Vibration/pulsing at 50 - 55 MPH in 6th

[Little Ed]

Don't sweat it man, just let this thread disappear into the depths of the sea. It's not a problem, no one and I mean no one has broken down or traded in because of it that I know of. Mine does it too, if you don't have the auto version just down shift to 5th, it immediately goes away. I don't shift into 6th until 60mph and above, you never even know it does it.

Now that the topic has come up again, I am compelled to throw in my two cents! I was planning to dispose of my bike this spring becuse the vibration I had was NOT just in sixth gear--- it was in all the higher gears whenever the bike was placed into any load (climbing a mild hill or accelerating). The vibration was severe. True, you can hide the vibration by downshifting to take the RPM up and hide the vibration, but having to ride at 70MPH in 5th gear was a joke. It was so bad that I could not comfortably take a long trip with the bike.

Ironically, the test bike I rode did not experince what I felt with the bike I purchased. It was my first big bike and by the time I got home from the dealer (160 miles) I realized that it was not as smooth as the test bike. My severe vibration problem agressively started after I had the bike for 1500 miles (approx 3 weeks). It progressively worsened over the next 2 months forcing me to maintain RPMs at 4000- which severely impacted my mileage. I have ridden the bike almost every day since purchase in Aug 2012. Over time, the problem progressively became intermittant and on Feb 15th it nearly vanished!!!! I have tracked the mileage of my bike since purchase which clearly reflects the MPG impact and along with that, my FRUSTRATION!!. I am a conservative driver and had NOT changed anything on the bike while this issue lingered because I was planning on dumping this bike. Since February I have begun to perform my minor upgrades and last weekend rode 600 miles without a hitch.

I can now put my bike into 6th gear at 35-40 MPH and accelerate and not have the engine vibrate, as if it is trying to break away from the bike. I could ride it that way when i first purchased it, and could not achive that same thing until a couple months ago.

My advice to any purchaser is that if it vibates under load at any gear do not buy it. I am not referring to the typical engine pulsation under load, I am referring to an imbalance in the performance of both cylinders under load- yielding a severe vibration!!! My brother in-law, who has ridden many bikes for over 50 years, did not think I had a problem, but I have lived thru it and it was very frustrating.

I have attached my fuel MPG impact. Yes- some may argue that my mileage was was still above 63 MPG, but what is important is that I was getting Mid-70's MPG and it dropped down by 20%.

BTW- I have ridden the same exact roadways for over 4 years (to and from work) and I DID NOT change my driving habits. I am glad that I am able to keep the bike, because I waited a year for it to sell in the US, and there is no other bike or model that I wanted to trade for. I can now take my long distance trips and not worry if I am destroying the bike, or sending bolts off of the frame due to the vibration (UNDER LOAD). One last point, I still do feel a slight vibration in 5th and 6th between 2800 and 3000 RPM, but it is nothing like the vibration I had experienced. I do not plan to discuss technically why this happened other than to say that it was in fact noticed at the beginning, and progressively worsened and even though the vibration (under load) nearly subsided on Feb 15th, the fuel economy progressively improved as well. I will however confidently state that it was not due to weather/temp because I have monitored it extremely close, originally thinking that it was. Had I completed a correlation study with weather/temp, it would barely reach a 0.1

 

[Old Can Ride]

This is just a characteristic of the engine on this bike and most low rev smaller displacement motorcycle engines.. If the RPM gets to low in 6th gear once you add throttle the engine vibrates trying to get back to higher rpm. The delimiter is set like this by manufacture on purpose. (Results in great gas mileage) Try to go fast off the line, I promise you will hit the delimiter. I know of only two solutions - high dollar after market CDI unit (lowers gas mileage) - or -down shift.

 

[Beemerphile]

I'm glad you guys without the issue, or have only slight awareness of it, can be so outspoken the thing is completely nothing to be bothered by.

I deduced that fatowl's question was whether it was a characteristic of the bike, which it is not. It is a characteristic (or flaw) of a small number of the bikes.

 

[L.B.S.]

I deduced that fatowl's question was whether it was a characteristic of the bike, which it is not. It is a characteristic (or flaw) of a small number of the bikes.

Quite correctly so.

