The RTV-XG850 Throttle Design Flaw - any Fixes?

[FTG-05]

As I wrote on TBN a few minutes ago:

I consider it a major safety issue, personally. I was ready and - I thought prepared - for it and I was still surprised by it. It is very easy to have an out of control forward or rearward acceleration with this thing. Furthermore, doing fine work - like spraying around buildings, trees etc. or moving it to service it on the rack - is extremely difficult and frustrating.

There is simply no excuse for this condition to still exist after almost 3 years of production. There is simply no excuse for having such a sensitive throttle that it's almost impossible to have controlled and steady 1-5 mph operation.

A replacement foot pedal is $35 from Messicks (plus their outrageous shipping cost); I might just buy one to experiment with to see if I can seriously reduce the pedal sensitivity. One solution I've heard is to simply replace the return spring with a stronger spring. That's the first thing I'm going to do.

One way or another, this "twitchy" foot pedal design flaw is going to be fixed. As it is right now, there is no way I'm going to let anyone else drive this machine. While it probably isn't dangerous to a human (especially if they are seat belted) it sure as heck is dangerous to my brand new $20,000 machine!


This is ridiculous.

 

[Len 900]

My jd gator had the same issue. Could not hold a steady speed going through a field. JD came out with what they called a "rough terrain kit". It was not a recall, you had to complain then my dealer installed it free and it worked well. It was a damper assembly that mounted above the gas pedal. Some of the jumpiness is the nature of a belt drive torque converter. The clutch has to snap onto the belt at a certain rpm with enough force that it doesn't slip and burn it . Setting up the clutch is a compromise with variables such as engine torque and vehicle weigh. If you changed tire size that could magnify the effect too.

 

[Len 900]

john deere still makes the kit. You did not have to be on rough terrain for it to be a problem. I think jd came up with that just to cover their butt from a recall. It should be standard on all centrifugal clutch vehicles.

 

[hondajoe]

Well this is common problem with sxs.First you can cut a piece of wood where your foot rests to raise your foot better angle.Or you can see if throttle max makes a pedal for it.Or you can make one from a 8" barn door hinge thats what i did works very well and is 8 bucks JOE

 

[FTG-05]

Well this is common problem with sxs.First you can cut a piece of wood where your foot rests to raise your foot better angle.Or you can see if throttle max makes a pedal for it.Or you can make one from a 8" barn door hinge thats what i did works very well and is 8 bucks JOE

Got any pics of the 8" barn door hinge solution?

Thanks!

 

[FTG-05]

Well this is common problem with sxs.First you can cut a piece of wood where your foot rests to raise your foot better angle.Or you can see if throttle max makes a pedal for it.Or you can make one from a 8" barn door hinge thats what i did works very well and is 8 bucks JOE

Turns out you're right, this appears to be a common problem. Went to the Throttle Maxx site - and of course - there's nothing shown for any Kubotas. [insert "There's a Big Forking Surprise!".gif here].

However, what I did find was a bunch of TM videos showing their various +$90 pedal mods being installed. Pretty simple concept.

Thanks for the info!!!

 

[FTG-05]

Step #1: Replace the 3/4x4" x .08 wire ga spring with the equivalent but .11 wire ga spring; OEM spring is on top, replacement spring in the middle.



Comparison of OEM vs. replacement spring as installed:



Step #2: Make a Throttle-Maxx-type pedal extension out of a $8 barn door hinge:







The spring replacement alone was a good upgrade and well worth it for ~$3 and the 1 minute it took to install it. Far less jumpy and I felt I had more control. The TM-type hinged pedal upgrade is the shiznit. Far better foot angle, far better control.

Biggest complaint I have with the XG850 pretty much solved! I like it!


ETA: Why is the software changing the orientation of my pics (1st and 2nd to last)? How do I fix?

 

[man00]

I called in to Kubota (tel:888-458-2682) today and asked about the throttle issue. The guy on other end was nice and all
he said they are aware of the issue and are working on it. I mention that I thought it was a safety issue. Then you could hear a pin drop
he wouldn't talk about that, but did say once a fix was out there it could fall to owners to pay for the fix..not sure about that just yet.
I would call in if you feel the need but the dealer fix isn't worth the messing with...IMO

 

[hondajoe]

Well i took pictures but cant fiqure out how to post them.Iam glad you went to there wed site.Your concept is perfect match to mine.Just make sure your hinge pivot is good and loose.Your foot should be able to throttle almost flat to floor i like mine but if you read reviews its about a 50/50 mix if others like them.JOE

 

[Ohio_Pawpaw_Grower]

Step #1: Replace the 3/4x4" x .08 wire ga spring with the equivalent but .11 wire ga spring; OEM spring is on top, replacement spring in the middle.

View attachment 13039

Comparison of OEM vs. replacement spring as installed:

View attachment 13040

Step #2: Make a Throttle-Maxx-type pedal extension out of a $8 barn door hinge:

View attachment 13041

View attachment 13042

View attachment 13043

The spring replacement alone was a good upgrade and well worth it for ~$3 and the 1 minute it took to install it. Far less jumpy and I felt I had more control. The TM-type hinged pedal upgrade is the shiznit. Far better foot angle, far better control.

Biggest complaint I have with the XG850 pretty much solved! I like it!


