RTV X1140 Throttle

[MoCo]

When I purchased it, I knew it was slow, but I can only get it up to its theoretical top speed of 25mph (40 kmh) if going downhill. I wonder if I get full throttle opening when the accelerator pedal is pushed to the floor.
Can someone tell me where the throttle actuator is on the motor and if it has a cable adjustment for me to check? Thanks.

 

[lugbolt]

the service manual has a very specific set of instruction to adjust all of the "throttle" cables. It would be wise to follow them.

basically there is a lever on the side of the engine. Leave the engine turned OFF. Have an assistant hold the pedal to the floor. Grab the "throttle" lever and see if you can move it further. If you can, you might be able to adjust it slightly but you don't want it totally bottomed out on it's stop-just barely off of it (to account for cable and linkages). If you adjust so it's tight against the stop sometimes the cable will break. A throttle adjusted 1/8" off of the stop vs one with it on the stop is a difference of 1mph in my experience. More RPM doesn't overcome that transmission design.

25 going downhill is about right. The downside of HST, you never really get full speed but in a special set of circumstances....cold fluid, going downhill with the wind at your back, that's pretty much the only time. 18-20 mph typically on flat ground.

 

[MoCo]

Thanks for the excellent reply. Good advice and the answer to the question.
But you made me curious. My tractor's HST transmission doesn't seem to bog going uphill as much as the RTV1140. Is it my imagination? I have never understood how the HST works. I love it on the tractor with the foot pedal for forward and reverse, but on the RTV with the shifter, it is often very difficult to shift gears without having to blip the throttle or heavy application on the brake pedal to release the pressure on the transmission.

 

[lugbolt]

Thanks for the excellent reply. Good advice and the answer to the question.
But you made me curious. My tractor's HST transmission doesn't seem to bog going uphill as much as the RTV1140. Is it my imagination? I have never understood how the HST works. I love it on the tractor with the foot pedal for forward and reverse, but on the RTV with the shifter, it is often very difficult to shift gears without having to blip the throttle or heavy application on the brake pedal to release the pressure on the transmission.

because the RTV HST is a little bit different design.

By design, HST's either have high torque or high speed-not both. Tractors need torque not speed. RTV's need speed and not as much torque. So the RTV has a little bit of a weird design in that respect, kind of a hybrid between speed and torque--it doesn't do both very well, but it does somewhat work. I personally don't like an HST on a side-by-side UTV because of the many variables that affect how well they work, plus the expense. I can put a belt on a polaris in under an hour, trailside, for $200. You won't be fixing an HST for $200 on the trail's side. But they rarely break. When they do, though.....$$$$ (usually). Secondly fluid temps affect viscosity, so if you're pulling a lot with an RTV, the temp rises quickly and viscosity drops off like a rock. Then you have a gutless wonder. Until it cools down then it'll pull "normal" again. Because of that they have weird characteristics that tractors don't seem to have much of. I do notice some change in pulling power with a tractor hst after it gets hot but not nearly as much as an RTV, because again, of the design. They're just more sensitive to heat than tractors are.