I just auto-inflate like an annoyed Puffer fish when I hear the "usual" dismissive comments, of course.

grumble grumble grumble lol

 

[L.B.S.]

This is just a characteristic of the engine on this bike and most low rev smaller displacement motorcycle engines.. If the RPM gets to low in 6th gear once you add throttle the engine vibrates trying to get back to higher rpm. The delimiter is set like this by manufacture on purpose. (Results in great gas mileage) Try to go fast off the line, I promise you will hit the delimiter. I know of only two solutions - high dollar after market CDI unit (lowers gas mileage) - or -down shift.

What the vocal minority are talking about here, is not this. Very, very, specifically, not this.

 

[Hmcp88]

Here we go again....

 

[searsboy]

Oh please let this thread die...it's way more bothersome than the vibration pulsing!

 

[MZ5]

I'm not sure I ever posted about some follow-up checking I did a while ago. Tucking down REALLY low and tight behind the touring windscreen, chin bar almost touching the tank, there's basically zero wind noise. This allows other sounds to seem highly amplified. Doing this and playing around a bit, I found that there is a slight harmonic dissonance of probably 2 - 3 Hz at all engine and road speeds in 6th, and as I recall it was there in 4th and 5th, too (will have to double-check one day with the large screen fitted again). Something causes it to increase in amplitude at the rpm & speed combination people mention, but it's always there and always the same basic frequency. Happily I don't experience it to the severity some do, but thought it was interesting.

 

[670cc]

This is just a characteristic of the engine on this bike and most low rev smaller displacement motorcycle engines.. If the RPM gets to low in 6th gear once you add throttle the engine vibrates trying to get back to higher rpm. The delimiter is set like this by manufacture on purpose. (Results in great gas mileage) Try to go fast off the line, I promise you will hit the delimiter. I know of only two solutions - high dollar after market CDI unit (lowers gas mileage) - or -down shift.

Old Can Ride, I'm trying to understand what you mean by "delimiter". I looked up the definition and I don't see how it applies to motorcycles. In addition, in the context of this thread, how does it apply to the "thrum-thrum" harmonic resonance in 6th gear at 50-55 MPH?

I'm not trying to pick at your post, but maybe you've got some good info there and I'm just trying to sort it out.

Greg

 

[fedtech]

all vehicles have these types of noise. in the car buz it is called the black art of noise, vibration and harshness. some are imperceptible and some make the vehicle unlivable. mine has this noise that everyone is talking about. I even notice mine in third gear at about the same rpm. I have a tool called electronic vibration analyzer EVA that has an accelerometer that you can attach to the different components of the bike and you can see the frequency and amplitude. with a little math you can determine what parts are making noises and what is the result of mixing these frequencies. but in my opinion it is mostly livable and Honda is very unlikely to make any attempt to repair it.

 

[Beemerphile]

all vehicles have these types of noise. in the car buz it is called the black art of noise, vibration and harshness. some are imperceptible and some make the vehicle unlivable. mine has this noise that everyone is talking about. I even notice mine in third gear at about the same rpm. I have a tool called electronic vibration analyzer EVA that has an accelerometer that you can attach to the different components of the bike and you can see the frequency and amplitude. with a little math you can determine what parts are making noises and what is the result of mixing these frequencies. but in my opinion it is mostly livable and Honda is very unlikely to make any attempt to repair it.

You would do the forum a great service if you could locate the source.

 

[Xcellor8]

Thanks Lee, I agree 100%. This seems to be a problem with a small minority, but continues to be a squeeky wheel. Fedtech, I agree with your diagnosis, please hook a few brutha's up...figure this out and stop the bleeding. My bike does not have the symptoms, or I would offer an opinion.

 

[L.B.S.]

all vehicles have these types of noise. in the car biz it is called the black art of noise, vibration and harshness. some are imperceptible and some make the vehicle unlivable.

That is why mine is so noticeable to me, and why I remain vocal about it.

I must have really lucked out these past 40+ years, near million miles, 21-ish motorcycles and my one truck. Not one single one of them made this kind of bizarre noise/feel. Not one! Of course each one had it's own little quirks and various vibes and noises, some hideous, some utterly benign, but the Swiss Clockwork of the harmonic resonance of my NCX is...unique...

