Tractor mode

[HuecoDoc]

I discovered a cool feature of the 2009. I was playing around with its torque, and while decelerating in 1st gear I never pulled in the clutch. Instead of bogging and dying, when it hit the 1k rpm idle mark it felt like a slow moving tractor took over, and I just putt-putted up to the light.

Today I tried it for low speed maneuvering when I came home. In the driveway, I coasted down in first until the idle kicked in and then drove around back and into the garage at an indicated speed of 9mph, giving it no throttle.

This might be useful in painful 10mph traffic jams that seem too slow for 1st gear and require a lot of clutch work. I won't be surprised if it works in 2nd gear, too. It is a very steady low speed but not so slow that balance while turning is a problem. Probably slower than 9 mph but a good bit faster than walking speed.

So the new Vmax is the low-speed king of the road!:eusa_dance:

Now I need to get it into reverse.

 

[naughtyG]

I also wonder how much weight it'll pull on idle until it conks out..

the real Tractor Figures!!! LOL

 

[HuecoDoc]

I tried it in 2nd gear, too, and it idle-crawls along at 11mph indicated. There is more of lag when I give it some throttle, though. Maybe other large-displacement EFI bikes do the same thing, I need to try it on something else.

 

[fastmax1]

I do that on my gen 1 Max when approaching stopped traffic and whatnot, no problem in 1st gear.

 

[HuecoDoc]

I'm not sure whether mine would have died or whether I just never tried it. Poor Vmax, R.I.P. (totalled)

 

[fastmax1]

Poor Vmax, R.I.P. (totalled)

:Sad:

 

[dave741]

all manual shift bikes,cars and trucks will do this .

 

[HuecoDoc]

all manual shift bikes,cars and trucks will do this .

Not my Dodge Colt, KZ750, Maxim 1100, or YZ125. Maybe all other gas powered manuals, though.

It's probably not as unique as I thought. In that case, never mind...

I'll go back to exploring it's high-end potential though that seems riskier.

 

[dkw0417]

There are plenty of cars and bikes that will do it and just as many that will stall out if you try. I think it is dependant on gear ratio and torque at idle.

 

[Redbone]

There are plenty of cars and bikes that will do it and just as many that will stall out if you try. I think it is dependant on gear ratio and torque at idle.

Redbone can idle through parking lots in first or second and sounds cool as hell doing it too! I love to idle by HD's sounding all lopey and the bike surging on every stroke....Priceless!

 

[naughtyG]

I think most decently powered vehicles can do this - all you need is to tweak your idle speed a little :biglaugh:

 

[diggerzmound]

My Virago would do this to a point, I thought it was really cool when I was in High School.

One time I was doing it through a popular turnaround/hangout on the local cruise. 2nd gear all laid back on the passenger seat, and chug a chug a thump... Bike died and skidded the rear tire, I damn near lost it in front of all the hot chicks and cool dudes in the parking lot.... Wasn't a real graceful save either. And then the griiinnnnnddding starter to get the beast fired up again. :bang head:

 

[KJShover]

That would make a great "Want to get away?" ad. :rofl_200:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh3XDMzcdtU

 

[Maximus]

The 09 (as many fuel injected bikes and cars) has an idle speed control (ISC) mechanism used to maintain a steady idle speed. This will keep the idle speed even with some load.
Normally this is done by an electronicly controlled valve letting air bypass the butterflies in the TB. According to the service manual this mechanism is simplified, probably by adjusting the butterflies as they are servo controlled and not mechanically connected to the throttle wilre. If so, I think it can handle a pretty heavy load at idle.

_____________
Leon

 

[dave741]

Not my Dodge Colt, KZ750, Maxim 1100, or YZ125. Maybe all other gas powered manuals, though.

It's probably not as unique as I thought. In that case, never mind...

I'll go back to exploring it's high-end potential though that seems riskier.

ok i dont know about yz or the 1100 . but as long as your not going up hill or have your brakes on the colt and the kz should do it 4 sure . unless they need a tune up :rofl_200: ps i didnt post that first one to be a dick or anything i was just sayin . i remember how funny it was when i found out about it in my truck . oh ya my max is a 02 and it idles at about 980 rpm . it will idle in 1st , 2nd and 3rd . it chugs a little in 3rd but still works . :clapping:

 

[HuecoDoc]

I don't think the 1980ish Colt could do it. The KZ would not, but it would die on its own if I didn't set its idle high. I haven't had the K1200R out since I got the Vmax.

ok i dont know about yz or the 1100 . but as long as your not going up hill or have your brakes on the colt and the kz should do it 4 sure . unless they need a tune up :rofl_200: ps i didnt post that first one to be a dick or anything i was just sayin . i remember how funny it was when i found out about it in my truck . oh ya my max is a 02 and it idles at about 980 rpm . it will idle in 1st , 2nd and 3rd . it chugs a little in 3rd but still works . :clapping:

 

[buckridge]

hello all , i want to say that you might think its cool to run your engines at such a low rpm ,but i learned that if the rpm is lower than factory idle settings you will shorten the life of your engine very fast.the big ends of the rods will stressed so much that you will pound the babit material out of the bearing shells and create to much bearing clearance for the rod to handle high rpm and bang!!! good bye engine . not to mention you will pound out the main bearing jornals in the engine case wasting the engine castings.not very smart unless you like replacing engines.best to you all buckridge

 

[fastmax1]

Thank goodness I rarely do it. Then again my gen 1 Max is 18 years old so I would think it's "broke" in by now. Hmmm....it's going to be hard to get back on it once my gen 2 gets here.

 

[HuecoDoc]

The rpm does not drop below factory idle rpm, but I'm sure there are unique stresses at both extremes of the rpm range. Throwing a rod at 8mph doesn't sound like the fun way to kill an engine.

 

[113s&s]

hello all , i want to say that you might think its cool to run your engines at such a low rpm ,but i learned that if the rpm is lower than factory idle settings you will shorten the life of your engine very fast.the big ends of the rods will stressed so much that you will pound the babit material out of the bearing shells and create to much bearing clearance for the rod to handle high rpm and bang!!! good bye engine . not to mention you will pound out the main bearing jornals in the engine case wasting the engine castings.not very smart unless you like replacing engines.best to you all buckridge

amen,,,not the way to drive a standard