Vibration/pulsing at 50 - 55 MPH in 6th

[L.B.S.]

Hi Jangermann - I'm the original poster on this thread. I still have the bike and after 5,000 miles it still has the thrumming/pulsing problem between 50 & 55 mph. The clutch also continues to make the same pulsing sensation through the lever when fully engaged and, as you described, the pulsing at the lever goes away if you lightly pull on the lever (but don't do that continuously or you will probably bugger up the clutch). I've become resigned to the idea that I have a 'bad' bike but the bike is still pleasant to ride (other than at the problem speed range) and doesn't seem to be getting worse. The rattling from the clutch doesn't bother me much and I'd only be concerned about it if it seemed to be getting worse. Ignore all the comments about lugging the engine and 'all twins do that' - that’s just crap from people lucky enough to own bikes that don't have these problems. Good luck with your bike and if the dealer finds a solution to the problem please let us know.

Steve.

Sorry to hear your bike still does it Steve.

People who haven't fully experienced this for themselves, really have no idea what it's like. Now that mine doesn't do it anymore, I find myself riding along thinking: "Man, how could I have ever known it was doing anything?"

It's so night and day different from what it was. Now, I feel like I'd need a stethoscope, a means to block wind noise, engine noise, and have sensors mounted to the bike, wired up to an ECG machine, in order to try and find any of the ol' awful thrum thrum thrum thrum vibe/noise!

Present day riding has more general engine tickety clackety clacking, wind noise, a cool Star Wars Pod Racer yowl from the TKC80 knobby tires, and a muted exhaust note, off in the background.

I really hope your bike one day loses the thrum, or you eventually become immune to it!

 

[ziggie]

I still have the clutch noise and humming from front sproket.after a few miles i get use to it .

 

[jangermann]

Hi Jangermann - I'm the original poster on this thread. I still have the bike and after 5,000 miles it still has the thrumming/pulsing problem between 50 & 55 mph. The clutch also continues to make the same pulsing sensation through the lever when fully engaged and, as you described, the pulsing at the lever goes away if you lightly pull on the lever (but don't do that continuously or you will probably bugger up the clutch). I've become resigned to the idea that I have a 'bad' bike but the bike is still pleasant to ride (other than at the problem speed range) and doesn't seem to be getting worse. The rattling from the clutch doesn't bother me much and I'd only be concerned about it if it seemed to be getting worse. Ignore all the comments about lugging the engine and 'all twins do that' - that’s just crap from people lucky enough to own bikes that don't have these problems. Good luck with your bike and if the dealer finds a solution to the problem please let us know.

Steve.

Hi Steve.
I'm still here and still own my NC700X I got over 1000 miles on the counter now, and nothing has changed regarding our issue.

Here is what i think:
1. A bike don't ever get better as when it is new.
2. I think that all the NC700's has this issue, but people experience it in different ways.
3. Clutch sound in idle is normal. I can only hear it when the engine i hot.

As i wrote earlier I have contacted Honda and also got the answer.
They have not registered on single NC700 world wide, that has been in the workshop regarding clutch sound or the thrumming/pulsing problem. Honda told me that 6 gear i very high and combined with the 2 cylinder engine with the 270-degree crankshaft this issue can occur in low rpm's. The told me to contact my local Honda workshop just to make sure my NC700X was OK.

At the workshop they could not even feel what I was talking about, witch bring me back to point 2 ;-)

I am overall happy with my NC700.
Yes, the 6 gear thing is still there, I have accepted the issue and only use 6 gear on the highway. Anyway there is no bike out there that i rather would own, because it love the soft suspension, the silent motor, the total economy, the luggage room, the power at low rpm's, the riding position ect. so in my opinion the benefits overrules the 6 gear thing.

Best regards.
Jan

 

[davidc83]

I have the same feel on the handlebars at 50-55mph in 6th gear (only time I do it) but I chalk that up to 6th gear is an overdrive gear and it is lugging the engine at 50-55mph; above 60mph it goes away (have the same feeling in my pickup truck with an overdrive button-press it going to slow and literally feel vibration in the steering wheel until I get over 60mph). I dont hear anything from the clutch or front end; and I dont know how anyone can-if you are not wearing a helmet, how do you hear anything but the wind noise, and if you wear a full face helmet, how do you hear anything from the bike except wind noise the helmet has. By the way, I feel the vibration/lugging issue on my other bikes going below 60mph and in high gear (6th gear on my klx250 and 5th gear on my C50 boulevard-which has 63,000 miles on it). Any time you lug an engine, you are going to feel it in the handlebars, and doing 50-55mph in 6th gear on this bike IS lugging the engine.

 

[wozza]

Funniest enough the DCT is quite comfortable at under 50. In low 40s you can feel it lugging a bit (D mode).

