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2K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Chris680 
#1 ·
I took my 2008 700 Alp out today for a 30--40 miles run seeing as the sun was shining, at last. After a not too hard a thrashing whilst heading home I rode through the local town. Whilst amongst the slow traffic I thought it sounded a bit lumpy once or twice. A quick blip of the throttle seemed to clear it. I had to stop at a set of lights and whilst ticking over the engine gave a bit of a cough and stalled. A quick press on the starter button soon got the old girl going again but it did the same at the next set of lights. Riding the last 4-5 miles home I gave it a bit of welly and once I got home I left it on the drive for a few minutes ticking over. No problem. The bike has done around 24000 miles and has been decatted. It has happened in the past and I put it down to crap petrol. What do you reckon?

Nick.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Could be a number of things. Old-ish fuel is one. Original (not great in the first place) spark plug caps is another - replace with NGKs and you're golden.

Something else it could be is a sticking IACV (Idle Air Control Valve). I had similar symptoms on my 700 Alp a couple of years ago. What cured it temporarily was turning the ignition off, waiting a few seconds and then turning it on again - you'll hear the whirring of the fuel pump, and also during the switch on routine, the IACV is cycled through its full range of movement. If it's sticking a bit this will help free it up. You'll notice the IACV is working properly if you put the bike in gear, hold the bike on the brakes, and then very slowly let out the clutch out. If the IACV is working well, it'll gradually open to try and maintain the engine revs against the drag of the clutch (it'll only do so much, but you'll definitely notice it working and the engine pulling more to balance the drag and keep the idle speed up without you having to even touch the throttle). As you let out the clutch further, the engine will then begin to slow down and stall. However, if the IACV is sticking, the engine will bog with even the slightest drag from the clutch. The IACV can be replaced, but it's a biggish job - it's fitted into the throttle bodies - and it's not cheap. In my case, replacement hasn't been necessary.

The longer term remedy just seems to be using the bike regularly - so that the IACV gets opened and closed more often - and using decent fuel. I still occasioanlly notice that mine can be a little temperamental at the start of the season, but a bit of regular use and fresh fuel going through the system seems to sort it.

Hope this helps.
 
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