Thottle play

[yeti585]

Hello everyone! I've just gotten my 07 GS500F in the past few months (my first bike), and I've been having a blast with it! I've already done some wrenching on it (flywheel slipping, chain replacement), and found it an enjoyable--although sometime frustrating--part of owning a bike.

My question today has to do with play in the throttle grip/cable. I've notice about 1/8" to 1/4" of play in the throttle grip before it grabs and starts to give the bike gas. What is the acceptable amount of play in the throttle, and how is it adjusted? it feels a bit sloppy to me.

[Watcher]

Welcome to the forums!  Glad you are (for the most part) enjoying the GS.  Would love to see some pictures, we have a pair of threads just for this!  There's the "picture game" where you complete challenges and there's the aptly named "Photos!" thread just for showing off!


Set the play when the bars are at full lock to the left (or is it right?) as this pulls on the cable and will actually cause it to rev up if the play is set too tight.

I don't know if there is a proper spec for this but with the bars turned I adjust for just a little bit of wiggle.  Like 1/16"-1/8".  That may be 1/8"-1/4" with the bars straight...

It can be adjusted at the grip via the set of nuts at the end of the cable.

[mr72]

I think the shop manual specifies 5mm of free play IIRC. Someone will certainly show up and confirm it or correct me (Sledge...).

FWIW I have tinkered with this adjustment myself and found that too much play makes for the throttle to be jerky and tougher to modulate, while too little free play makes it twitchy so there certainly is an amount that's appropriate... for all I know it's about 5mm but I think I wound up with a pinch less than that, maybe like Watcher suggested, about 1/8" or 3mm.

[Suzuki Stevo]

Personally....if I can get away with ZERO Free Play, that's what I use. The absolute minimum amount of slack without any Rpm increase from lock to lock.

[qcbaker]

Personally....if I can get away with ZERO Free Play, that's what I use. The absolute minimum amount of slack without any Rpm increase from lock to lock.

This is my personal preference as well, as I feel it makes the bike the most responsive. Although this does make the bike a bit twitchier at slower speeds (in traffic, parking lots, etc).

[yeti585]

Thanks for the input guys. I won't be able to actually play around with the adjustment for about a week, as I don't have access to tools at the current moment. I'll try and give an update (and hopefully pictures) after I do some adjustments

[sledge]

Seeing as I am being called upon to comment......

I tend to run with 2-3 mm. There needs to be a slight amount otherwise every time you hit a bump in the road you may well open it up slightly. There is also an argument for thermal expansion and contraction within the cable and the consequent need to allow some slack as a take up.

Not sure about the lock to lock idea. If you are seeing surging in this situation its not down to being overly tight, its down to the cable fouling or not being routed correctly. This condition is incidentally an MOT failure here in the UK.

As ever....your bike your choice. The manual calls for a measurable amoung and I doubt anyone here knows better than the Suzuki engineers who designed it the way they did.

[ajensen]

Better a little loose than a little tight.