How to achieve a smooth idle on Cali 1400's?

[John in PA]

New 2016 Eldorado here, with first ride yesterday.  I'm experiencing rough, noisy idle and lots of popping/barking on trailing throttle, and barking between shifts.  My first thought is that factory and/or dealer didn't set up the throttle body balance precisely.  {EDIT: I now know there must be some other explanation}

I have GuzziDiag software, vacuum operated throttle balancing tools, and have done this procedure on other Guzzi FI bikes. However, the setup on the Cal 1400's is new to me, as is the current ECU. I didn't locate any step-by-step  instructions in the Cali 1400 shop manual for this procedure.

Has anyone published a specific set of illustrated instructions for achieving perfect TB balance at idle and mid-throttle for these bikes?

Also, will GuzziDiag software allow me to reset the TPS value after balancing the TB's?

[lucian]

!400's are single tb so no balancing required. Only rest throttle learning and self learning parameters.

[Kev m]

Ah Lucian beat me to it. Yeah, nothing to balance, only one throttle body.

[John in PA]

Yeah, I heard that. No wonder it doesn't show up in the service manual.  DOH!!  ;-) 

 Seems like at idle, one cylinder fires more often than the other. Definitely not the smooth, even idle I'm used to with Guzzis. (this one is probably my 20th Goose, so not exactly my first rodeo, but it IS my first 1400, and first with the new ECU.)  Is there nothing to adjust airflow at idle on the individual intake runners?  I really haven't torn the intake covers off to look at the physical set-up yet. 

Is there anything I can tweak with GuzziDiag?  I've already tried the ECU reset by disconnecting the battery.  No particular change noted there.  Only about 75 miles on the bike so far.

[lucian]

The gurus are still working on cracking the 7sm codes so still not a lot we can do as far as map changes. OEM updates are oncoming but still haven't addressed the lumpy idle which was programmed in purposely to simulate the  HD feel at idle. The coffee can sized piston's don't help matters but with the short stroke, things smooth out quickly with a turn of the wrists. I think the rubber mounted engine makes the shake seem worse than it really is. Over all a great bike despite it's quirks.

[Kev m]

I haven't delved deeply into the particulars of the 1400 yet, but AFAIK the single air box and single RBW throttle plate supply air to the intake runners, so there are no mechanical adjustments necessary or possible with regards to balance between the cylinders.

I can't comment on what they did or didn't do with fuel and ignition timing (both of which I believe can be independently controlled by the ECM to simulate or not the feel of other big twins at idle, though I don't recall anything off putting to me when I rode one. Of course, I'm so attuned to rubbermounted big twins that could be the reason.

Of course it sounds like you're just starting break-in on this beast so feel might change somewhat, but if it's really bad I might be tempted to give it a once over and make sure something else isn't "wrong" (broken, loose, intermittently shorting at the secondary ignition circuit) etc.

[John in PA]

HAHAHA!  If I wanted a bike that shook like a Harley, I'd have bought one.   I want chugga-chugga-chugga, not "potato-potato-potato."!

[Kev m]

HAHAHA!  If I wanted a bike that shook like a Harley, I'd have bought one.   I want chugga-chugga-chugga, not "potato-potato-potato."!

Well, it seems you got "Gnocchi-Gnocchi-Gnocchi."   

[guzzisteve]

Maybe it needs an update and reset. Dealer is supposed to check that stuff before it goes out, might be worth the call.

[groundhog105]

John, you might try contacting Todd at guzzitech. Todd has done a lot on fine tuning the 1400.  Mine runs really well.

Bob

[beetle]

I haven't much looked into the 1400 yet, but isn't the idle partially controlled by the spark timing? I know they have dual plugs, and the second plug only operates below ~2500 RPM or somesuch. Are all four plugs working?

[pete roper]

my understanding is that like the RSV4 etc that use the 7SM idle is effectively controlled in real time by butterfly movement but I's imagine there is a spark component too.If you run a V4 with the airbag open you can see the throttle plates jumping around like they've got St. Vitus Dance! It's quite impressive!

Pete

[mjptexas]

New 2016 Eldorado here, with first ride yesterday.  I'm experiencing rough, noisy idle and lots of popping/barking on trailing throttle, and barking between shifts...... 

I'm into my 4th year on my Cali Custom, 18,000 miles.  I have Agostini pipes on mine.

Mine has always had the 'Harley shake' at idle. Not my favorite aspect of the bike but I've gotten used to it. The lumpy idle goes away as soon as you give it some throttle, and is perfectly smooth by the time it hits 2,000 rpm.  The dealer updated my ECU software about 18 months ago, which softened the shake at idle and smoothed out the response at lower RPMs.

I have never experienced the popping and barking you mention.  I'd take that up with the dealer.

[pete roper]

Does the Eldo have the air injection system on the exhaust side? That would contribute to the racket on the over-run.