990 Adventure Baja Throttle Cable Adjustment / Freeplay ???

So, I have a new Baja and picked up a KTM Branded G2 Throttle Tamer/Cam because I was unhappy with the throttle response/snatch and loose fitting original plastic tube.

When I finished the installation, I noticed there was a signifiant amount of extra free play in the throttle cables. The G2 instructions and Youtube installation videos as well as some KTM forums all say to simply adjust the free play out at the barrel nuts by the throttle throttle tube itself.

------------- HOWEVER ---------------

I've also been reading that in order to take out ANY slack, you have to connect the bike to a KTM diagnostic tool or TUNE ECU to set the throttle stepper motor the basic position.



SO HERE'S THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION: Do you really have to hook a computer up to the bike to simply fine tune some free play out of the throttle cables??!! What if you were on a RTW trip and the throttle cables stretch enough through normal usage to warrant an adjustment? Are you supposed to find a KTM Dealer in Peru with a diagnostic computer to take out a little bit of slack? That seems a little ridiculous.

So, do we have a consensus? What have you guys done?

I fitted same g2 throttle and then adjusted out the slack without hooking up to a computer. Be sure to leave a little slack and it should be ok. I'm sure this has been hashed out before and some will say it ha to be hooked up. But mine runs sweet.

Well, I looked at about 12 different threads in different KTM forums and here as well. Most of the threads ended unanswered, or got so off topic that they became a rabbit hole. I was hoping to make one definitive thread on throttle cables and call it a day.

I ended up talking with a buddy last night who's very knowledgeable on the 990's. It's his POV that minor changes to the throttle cables can be accomplished via the barrel nut adjusters without having to plug in. He believes the above procedure is used to reset the zero point for the throttle at rest, unless the cables are over tightened causing the throttle to never fall to zero...which is something I think some guys do...hence the complaints of "high idle" after throttle cable adjustment.

I ended up going with his recommendation and taking out the slack via the barrel nut adjustment points. I adjusted so that there was just a tiny bit bit of freeplay, but otherwise tight. Took it out today and it rode just fine...much much better throttle response too! Took out some of the herky jerky I was experiencing.

i had the same fears as you did and pretty much did the same, carefully adjusted the cable leaving just a bit more slack than i would have normally.

this was 1200km ago, bike is a 2012 with R map (factory), all seems well , throttle is smooth not jerky, can feel the quicker response but no apparent negative effects.

When you say "taking out the slack via the barrel nut adjustment points" I assume you mean adjusting the cable at the handle bar adjustments. That said I use TuneECU "adjust throttle feature" to retract the throttle to full closed and then adjust the slack using the "barrel nut adjustment points" at the handlebar.

I am only hoping that is the correct procedure even though I cannot get my bike to run correctly with any adjustment recently!!

Notice the order of those steps in the owners manual?
First center the bars, then set the "basic position" using the computer/diagnostic tool. I read that as the idle setting. Then you are free to have as much or as little play in the cables.
If for instance you took all the play out of the cable with the motor off and maybe just a hair more. Then hooked up the computer you'd have a high idle that the steppers would not be happy about.
Back in the old carb days a guy would fire up his bike from cold, notice the thing was not idling right or there was a bunch of play in the throttle cable and fiddle with the slack.
A few miles later he gets to a stop sign and his bike is idling at about two grand.
He goes batshit crazy on his mechanic who quickly figures out Ronny the wrench has fiddled with the slack. The bright mechanic shows Ronny the error, so that it occurs to ol' Ron that he has been a bumpkin.

I fitted the G2, and I've taken out most of the slack for control. It's been like that for almost 13,000 miles now.
I just ride it and wear out tires.

I used TuneECU (free) to set the throttles to zero then adjust the cables. I wouldn't expect to find a KTM dealer in the jungles of Peru or in the middle of the desert so I adjust it at home before I go. Actually only once in four years. Seems easy enough and only took 10 min.

So, I was going to do the exact same thing. I ordered the cable and downloaded the Tune ECU software, but got derailed after that. Plugged the cable into the laptop and got the, "No Driver Found" message for the cable. Great. Went back, re-read the instructions, tried manually selecting a driver...no dice. Went to Tune ECU's very disorganized website to find a driver and there were like, 15 different drivers listed! Ugh. Followed all the links and just kept running into more disorganized lists of drivers...very little description given...IE, if you're running Windows XP, use one of these three. Windows 7, use these two. Windows 8, use these four. Nope. Just a hodgepodge pile of driver links.

I gave up after an hour of trying to install and uninstall drivers on a trial-and-error basis. I keep hearing great things about Tune ECU, but the website is a bit of a mess.

I agree. I had some help from a semi-local friend who is experienced of what the connector interface requires.
http://www.tuneecu.com/TuneECU_En/install1.html

We found what I needed for the Windows WhatEverTheHell is on the laptop I use.
It has been a while so I don't remember a lot of the pain. :huh