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[Muley]

I having some cruise control issues on the Pumpkin and wondering if anyone has had a similar problem. Started while riding on cruise got into some traffic and hit the brakes and cruise light goes from green to red but the Pumpkin keeps on trucking. I'm close to getting in a pinch so I just grab the clutch hit the kill switch and roll to stop on the side of the road. I turn the switch off and back on hit the start button and the rpms head for the red line. After killing it again I have to physically take the throttle and roll it back and you can feel it break loose. Works as advertised until I set the cruise and it's the same thing again even hit the main cruise switch keeps on trucking until I actually force the throttle back. There's never a problem until you use the cruise.

Not being a cruise control mechanic I take it to the dealer. After 2 days they call me back and say we can't find a problem works great. They did lube the throttle cable. I jump on it go for a spin works as advertised.  Then yesterday after riding about 45 min, in a nice long straight I test it again and throttle cable sticks, for a couple of test it sticks then it goes to where it's almost like dragging where when you hit the brake to turn off cruise it slowly releases. Then it's back to working as advertised the rest of the afternoon.

Anyone had a similar problem and if so what was the fix? How does the cruise actually work on this bastard?

[grc]

I having some cruise control issues on the Pumpkin and wondering if anyone has had a similar problem. Started while riding on cruise got into some traffic and hit the brakes and cruise light goes from green to red but the Pumpkin keeps on trucking. I'm close to getting in a pinch so I just grab the clutch hit the kill switch and roll to stop on the side of the road. I turn the switch off and back on hit the start button and the rpms head for the red line. After killing it again I have to physically take the throttle and roll it back and you can feel it break loose. Works as advertised until I set the cruise and it's the same thing again even hit the main cruise switch keeps on trucking until I actually force the throttle back. There's never a problem until you use the cruise.

Not being a cruise control mechanic I take it to the dealer. After 2 days they call me back and say we can't find a problem works great. They did lube the throttle cable. I jump on it go for a spin works as advertised.  Then yesterday after riding about 45 min, in a nice long straight I test it again and throttle cable sticks, for a couple of test it sticks then it goes to where it's almost like dragging where when you hit the brake to turn off cruise it slowly releases. Then it's back to working as advertised the rest of the afternoon.

Anyone had a similar problem and if so what was the fix? How does the cruise actually work on this bastard?

The cruise control on the older bikes without electronic throttle control have a separate module located under the left sidecover, similar to what the auto industry used to have decades ago.  Part of that module is a stepper motor and ribbon that pulls or releases the cruise cable to keep road speed at the set level.  Failures like yours could be electrical or mechanical in nature, but you might want to start out by making sure the actual cruise control cable isn't binding.  The cruise control has it's own throttle cable that runs from the module to the throttle body, so lubing the two main cables from the grip to the TB won't do anything for a sticking cruise cable.  Make sure the cable isn't kinked anywhere and moves freely in both directions.  If the cable isn't the culprit, I'd recommend finding a real technician who knows how to use the self diagnostics built in to the cruise module to see if he can find a fault in the module itself.

Jerry

[Muley]

Jerry,
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll tinker with the cruise cable and if that doesn't help I'll go on a technician search.

Joel

[Twolanerider]

From your description first guess would be the stepper cable.  That's the cable from the module to the bellcrank on the throttle body.  Think about the following:

Have you noticed that if after riding up a grade with the cruise control on that when then going downhill after completing the grade the bike gained speed with the cruise still on as you went back downhill.  If so that's a common early sign of a bad cable.

The cable gut binds in the cable housing.  Even if just a little.  If only just a little the module is strong enough to pull the cable a bit farther to give it more throttle to climb a hill.  Then when you've topped the grade the cable gut won't release so that extra throttle it gained to climb the hill is still applied. 

If you ever noticed anything like that change the cable.  They are easy to change and relatively inexpensive.  There is a handlebar control sequence you go through once the cable is changed to take the lash out and snug the new cable up where it belongs.  If you end up needing that procedure will be in the attachment to this post.

[Muley]

Thanks for the input guys, cable took care of the problem.

[Twolanerider]

Thanks for the input guys, cable took care of the problem.

Glad you had a relatively easy and pretty cheap fix.  Those are the best kind.