1150RT Vibration

[frenchwv]

I'm relatively new to RT ownership. I recently finished a 4000 mile ride over six days; I did a 1500 mile ride one day. Anyway, the only thing that seemed to bother me was the vibration at high speeds. I have a stock seat and I'm on the waiting list for a Russel day-long, but is there anything else I can do to the bike to minimize the vibration? Suspension perhaps?

[vizhip]

What kind of vibration did you notice ???

 

handle bars ? Tires ? front ? rear ? or just engine ???

 

Not that I can help any, but the guys here like to have a little more description of how a bike is acting, the year, the number of miles on the bike and the model (which you supplied) so that they can provide a better suggestion as to the cause...

 

Regards -

-Bob

[frenchwv]

It's a 2004 model. The engine vibration is incredibly strong through the seat and subsequently through my whole body. My body continued to vibrate after getting off the bike. I know vibration is a part of riding, but I wanted to know if there was anything (besides a saddle) I could do to the RT to minimize the vibration.

[Selden]

Obsessive attention to valve adjustment and throttle body sync can work wonders. I'm still amazed at the difference in vibration between what the dealer did (buzzy above 4500 rpms) and what I achieved after a few attempts.

[philbytx]

Start with the simple stuff first...

When was the last time you had a valve job/TBS done and who did it?

 

[boatzo]

Obsessive attention to valve adjustment and throttle body sync can work wonders. I'm still amazed at the difference in vibration between what the dealer did (buzzy above 4500 rpms) and what I achieved after a few attempts.

 

+1 here on what selden says.

[4wheeldog]

I have never felt discernable vibration through the seat of my '02. In general, if in reasonable tune, these bikes are quite acceptably smooth in the 3k to 5k rev range.......Which would equate to 60/100 mph in high gear.

Are you sure it is the motor? It sounds more like a rear tire badly out of balance to me.

[Mr. Frank]

I have the same year/model you do, and I've never experienced the kind of vibration you report, especially in the seat and pegs. If it persists after a valve adjust and throttle balance and maybe new plugs, look outside the engine -- tires, wheels, driveshaft. In 6th gear running at 70 my bike is quite smooth.

[frenchwv]

I have no clue about a valve adjustment. I had the 12,000 mile service done at the dealer back in May. I don't have the maintenance schedule in front of me so I'm not sure if they did a valve adjustment. I've noticed the vibration to be strongest at/above 4500 rpm.

[Selden]

I have no clue about a valve adjustment. I had the 12,000 mile service done at the dealer back in May. I don't have the maintenance schedule in front of me so I'm not sure if they did a valve adjustment. I've noticed the vibration to be strongest at/above 4500 rpm.

Just because the dealer did it, doesn't mean that it was done properly. Look for a tech day in your area, and learn how to do this (relatively simple) procedure yourself. You will save $300 every 6000 miles. It's absurd that boxers need valve adjustment/TB sync checked every 6000 miles, but that's another thread.

[effexer1]

I have the same bike also, and I have not noticed vibrations through the seat or foot pegs. The handle bars always vibrated at around 4000 rpm, but with a valve adjust and tb balance, it is not too bad. At about 35000 miles, even that smoothed out. I guess it is just getting broken in.

 

HOWEVER, I overfilled the crankcase when I changed the oil two weeks ago, and the vibration at the handle bars made my hands go numb in only 20 minutes. I took the oil level down to about 1/2 glass, and got my baby back!

 

Hi-jack: And I was disappointed in her top speed, only 115 mph in 6th. But I was playing with a Mustang last Friday, and I found that she'll do 110 in 4th, and 125 in 5th! What a rush!

[frenchwv]

HOWEVER, I overfilled the crankcase when I changed the oil two weeks ago, and the vibration at the handle bars made my hands go numb in only 20 minutes. I took the oil level down to about 1/2 glass, and got my baby back!

 

Hey. You might be on to something here. I overfilled as well. I had a hard time seeing the reading and accidentally overfilled.

[NoHeat]

The handle bars always vibrated at around 4000 rpm, but with a valve adjust and tb balance, it is not too bad.

 

Heavy bar-end weights, in combination with valve adjust and throttle-body syn, put an end to hand-numbing handlebar vibrations for me.

[Pierce]

Having ridden a R65, and then a R100RT, then going to my current R1150RT, I found that the oil heads in general are much buzzier than an air head. And I think I know why. On an air head you have that nice flexible frame to dampin the vibrations out. Yes it also has a heavier flywheel and more rotating mass in general. But the oil head has a much stiffer "frame" than the air heads and thusly does not dampin out the engine vibrations as much. Buzziness in the handle bars was the first thing I noticed when I picked up my bike from the dealership. It comes down to oil heads being inherently buzzy because of the stiffness of the chassis.

[ElevenFifty]

+1+1 on Selden's comment. You'll also find that, over time, the valve and TBS adjustments don't need to be done as often. I've been doing them every 6K but the last time I took the valve covers off and stuck the guages in, the valves were spot on. I hooked up my manometer to set the throttles and there was no adjustment required. Both these procedures are well documented and easy to do.

[Haynes]

Obsessive attention to valve adjustment and throttle body sync can work wonders. .....

 

++++1

Get with a friend who can lead you through this process and you'll be satisfied forever. Valve adjustments and throttle sync are procedures where you can be as anal as you like on getting it right and always get the rewards.