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Vibration/pulsing at 50 - 55 MPH in 6th

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barnsls

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Got an NC700X two weeks ago. I have around 600 miles on it. From the time that I picked it up from the dealer it has had an odd vibration between 50 and 55 MPH in top gear (2,500 - 3,000 RPM) - on an older bike you would swear that the chain was badly and unevenly stretched - however if you pull in the clutch or change down to 5th the vibration immediately goes away. Running at 2,500 - 3,000 in any other gear is perfectly smooth and running in top outside that speed range (above or below) is also perfectly smooth. The chain is properly adjusted and lubricated. Unfortunately about 16 miles of my daily commute is in traffic that typically moves at about 50 - 55 and the constant pulsing/vibration is very annoying; the other 34 miles are on faster or slower roads and the bike is perfect on those sections. Does anyone else have the same issue? If they all do it I can live with it, but if nobody else has a similar problem I'll get the dealer to take a look at it.

Cheers, Steve.
 
I only have 200 miles on mine. It is smooth in all gears at all speeds. If I lug the motor at less than 2000 rpms in too high of a gear it will shake/vibrate. Mine is smooth at 50-55 mph in 6th gear, although a downshift to 5th is required for good power. Sounds like you need to have your dealer check it out.
 
I have the same issue. The 6th gear is an overdrive and I think that is where it comes from but I don't know why. It has a frequency of about once a second. I seem to remember the same harmonic in old cars I had way back in college. I'm talking 70's-80's cars here. It is just enough that I know it is there. Doesn't seem to happen in any other gear.
 
If you drop it down a gear it won't lug the engine and the vibration won't be there to annoy you. Stay in a responsive gear no matter what speed you're going.
 
Hi,
to answer your question, yes my NCX also displays this phenomenon. I was at first concerned but after the bike warmed up (10mins running), this is reduced or even disappears. I think it is nothing to be worried about and there is little the garage can do. What do you expect them to do? Remap your ignition maps or something like that? I don't think they can, nor will do it.
Just shift down when that happens, and the shift up again.
Hope this helps allay your fears.
~Joe
 
I have that same issue and have wondered about it too. I shift down and cruise at 3800 to 4000 rpm (in 5th) at around 60 mph. However as the engine seems happy at 3000 rpm in other gears and speeds, it is disappointing that it won't also do it in 6th. Seems to me the mileage would be higher. When road conditions and traffic permit, I shift into 6th at just above 65mph and the engine returns to happiness. Just seems kind of odd to have to make those considerations.
 
Same issue on mine and after some kms/times it seems to disappears....
I thought it was a wind/vibrations on the instrument or somethink like that but if I'm not the only one I think we have to tell Honda of this problem. It's not normal and Honda must solve it.
Unfortunately my dealer is not near to my home so please if someone can let me know what is that problem before to go to my dealer it will be better for me.

Thanks!
 
I noticed this on mine also. I just picked it up yesterday, and I have less then a hundred miles. Mine is a DCT so it's in 6th very early. It's nothing I can't live with but I agree it's a little annoying.
 
Mine seems to have smoothed out some with miles (now at 3,700) but I still don't like the relative lack of smoothness of the engine and drive train below 3,500 rpm in top gear (or below 3,000 in the lower gears) so I just don't run there. I normally change gears at 4,000 rpm if I am not in a hurry and 5,000 rpm if I am. If I was running 50 mph with load on the engine, I would be in 5th. Cruising at 3,500 and above is Smooth City. (No, Honda... PLEASE don't name the bike Smooth City!)

The machine will tell you where it is happy. Listen to it and take some time to learn it. Your warranty lasts long enough that there is no need to do anything at the moment.
 
This seems to be normal behavior for this bike. The throbbing vibration below 3000 RPM is dependent on the load on the engine. Below 3000 in the low gears is smooth. Below 3000 in sixth gear with a headwind uphill is very rough.

Choose the best gear for the circumstance. I run sixth below 55 mph only when the power demand is very minimal. If it's a bit rough, I just go to fifth where the motor is happier. Having sixth as an overdrive is a great thing, but it doesn't mean you should always try to be in sixth. I'm getting 78 mpg (US gallons), so running in fifth at times seems efficient enough.

At 50-55 mph I would run in fifth gear. Sixth is too high.

I guess the tip of the day is: "Run the motor where it's happy."
 
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Reading some of the posts here, led me to beileve the OP was talking about something else. He was talking about an unusual pulsating of the motor at a certain rpm and at 6th gear. He was not talking about the engine lugging below 3000rpm. Was he? I was talking about that "engine not warm enough" scenario where sometimes the engine pulses up and down for a short duration. Shifting will stop it, or revving her up will smoothen things again. I do not think this is unique to this bike. I remember my Honda Shadow having this hiccup thing also when cold.
 
Reading some of the posts here, led me to beileve the OP was talking about something else. He was talking about an unusual pulsating of the motor at a certain rpm and at 6th gear. He was not talking about the engine lugging below 3000rpm. Was he? I was talking about that "engine not warm enough" scenario where sometimes the engine pulses up and down for a short duration. Shifting will stop it, or revving her up will smoothen things again. I do not think this is unique to this bike. I remember my Honda Shadow having this hiccup thing also when cold.

