Recomended Idle Speed or your own preference?

[Muscle Bike Rider]

Was talking to a guy on a 650 bandit at the tea hut near walthomstow today when i stopped for a cuppa after a quick blast, nice guy, bike very clean looked cared for etc. When I started mine up to set off he said my idle sounded to high, its set at 1250 as per the kawasaki handbook but he says he never takes any notice of that and sets it according to how it sounds the smoothest, his bandit was set at about 1050 but the recomended idle is 1250-1300? so my question is; can you do any damage having it set to low or is it bad for the bike in a minor way, do you set yours as recomended by manufacturer or by what you think is best?
My view is the manufacturer should know whats best.
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Previously Known As A5tra_G
Old Bikes :2010 Kawasaki ER6 F & 2000 Honda VTR Firestorm
Current Bike : XJR1300

[Wonko The Sane]

My bike starts easier if the tick over is set a little higher, but then once it's warmed up I find it's too high.

tick over should be adjusted when the bike is nice and warm.
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[Turkish]

'Where it sounds smoothest'? Is that a technical term?

Set it to the book, the dude is being a nob. I'm sure if Kawasaki wanted the idle speed to be set by aural dowsing stick they would have stated such.
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ZX-6R G2
CBR125R RW6

[numpty2]

I tend to set the idle higher than recommended on my bikes. It helps during the first few miles of cold running. I also think that a higher idle might get the oil pumped around quicker.

[Shreddie]

It partly depends on how your engine is running... If all your valve clearances are spot on and your carbs are balanced, you may be surprised how low you can set your tickover, though there's no point in setting it too low. Personally I tend to set mine about 100-150 rpm below what's recommended.

[Vracktal]

I have a 500cc twin, and the idle is set to 700 rpm. Seems to be happy like that so I leave it that way.
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2007 BMW R1200R: On road
2009 BMW G650X Challenge: On road
1975 Norton Commando 850: Off road, awaiting recommissioning

[Blau Zedong]

[Acemastr]

1300-1400 on mine, unless you're stunting I see no reason to raise it
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2017 KTM 350 XC-F - 2014 Yamaha R6 - 2005 Yamaha YZ125
2016 Toyota Tacoma Limited

[sidewinder]

Divvy is set 1200rpm as stated in the handbook
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[stonesie]

My ECU takes care of that, about 1400 cold down to 1200 once it warms up, I could use tune ecu to change it but cant see the point, a few more revs helps with hot starts

[Muscle Bike Rider]

Looks like most folk do the same as me and set by the handbook, mine states 1300 + or - 50 so I set at 1250. Manufacturer should know best I think.
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Previously Known As A5tra_G
Old Bikes :2010 Kawasaki ER6 F & 2000 Honda VTR Firestorm
Current Bike : XJR1300

[virus]

I prefer a slightly lower idle but have no tacho on the rat at the moment so I dont actually know what rpm it is. I always tend to go by the lowest idle when warm without the engine complaining.


Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[barrkel]

[Old Git Racing]

Set it to 3k then it doesn't hop the back going in to corners hard. ( only kidding, as per the manufacturers settings).

OGR
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2022 Tiger Sport 660 2019 Street Twin 2003 K3 gixxer 1000 1998 Srad 600 track hack

[Ariel Badger]

My bike does not tick, PITA of having to constantly blip the throttle to keep it going.
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