Looked into adjusting the idle speed of the bike today as it ends up near 2500-3000rpm once warm. which makes stop start traffic a little stressful.

The left of the two screws turns the whole cable (cover and cable) not just the internal bits it is supposed to. Not sure if the throttle body end is free either at the moment. I don't know if the end that goes into the bottom of the left chamber is rusted in place inside the throttle body, but I will presume it will need freeing up also.

I've sprayed both ends with WD40 to penetrate for a while I ask around for advice and if I'm very lucky an alternative part or part number.

Any suggestions welcome.

I presume that you are trying to adjust the fast idle cable? It sounds like the steel ferrule on the end of the cable has rusted and seized into the adjuster. Use a releasing fluid then grip the end of the cable with a pair of pliers as near to the adjuster as possible and use another pair of pliers to turn the adjuster. You might want to place a piece of cloth over the adjuster so that the pliers don't mark it.
The fast idle lever is not for setting the idle speed, that is done in the throttle body set up, but to raise the idle speed for cold starting and moved back to the minimum position once the engine has warmed up.

Also check to make sure there is clearance between the radiator hose when hot and the fast idle assembly.

Good point Higgy. I'd forgotten about that possibility.

Just so I'm sure we're talking about the same item... the piece I am referring to is number 1 in the diagram below.

Items 1 and 2 are the air bleed screws. They are for setting the CO and throttle body balance at idle. They will affect the idle speed but that's not their intended purpose.
I suggest you read this article on how to set up the throttle bodies : http://www.bikeboy.org/ducati2vthrottleb.html

Ok, I had bad advice from a ducati mechanic.



I shall do that now, thank you

demidesmo,
The guys above are spot on. Those are not the idle screws. I believe to access the idle screw you can gain access from the front opening of the fairing on the left side. You will need a long extension on a nut driver to make it work.
The coolant hose swells when it gets hot and presses against the nut on the end of the throttle bodies shaft that the butterflies are on. You will need a couple of BIG/THICK zip ties and pull tight when the hose is cold so that when the hose gets hot, it can only swell as big as the zip ties will let it, thus keeping it off the shaft nut.
Experience.

I'd noticed the hose dragging on the end of the carb shaft and added one cable tie already... but I wasn't too sure if that was the cause of the reluctant rpm drop. I'll get back in there and add another, but there's really very little room even with it compressed.
I do still have to adjust the idle speed anyway, as it still starts around 2000rpm

cheers

I used 2 wide zip ties on my bike. The kind heating and air condition installers use on round duct work. It doesn't keep the hose completely clear of the nut but evidently takes enough pressure off the nut.
My bike would not idle down after it warmed up. Worked fine when it was cold.

When I adjusted my throttle bodies (I did the whole procedure as outlined in a file on this site) there are 2 idle screws, one on each throttle body that sets the butterfly opening. The screw on the right throttle body is not accessible with the air box, filter, gas tank on the bike. You also cannot do the complete throttle body sync with the gas tank on. You would have to set the tank on the bench and run long gas line hoses to the bike so that you can access everything while running the engine.
Anyway, I drilled a small hole in the air box for access over the right throttle body idle screw which aims up. After I obtained throttle body balance and sync, I put a rubber plug in the hole that I drilled to seal it. I then use the left throttle body idle screw (it aims forward) as the "master" set screw for idle speed adjustment. The left throttle body idle screw is actually accessible from the front under the fairing by the forks using a long extension or extensions to set your idle speed. This set screw is a stop screw for the butterflies of the throttle bodies.
du907