Hey all,

I bought an '02 about a month ago. Only 4000 miles on it...the price was right.
Took it out for a test drive, but there was nowhere near I could bring it up to full highway speeds 60+
I did run it thru all the gears, and screamed down the residential streets up to about 50-55.
All good...so I bought it.
However, at highway speeds above 65...the vibration in the handlebars especially is simply unbearable.

Now, a little background. A few years ago when I joined this forum, I had just purchased a '96 Savage with 8500 miles on it. I have since sold that bike, but I never noticed anything problematic in terms of vibration on that bike so I know the vibration on this bike is just plain wrong.

So, since I just bought the '02, I wanted to eliminate some of the usual suspects. Bought new tires, and had the front tire trued. They told me the front tire was WAY out of whack like someone must have hit a curb with it.

No change with the vibration...still bad.

I can exclude tires etc because I can get the bike up to 70 or so, pull in the clutch, drop the throttle and it coasts smooth as glass.

Gotta be something to do with the engine and RPMs because even at a dead stop, in neutral, crank the throttle, after it gets to a certain point my teeth are chattering.

So, engine right ?

The shop said they checked the engine mounts, but I know they never pulled the tank, so aren't there some mounts they couldn't have checked easily?

Help me out here guys. I don't wanna have to wear a mouth guard while I'm driving to avoid chipping teeth !  

Serowbot wrote on 06/24/11 at 11:02:51:


The vibration is mainly in the handlebars, only a little in the feet.
The muffler is stock. For that matter, from what I can tell and what the previous owner said, everything is stock.

Mattdw wrote on 06/24/11 at 10:52:04:

I agree, it's the engine.

Bingo, idiot's didn't check the most likely cause.

A little background so you know why.

Engines vibrate, didn't know that did ya.
Counter balencer cancells out some of the vibration.
We are most sensitive to verticle vibes, so the CB is designed to take these out.  Fore and aft vibes we really don't notice them nearly as well.  Now here's the important bit, when the top mounts are loose, it allows the bolts to move and bang against the holes.  This is what you are feeling... the impacts.  Now I'm assuming you have a stock bar with the weights in them.  You can put different bars on and the vibes will change, I don't think they're bad, just more than the weighted bars.

So tighten up the top mount and it should be better.

This also works with the footpegs, yeah they vibrate, but when you notice more, you need to tighten the lower motor mounts.

You bet.

you don't throw rocks do you?
Jk.
stinger wrote on 06/25/11 at 02:07:43:

Happy Camper
Happy Camper
Happy Camper
Happy Camper
Happy Camper

Did I mention Happy Camper ?  

Took the seat off, took the tank off...DREADING that the top engine mount bolts were actually good and tight and my vibration problem was elsewhere.

But...the topmost bold was rattling in the hole...loose as can be.

YAY

Tightened it all up, and everything else up there and...

VOILA

No more excessive vibration at speeds over 60.

Today...is a great day!

Now you should ask for your money back from the mechanics. Saying they'll check your engine mounts, and not finding the problem. Then you go and find out the problem is caused by a loose mount...