Had a couple recent limp mode start-ups. Always on cold start but no other correlation besides that.
However, I did notice something as it happened 2 mornings in a row. The turnover upon ignition was different with limp mode starts. Normally, the intial turnover is a bit higher than idle rpm- it fires up a bit high and settles into cold idle rpm. I noticed on both limp mode starts, it fired up very low and muffled and stepped up to cold idle rpm.
I'm guessing maybe this low stumble light off trips an internal fail safe and sets the low power mode. I never get a CEL and a quick running restart always clears it. I don't believe I've ever gotten a subsequent limp mode start after the bike has been run once for the day.
So, I can only guess that it could be how the bike is shutdown that sets it up for this bad ignition. I usually kill the bike early on the roll into a parking spot with the thumb kill switch. Why- because I saw somebody do it many years ago and I thought it was cool...nevermind that part. I always use the kill switch regardless of when I kill the engine. Does it have something to do with how the pistons/valves line-up upon shutdown? Other possibility is throttle pick-ups, as my tech suggested.
Some of you smart guys get in on this. I'm talking to you, Zippy.