I just bought a '96 F3 from a friend of mine who bought it from his neighbor last summer. I believe it was sitting for several years. He rode it MAYBE 1200 miles in the ~10 months he owned it, then handed it over to me. I don't know much about the history of the bike, but it's in pretty decent mechanical condition considering the mileage (33,000).

The only real problem I'm having with the bike is that the throttle doesn't return on its own. On my R6, when I turn it and release it, it snaps back to position. On the F3, it stays right where you leave it. Super annoying. I did some searching on here and found that the vast majority of people with the same problem were able to fix it by adjusting the cables. I tried adjusting the cables, and it only made it worse. I tried cleaning any gunk off the cable and lubing it with some silicone. Helped a little, but not much. The rubber grip on the handle isn't binding, I made sure of that, but when I removed the bar end and slid the throttle linkage out toward the end of the bar, it turned much more freely, although nothing I do makes the throttle return to position like it should.

Before I dig into this thing, I'm wondering if anyone else has run into the same problem? I am thinking it's a problem with the cables themselves, and I have no issue replacing them if that's definitely the cause, I'm just not sure how to pinpoint it and I don't want to go replacing parts that don't need to be replaced. Is there some sort of spring/linkage that's supposed to make it return to position, or is it the bottom cable that does it? I'm a total noob when it comes to wrenching on motorcycles, but I am an automotive mechanic by trade, so feel free to correct my terminology here. I'm just kinda making this up as I go along.

 

Where did you adjust the throttle cables? On the throttle or on the carbs?

Between carbs 2 & 3 is where the throttle cables attach to the carbs. They can be adjusted there as well. It sound like something isn't right there.

 

I adjusted them at the carbs. There is more than one adjustment point? I downloaded a service manual off the interweb, but it's all pixelated and crappy, so I've just been winging it. Where else can I adjust them?

 

I had to take my throttle completely apart on my F4 to get it "unstuck"...there was a lot of stick grime there that made it catch and drag and not return properly. Take the switch housing apart, unscrew your throttle cables from the housing and take the cable ends out of the throttle tube...slide the tube off and get to work. Clean all the gunk out and when you put it back together, make sure the grips aren't dragging on either the switch housing or the bar end...that will cause unwanted friction.

Good luck...most likely, it's just all gummed up!

 

Heh, sorry... Wee bit tired and thinking brakes

When you were in the carbs, did you rotate the flywheel manually and it snap shut? Basically are the throttle plates closing on their own? If so then it's possible one of the cables is stretched. Or the cables were swapped (been a while since I messed with carbs but I'm pretty sure the 2 cables are different).

You can try that or wait a minute and IDoDirt will prolly pop in and tell you how to return your carbs to "fresh out of the factory" condition. He's the F3 Mod and Carb King

 

So you didn't take the actual throttle apart, just the cables, correct? The housings/tubes/whatever you wanna call 'ems come off? I didn't look closely enough to see how they come off, and I just put the tank back on. Guess it'll have to come back off on Saturday. I'm going to get good at this!

Grips definitely aren't dragging. I wish it were that simple.

 

Happens to the best of us. Kinda makes me feel better that I didn't miss something really obvious.

I have to admit carbs scare the crap out of me. I'm used to working on newer cars. Fuel injected cars. They tried to teach me about carbs back in automotive school and it all went in one ear and out the other. Give me computers and wires and electronic doohickeys, please.

I am doubting the cables were swapped, as it doesn't look like this thing has EVER been taken apart. I don't know if the throttle plates are closing on their own...I was trying to figure that out, but I didn't see an obvious way to access any linkage or anything to do that. I have no idea what I'm doing and I didn't want to dig too deep into it for fear of screwing something up.

 

First thing I would do is unhook them from carbs to see if it's cables or throttle plates sticking. I think the only way you can take them off is by taking off carbs also since you have to flip them upside down to get to bottom bolt. I had the same problem and all I had to do was adjust one of the bolts.

 

Yeah, that's what I was hoping to avoid. That's my last resort. If nothing else frees them up, I'll unhook them and clean or replace 'em.

 

What do you mean by "the actual throttle"?

I took everything off the clip on so that it was down to the bare bar.