So it makes gear changing easier, well, better throttle control will do that to, matching the engine speed to the next gear ratio. (Maybe it’s just me but I’ve been trying that technique for years. )
There may be a safety issue (re starting up at 4,000 r.p.m. and startling the mechanic) ~ suppose you need to reduce speed really quickly and there’s no engine braking? Or not much to speak of.
From my own experience of having throttle stops too high (long story, wrong idle mixture basically); in the case of the R80, once it’s warmed up not only does it not want to slow down when the twistgrip is shut, it keeps pulling!
In the case of the Guzzi, naff all engine braking to speak of, when you actually need it (and according to Murphy’s Law, when you find out you need it is when you need it), all of which puts more wear on the brakes to compensate. Often I stopped better if I pulled in the clutch lever!
Absolutely - however…
if you have the throttle bodies and tps set up correctly already then there is no harm in this. Sure as the guy who came up with this says tell the mechanic (that’s me usually) but now I find there is a better spread of input to the fast idle - the lever can be set over a bigger range and when starting the m/c now it is easier to judge where to set it. As the ecu sees the bike warming up then the revs do rise but it’s easy to back off.
In my circumstances it’s worthwhile but only for short periods of time to warm up right hand or fiddle with something (without going into the back of a tractor). I don’t envisage going long distances with it.
You can buy all sorts of stuff for cruise control, levers and clamps etc but this is cheap, cheerful and quite elegant IMHO. Maybe not for everyone - agreed.
I take your point Mike H but the riding characteristics of our bikes seem markedly different. The Stone’s engine speed plummets with a shut throttle which can supply more engine braking than required. An example would be approaching a roundabout. I shut the throttle and cover the brakes trying to judge my entry onto the roundabout so that I don’t have to stop. (I don’t believe in this thumb and forefinger around the throttle and two fingers on the brake lever. As far as I am concerned I am either on the throttle or the brakes just like when I drive my car!) The engine takes this as a signal to return to slow tractor mode and road speed falls faster than I want - particularly if I have already down changed. With regard to gear changes,it is up changes that can be rough as, once again, the engine speed drops quickly on the shut throttle and if I am even a little slow on the gear change (and the guzzi is not a quick shifter!) I will miss the moment of perfect match between engine and road speed. You are right that both problems would be improved if I was a better rider but, equally, a small increase in idle speed also helps. I am not talking about setting the idle so high that it can be used as a cruise control!
Had a ride today and deliberately tried to monitor the engine braking. It can be harsh but I am beginning to think I change down too early which exaggerates the effect. Talking of advanced riding; the IAM system is that you don’t down change at all when slowing with the brakes and then block change when at the new speed. I sometimes do this but, to be honest, I like the feeling of changing down through the box - gearbox wear not withstanding.
That might be it. Same as, for a car. Once read a Motorcycle Mechanics article long time ago about matching engine revs to the new ratio, primary reason, less stress on the mechanicals; tried it, liked it, pretty sure I’ve been doing it that way ever since. Or trying to (don’t always succeed ).
How I wished I’d never looked at this thread. Let’s hear it for 30mm square slides!! (that’s a carb, people!) To confirm previous comments - “gears for go, brakes for slow” was one of my mantras! Exception being my old V7, unless you slow that flywheel down, it will overcome feeble drums!!
True, but if you are in the wrong gear and need to accelerate out of a dan gerr ooze situation I’d rather be in the right gear to nail it and not stall and fall over. Clunking down a 5 speed Guzzi box is crap at the best of time and doing it all with the clutch pulled in on a cable is a molar grinding experience IMHO. I’ll use both, gears and brakes in perfect synchronisation apart from that time at the Shieldaig / Applecross junction when that bloody kraut tourist stopped right across the junction, mutter ,mutter, moan , rant etc etc. to read his map.Has the Morini got carbs then?
Yes, all this verbiage and I still haven’t actually adjusted the idle speed! Workshop manual gives dire warning that this must be achieved by adjusting the idling air bypass screw not the throttle stops but I can’t find a picture so am wary of experimenting.