What RMP do you guys have your bikes idling at?

[Anonymous]

idle speed

My 81 850 idles very nicely at 850 RPM, thank you very much! It makes a nice yuketa-yuketa-yuketa sound too! I Also get maximum engine braking from a nearly-closed throttle, an excellent benefit!

[Anonymous]

2000 is way too high! Both my GS650 and my GS750 official Suzuki shop manuals say 1200 +- 100 rpm. You have to realize that when the bike warms up it's going to idle higher than from a dead cold start. I only set my idle when the bike is warm so I don't overstress and overheat the engine at idle. I would hate to see what you're doing to your gear clunking into gear at that high rpm. And to the guy idleing at 2200, you're going to do some serious damage one day with clunking into gear at that high level. As a rule of thumb for a motorcycle stay under 1500 RPM. The larger the CC and/or the less the cylinders the less the RPM at idle. FOr instance my GS400 was rated to idle at 1300 or 1400 whereas my gs750 was rated at 1200 or 1300. DO NOT IDLE OVER 1500 when warm. When the engine is cold you may have to add some choke or a little pressure on the throttle's untill the engine is warm enough to idle properly on its own which is a bit of an inconvenience. But 2mins of inconvenience when the bike is cold may save you $$$ trying to fix a mashed first gear/tranny because you are idleing way too high. In the summer time I rarely have to add choke to keep the bike idleing when cold, and it only takes a couple of minutes to warm up properly anyway.

Never make adjustments to idle when it's cold, you want to have the bike at operating temperature for driving ,not a cold start to start fiddling with it. Also I highly suggest letting a bike warm up for a couple of minutes before starting to drive and put stress on the engine. Let the bike run for a bit so that the oil is warmed and circulating before trying to drive. I use this time to get my jacket and helmet and gloves on so you can let thebike idle while you are doing this.

[Detman101]

1981 GS750L here.
My bike idles good at 1200 rpm.
I agree wholeheartedly on the "Warming up" issue. Totally different idle charachteristics once warm.

Dm of mD

[Anonymous]

my '83 650GL idles nicely at 1000, but I can slow it down to bout 800 and it still runs fine, much lower though and it sounds bad.

[nert]

i can't believe there are 33 replies, oops 34 now, about idle.
So, my 1100gl idles smooth anywhere from 700 up. I keep it at 975.
Even then i get apretty good clunk when putting it in gear. Thoug it does not creep or grab. It is annoying and probably damaging. Think i will look at the clutch soon. What is an APE nut. don't they have two?

[lhanscom]

What is an APE nut. don't they have two?

http://www.gszone.biz/

[sbrink97007]

1978 gs400 1200 rpm

[rustybronco]

1050 rpm on tach.

[flyingace]

My 850 idles fine at 1000 or even less. I set it as low as I can to make shifting into first as 'clunkless' as possible.

It has to be killing the transmission components shifting the bike into first idling at 2300 RPM.

[chef1366]

My 1100 idles great at 1000 rpms. I guess my crappy mercury sticks did the job.

[Devilwinner]

81 1100 nice @ 1300 . not nice at all under 1000

[ScottMc1100L]

Should I ever get mine to idle at all, I'll report back !