Normal vibration level in Vrod Engine

15732 Views 70 Replies 32 Participants Last post by sxrxrnr, Aug 25, 2004

sxrxrnr

Discussion Starter · Mar 25, 2004

I just purchased a new 03 Vrod. Have owned a 03 Heritage for past couple of years.

As noted in another thread, I am having a stalling problem that I hope will go away once I have emptied my first tank of fuel and fill with new fuel.

However another issue that I am uncertain how to deal with is the perceived vibration level of this bike verses that of the Heritage. At any engine speed, whether not moving or cruising I feel a quite noticeable vibration thruout the bike and particularily in the hand grips. If cruising say at 50 mph it is as though an automobile has out of balance wheels or driveshaft. If I disengage the clutch all is well and smooth.

I took bike to the shop where I purchased and had 2 different mechanics and one salesman sit on the bike and run to 3000 rpm. Vibration was quite noticeable but they all agree that it is normal. In the Heritage there is some at idle, but at any engine speed is goes completely away and is smooth.

My question is, is this normal? Perhaps the Heritage is so smooth because of the internal balance shaft, which the Vrod does not have.

Max, in another thread suggested that engine should be smooth and if mine is not, that perhaps my plugs could be somewhat fouled. I guess my real problem is that I do not know what is normal and I am being too critical, but again it is a very severe vibration thru my hands via the grips. I suspect that I need to mount another Vrod to see how it feels.

Thanks to all for any help :vrod:

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DungeonWorks

· #31 · May 30, 2004

Roger,

I can start my bike and let it idle with the sunglasses on the seat! Anything more than that and their is something wrong! On my old Sportster, I could NEVER have don that without the glasses falling on the ground.

Hope you can get this worked out!

Gary

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DungeonWorks

· #50 · Jun 6, 2004

How many gripes about local stealership's servicing warranty issues are on this forum??? This ain't the first and this likely is not the last!

A guy/gal spends a LOT of dough on thier ride and it is not what it was billed to be. A forum such as this, where many tout is as being the most informative and helpful VRSC forum on the web (and I believe fully that it is!). Soooo F"n what if 35+ answers to this post irritate someone! They can skip it! The V-Rodder that has the nasty vibes CAN'T skip them! It was a diagnostic intensive search for the problem and this guy found it....and SHARED! The loosening and torqing to specs of the exhaust is very simple to do...about a 2 on a scale of 1 (being easy) to 5 (hardest).

...WHATEVER! I find this and ALL the other trouble shooting threads VERY relevant as some of these issues are coming to fruition on my bike!

...now, where is that thread on the leaky cam cover gasket again! LOL

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DungeonWorks

· #63 · Jun 30, 2004

Roger,

Do ya'll have a lemon law in Cali? In ours, if you have to fix the same problem under warranty like 3 times, I think they have to replace the vehicle....or something along that line. Man, you have far more patience than I, that's for sure! Your dealer should have already been on top of this months ago.

CTV's advice sounds like a good spot to invetigate? Also, maybe you can call the different dealers in your area and look for and actual V-Rod tech? Most of the techs around are more comfortable with the TC's, Evo's...ect.

Good luck bro!

Gary

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DungeonWorks

· #68 · Aug 25, 2004

Karl,

I have the same sensation with all my vehicles....my truck, my bike, the wifey's Buick...ect. What I think it is, we just get used to the natural rythms and such...we kind of subconcsiously "tune" into our vehicles....especially ones we are in a lot. I have a moderate long commute to work, and therefore I am on or in my vehicles quite a bit. Feeling the vibrations is not a bad thing! On my old Sportster, I had found loose motor mounts amongst a TON of other loose parts, nuts, and bolts as they happened because of this.

Okay, enough rambling on my part as I will sum up what I am trying to say. The vibrations are the bike talking to you and you have to listen to what she is saying to you. I seem to remember posts about a front axle coming loose and some found it by the difference in vibrations from the road...ect. That type stuff.

Later,
Gary

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