This howto is also on kawiforums
Bike: 06 ER6F.
Difficulty: Easy
Tools required: wd40, hex key set to remove fairing, screwdriver set (flat head and cross)
Issue
Idle was quite low, roughly around 800rpm and it was causing the bike to cut out on occasion at a stand still.
It should be around 1250 – 1350 so I went to adjust the idle and it would not budge, it was not rotating either way.
Solution
Remove the lower cowling and then the top fairing. Be careful to detach the indicator wire before removing it fully and take care not to scratch the fairing or cowling.
The image below shows the location of the throttle body and where the actual adjustment takes place.
The arrow on the left in the image below shows the pin; which when extending, adjusts the air intake to let more air in on idle. If you twist your throttle (with ignition off) it will make more sense as you will see the cable rotate the wheel (in the direction of the arrow to the right). Take a picture for reference just like the one below.
To solve the issue, apply some wd 40 to the spring (the one the screwdriver is resting on) and place a flat head screwdriver in between the spring sections and just rotate the screwdriver slightly to flex the spring.
Apply some wd 40 to the pin area and also squirt some down the rubber hose where the thumb screw is. Keep the cable raised maybe with some string or something and let the wd40 trickle down overnight.
Then use a small wire brush (roughly toothbrush size) on the springs and the pin to remove any rust or grime. Applying wd 40 over several days and giving it a scrub may be the safest option if it’s a really bad case to avoid any damage (it’s what I did).
That should basically be it, with those steps, it should mean the idle cable moves freely.
it’s not complicated by any means but the thing is so small and delicate I took the slow and steady route to lessen the risk of any damage.
At this point, the cable should be rotating and you will notice the pin moving in and out of the housing. The pin only needs to extend by a roughly a millimeter or so only a minor change will cause the bike to increase it’s idle by a few hundred rpm. It’s best to take it steady with the adjustments. That’s why it’s good to use the reference picture you took earlier in case you need to reset the pin position.
If you have this issue, I hope this helps! Thanks for reading.