Yeah. It isn't lugging because it also happens in the DCT. Don't overdrive gears normally work through some planetary gear mechanism? That is what it reminds me of on mine as if overdrive is going through some sort of gearing mechanism that is arranged differently or has teeth that are cut differently. Perhaps an orbiting gear varies in sound depending on where it is in the orbit which causes the pulsating sound and when the bike is running faster the orbiting gear moves faster and it smoothes out the variation in sound. This is all just complete guesswork.
 
I think Honda's suggested shift points are below what the motor appreciates. 4,000 rpm seems to be the sweet spot for basic shifts. Those with DCT's don't have much control over this. If you had the choice between spending your money on a DCT or a Yellow paint job which way would you go?
 
I think Honda's suggested shift points are below what the motor appreciates. 4,000 rpm seems to be the sweet spot for basic shifts. Those with DCT's don't have much control over this. If you had the choice between spending your money on a DCT or a Yellow paint job which way would you go?

The S mode seems to do a pretty good job with 4,000 or so shift points. I'd just ignore the D mode or paddle-shift it.

Yeah. It isn't lugging because it also happens in the DCT.

Maybe not lugging in the sense that the RPM's are low enough to strain the engine unacceptably, but it is entirely possible that in the interests of economy that the shift points don't operate the motor at its happiest range.


Don't overdrive gears normally work through some planetary gear mechanism? That is what it reminds me of on mine as if overdrive is going through some sort of gearing mechanism that is arranged differently or has teeth that are cut differently. Perhaps an orbiting gear varies in sound depending on where it is in the orbit which causes the pulsating sound and when the bike is running faster the orbiting gear moves faster and it smoothes out the variation in sound. This is all just complete guesswork.

No, the overdrive gear is just a conventional shaft/countershaft configuration with a reduction ratio of less than one (in this case. 0.84). A little more speed makes everything better.
 
Happy you are correct - the problem isn't that the motor is lugging, the problem is a rhythmic pulsation that only occurs between 2,500 and 3,000 RPM in top gear. If I leave it in top and let the speed drop below 50 MPH the pulsation goes away and the motor still pulls smoothly. Lugging doesn't occur unless the revs drop very close to 2,000 RPM in top gear. While riding in the 'bad' range the motor pulls just fine but the pulsing is annoying. Shifting to 5th makes everything smooth and happy and, as 670cc pointed out, it doesn't have any/much impact on fuel economy so I don't consider it a severe problem, but I was wondering whether I have a unique problem or not & whether something more annoying like a gearbox bearing failure might be lurking in my future. The problem isn't heat related - its the same at a cold start as it is after a 60 mile ride in 90 degree temperatures, nor has it changed with mileage so far.
 
the problem isn't that the motor is lugging, the problem is a rhythmic pulsation that only occurs between 2,500 and 3,000 RPM in top gear. If I leave it in top and let the speed drop below 50 MPH the pulsation goes away and the motor still pulls smoothly. Lugging doesn't occur unless the revs drop very close to 2,000 RPM in top gear. While riding in the 'bad' range the motor pulls just fine but the pulsing is annoying. Shifting to 5th makes everything smooth and happy and, as 670cc pointed out, it doesn't have any/much impact on fuel economy so I don't consider it a severe problem, but I was wondering whether I have a unique problem or not & whether something more annoying like a gearbox bearing failure might be lurking in my future. The problem isn't heat related - its the same at a cold start as it is after a 60 mile ride in 90 degree temperatures, nor has it changed with mileage so far.[/QUOTE]

As I said in my reply, my bike does not have any type of "rhythmic pulsation" at any speed in any gear. 55-60 mph in 6th gear on flat ground is smooth, if I give it throttle it continues to be smooth but lacks power until I downshift. I still do not think any type of harmonic or rhythmic vibration/pulsation is normal. Hopefully your dealer has a highly experienced tech that is willing to take the time to assist you with this, as new as the bike/design is, all issues will be new learning lessons for all of us including the Honda techs. All vehicles tend to have their quirks and common problems unique to the individual model. All symptoms could go away after a few more miles and break in is complete. We are the guinnie pigs for this one, as we are the first to use a brand new and unique design in the real world. Please post what is found as the problem and solution.
 
I've read varying opinions of what 'lugging the engine' means. When I was a motorhead growing up in Detroit, we always considered lugging the engine to mean, too little rpms under a load. If you're tach is reading 2500 to 3000 rpm and you're in 6th gear, I would have considered that lugging the engine. As I and others have opined in earlier posts, it would be better for the engine to stay in a responsive (happy) gear.
 
To throw in a spanner, my new VW Sharan with DCT (Diesel 170PS) automobile, once or twice exhibited the same thing, but nothing serious out of it.
I believe it is something to do with the electronic injection or firing sequence whatever, the CPU maybe did not find a definitive range and shifted something up and down until it was happy.

Nothing serious and surely difficult to replicate for testing purpose in a garage.

My solution: ignore it.
 
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