 and middle spring w/one unwind. The throttle on this setup is touchy but once done is no problem. Just make sure as others said, everything lubed including spray lube down the cables and moly grease on both cable ends.

I also had some binding when I added the MadCo throttle lock due to the larger diameter of the G2 but with some patience and slight modification everything works great. Main thing is zero or close to zero cable free play on the grip for full return. PM. <><

 

[revshred]

does anyone know what the other spring there does? I unwound that first by accident and never rewound it.....

does anyone know what the other spring there does? I unwound that first by accident and never rewound it.....

 

[harper]

My throttle wouldn't return quickly even with the Throttlemeister removed from my handlebar. It took several seconds for the engine to drop back to the lowest rpm but even that was above idle speed. The throttle had to be forced closed to return to idle. This is a bit of a dangerous condition that I had ridden with for some time. So, I went to see audiowize to have him save my bacon again.

The cable tie-wrap technique proposed by Kurt2004FJR below is what audiowize and I used to rewind a turn onto my throttle return spring. A previous owner had probably unwrapped one or two turns sometime earlier. With the throttle fully closed the hook on the end of the spring didn't touch the boss it was supposed to engage. We used about a 1/8" wide cable tie with the end cut off and drilled a hole of order 0.07" diameter close the the cut off end. Wrapping the cable tie tightly a couple of turns around a finger introduced a curve that took a set for long enough to feed the cable tie under and around the throttle shaft and spring assembly. That took some fiddling as did engaging the hook in the hole and releasing the hook from the cable tie. Having someone position the throttle while fiddling with needle nosed pliers to engage or disengage the hook on the end of the spring was helpful.

Posted by Kurt2004FJR 31 March 2008 - 09:37 PM

First remove the gas tank. This is necessary in order to get access to the throttle shaft.

Second get a nylon tie about 8" long, and about 3/16" wide, cut off one end and use a small punch to put a hole slightly larger than the diameter of the throttle return spring wire near the cut end.

Third curl up the nylon tie - wrap around a finger or whatever - and then insert the curled tie around the spring pushing it from the rear, underneath and around over the top, then hook the hole in the tie on the spring (actually goes on quite easily).

Fourth gently pull the nylon tie and the spring will rewind - might need to use a small screw driver to make sure the spring reattaches at the proper spot.

 

[Harald]

The cable tie-wrap technique proposed by Kurt2004FJR below is what audiowize and I used to rewind a turn onto my throttle return spring. A previous owner had probably unwrapped one or two turns sometime earlier.

I don't have a reference, but I distinctly remember a member of this forum reported that they used a loop of wire to carefully release 1 turn of the throttle spring on their new FJR. With only 1 turn released, the loop at the end of the spring had a gap between it and the tab it pulls on when the throttle is turned. When I had done mine, I just popped the loop off the tab and let the spring spin around. I also ended up with that spring gap.

Like you, my throttle doesn't quickly (or at all when riding down the road) return to idle but it's never really concerned me as I always position the throttle where I want it without help of the spring. The lube status of the throttle tube and cables obviously affects how slowly it returns to idle.

While you were rewinding the spring, did you by chance notice how stiff that spring is? Would it be possible to pull it out and away from the throttle body? I haven't had a chance to get back in there and look, but I've thought about carefully cutting that loop off the end of the spring and bending a new loop on a now shortened spring. This would have the effect of more positive return to idle without the excessively heavy stock spring pull. Not remembering what space constraints there are in that area, I'm not sure if this is possible.

 

[gixxerjasen]

I don't have a reference, but I distinctly remember a member of this forum reported that they used a loop of wire to carefully release 1 turn of the throttle spring on their new FJR. With only 1 turn released, the loop at the end of the spring had a gap between it and the tab it pulls on when the throttle is turned. When I had done mine, I just popped the loop off the tab and let the spring spin around. I also ended up with that spring gap.

That's me, seen here:
https://www.fjrforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=145160

I did end up doing the PIA rewind using the same method. Took me a while, and a whole lot of curse words, but I got it back on there.

 

[harper]

While you were rewinding the spring, did you by chance notice how stiff that spring is? Would it be possible to pull it out and away from the throttle body? I haven't had a chance to get back in there and look, but I've thought about carefully cutting that loop off the end of the spring and bending a new loop on a now shortened spring. This would have the effect of more positive return to idle without the excessively heavy stock spring pull. Not remembering what space constraints there are in that area, I'm not sure if this is possible.

I didn't think that the spring felt very stiff while pulling on the cable tie and adding a turn back. With the additional turn on the spring the throttle snaps back quickly but it doesn't seem any harder to me to open the throttle. The spring just doesn't feel that strong to me. I couldn't tell whether it would have been easy or difficult (or impossible) to remove the throttle spring with just the gas tank out of the way. I had no intention of removing it.

 

[audiowize]

I think you'd need to take the throttle bodies off to snip the spring and bend a new loop.

 

[DeSudet]

I think you'd need to take the throttle bodies off to snip the spring and bend a new loop.

I wonder if bailing wire might work. loop one end to the spring, the other end to the tang. You can try different lengths until you get the desired return strength? At least you wouldn't be cutting the spring and ought to be able to return to stock more easily.

 

[Harald]

I think you'd need to take the throttle bodies off to snip the spring and bend a new loop.

I wonder if bailing wire might work. loop one end to the spring, the other end to the tang. You can try different lengths until you get the desired return strength? At least you wouldn't be cutting the spring and ought to be able to return to stock more easily.

Mmmm. Good idea. That might just work and at least worth investigating the next time I'm in there. I have no intention of pulling the throttle bodies to snip the spring unless I have to, although my starter has 108,000 miles on it now and may need replacement in the not so distant future (would require throttle body removal).

 

[John d]

Please don't use baling wire. It is not meant to be bent after being installed. If it breaks and it likely will, it could cause your throttle to jam in some unfavourable position.

 

[Mr_Canoehead]

I had the same issue as the OP (I added a G2 and heated grips at the same time, maybe that has something to do with it). It wouldn't close quickly which I hated. I never found it too stiff before but wanted to try it with the unwind - I didn't like it at all.

I used the zip tie approach as well to put it back to stock.

Maybe different market bikes have different tensions?

 

[DeSudet]

Wondered where this thread went... I tried the unwind on my '13 just a little while ago (2 weeks? 1? I forget) and had all sorts of fun with it. First, the Gen IIIs have the throttle assembly on the right side of the engine (as opposed to the middle seen in all the photos for the mod). I popped the hook off the tang and the spring never even came close to the tang, even at WOT. I used some thread from inside a piece of paracord I had lying around to get the turn back on the spring. No change that I noticed between before I started and putting that turn back on the spring. Not sure if anyone else has reported this on a Gen III, but it looks like this mod has been made obsolete and we're stuck with whatever tension is there from the factory. Unless someone is feeling ambitious and wants to cut down the stock spring to fit.

Don't look at me, I'm not that brave.