Low RPM assist

[STORMY]

This evening I went for a ride and once again right out of the blue, the bike stalled on a low speed right hand turn after moving from a stop at a junction, on narrow residential roads. I just about held the dam thing up, this has happened before literally only about 3 or 4 times over the space of 12 months. It’s difficult to tell if the low RPM assist stops working and catches me out, or it’s malfunctioning and causing the issue, or something else entirely?
This is an actual thing having checked around the net and I was wondering if anybody else has suffered from the same problem / remedy - other than selling it?
Personally if there was a switch to turn it off, it would be off
I should point out the bike had been warmed up before riding, and this took place about a quarter of a mile after starting out.

[porter]

Nice to hear something's never change! Mine is the older 2014 1000 and it done this all the time, me and the wife ended up in a heep in an car park because of it. I almost sold it but I was going to loose a fortune. Anyway a x-tre helped no end to smooth it out then a new ecu a year later and it's not done it since. I would still be careful though when the engine is cold.
Don't think I've seen anything about a tre fitted to the 17 on models, maybe look into this or a boosterplug. Failing that I'm sure a power commander or reflash would sort it out but neither are cheap.

[Mr Nick]

Sounds like the best way to treat that system is to work on the premise that you don't have it: more revs & slip clutch as we've all had to learn.

[STORMY]

@ Porter, not just me then, I think if I’d been two up we’d have definitely hit the deck a real confidence loser sadly.
@ Mr Nick That’s the obvious solution, but when it happens I’m already giving it a normal throttle, I’m not going to change that consciously because riding a bike / driving a car is something we don’t think about - we just do it unless you’re really going for it - and that’s when it nails you.

[Brockett]

I have low RPM assist on my SV and it works a treat I can pull away from a standing start with my right had off the bar although the handbook does not mention it at all.     Check your tickover speed is within the range shown in your handbook as I suspect ( but don't know for sure) the low RPM assist system regulates minimum RPM to the tickover speed.   

Maybe visit your local dealer, if they are any good, and have a chat with the workshop folk.

Sorry to hear your story  -  easy for an intermittent fault like that you dump you in the road and then hide out of sight for weeks to catch you again later. If you can get enough owners with the same problem together then contact Suzuki and demand action. If as you say it is a "thing" then it needs a recall.

[STORMY]

@ Brockett It’s idling speed is spot on I’m fairly sure this is electronic when the engine cuts there is zero warning and it cuts dead, the overall performance of the bike in all other aspects is excellent. The problem is replicating the fault, it’s very sporadic I’m not sure a dealer would find it unless they can somehow plug the bike in and detect it from stored information? Although in the end it’s probably going to end up in a dealers or on Autotrader, if doesn’t send me under a bus in the meantime .......

[Rusty Nuts]

Can you remember what road speed, what revs and what gear this happens?

[Gassoon]

Is it always on a slow speed turn? Maybe turning the bars?

[STORMY]

@ Rusty N - always under 20 mph, around 3000 or less (guessing here because I’m looking at the road etc), typically pulling off from rest normal riding. Just to add some contrast  - decelerating from high speed on the A27 (dual carriageway) in preparation for a roundabout. Speed dropping to around 25mph (heavy traffic), banked over, I got the gearing totally wrong (too higher a gear), the bike happily chucked away no misfiring back on the straight opened up - perfect

[STORMY]

@ Gassoon Crossed my mind especially following the fitting of bar backs, but it does seem to happen on right and left hand turns

[SimonD]

I had my bike cut out starting off in 1st about a mile from home. I shrugged thinking I haven't stalled the bike setting off for such a long time. It was seeing this thread that I was reminded of low RPM assist being a function of my new bike.....or not.

[porter]

Stormy this is exactly how my bike was from new. It would stall just about 2200rpm and cough into the airbox regularly but not stall. Might only stall once every few weeks but always at the wrong time. Dealer was useless but the bikes where only out then.
Through this forum I learned other folk where having the same issues and that a x-tre helped, there where no power commanders etc back then for the new model. I was for selling mine but was losing 3k so tried the tre and all has been well since.
I thought all this was fixed on the 2017 face lifted  bikes, seems there's still the odd rouge bike out there.
Look into the tre for your year model or get a boosterplug, I know they make one for the 17. There both not overly expensive and might work fine for you, if not Ebay them on for something back. I hope you get to the bottom of it.
Ps didn't you have the bike apart recently? Any chance you missed something? Just a thought.

[STORMY]

So this afternoon I went for a 100 mile shakedown of the bike following a recent service / rad off etc., just seeing if my handiwork was up to it - leaks etc. I’ve also dispensed with chain wax and brake cleaner in favour of paraffin and gear oil (this is how I cleaned chains 40 years ago) much kinder to the chain (felt smoother).
I rode the bike hard & fast, slow & easy on a variety of roads motorways/urban/A&B roads - tested the RPM assist I.e. no throttle / clutch only on a quiet country lane going up a slight incline - faultless absolutely nothing went wrong. No missing or fluffing, high gear low rev pick up perfect.
It hasn’t gone away (I suspect), so for now I’ll be changing how I ride from rest especially when it’s cold. It is bloody annoying because when the bike runs like it did today you realise how good they are
 

[STORMY]

@ Porter I nearly purchased a Booster Plug about a year ago mainly to try and solve the snatchy low speed character of the bike (runs lean) - I might go for one of those or a TRE. I think everything I did on the bike checks out after today’s ride it was after all basic service items, and everything seems to be working just fine.
Appreciate your feedback / suggestions  by the way 

[Ian P]

I had a similar issue on my K8 650, it turned out the TPS was slightly out of spec.
after I changed the TPS no further problems in the last 12,000 Kms or so.
might be worth a look 

[STORMY]

@ Ian P, On the later model 1000 that’s a dealer only check re the TPS I did ask the dealer to check last September (MOT Time) - he said they rarely go out of sync on the later models but would check.......hmm
I think if it was out I’d probably experience some other issues but the bike really does run rather well - apart from this.

[Gert]

A thought, which may or may not be relevant, from which year and on which model V-Strom was the ABS cornering / lean function introduced? Perhaps something similar to  https://motofomo.com/motorcycles-with-cornering-abs-imu/. Could it be that there is too much braking drag, caused by the ABS cornering system, enough to stall the motor? 

[UK_Vstrom650]

I think it's important that all these issues get reported to Suzuki via a dealership. Even if the mechanics say they can't find anything wrong, insist Suzuki are made aware so if there's lots of people with the same issue they will do something about it. This sounds similar to the issues on the 2014+ 1000, which eventually led to ECU swaps.

[STORMY]

@ Gert my bike was literally one of the first DL1000’s to have cornering ABS, first registered May 17 it was P&H’s demo bike (when I purchased it in 2019 it had only covered just over 200 miles in a two year period, so not very popular). Fairly sure this isn’t the issue because I’m not touching brakes, so slowing down to turn right or left I’ve never experienced a problem - it’s always from rest probably at around 10’ish mph on a shallow turn.

[STORMY]

@ UK_VStrom 650 - I agree, but the cynic in me says that Suzuki already know about this and providing the numbers aren’t massive they’ll keep quiet and save money.