Hey Guys, I'm a little (very) lost, hoping one of you has any ideas on what my issue could be. I have a 2009 R1 I purchased new, currently sitting at 23K miles. I regularly service and upkeep the bike, but recently I have had an issue with the bike idling rough/uneven, staying at about 1,200 rpm and dipping down below 1,000 every few seconds or so. When this happens the bike stalls on occasion. This happens both in neutral and while clutched in gear. This issue only starts when the bike is warmed up to riding temperatures. Here is what I have done to try and resolve the issue: replaced spark plugs cleaned air filter had valves adjusted checked the power commander changed oil used fuel treatment for the past 55 miles performed a throttle sync This has been going on for the past 200 miles or so, it hasn't gotten better or worse, but definitely very annoying to keep stalling at stop lights. Anyway, any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Very interesting, didn't know that could cause such a pain, unfortunately I doubt that's the issue, since I took the air box apart along with the rubber duct connection pieces, didn't notice any cracks or tares, and made sure to put it back with a good tight seal.
is your ECU flashed? Sounds somewhat like a throttle position sensor issue many people had with 2004 R1. Any change in mileage? The issue I'm referring to started similar to your description, and the mileage started going off steeply (like 11 mpg on the highway with associated firey exhaust...) I'd also recommend totally removing the PC and running it stock after also disconnecting the battery to clear all codes to see if it persists.
Hey, thanks for the reply. My ECU is not flashed, the TPS is what first came to mind for me, but after reading into it it doesn't seem like something TPS is responsible for, my bike runs fine at any throttle position and never gives me any problems while riding this only happens when idling. Judging by the consistency, and the fact that it didn't get immediately worse like most electrical issues often do, I've discounted the TPS. I'm tempted to say its not an electrical issue at all, especially considering this only happens when the bike is full warmed. Please let me know if you disagree, I'm def. open to trying anything at this point. Thanks again!
Power commander won't make a difference at idle.You can disconnect it and see if it gets any better or worse but I highly doubt it will make a difference. Intake air temp sensor going bad? It's in the front fairing I believe in the left air duct. Bike will idle poorly if it's unplugged. I didn't have mine plugged in on my 13 r1 when I turned it into my race bike. Should be easy to check if it's going bad by checking resistance as the bike gets warm with a multimeter. Map sensor? Checking TPS values through the cluster and making sure they're in the correct operating range as well. If your motor is in good shape I'm going with a bad sensor, somewhere. Especially since the bike starts and runs fine when it's cold. If it was hard to start when it was cold and had a hard time idling I would think otherwise.
Some great insight Alex,I have a feeling you're right. I will def give it a go, unfortunately, I will have to do it next weekend, but I will def let you know how things go. Thank you again.
I can't recall if that year R1 had this problem, but on the R6, you sometimes have to hold that starter button in longer to get a smooth idle.
Are you speaking of the R6's issue with not staying on unless the button remains depressed for a few seconds? If so, my bike doesn't have that issue, it fires up just fine, and stays running smoothly, until the bike reaches operating temps and is left idling, that's when the rough idle sets in.
i presume you have no error codes. if the bike was on my bench, i'd do the following: 1. check fuel pressure. this is most likely not the culprit but i'd want to rule it out. install your fuel pressure gauge, start the bike and monitor the pressure as the vehicle warms up. 2. check for vacuum leaks. last time i had a bike behave similar to what you're describing, i found a leaking vacuum hose at one of the throttle bodies. 3. check charging system. things can work ok when cold and then begin to malfunction once warm. again, not likely but it's one more thing to tick off the list of possible root causes. since you seem to have a consistently repeatable problem it should be relatively easy to pin down. good luck.
Jimfowler is right. Never assume that something is ok. Make a list of what might be causing the problem and then systematically check each of them. I will suggest that it might be an intake leak that opens up as the engine get hotter or, as someone else has suggested, a sensor. (It might be the nut attached to the handlebars also.)
Thank you Jim and Orvis. The airbox might be the issue when all is said and done, I took it apart again and a piece of the lining between the top and bottom portion was starting to come unglued, not sure if that could affect the seal or not, but I'll replace it anyway and see if this solves anything. I did have a couple of cracking vacuum lines but had them replaced during the valve adjustment. I have not checked the fuel pressure yet so that's another good lead. If the airbox doesn't solve this, fuel pressure and intake sensors will be my next stop. I can't thank everyone here enough for the great advice and insight shared with me. I will post back once I've tried everything you guys have brought up and hopefully I can be that much wiser after this thing.
A good test is to get a can of Berryman's B12 at hand, start the engine cold, and carefully give a few quick squirts around the intake tubes. (between the throttle bodies and the engine.) If the engine speed increases you have an intake connector tube leaking. Also do it after the engine heats up when it's idling roughly. The key term is CAREFULLY.
