V85 throttle remedy.

[Huzo]

Ignore this if you’ve read it in “facelift”, but that thread is done to death and I thought some owners might have missed it.
There is an easy remedy for the heavy twist grip on the ‘85.
Mine is now very light... I’ll elaborate if any interest.

[jrt]

Please do.  I do not frequent the faceplace.  Hell, I don't even infrequent it.  Here and ADV are about all I look at.

[Moto Vita]

Ignore this if you’ve read it in “facelift”, but that thread is done to death and I thought some owners might have missed it.
There is an easy remedy for the heavy twist grip on the ‘85.
Mine is now very light... I’ll elaborate if any interest.

 Please do!

[Huzo]

Ok..
I went to shoot a short video to demonstrate the action, but it does not really show how much lighter it is.
Here’s the procedure though.
Remove the fuel tank or at least slide it back and SECURE IT...!..(I removed mine..)
Remove the throttle twist grip. The plug is under the triangular cover on the right side of the headstem.
The two halves of the twist grip are held together by two pins that are placed where the bolts in a normal twistgrip would go, but there is a diabolical little toothed clip washer down in the recess, so you cannot get it off..
Salvation is at hand though..!
Get a fine hacksaw blade and holding the rubber ‘grip away, run it through the joining faces of the twistgrip, cutting the pins as you go.
The two halves of the grip will separate, exposing the clock style spring that snaps the throttle shut.
The spring is wound to 1.5 turns.
Allow the spring to unwind and set it aside.
Here’s the tricky bit...
The pin halves that have the clip washers fitted will fall away, leaving the holes, but the other ends are threaded into the plastic.
You’ve to put the top twistgrip half, into the drill and lightly centrepunch the bolt ends where you cut through with the blade.
This is not easy, but doable.
Get a 3/32” drill and bore into the pins about 1/8” deep.
You can then sharpen the blade of a small flat blade screwdriver and VERY lightly tap it into the hole.
This will bite into the bolt and allow you to wind it out (both).
Instead of pre loading the spring 1.5 turns, load it 0.5 and re fit the top of the twistgrip.
To rejoin the halves, I used suitable length metal thread screws, but correct threaded bolts would wind back in.
The force required to twist the throttle is less than half of original, but still snaps shut firmly.
As shown.
https://youtu.be/2S7fpyLCTwE

[egschade]

Thanks Huzo. Lacking the tools and patience to perform that level of surgery I'll see how it goes with a Throttle Rocker and/or cruise control (my first bike to have it).

BTW, the video has been removed...

[Huzo]

Thanks Huzo. Lacking the tools and patience to perform that level of surgery I'll see how it goes with a Throttle Rocker and/or cruise control (my first bike to have it).

BTW, the video has been removed...

It’s back.
https://youtu.be/2S7fpyLCTwE

[Cam3512]

I never thought the V85 throttle was that bad.  Maybe I’m used to the old bikes with strong springs?

[Paultergeist]

I never thought the V85 throttle was that bad.  Maybe I’m used to the old bikes with strong springs?

I am glad you shared that.....I was also thinking that my V85TT throttle pull feels normal / typical to other bikes I have ridden.  I wonder if that model has some variability in this regard?

[Huzo]

I am glad you shared that.....I was also thinking that my V85TT throttle pull feels normal / typical to other bikes I have ridden.  I wonder if that model has some variability in this regard?

They are quite acceptable as standard, but once you halve the pull required, you really do notice.
Especially on big days.
It’s unnecessary to have it that hard.

[lucian]

Are the v85's twin TB's ?  I wonder if you could also reduce the spring rate on the TB spools?  Just thinkin.

[Huzo]

Are the v85's twin TB's ?  I wonder if you could also reduce the spring rate on the TB spools?  Just thinkin.

Single TB mate.
Also remember the ‘85 is ride by wire, there is no mechanical connection from your hand to the TB..(unfortunately).
Really, if you don’t wreck something it’s a 2 hr job.

[lucian]

Now I get it  Nice work Hzz!