ETA: Why is the software changing the orientation of my pics (1st and 2nd to last)? How do I fix?

I am constantly surprised by the ingenuity of folks on this site. Kubota will probably come along with a fix for this soon. And it would not surprise me if it was real close to this field-engineered fix. Very well done.

 

[FTG-05]

Well i took pictures but cant fiqure out how to post them.Iam glad you went to there wed site.Your concept is perfect match to mine.Just make sure your hinge pivot is good and loose.Your foot should be able to throttle almost flat to floor i like mine but if you read reviews its about a 50/50 mix if others like them.JOE

My hinge had some slight resistance - which I think was good. Part of the problem with the OEM pedal is the lack of resistance. Hence, your only real feedback on where your foot is and how far you've pressed it is the position of your foot. Along with a stiffer/stronger spring, plus some resistance by the hinge, I have better control with better feedback, plus it slows the foot velocity down, reducing the "twitchiness" quite a bit.

The goodness, of course, is that now I can place my foot almost flat on the floor while pressing, giving me foot support; before it seemed like the my foot was just hanging in mid air, meaning every little bump caused the foot to up and down, i.e. very little control over the throttle input.

 

[FTG-05]

Some people have asked about the Throttle Maxx videos. Someone posted their name and I simply googled/DDG'd it, and found their site: https://throttlemaxx.com/

And then I went on YT and watched a half dozen of their videos; watch a couple and you'll see how simple their idea really is: https://www.youtube.com/user/ThorkildW/videos

 

[man00]

Some people have asked about the Throttle Maxx videos. Someone posted their name and I simply googled/DDG'd it, and found their site: https://throttlemaxx.com/

And then I went on YT and watched a half dozen of their videos; watch a couple and you'll see how simple their idea really is: https://www.youtube.com/user/ThorkildW/videos

Thanks

 

[ItBmine]

Interesting FTG-05. Good job, glad it worked.

I gotta try one next time I am at my dealer.

 

[man00]

My hinge had some slight resistance - which I think was good. Part of the problem with the OEM pedal is the lack of resistance. Hence, your only real feedback on where your foot is and how far you've pressed it is the position of your foot. Along with a stiffer/stronger spring, plus some resistance by the hinge, I have better control with better feedback, plus it slows the foot velocity down, reducing the "twitchiness" quite a bit.

The goodness, of course, is that now I can place my foot almost flat on the floor while pressing, giving me foot support; before it seemed like the my foot was just hanging in mid air, meaning every little bump caused the foot to up and down, i.e. very little control over the throttle input.

Can I ask where you got the spring replacement ? I found one in Houston,TX but they wanted 26.41 for shipping

 

[FTG-05]

Can I ask where you got the spring replacement ? I found one in Houston,TX but they wanted 26.41 for shipping

The local hardware store. I forget the specs right now, but I got two of them. .11x3.5 perhaps? The OEM is .09 spring diameter IRC.

 

[VT RTV900 Owner]

As I wrote on TBN a few minutes ago:

I consider it a major safety issue, personally. I was ready and - I thought prepared - for it and I was still surprised by it. It is very easy to have an out of control forward or rearward acceleration with this thing. Furthermore, doing fine work - like spraying around buildings, trees etc. or moving it to service it on the rack - is extremely difficult and frustrating.

There is simply no excuse for this condition to still exist after almost 3 years of production. There is simply no excuse for having such a sensitive throttle that it's almost impossible to have controlled and steady 1-5 mph operation.

A replacement foot pedal is $35 from Messicks (plus their outrageous shipping cost); I might just buy one to experiment with to see if I can seriously reduce the pedal sensitivity. One solution I've heard is to simply replace the return spring with a stronger spring. That's the first thing I'm going to do.

One way or another, this "twitchy" foot pedal design flaw is going to be fixed. As it is right now, there is no way I'm going to let anyone else drive this machine. While it probably isn't dangerous to a human (especially if they are seat belted) it sure as heck is dangerous to my brand new $20,000 machine!


This is ridiculous.

I just made a POST about two incidents that happened to my wife. VT RTV900 Owner. Does "what happened to her" sound like the same problem you are talking about?

 

[man00]

I just made a POST about two incidents that happened to my wife. VT RTV900 Owner. Does "what happened to her" sound like the same problem you are talking about?

I called Kubota about this issue, was told they are aware of it and are working on it. He didn't know if or when a fix would be completed or if the owners would have to pay for any upgrade or repair. Mention the work safety and Kubota reps will not speak anymore. Did the same when I asked about the tailgate and bed extender, the bed extender will use the tailgate to be used for payload. I said how much weigh can the gate carry..he said none. YIKES..

 

[ItBmine]

I don't think they will take it as a safety issue because I know lots of people that love them and the instant throttle response.
Guess it all depends on what you are used to and your riding style?

I was going to go try one but my dealer is sold out. Was thinking of replacing my two Polaris Sportsman with one, and just having the 1100 and the 850.

 

[man00]

I don't think they will take it as a safety issue because I know lots of people that love them and the instant throttle response.
Guess it all depends on what you are used to and your riding style?

I was going to go try one but my dealer is sold out. Was thinking of replacing my two Polaris Sportsman with one, and just having the 1100 and the 850.

I dunno, if or when someone gets hurt or worse the courts will decide if it was a safety issue not Kubota