Normal vibration level in Vrod Engine

The most intense vibrations occur between 3 and 4 thousand rpm in any gear. Perhaps some would say that this range of rpm in 5th gear is lugging a vrod, but there is no lugging going on in 1st or 2nd gear at these rpm's. This is a pounding vibration that I am experiencing,(somewhat akin to what you would feel in an automobile with a out of balance driveshaft--not merely front wheels) not lugging/bucking. Again perhaps this a feature of the Vrod, but I do not believe that Porsche or HD would foist such a feature on their customers and call it normal. My Heritage Softail is like 6 cylinder Honda compared to the Vrod in smoothness and of course it too is a V twin.

I would be interested to hear from any Vrod owners who report smoothness thru their grips, seats and pegs and those who report a strong vibration. I would like to hear HD Vrod engineering tell us what is normal and what is not but so far unable to get any info at all on this from HD Customer Service. If they could prove to me that this is a feature of this engine I would not be pleased but I would have no further complaint and would live with it.

Seems that we could put this problem to bed if they would supply this information. Perhaps it will take a Lemon Law claim to gain their attention to offer up this info.

My personal opinion is that it is related to the exhaust mounting(as pointed out by previous parties who have posted to this thread) system and as a second choice the motor mount design.

Roger
Silicon Valley Ca.

Picked up bike today from dealer. Earlier post I noted that HD Customer Service had given me a reference number and told me to give to my dealer so that dealer could call HD tech's for assistance on vibration problem. This turned into quite a tale that I will recap here..


1. Dropped bike off Tuesday at 9:30 AM. Gave them a 2 page document on what to check and also included reference number.

2. Arrived back home at 10:15 and immediately phone rang and it was dealer's service dept. Was asked by them if bike had done 1000 mile serivce(bike now has 1500 miles). I said yes. They axed by whom. I said by me. They said that they had found 2 things that were not correct. I axed what. Was told tire pressure and main drive belt tension. I told them that tire pressure should be right on(of course I had just ridden 15 miles to their site and tires were now warm(specs call for cold tires) and of course we all know how inaccurate tire gauges can be. They then said belt was too tight. I said I had checked during my service and it was right on at 6mm deflection at 10 pounds pressure(since service I had replace stock chain guards with HD chrome one's--these do not have deflection measurement slot as do stock ones). So they said that they question the validity of my service. I told them to do whatever they felt was lacking(I knew I had skipped no steps but to please them and get on with the warranty service, I told them to perform whatever they were unhappy with and I would pay the expense).

Today(Thursday July 1, 2004) I picked up the bike and was presented with a bill for 293.00. I questioned this of course and was told that they had performed a full service(their 1000 mile charge is 350.00----yes I know) minus a credit for oil and filter change(I guess they believed me on this). So then some minor fireworks began.

3. They then suggested that the tight belt was the cause of my vibration and suggested that I ride the bike to see if the vibration had been improved. I did this, I returned and told them that possibly it was better but I was uncertain. They said they had also done the "fuel flange" recall. I told them that I had axed my selling dealer on this and been assured several times that it had been done(bike had also gone thru an intense stalling problem some time back that was finally resolved with the proper ecm(02a) download for 30 tooth SE exhaust.. They responded that HD corporate records did not indicate that this had been done, so they did it again anyway.

4. So as we debated whether I should have to pay this 293.00(they said had to do entire service because they felt if tire pressure was off and belt was tight, what else had I screwed up on that could have led to a "vibration" problem. They finally brought the technician in(he had as I found from him worked on HD's since 1955 and had spent 2 weeks at HD's Vrod school) to discuss with me. He said that belt was too tight, I said how could I have measured differently. I suggested that perhaps he had checked hot(again I had just ridden 15 miles). He said belt does not change hot or cold. Then he axed if I had someone sitting on the bike when I measured it myself. I said no as I did not know that this was a requrement. He said that it was. Based upon this input from him, I felt that I had screwed up and perhaps belt was too tight(however this would not explain how it got out of the factory that way or thru my selling dealer's setup) and finally we agreed that I would pay a fee of 250.00(a 15 percent discount). I was skeptical and dubious but paid and left on good terms as I thought at least with a new fuel flange, another check of ecm(02a) and several items on my list to check such as binding exhaust, bad coils, spark plug gap, fuel pressure, motor mounts, etc etc that perhaps my vibration would be gone or at least I would know that these bikes are supposed to vibrate and that my remaining stalling problem would be gone. Bike of course stalled on the way home one time........... Incidently I never did find if the dealer techs called HD techs to discuss the so called reference number given to me by HD Customer Service.

5. So now I go home, grab my Vrod service manual, check belt tension section. Manual says on page 1-28 of 2003 manual "Check rear belt tension with motorcycle COLD, standing upright, transmission in NEUTRAL and NO rider on motorcycle". Now this is not what I was told my Vrod tech. He said that temp made no difference on how loose or tight belt was and that must have rider on the bike.

Questions that I have are: Which is correct the manual or the tech? Did I just pay 250.00 to get baffled with BS? Do dealers normally do this just to teach us all a lesson not to do your own maintenance and take food off their tables? What was suggested to me is that by having done my own maintenance that HD warranty coverage was hit or miss.



I would like to post this as a new thread for all to read and comment on. Is there a method that I can do it without re-keying it all. Which would be the best section?

Sorry for War and Peace. Please excuse any typos.

On our way to Hollister tomorrow.

Roger
Silicon Valley, Ca

I am one of the original posters of these vibration/stalling threads. I have gone thru a lot with a couple of HD dealers and HD customer service, so far to no success. Vibration is most intense between 3 and 4 thousand rpm and seems much less above and below these numbers. If you disengage clutch, bike is totally smooth which should rule out wheel/tire and probably belt problems. You all can check my posts on this topic under my handle for further info on what I have done to seek a solution.

The latest news is that I called HD customer service(I really do hate to call it that) and told them that my latest dealer had not even followed up on the reference number that they had HD had given to me to give to my dealer to have them call HD for assistance. I then said that bike had been in numerous times for stalling and vibration problems to no success. I said that I was about to invoke my rights under California's Lemon Law(even though I would hate to give up a silver/black 03 bike). I then a few days later get a call from one of my local dealers where the bike had been several times. They have axed that I bring it in again and this time they will follow up on ALL suggestions that I had given them for possible problem/solutions(gathered from this Forum and the HD manuals) and would put on a dyno(as I had requested several times) and would call HD on the TWO "reference numbers" given to me my HD customer service.

I do not know if this dealer was responding from pressure from HD or was responding to the 2 page single spaced letter that I had written to them following my previous visit in July, where among other things I told them that the belt tension was to be checked with NO rider on the bike(as per service manual and HD customer service V-rod tech) instead of rider on the bike(as per owner's manual) and also gave them the business for not even calling HD on the reference number.

Appointment is set for next Wed. For the past few weeks I have been riding my Heritage as the Vrod I feel is unsafe because of stalling issues and the vibration is just plain annoying and I sense is not adding to the long term reliability of the bike in general.

I say for now that this has all been a an experience that HD should be ashamed of and I suspect that many owners with less mechanical experience then myself(been racing and showing automobiles for some 45 years) long ago just gave up, or accept stalling and vibrations as normal, or do not have a clue that something is unusual. Shame on HD, Porsche and HD dealers.

Sxrxrnr
Silicon Valley Ca

1956 Chrysler 300 B, Number 1 condition
1971 Corvette 450 HP small block/Doug Nash 5 sp
03 Heritage..Silver/Black CNC 95 engine
03 V-Rod Silver/Black
1998 Yellow Labrador Retriever named Obi