'06 Glitchy On/Off throttle at low rpms.

My 2006 (all stock), has a NASTY throttle "glitch" at low rpm in 1st and 2nd. I'm convinced this is what led to my low speed highside last June. Basically what happened was I pulled out in a right lean, I hit the point of the glitch, broke the tire loose on a tar strip (cold tires), grabbed traction again, and I got slammed down on the left. Keep in mind I was doing about 25km/hr. Separated shoulder and stitches.

At a certain point (meandering around a parking lot or pulling out from a parked position), that the throttle is either off...or ON! Not "full on" but "accelerate on". It happens in second gear also, about the speed you would try to take a corner at a yield intersection at. Very dangerous.
I can go in a straight line and find the spot, hold the throttle firm, and she just..."bucks". Good from a girlfriend, BAD from a motorcycle...

A couple people suggested a Power Commander. Which I will probably do this year anyways, but I'm fishing for any other possible causes.

I would get more specific with RPM and KM/Hr, but I live in Canada and unfortunately, she's in storage and I don't remember the specifics. (but spring is coming....someday)

I don't get a chance to get to the forums very often, so I apologize if this is a redundant question. Maybe just post a link to point me in the right direction then?

Thanks,
Exo

p.s. I'm also looking for THE best throttle lock and THE best dual compound tires...but I can search the forums for those unless someone feels religious about a particular brand. :smile:

 

Wow...sorry to hear about your highside but glad that you're okay.

Something similar happened to me on my 07 with a throttle rocker in a slow right turn...almost threw me off!

Allow me to suggest two things:

1) Flapper Valve disable

and

2) PAIR valve removal


In my personal experience, these two have smoothed out the throttle at these low RPMS significantly! They are both easy jobs, and both completely reversible. I'm sure you can find "how to"s for both either on this site or.. ahem...the other VFR site:tongue:

The flapper valve disable requires very little effort or equipment, and the PAIR valve removal requires you buying some block off plates...but they are fairly affordable

Hope this helps... and just for kicks, another easy fix I've been using personally in these situations of tight corners and low RPMS? I have taught myself to just sneak in a tiny bit of clutch in order to make the power come in more smoothly.

good luck dude! :tongue:

 

My 07 was VILE at off idle no matter how small the throttle opening. Power Commander did the trick and is also very easy to install.

 

These two modifications seemed to work great on my 2004.
Both are very easy to try with less than $1 investment and going back to stock is about a 10 minute job.

Flapper valve: When you raise the tank, you will see the vacuum motor on top of the airbox that operates the flapper valve. Remove the vacuum line and plug it. I also put a cap over the inlet on the vacuum motor to keep dirt out. Tape or zip tie the vacuum line to the valve so it doesn't just flop around.

PAIR valves: There is a hose from the airbox to the PAIR valve solenoid on the left side of the bike. I removed that hose from the airbox, plugged it, and put it back in place. A quick/easy way to block it is to tape the airbox outlet closed and replace the hose. I did that for a trial run and bought a rubber plug and installed it later. The tape might have been fine for a permanent blockage, but I feel more comfortable with the rubber plug.
The idle speed will drop about 200-300 RPM, but that's easy to adjust.
I don't know for sure if there are any detrimental long term effects from this, but it is very easy to try and would be very easy to reverse if you change your mind.
I did not disconnect any wiring or install any block-off plates and after about 300 miles of riding since the mods, I have seen no negatives from the changes.

FWIW: Many people have commented that the PAIR valve block can't make any difference.
That said, I feel it did in my case. Easy enough to try it and see.

 

The off-idle jumpiness/surging is the product of bad fuel mapping, specifically a bad fuel to air ratio, inherent to most (all) 6 gen VFR's. I'm all for the flapper and pair valve mods but view them more as a 50% effective band-aid to the problem you've described. Some think they get a little relief while others report no meaningful change. If you go this route, my understanding is that o2 eliminators are also incrementally helpful.

A dyno-tuned PCIII on the other hand, is 100% effective. It will completely eliminate any surging and remove the mid-tach power loss that can make for an abrupt VTEC transition. You will need 02 elims for this but I believe the PC comes with them these days. You can still do the pair and flapper, although it's not required, but you'll want to install the PC and get it tuned after those mods have been completed. The same applies to any potential exhaust modifications.

In regards to a throttle lock, I use a throttlemeister. They're about as good as it gets short of a vacuum based cruise control. They also have the added benefit of vibration dampening. Here's a link.

Throttlemeister

Tires are completely dependent on your riding style. Pilot Road 2ct's seem to be the in-house favorite for sport-touring, or Pilot Power 2ct's for sport. If sport is your thing and you're willing to go away from multi-compound tires, your options get better. Metzeler M3's have been my choice for some time now - ever since trying a set of PP's in between set's of M3's and not liking them.

 

The Power Commander sounds like the best overall solution, but isn't it somewhat expensive?
Like close to $300, maybe more.
Does it also require dyno tuning to get the best results?
Probably another $200 to $300 dollars.

PAIR hose block-off takes a piece of tape and 10 minutes to try. Or you can unplug the solenoid connector, although I was leery of messing with the wiring.
Might not help the OP, but it wouldn't cost him much to try.

 

Thank you all for the replies people! Gives me a starting point. I'm saving this webpage to print out when I get her outta storage!

CharlesW: Thanks for the detailed breakdown on the mechanics of doing the mods. I'm mechanically inclined, but time deficient. Mostly the shop wrenches on the bike. I was gonna get a PC anyways. I'll try that first I guess, then poke around if I'm not happy. As far as price goes...a separated shoulder deforms you unless you get surgery, and limits the use of your arm for life. I just wanna be safe and have fun. Small price to pay. And I am NOT giving up my bike.

Havcar: Thanks for the additional throttle lock and tire info. I'm not a "sport" rider. My tires have the flat spot in them...I'm in Alberta where the roads have no curves. I could put the throttle lock on, and then the "steering lock"...drive straight for hours... I do like riding in British Columbia though where the roads have corners! So dual compound sounds like my solution.
Exo

 

I just picked up a 2004 and have been having problems with this "glitchy" throttle. As a new street rider, the choppy response does not inspire confidence learning to lean the bike over in corners. I just did both of these easy mods in just a few minutes and am VERY happy with the results! Thank You!
-Drew