New boy needs a bit of advice

[wigs_1]

Can anyone help with some questions I have regarding my bike.
I’m a bit new to the whole Africa Twin thing, I’ve bought it as a 2nd bike to run around and travel big(ish) distances on because my GSXR600 gets a little uncomfy after my annual 1500+ miles round Europe

Anyway, having owned the gixxer for the last 4 years I’ve become accustomed to the silky smooth 4 cylinders and the AT has proved a bit ‘vibey’ which is ok but I dunno if its too vibey hence the 20 questions:

For info: significant vibes start around 75mph onwards and it is visible in the bars.

1: How much vibration do you get as a result of the engine speed? (pulling 6krpm @ 85mpg)
2: Am I riding it too fast to be comfortable?
3: Has anyone fitted a smaller sprocket to the rear to get the revs down and make it more relaxed at speed?
4: How does tyre choice affect vibration? Currently has Dunlop Trailmax, rear looks ok & suitable for the road, the front looks like it has a bit too much tread and looks like a more on/off road tyre.
5: How much effect does wheel balance have? as I’m thinking of getting it checked.
6: For further info, it needs a service, new plugs, carbs need balancing etc. Dunno whether this affects things but I think it’ll make things better at lower rpm.

I know this is a lot of questions so any answers are appreciated, thanks in advance
Regards, Chris

[peterb]

To be perfectly honest it all sounds perfectly normal for the At to me !It is a vibey engine.

[BobA]

Welcome to AT ownership. It is a bit of a vibey motor, especially at high engine speeds, but here are some quick answers in no particular order.

Does it have the original bars, and bar end weights? Makes a BIG difference.

Yes, wheel balance affects it big time, but not necessarily in a vibey way. Trying a bit of lowish speed "no hands" (in a safe place of course!!) and see if the bars start to flap.

Carb balance is a BIG factor, as pointed out by most people here. I've never done mine, but need to, and apparently it is realtively straightforward.

Yes, dropping a few teeth off the rear sprocket will lower RPM at cruising speeds. I did this on a previous RD04, which was great for a while, but then noticed it just made me ride faster back into the vibey rev range!!

Have you got engine bars fitted? I suspect mine are contributing to my vibration.

Have you checked ALL the engine mount bolts are tight?

Are the steering head bearings OK? Would show up on hard breaking more so.

Chain tension (VERY important on an AT) could also be contributing.

Good Luck

Bob

[Maverick]

They all do that sir

[BlindPugh]

Things that I have found contributing to level of vibrations of AT.

1. Handlebars - Honda OE with internal and external Bar-End weights are less vibey than Renthals with Acerbis Handguards and no weights. Only really becomes a problem at 80MPH+

2. Tyres - Michelin T66s very smooth - Pirelli MT21s very vibey - just down to tread pattern really. Obvious at all speeds and with a "block" tread pattern you can really feel the tyre "walking" on the rubber blocks.

3. Carb Balance - If the carbs are way out of balance this also has a major impact. Usually coupled with poor throttle response.

4. Wheel balance - worth investigating if somebody has fitted tyres themselves previously on the cheap, difficult to know this if you have just bought the bike.

It is a V-twin so will never feel as smooth as a 4 cylinder. Get somebody else who has a similar bike to try it or try somebody elses bike.
Hope this helps

[mal]

The@ is a lot less vibey than some V-twins i could mention,next time you see a Harley, watch its vibration at idle speed, the @,s 52 degree v twin angle and offset crankpins make it one of the smoothest v-twins

[Shep]

My RD04 we quite vibey when i bought it. What i found was that the chain tension was way too high, so i loosened it right off MUCH BETTER the vibrations have now nearly gone. The chain should be very loose on the Africa and the reccomended Honda setting is much too tight.

[wigs_1]

Thanks for the advice guys.

The comment about the non standard handlebars stands out. Bike has been dropped by previous owner (knew this when I got it) and has renthal bars instead of the standard. Will look into adding some weights or even getting standard bars.

The rest, wheels, carbs, chain etc should all get checked next week when I give it a service.

Thanks for the advice

Chris

[Slimie]

They all do that sir

Oooh, deja vu

-Simon