Clicking from the throttle linkage

[greg in london]

Quite some time ago I was riding the bike as usual when I pulled onto the Blackwall Tunnel approach and found the throttle didn't respond - or rather it had been fine up to 40-50mph, but then there was no more power, acceleration or anything. I later realised that the clicking sound that I had always heard on startup for 2-3 seconds was continuing continuously and not going off, so I thought it was a fuel pump problem which was confirmed by reading a few forum posts. I had to just put up with it for a while, which was okay as I'm based in London and rarely get to open the throttle more than 1/4 way or go over 50mph.

Now it's the summer I've got some time and pulled the bodywork and tank off, but testing the fuel pump showed that it gets enough pressure (47psi) and pumps plenty of petrol (1/3 - 1/2 a pint in about ten seconds). The clicking seems to be coming from the butterfly valves trying to move. Whatever the actuator is meant to do, it is acting like it is having an epileptic fit. I don't know if the actuator is unable to move the valve linkage, if the actuator is just malfunctioning and not operating or if it is getting the wrong signal. It's my first bike with fuel injection and I just don't know quite how it is all meant to work.

Has anyone had this problem ? I couldn't find it with the search function.

[MartinW]

Put your Bike's year and model number in your profile as that will help you get the right answer.
 

[greg in london]

Sorry - it's registered in 2007 - K7 I think - I'll check that and try and update my profile now.

Yes - both the log book and service documents I got when I bought the bike say K7.

It's on my profile now too, though I didn't mention that it's red...

[greywolf]

Sticking secondaries will do that. Liberal amounts of WD40 and a bit of wiggling are typically used to free things up.

[greg in london]

Presumably I'm not going to just be squirting releasing oil / squirty grease everywhere and will need to move the mechanisms to free them as well, but can I do it with the throttle actuator (whatever acronym Suzuki uses for it) still attached ? I don't want to break the mechanism by forcing it, but want to dismantle as little as possible and accessing the screws to remove the actuator unit would be easier with the injector housing removed, which I'd like to avoid as that's digging deeper, so I'd only do if necessary.

[greywolf]

It is the rod in the actuator that has most likely seized. Put a little WD40 where the rod enters the body and wait an hour or two, then try again. It may require some wiggling but don't use a lot of force. Let the oil do the work.

[greg in london]

Thanks - I'll go and give that a squirt now and then keep trying again through the day.

[greg in london]

I squirted the linkages and moved them over a couple of days and they released quite a bit. I think it was the shaft on the front cylinder that was sticking (the actuator had been vibrating with the 'effort' and the butterfly flapping slightly, after all). I switched to some other sprays containing copper and PTFE before finishing with chain lube to get something drawn in through capillary action that would last longer than releasing oil and, with the rods moving okay when I turned the throttle on and off, put it all back together.

Result - it now responds fine. Thanks.

[greywolf]

Where's the "like" button?