Unsettled idle revs when engine is warm

[Locky]

Someone might correct me here but the spark needs a earth to jump to from the lead . I'd get an old plug and plug it into the end of each lead and touch the outer part of the plug on the engine (earth) .  The plug should then spark .

[bat-kam]

Hm, I will try that too but how come the side leads had the jump though?

[greywolf]

It is normal for a removed spark plug wire to arc to the engine if close enough. The arc is a good sign. The lower plug boot was probably closer to the engine than the front was in your test. Try moving it closer to the engine. A lack of arc when the boot end is close to and aimed toward the engine is a sign of a weak coil.

[bat-kam]

One more thing. When lead was disconnected I did not notice any difference in idle or when I reved the engine. Surely this would have make a difference. Right?

[mr_diver]

Your bike would have 2 plugs per cylinder...  unless you unplug both no it won't make a differance.

[greywolf]

The second plug is for emissions purposes to assure complete burning. A short test with no load probably won't show an obvious difference.

[bat-kam]

After eliminating the plugs and coil I am now thinking that throttle bodies are dirty or need adjusting.

Could this be a cause?

More details of jerkiness - at any gear at low to moderate .... acceleration from 1,5k to 3,5k rpm it feels as if it misses a spark or is not getting enough fuel every 2 or 3 seconds and it jerks the bike.

[Juvecu]

Hmmm, just a thought, I had a similar jerkiness before my one cylinder went dead. Turned out it was one of the wires to one of the fuel injectors. There's a crimp connector in the loom that corrodes and causes the problem. I didn't fix the crimp, I bodged it by bridging the wire from the other injector over to the faulty one. I was lucky though, the wire that was faulty was the positive, the negative was fine and it's the negative that gets switched by the ECU, the positive is shared (hence being crimped together elsewhere.) When I tested it I had a lot of trouble finding the fault as it was intermittent.

Not saying this is the fault you have, but it's a possibility to look into if you think it viable.

[bat-kam]

Today I have taken the airbox off to check the injector wires and throttle bodies. They were fine but I found a LOT of the water based gunk in the air box under the side filter where the crankcase breather hoses are connected.
 

Only the front cylinder hose had it in.
In addition when I opened the oil filler cap I found more of that stuff on it and inside of the clutch case.


From my experience with the cars this is typical for head gasket issue. Is it the same in bikes?
What do I do? How do I clean it? Do I need to take the whole engine out and take it apart? Is there a flush system? What parts/ tools I need?

I don't know how long have I been riding like this so I am not sure what damage this has caused :(
 
Help!!!

[mjc506]

You're probably OK. Check coolant levels, but I imagine its a result of short journeys in this cold/damp weather

[tallpaul]

You're probably OK. Check coolant levels, but I imagine its a result of short journeys in this cold/damp weather

Agreed, very minor. Looks more like emulsified condensation. Take it out for a good long run to get everything nice and warm. The bike will feel better and so will you. A win-win situation!

[bat-kam]

Thanks for the reassurance. Coolant level have not changed since I bought the bike in September last year.
I will take it for a long run in next few days.

Would it not be better to take off the clutch engine cover and clean it up this way?

[Juvecu]

Nope, better to ride it to get rid of the condensation. Top up the oil to the full mark, clean the little spunge in the air box regularly until it doesn't get full of the white stuff any more. This is quite common in cold weather.

[JRS81]

I will take it for a long run in next few days.

Any plans on Sunday Kam? If not, fancy heading out for a ride somewhere? The weather is looking OK at the moment!

[bat-kam]

Nope, better to ride it to get rid of the condensation. Top up the oil to the full mark, clean the little spunge in the air box regularly until it doesn't get full of the white stuff any more. This is quite common in cold weather.

Juvecu - I will as per you instructions. I will keep posting the updates

Kam

[bat-kam]

After visiting Mark @ All2Wheelers in Poole for a chat and engine oil he suggested to use some fuel/injector fluid that you mix with petrol.
He had some on the shelf so I bought some and as I was about to fill up it was perfect time to use it.
After 50 miles with this flush going through the injectors the jerkiness at low revs have stopped!!!!! The idle has settled a bit but still has a fit every now and then.
I still have 150miles left in the tank so I am hopeful that everything will clear nicely.