Handle bar vibration

I know this subject has been touched on before but I wanted to possibly expand it a little to see what everyone has to offer. I am talking about handle bar vibrations. I ride a 2006 and the bars have a little buzz coming through the bars, pegs and tank. It isn't terrible or unridable by any stretch but I am always looking for ways to make things better (if you can't shoot for perfect). I have the Gen-mar bar risers installed but that didn't make change. I then added heavier bar end weights from Manic Salamander (I think they are rated at 300-350 grms each). They helped a little but once again, not as much as I would have thought/hoped. I have read all the gouge about proper riding position and I agree and strive for it every ride (I definitely think it helps). I am wondering if anyone has tried anything else that has made a significat impact (if anyone else thinks there is a buzz in the bars)? I have looked at a bar insert from Fasst Company but they are primarily intended for tube bars but I am looking at it. Another question I have is why the insert that comes standard is rubber mounted inside? I am assuming it is for ease of installation but it seems to defeat the purpose if you are trying to dampen vibration to "isolate" the weight (damper) from the vibrating source (bar). If anyone has suggestions, ideas or thoughts I would appreciate any help. A little of my engineering mind is jumping in here just trying to figure out a solution. Thanks a head of time!

 

My 2001 has 0 vibes at legal speeds and does not get any vibes untill way into the this ticket is going to cost you zone,have you synched your throttle bodies and done a tuneup,I filled my 84 interceptor bars with steel bb,s and it helped

 

Knobber:

No, the rubber is part of the vibration damping/absorbtion system in the bar. As the weight inside the bar responds to the engine vibration, the shearing of the rubber absorbs some of the energy (like a shock absorber on a car) reducing the vibration of the bar itself.

I ride an '07 and don't notice vibration in the bars, pegs, or tank. This may well be (as my ex wives claim) that I am less than normally observant, but the Interceptor is widely famed for being among the smothest of bikes. I wonder if you may have something else going on that is putting more vibration energy into the system causing the buzzing. How many miles on your bike? Is the engine running great? One duff-performing cylinder (weak spark plug, clogged injector, etc) would cause elevated vibration.

Good luck figuring it out.

Bob S.

 

Proper balance on both wheels will make a big difference. In my experience shops are more often than not a little bit off in balancing. They don't really care if it's dead on accurate, as long as it's close. My rear was so far out of balance from the shop that the tire was bald on one side and not even to the wear bars on the opposite side. That's when I bought my own balancer (look up Marc Parnes). Big difference.

 

My bike currently has just under 5000 miles. I was going to start investigating the engine as a possible source. I was even thinking about buying a power commander just to work on the set up. It is really amazing that the forks (when I put my hand on themwhile riding) don't seem to buzz but the clip-ons do. I don't think it is a tire thing because so far both tires look good but it definitely wouldn't hurt to take a look at them. Thanks for teh input.

 

Knobber:

How long have you had the bike? Has it done this for the entire 5,000 miles of its life or is this something that seems to be getting worse with time? Is it worse at a particular road speed or engine rpm? If it's road speed I'd get real suspicious of the tires. (If it's engine rpm I think I'd just go have a glass of wine and wish it would go away.)

The fact that you feel it in the bars, pegs, and tank makes me think that there is an underlying issue that handlebar weights aren't going to fix.

Finally, although lots of folks love their Power Comanders, my humble opinion is that you absolutely shouldn't need one to fix a vibration problem. I stick to my claim that an '06 doesn't inherently have a vibration problem; something has degraded to cause it.

By the way, are you really in La Bella Italia? While I bet there are some lovely settings and roads for riding there, if Italian drivers are as "enthusiastic" as their reputation I wouldn't car to mix it up with them in traffic.

Best of luck getting to the bottom of this!
Bob S.

 

You'd be hard pressed to see a difference until the tread gets really low. If you have an accurate way to measure tread, try finding the lowest spot and then measure the tread 180 degrees from that spot, in the center of the tire.. I'm not saying it's definitely balance, but it's a common issue that most people either do not notice or do not care about if they do notice. I think you might be surprised at the effect it has, especially if you're perceptive enough to notice subtle vibrations.

Best of luck whatever you do!

 

THE fuel tank has 2 rubber "buffers" that isolate it from touching the frame, and if they are missing, you'll get tank vibes.

 

I really appreciate all the input. I will have to look into the tires. Seems an interesting process. As far as the vibes, it is between 5-7k on the RPM. I agree about the glass of wine. This could easily be a problem with "my own harmonics" and it only bothers me. That is why I am just trying a way to change the resonant frequency to a different range. Really just playing around now. I thought maybe the power copmmander could be used to "fix" any problem that might have arisen in the fueling that could be causing a slight off beat. I ahve owned the bike since new and it seems to be the same - no worse/no better. Like I said, it isn't bad, just trying to make it perfect! I do live in Naples and the riding is nice but you do have to be very vigilant! Just had a buddy "bumped" to the ground by a bus! Amalfi coast is beautiful though and I couldn't go three years without riding! Thanks again to everyone for the input.