[Huzo]

I’ve just been in contact with anther member who has done the same job on his ‘85.
I should have documented the process better. Fortunately, I have another new one on the shelf and I will do it tomorrow and take some shots.
If anyone wants it, I will post it for the cost of a forum donation and they can send me back their standard one, after they decide if they like the modified unit.

[Vagrant]

More pics are always helpfull.
As I understand it it might be a bit more sensitive  when hitting bumps. Compared to hand cramps I can live with that.
The more I ride this thing the more I think another one will be in one of my garages by next spring instead of the new 850 V7.

[Huzo]

Please do.  I do not frequent the faceplace.  Hell, I don't even infrequent it.  Here and ADV are about all I look at.

Not Facebook. The other thread on here “V85 facelift”.

[elvisboy77]

Hmm. Mine is not at all bad as stock, I wonder if there are differences in installation, etc?

[Huzo]

Hmm. Mine is not at all bad as stock, I wonder if there are differences in installation, etc?

Mine wasn’t all bad either.
I just wanted to get rid of the bits that were. Have you done a 1000 k day on one...?

[Huzo]

Ok..
Just got back in from doing the spare one and I made an important discovery. As mentioned previously, the retaining pins that hold the drum halves together were fitted with recessed clip heads which necessitated cutting of the drum.
I noticed that the heads on the ones I just did were like Phillips heads but can only be tightened and not undone again due to a “ramping” of the screwdriver slots.
That would have been of no consequence if I’d have thought before I acted and just bored the heads off, I then could have simply separated the halves and wound out the stubs.
But I foolishly cut through like before




And separated the halves





It all worked out OK after doing this bit which is very tricky.






But I got there.
Suffice to say, that if you go ahead and do it, first check the heads and if they are Phillips type, you can really save a lot of drama for yourself by just boring the heads off as I mentioned.
In this case, there is no “tricky bit” involved because you can wind out the stubs upon separation.
But anyway, it’s done.
Now there’s a spare on the shelf.

[Trialsman]

I looked at mine on the Centenario this afternoon.  It has the non-Phillips type with the raised center and multi-fluted sides.  Tomorrow I plan on removing the wire so I can get it on the milling machine.  I tried to bore the center, but it was too unstable hand held.  The plan will be to lock it in the vise on a stub piece of handlebar to bore the pins with a carbide center drill.  After I get it centered I will use a larger drill or endmill and remove the head.  The stub ends should be easy to remove with visegrips.  I will take pictures of the setup for anyone else who wants to try it.  Thanks Huzo for taking the plunge and pointing the way.

[Huzo]

  The plan will be to lock it in the vise on a stub piece of handlebar to bore the pins with a carbide center drill.

No worries.




Before I started on mine this morning, I set it up in the vise and clamped a lever arm onto the twist grip and measured the pull on a scale to see how much it took on a 100 mm arm to wind the drum.
I then applied the same mechanism to the one on my modified ‘85 one and the pull is about half.
For the record, my finished one has about 90 deg of preload.

[Huzo]

  The plan will be to lock it in the vise on a stub piece of handlebar to bore the pins with a carbide center drill.  After I get it centered I will use a larger drill or endmill and remove the head.  The stub ends should be easy to remove with visegrips.  I will take pictures of the setup for anyone else who wants to try it.  Thanks Huzo for taking the plunge and pointing the way.

If you can do that, then you have my admiration..(for what that’s worth.. )
Because I was too scared to even try on the first one..

[Wayne Orwig]

I looked at mine on the Centenario this afternoon.  It has the non-Phillips type with the raised center and multi-fluted sides.  Tomorrow I plan on removing the wire so I can get it on the milling machine.  I tried to bore the center, but it was too unstable hand held.  The plan will be to lock it in the vise on a stub piece of handlebar to bore the pins with a carbide center drill.  After I get it centered I will use a larger drill or endmill and remove the head.  The stub ends should be easy to remove with visegrips.  I will take pictures of the setup for anyone else who wants to try it.  Thanks Huzo for taking the plunge and pointing the way.

I could not center drill mine by hand either. I used a small tungsten carbide bit in my Dremel. I ground a little on each side of the odd screw head. Once I had flats in the screw heads a used small needle nosed pliers to unscrew to goofy screws.

