New to me Benelli Tornado 900, idle issues

341 Views 15 Replies 5 Participants Last post by UpNorthWill, 1 d ago

max_novecento

Discussion Starter · 7 d ago

Hi,

After reading in this forum for the past few days I decided to make a Post.

Last weekend I got myself a Benelli Tornado 900, which was sitting for the past 10 years or so after the previous owner dropped it resulting in a broken steering bar. I changed the oil, coolant, fixed up the steering, and put some new tires on. Before trying to start it I put some oil in the cylinders and cranked the engine over. Because it was sitting for so long I had to also change the fuel pump, which was completely stuck, and clean the injectors. After that the bike startet right up. After doing a short testride I noticed the fork seals where leaking, which stoped after about 10km of riding. Another thing I noticed is that the bike tends to sometimes shut off if the clutch is pulled in while riding, if the bike is standing it idles just fine, even in gear. I've read that changing the injectors might solve this issue, but I'm unsure of which part number to get. ( Denso 25326903?). Any advice as to what else could be the reason is appreciated

.

Greetings from Germany,

Max

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tundraphile

· #2 · 6 d ago

Common problem. Some have had luck slightly raising the idle speed.
I just have gotten used to it.

Engenia

· #3 · 6 d ago

The problem is mainly due to the engine having been designed for racing. It can decelerate at a higher rate than the ECU/IACV can respond. So when you declutch from above idle, when the IACV is closed, opening the IACV to restore idle speed takes too long & it stalls. Ride by wire systems don't have this problem, and neither do rotary solenoid IACVs. If the ECU kept the IACV open all of the time, like that on my C4, it wouldn't happen, but then that would reduce the engine braking.
A few things you can do to improve it.

Synchronise the throttle bodies so that they all pull together.
adjust the idle a little rich, to make it more resilient
raise the idle speed from 1200 to 1300
learn to hold the throttle just slightly open as it transitions to idle, before closing it. That's a skill.
you could open all of the bypass screws a couple of turns, but that reduces the ability of the ECU to control the idle speed. I used to do it, but not now.
declutch at a lower rev
anticipate it happening so that you are ready to stab the starter when it happens. Nell always starts starts immediately.
changing to 12 hole injectors helped the 1130s, but I have them on my 900, and the improvement was marginal at best.

This is not just a Benelli problem btw. Many other bikes with stepper IACVs do it too. Even my mates old BMW F800 did it.

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max_novecento

Discussion Starter · #4 · 6 d ago

Thanks for the quick reply, I thought that might be the case, as the bike feels really happy otherwise. I feel like you could get used to it pretty quick, but I'm going to try raising the idle just a bit. If one of you could point me in the right direction as to how I would go about that I'd be very happy.

Engenia

· #5 · 6 d ago

TuneECU
You need to download the map, modify the idle map then upload it.

max_novecento

Discussion Starter · #6 · 6 d ago

Alright, I'll look into that. Thanks a lot.

UpNorthWill

· #7 · 5 d ago

+1 for what’s been said.

Also IIRC the stepper (IACV) can’t be found from triumph as a spare part from their 995i sprint, don’t quote me but I’m 90% sure that’s where I got my replacement (same throttle bodies)

This then installed and correctly set using TuneECU and resetting the TPS will see you a lot better.

I had no idle issues after doing this for the 3 years until I sold mine.

Other option is to get the metal plunger Stepper motor off the 1130 TRE or the 900 TNT- bit harder to source though

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tundraphile

· #8 · 5 d ago

Interesting point
I had an ‘02 Daytona back in the day. Same Sagem FI
I don’t remember it running anything but flawlessly

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max_novecento

Discussion Starter · #9 · 5 d ago

Very interesting, I'll look into the triumph part. Thanks guys!

Engenia

· #10 · 5 d ago

tundraphile said:
I had an ‘02 Daytona back in the day. Same Sagem FI
I don’t remember it running anything but flawlessly

Very very different engine. The Triumph rotational inertia is a good deal higher, so it spools down slower, which gives the ECU the time it needs to move the stepper to where it needs to be, when it needs to be there.

tundraphile

· #11 · 4 d ago

Anyone ever try a heavier flywheel?

not the same thing but I put one on my YZ450 and it completely transformed it. Best $120 ever for that dirt bike

Engenia

· #12 · 4 d ago

That's exactly what I aim to do on my RXV550. Not so much a flywheel, but adding weight to the alternator. Those who have done it report a much easier bike to live with.
On the Tornado - nah. The other side of it spooling down so quickly, is its spooling up speed. I like that bit.

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FarCanalMan

· #13 · 4 d ago

Engenia said:
The other side of it spooling down so quickly, is its spooling up speed. I like that bit.

🍻👊🏻 A big fat aye aye Captain to that! 🤘🏻

UpNorthWill

· #14 · 4 d ago

Engenia said:
Very very different engine. The Triumph rotational inertia is a good deal higher, so it spools down slower, which gives the ECU the time it needs to move the stepper to where it needs to be, when it needs to be there.

Same throttle bodies though, worth adding to the parts page (cannot remember if I did or not years back)

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Engenia

· #15 · 3 d ago

Same throttle bodies? Did not know that.

UpNorthWill

· #16 · 1 d ago

Engenia said:
Same throttle bodies? Did not know that.

Yeah, I was trawling through a local breakers many moons ago for throttle bodies to fit onto a 3 pot Suzuki car engine, noticed the branding and then the same TPS, then the stepper, balance pipes and yeah/ all the same.
Not 100% which year triumph they came off but they were in the 955i section.

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