 

[fedtech]

just got home from the salt mines. hard to get on and read all this stuff on work days. I think this problem is mostly an issue of really noisy engine mounted rigidly in a tuning fork of a frame. I have worked on cars for close to 40 years with the key in the ignition going [ding, ding, ding], so long that I don't even notice it. that is what I plan do about this noise. I do however still have lots of friend that work for Honda and if I do hear anything I will share it. I personally don't think it is detrimental to the longevity of the bike. you could try an old trick we used at ford called neutralizing the engine. this requires loosing the mounts and retightening to specs. sometimes it helps. I used to like the since family that American Honda shared with it consumers but it is long gone. most dealers here the states see motorcycles as toys and not as a useful tool. that's why you have to wait for days for simple service. however, here in the Memphis, tn area there are exceptions. there is nice independent shop that does all brand service work right now. "I mean today". also right over the state line in Mississippi there a tire shop that does motorcycle tires any style at what they call drive-in drive-out. kinda off the subject but I think it's interesting. have a good weekend.

 

[jangermann]

Ok happy that I am not the only one with this issue. I was affraid that there was a problem with my new bike. So far 700km
A strange thing is that wipes/knocking can be feelt in the clutch handle. When the wipes i worst (3000rpm) I just press very light on the clutch and can feel the wipes here. By pressing the cluch VERY light the vibrations can also be reduced....strange. I think its a clutch thing in the motor.

Sorry for bad spelling, but maybe it make sense

 

[cburn]

Ok happy that I am not the only one with this issue. I was affraid that there was a problem with my new bike. So far 700km
A strange thing is that wipes/knocking can be feelt in the clutch handle. When the wipes i worst (3000rpm) I just press very light on the clutch and can feel the wipes here. By pressing the cluch VERY light the vibrations can also be reduced....strange. I think its a clutch thing in the motor.

Sorry for bad spelling, but maybe it make sense

I've got this too. Sitting in neutral there is a thunk thunk thunking.. pull clutch and it goes away. I don't know if it happens in 6th or not. I never noticed it. Does anyone have word from a dealer if this is normal?
Thanks,
Cburn

 

[L.B.S.]

Ok happy that I am not the only one with this issue. I was affraid that there was a problem with my new bike. So far 700km
A strange thing is that vibes/knocking can be feelt in the clutch handle. When the vibes i worst (3000rpm) I just press very light on the clutch and can feel the vibes here. By pressing the cluch VERY light the vibrations can also be reduced....strange. I think its a clutch thing in the motor.

Sorry for bad spelling, but maybe it make sense

Welcome, jangermann!

I was just thinking about this topic lately, and kept forgetting to post, thanks!


As of about the 3,000 km mark (give or take) my bike seemed to either stop doing it, or it has changed to somewhere else in an rpm range I don't ride at steadily. It's virtually unnoticeable to me now, where as before, I thought I might not be able to cope with it, it was so annoying...

That's one thing I never felt or thought to feel/check, was anything through the clutch lever.

Keep riding, riding, and hopefully it will settle down and fade away for you too

 

[jangermann]

We are on page 38 regarding this issue, so I gues it is normal
I am still running on break in oil, so I hope that a good quality motor oil can reduce the problem.
Otherwise I am going to install a power commander (when in stock) on the bike to see if it can reduce the problem.

Otherwise I just keep it over 3000rpm ;-)

 

[jangermann]

Thanks for your feedback L.B.S.
YES, the answer I was hoping for.... ride it until the problem is gone I can do that.
Anyway, I am very happy with the bike.

Thanks again.
Jan

btw... nice forum here ;-)

 

[showkey]

I've got this too. Sitting in neutral there is a thunk thunk thunking.. pull clutch and it goes away. I don't know if it happens in 6th or not. I never noticed it. Does anyone have word from a dealer if this is normal?
Thanks,
Cburn

My NC and ST1300 both do it....if you really pay attention you can feel it in seat........NORMAL

NC has a lot of mechanical noise at idle the clutch thing is just one of those noises. normal
ST has cam gear whine noise at idle...normal

PS ..........oil made no difference in either bike and the ST has 25,000 miles.