Any plastic damage is 'hidden' down inside the screw hole.

The biggest mistake I made was letting it pop apart, and the spring unwound instantly. So I'm not sure were the spring tang was resting or how many turns were in it. Mine is at about what I would call one turn now. I may unwind a touch more if I can find a good place for the spring to rest. 

My sore wrist is happy.

[elvisboy77]

Mine wasn’t all bad either.
I just wanted to get rid of the bits that were. Have you done a 1000 k day on one...?

450 miles but used cruise control for some.  Still, I have had worse. I was more wondering if some of them were wound differently than others from the factory?

[Trialsman]

Once I got started the whole process took about an hour.  I thought midway through that I should have attached a lever and measured the pull to quantify the results, but alas I did not.  After unhooking the wire harness I used a piece of 7/8" tubing on which to place the assembly. Then I clamped it on a set of parallels in the milling machine vise.  I made sure the two bolt heads were parallel to the table.  The perfect diameter endmill was 0.200" which I slowly fed down until the head was completely removed.  The second one was removed in the same manner.  Setting the tubing in the vise with the throttle body against the vise side made it very secure and to get to the second screw only required moving the cross feed.

[Trialsman]

Once the heads were removed the two halves were separated.  It did take some wiggling and a little patience.  Be careful not to go too fast as the spring will rapidly unwind.  The tab for the spring will rest against a stop in the half without the wire harness, (set that half aside for now).  I used a small pair of Visegrips  to clamp onto and unwind the threaded portions of the screw remnants.  The next stage was guess work and I marked a little at a time to bend, cut, grind, and try.  This took the longest.

[Trialsman]

I ended up taking out almost one full coil of the spring with my "guess - careful check" method.  When I got it close, the last bend was only about 1/4", but it made it perfect.  The beauty here is you can try each time you make a cut and re-bend the mounting tang.  Now completed, I used some #6 x 1" sheet metal screws to put it all together.  It is now on my Centenario and the pull is very comfortable.

[Huzo]

Well you can’t beat a nice comfortable pull Trialsman...
I did not go for the rebending of the spring method, I just allowed it to unwind and created a perch for it to sit on inside the drum.
But you have done very well and achieved a perfect result also.
I put a lever on my spare before starting and compared it to the previously modified one and the torque is about half.

[PJPR01]

Peter....out of curiosity, how does the modified V85 throttle compare to your Norge?  I ask because over the years, I've played with the position of the grip, tightness of the cable housing assembly and the proximity of the Throttlemeister to achieve the softest/least effort pull on the Norge.  Notwithstanding all of that, and it's quite easy, very little effort required, I notice that it's still not quite as easy as my 2015 Griso, which is virtually effortless...

One thing I noticed on the Norge is that it accumulates crud on the handlebar somehow, so cleaning it is vital to retaining the soft pull.

Anyway. long story, somewhat irrelevant for compare purposes, but very curious to see how your V85 compares to your Norge in terms of "effort".

Cheers!

[Huzo]

Peter....out of curiosity, how does the modified V85 throttle compare to your Norge?  I ask because over the years, I've played with the position of the grip, tightness of the cable housing assembly and the proximity of the Throttlemeister to achieve the softest/least effort pull on the Norge.  Notwithstanding all of that, and it's quite easy, very little effort required, I notice that it's still not quite as easy as my 2015 Griso, which is virtually effortless...

One thing I noticed on the Norge is that it accumulates crud on the handlebar somehow, so cleaning it is vital to retaining the soft pull.

Anyway. long story, somewhat irrelevant for compare purposes, but very curious to see how your V85 compares to your Norge in terms of "effort".

Cheers!

Yes mate.
The pull on my V85 is now a lot lighter than the Norge, a mate of mine who rides the ‘85 regularly says it’s disconcertingly so..
But he’s wrong....
BTW
Years ago, I went for larger diameter ‘grips on the Norge to reduce the torque required at the ‘bar.

[PJPR01]

Ok...perfect...grac ias maestro.    Did you ever do any modifications besides the grips for the Norge?

Cheers.