Tickover speed

Mad Hatter · Jul 14, 2021

What tickover speed do people recommend for my R80GS basic? I set it at about 820-840 when I balanced the carbs but the other day I noticed the oil light flickering occasionally when the rpm fluctuated down to about 800 (it was a hot day mind). I’ve since reset it to 900-920 and the occasional flickering has stopped.

Just wondered what other folks set theirs to?

(Someone is now going to tell me my engine is knackered….)

tuftywhite · Jul 14, 2021

Oil light shouldn't be flickering, if so you have issues.

However, if the battery light is flickering at tickover, that's normal. The battery doesn't receive a charge until revs are about 2500 - 3000rpm so the battery light will flicker until the revs are up a bit.

Mad Hatter · Jul 14, 2021

It’s defo the oil light, but it only flickers when the revs drop below 800, and it isn’t continuous, only momentarily. With the revs ticking over at 900 there is no flickering

ianboydsnr · Jul 14, 2021

Mad Hatter said:
It’s defo the oil light, but it only flickers when the revs drop below 800, and it isn’t continuous, only momentarily. With the revs ticking over at 900 there is no flickering

Raise it to 900

mikeyboy · Jul 14, 2021

I think I’d carry out a few more checks on the oil pressure.
Try removing the plug caps,engine cold.
Crank the engine till the oil light goes out,stop cranking.
How long does the oil pressure light stay out.?
A really good engine will hold pressure for up to 20 secs.
If the oil light comes on straight away you’ve potentially got problems.

Mad Hatter · Jul 14, 2021

Thanks Mikey, I’ll try that tomorrow and report back

Mad Hatter · Jul 15, 2021

mikeyboy said:
I think I’d carry out a few more checks on the oil pressure.
Try removing the plug caps,engine cold.
Crank the engine till the oil light goes out,stop cranking.
How long does the oil pressure light stay out.?
A really good engine will hold pressure for up to 20 secs.
If the oil light comes on straight away you’ve potentially got problems.

Mikey, I did the test you described, the oil pressure light went out ok just spinning the cold motor on the starter and stayed on for about 2 seconds after I took my thumb off the starter. To my mind it could be, there’s a bit of wear in the motor, or there’s a bit of wear in the pump, or the pressure sensor is a bit on the sensitive side. The bike only has 25k miles on it and it runs perfectly using absolutely zero oil.

I’m planning to do a full refurb on this bike when I retire so the motor, gearbox, final drive are probably headed your way for a rebuild in the future. In the meantime I think I’ll leave the tick over at 900-950 and if there’s no flickering I’ll not worry about it and just enjoy riding the bike for now. If the flickering reappears I’ll park it until it’s refurb time and ride one of the 1150’s instead

. Thanks for the advice.

Gelandestrasse · Jul 15, 2021

Check your oil level!!!

(Don't shoot the messenger)

Mad Hatter · Jul 15, 2021

Gelandestrasse said:
Check your oil level!!!

(Don't shoot the messenger)

Oil level is fine

Steptoe · Jul 15, 2021

Fit a new oil pressure switch and decent 20/50 oil.

ianboydsnr · Jul 15, 2021

Mad Hatter said:
Oil level is fine

Does it smell of fuel,

That happened to me once, fuel in the oil, caused the oil light to flicker at tick over.

Mad Hatter · Jul 15, 2021

ianboydsnr said:
Does it smell of fuel,

That happened to me once, fuel in the oil, caused the oil light to flicker at tick over.

No smell of fuel. The oil is motul 7100 20-50. The oil level stays absolutely constant too, ie not being diluted with fuel, or being burnt in the cylinders.

Could be a sensitive switch, but I think I’m not going to worry about it for now.

tuftywhite · Jul 15, 2021

I'm not an oil expert but I've always used ordinary oil (I'm sure there's a term for it.) in my airheads.

Could it be that 100% synthetic is too slippery???

Bubb · Jul 15, 2021

tuftywhite said:
I'm not an oil expert but I've always used ordinary oil (I'm sure there's a term for it.) in my airheads.

Could it be that 100% synthetic is too slippery???

Mineral oil..... aka: dinosaur oil.
Is what you are thinking of Tufty..... as opposed to synthetic, or semi-synthetic.

HTH

Bubb

mikeyboy · Jul 15, 2021

Steptoe said:
Fit a new oil pressure switch and decent 20/50 oil.

I agree with Neil,
For what it’s worth,the oil pressure switch will operate at about 15psi,which is not a lot.
A good oil pump/engine will generate around 80psi when cold and will see the oil pressure relief valve opening straight away.
Medium revs hot should see 60psi ,again,with the pressure relief operating.
I’d get concerned if the oil pressure at a normal hot idle dropped much below 25/30 psi.
I’d get a pressure gauge on it to be certain of what’s going on,
If the bigends fail it can wreck the crank ,things start to get expensive then.
If the high pressure oil system is only holding pressure for 2secs ,
The oil is too thin(fuel dilution)
There is wear on the crank bearings.
Or insufficient pressure is being generated to start with,worn pump/housing,
Weak OP relief spring,
Oil filter housing leaking to sump,(incorrect assembly of shim/o ring etc)

mikeyboy · Jul 15, 2021

As a by the by,
I’ve seen a few late model airheads,
Basics ,kalahari,pd etc ,have the cam lobes wear out,
The debris from the cam and followers goes straight through the oil pump ,unfiltered.
Just sayin. :augie

Mad Hatter · Jul 15, 2021

Blimey, I’m worried now!

mikeyboy · Jul 15, 2021

I don’t want to be a doom merchant,
If the oil or other warning came on ,on your car you’d get it checked,
Don’t ignore the warning on the bike,it might be a duff switch .

Mad Hatter · Jul 15, 2021

So I think I’ve found something entirely by accident but it could be the problem……..I went out for a ride on the bike tonight. The bike was fine at first, then flickering started again when the bike was beginning to run out of fuel and about ready to go onto reserve. The tickover rpm was erratic at this point and bouncing around 800 rpm (having previously set it at 900-920). I switched to reserve and the rpm steadied at 900 and the flickering stopped. I refuelled the bike and the rpm came up to 1000 rock steady. I put the bike in gear and with the bike stationary I used the clutch to pull the revs right down to 700 and there was no flickering at all. I thought about this and connected it with another issue I’ve had where the carbs have not been able to pull fuel from the tank fast enough to keep the bike going at 70 with the throttle wide open (long dual carriageway near me over a big hill). At first I though this might be a blocked tank breather but that wasn’t the case and there was no vacuum in the tank.

So putting this lot together, I’m now wondering if the fuel tap strainer is blocked and restricting the flow. This could conceivably be causing both issues. The tickover one being the carbs not being able to pull fuel from the tank when the fuel level in the tank is low and the bike then almost dying on tickover, but the rev counter only showing an erratic idle. The high speed one being the float bowls emptying when the throttle is wide open for a long period. I know it sounds like I’m clutching at straws but how else do you explain the flickering completely going away with a full tank of fuel, even when the revs are artificially pulled down to a super slow tickover. I did this test a few times tonight and it was repeatable every time.

I’m going to drain the tank tomorrow and check for blockages

mikeyboy · Jul 15, 2021

Hope you sort things,
Get a pressure gauge on it at some point to check all is well and give peace of mind.

Tickover speed

Well-known member

getting away with it so far!

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

What a waste.

Well-known member

Well-known member

getting away with it so far!

Dogsbody

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Similar threads