What RPM should I set my idle at?

I had set it at about 1100, the needle does jump slightly but it sometimes dips to 1000 or 900 and kind of studders for a couple of seconds. I raised it so it stays inbetween 1300 and 1500 so now when it does drop a little its to 1100 more or less and eliminates the studder.. Is whear I currently have it set considered normal for a 1015 or is it too high? Thanks in advance guys.
Alex

Post edited by: cudaosix, at: 2005/10/17 09:45

That's where I keep mine. Much smoother on the get-go without having to slip the clutch so much. That stutter kind of bothers me though. Have you synchronized your carbs?

michikawi wrote:

That's where I keep mine. Much smoother on the get-go without having to slip the clutch so much. That stutter kind of bothers me though. Have you synchronized your carbs?

No I haven't. The studder is actually very slight but it just makes me uncomfortable thats why I raised it.

Personally, I have always idled (any bike) at 850rpm and I consider anything over 1000rpm HIGH. :woohoo: If you can't keep it running smooth at 1000rpm then it's not tuned properly. There is always a "cause" for an "action". Listen/look at an idle on other bikes on the street & you'll see 'em under 1000rpm - like they should be. If you let out the clutch without throttle then it's obvious - no?:ohmy:

I believe the manual calls for 900/1100 idle RPM. If your idle isn't holding once the engine is warmed up, I would agree with Smokem. You need to do some checking and find out why. Could be anything from igniton to valve lash to carb problems, or even throttle cable adjustment.

Your tach is probably so inaccurate at rpm below 2k that you will probably find it easiest to just set the idle by ear. As low as you can smoothly set it. The same carbs on one of my KZ900s will show 1000 rpm on the tach and the other 1500 rpm. I have no faith in either tach at idle.

Thanks for the quick response guys. Today I'll set the idle by ear and since the wheather is so nice a long ride wouldnt hurt.

Yup...by ear, don't bother paying attention to the tach.

Don't forget if you have a 1015 with any perfomance mods that it's common to have to raise idle slightly if you've installed, cams, pistons, pod filters etc. A bike tuned to make performance numbers is not going to idle as nice as a completely stock bike. Make sure the motor is sound and set idle at the lowest point where the motor doesn't stall or shutter when coming to a stop. My kz650 idles at about 1200 which is high, but considering all the performance mods is acceptable to me.

Since I drive in San Francisco city traffic (think redlights and hills), I keep my idle at 1200-1300 rpm (per the tach). I used to keep it at just under 1,000, but found that I was stalling too often when moving uphill at traffic light takeoffs. Sure, I could be a better rider and feather the clutch and throttle better, but the increased rpms makes it so much easier. It lets me pay more attention to the traffic, and less attention to just moving the bike.

If float levels are set correctly and you are stalling, the idle speed is set too low. I suggest that when the bike idles too low, the top end doesn't get lubricated well. The KZ has a low pressure oil pump and if rpms are too low, the pump doesn't spin as fast as needed to keep oil slopping onto your cam shafts... In my opinion, it is better to idle a bit fast than too slow.