 

[jangermann]

I have the same feel on the handlebars at 50-55mph in 6th gear (only time I do it) but I chalk that up to 6th gear is an overdrive gear and it is lugging the engine at 50-55mph; above 60mph it goes away (have the same feeling in my pickup truck with an overdrive button-press it going to slow and literally feel vibration in the steering wheel until I get over 60mph). I dont hear anything from the clutch or front end; and I dont know how anyone can-if you are not wearing a helmet, how do you hear anything but the wind noise, and if you wear a full face helmet, how do you hear anything from the bike except wind noise the helmet has. By the way, I feel the vibration/lugging issue on my other bikes going below 60mph and in high gear (6th gear on my klx250 and 5th gear on my C50 boulevard-which has 63,000 miles on it). Any time you lug an engine, you are going to feel it in the handlebars, and doing 50-55mph in 6th gear on this bike IS lugging the engine.

Thanks for your input.

Regarding the clutch 3 issues is being discussed here.
1. The clutch sound in idle (you can take your helmet off to improve sound loudness )
2. The thrumming/pulsing problem can be felt in the clutch lever by pressing gentle when running i 6 gear at low rpm (it feels like the the clutch causing the problem).
3. The thrumming/pulsing problem can be felt in most of the MC running i 6 gear at low rpm.

 

[670cc]

Just like the DCT would do, I run my manual in sixth gear anywhere from 40 mph on up, except when extra power is needed. The engine runs through different vibration phases through the rev range, but anything above 2000 RPM is not going to hurt this engine, IMO.

Bottom line: ride it however you like.

Greg

 

[L.B.S.]

Sigh, I really do wish people would stop with the "lugging the engine at lower RPM is the cause" theory, lol.

They do not have "THE" thrum problem, if they have the tiniest belief that what they are feeling is what we (the few, the wretched, the unclean) are talking about, because I can "lug" my NCX down to the point of shuddering, bucking, and stalling out in 6th gear, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the thrum. I can putter along smoothly at 2,200 rpm in 6th and be happy as a clam. No thrum in sight.

Let's go up some more RPM. Surely going up in RPM is the opposite of lugging, right? 3,000. THRUM THRUM THRUM

* Past tense, as I have said of course. It has stopped doing it now

 

[max cooper]

I use whatever gear my bike is happy with. I seldom use 6th and run it in 4th and 5th 95% of the time. The engine just feels good at the 4000 RPM range. I still get 74 mpg while using the lower gears. I owned a Moto Guzzi 1100 Breva a while back. It also had a 6 gear tranny. Anything under 90 was still 5th gear ! Talk about over drive ! Those of us old enough to remember racing big 2-strokes can relate to what an engine coming up on the pipe felt like when the engine was happy. I guess I just apply that feel to the modern 4 stroke of today. Just seems natural. I too hope there is not an issue with the engine. But I think it is not a problem for me. Max

I think that this is probably one of the best answers to this topic

 

[calfinm]

I get this at a similar speed. I get it on all my bikes when I am in 6th and at the lower speed range for that gear. I speed up or change down.
I find with this bike I can find a real happy spot on perfect flat road traveling in the 70kph +- in 6th however the minute a fluctuation in gradient or headwind etc its back.
I typically find above 80 kph is the pace that 6th starts being viable, 85-90 and the feeling goes away.

 

[670cc]

I get this at a similar speed. I get it on all my bikes when I am in 6th and at the lower speed range for that gear. I speed up or change down.
I find with this bike I can find a real happy spot on perfect flat road traveling in the 70kph +- in 6th however the minute a fluctuation in gradient or headwind etc its back.
I typically find above 80 kph is the pace that 6th starts being viable, 85-90 and the feeling goes away.

I see that once again, latecomers are apparently not reading the entire thread and making assumptions about the reported symptoms.

I'd find it difficult to believe that "all my bikes" exhibit this very specific thrumming symptom at a narrow RPM range that this thread is all about, when in fact even NC700Xs can be divided into groups that clearly do it or clearly do not.

Fair warning: if you do not read all 400 some posts in this thread before responding, you will probably get flamed for your answer.

I'd almost be in favor of locking the thread, since truly helpful suggestions and solutions do not look to be forthcoming.

Greg

 

[davidc83]

Since there is really nothing wrong with the bike, how can there be suggestions or solutions to a problem which really doesnt exist-it is just the nature of the bike and some people feel it different than others?

 

[L.B.S.]

I'd almost be in favor of locking the thread, since truly helpful suggestions and solutions do not look to be forthcoming.

Greg

LBS' hand twitches and edges towards the NUKE button, lol

 

[670cc]

Since there is really nothing wrong with the bike, how can there be suggestions or solutions to a problem which really doesnt exist-it is just the nature of the bike and some people feel it different than others?

That is absolutely incorrect. One poster in this thread (you read the entire thread, right?) stated that he rode two different NC700Xs. One bike exhibited the symptoms, the other did not. It is not that some people feel it different than others.

I see no need to go around and around with people that do not understand this problem.

Greg

 

[Beemerphile]

Lock it. If someone cracks the coconut, they can start a new thread. If they restart this thread you can rain fire down from heaven. You both have the power.

 

[670cc]

The moderators and the moderator emeritus agreed to lock this thread.

Greg