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Question on vibrations at 60mph

8.7K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  "Captain D"  
#1 ·
Ive been noticing that if i go above 60 there is a slight vibration to my bike, mostly in the grips, and im hesitant to go faster. I dont notice this at lower speeds. Would this be the tires out of balance or something else? Air pressure is good and no other noticeable issues.
 
#4 ·
Sorry - i guess everyone was supposed to use the force to figure out what type of bike i have..... I entered this on my phone at work so wasnt fully thinking.

2006 Honda Shadow Aero VT750C. Bought it used with 3500 miles, its up to about 4100 now. I assume they are the original tires, the tread depth based on a state inspection a few weeks ago is 5/32 front, 3/32 rear. This is my first bike, and the only other ones i have ridden were the bikes at the MSF - i believe they were some type of Suzuki 250, but i cant recall the model. But i didnt ride anywhere near 50-60 mph, fastest i got was probably 30 mph on that course.

I really dont know if what im feeling is normal, it doesnt feel unsafe, but it seems like if i pushed it another 10mph the vibrations would get worse. I havent taken it on the interstate yet - dont feel im ready for that. There are some local 4 lane roads where the speed limit is 45, but most traffic is between 50-60 mph, so that is where i have hit that speed. The roads are in pretty good condition and are not grooved pavement (asphalt paved), so im not thinking its related to road conditions.
 
#5 ·
I have the same bike. At the top of the power band my mirrors are vibrating pretty good. That just the bike saying change gears.

You may want to start looking at new tires if yours are 10 years old.
 
#6 ·
My Aero would thrum like a tuning fork on the interstate at between 75-85mph.. High frequency vibration? I would say is pretty-much normal. Shimmying, Shaking, harsher types of vibration, not-so-much..

A lot could be road conditions, suspension plays a part too, could also be your wheels and tires. 10 year old tires? Have you tried re-balancing your wheels? have you checked your rims to see if they are running true, checked your bearings - that kinda thing?

Kinda difficult to nail "vibration" down, as "vibration" covers a lot of territory.

But, I might say that higher frequency (engine vibration) transmitting to the bars is normal though. Maybe some of the more talented types can jump in on this.
 
#7 ·
Google tire date codes. They may be original and need to be replaced soon if so.
I had the same bike, never any vibration that I can remember.
But...
Does the bike have a windshield? You could be getting some minor buffeting around it. Tires often create vibration, it could be normal though. Do you have any more experienced riding buddies that may could ride it and see what they think? Just a thought.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
#8 ·
To eliminate whether it is the tires or engine vibration, get it up just above the speed where it vibrates and pull the clutch to see if it is from road vibration and tires, as the engine slows but the road speed is the same. Then get it back up there and pull the clutch and rev and lower the engine speed above and below the approx RPMs to see if the engine is the cause of the vib. May be a combination of all those things.
 
#9 ·
Ive been noticing that if i go above 60 there is a slight vibration to my bike, mostly in the grips, and im hesitant to go faster.
V Twin engines vibrate. Increases with RPMs. What you're describing sounds completely normal. Some people love it. Others can't stand it. You want smooth, you need to be looking at four cylinders. Some of them are amazingly smooth and quiet.

But I'd replace those tires yesterday. Doesn't matter how the look or feel. Ten-year-old tires are what's keeping you on the road but you have no idea what they've been through. I wouldn't trust my life to them. Any kind of issue with them *could* increase the vibration beyond what's normal. Or maybe not. No real way to tell on a message board.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for all the advice ! I have an appt. tomorrow to get the tires replaced, they were indeed the original tires, with an "05" at the end of the DOT code, which indicates they were made in 2005. I did take it out for another ride tonight and pulled in the clutch around 55, and the vibration stopped, so im guessing what im feeling is the motor. Also, I did have a windshield originally, and took it off. When I did, the vibration was marginally less, but i did notice a small increase in power, so i left it off, since i have a full face helmet and dont really need it. But when I inspected the rear tire a bit closer, i did see a small amount of dry rot on the inner tread, so it better safe than sorry.
 
#13 ·
So I got the new tires last weekend, and there is most certainly an improvement. I haven't had a chance to get on the highway, but I got up to 50 and it felt better, but as others mentioned there will always be some vibration from the v-twin, so I'll have to get used to that.

I'll post an update when I get a chance to get on the highway.
 
#14 ·
Finally .... I was able to get out on the road at 60+ mph. The vibrations in the handlebars were less, so i think the new tires helped there. The floorboards still vibrated about the same, but nothing alarming and based on past comments this should be normal and something ill have to get used to. Thanks again to everyone for all the feedback !
 
#15 ·
Check shocks rubber mounts as if they harden up or wear will cause vibration. I had about 5000 on my bike when shock mounts went bad and couldn't hardly see anything in mirrors until I changed the mounts. This was on VTX1300 so might not apply to 750s.
:smile2:
 
#16 ·
Ive been noticing that if i go above 60 there is a slight vibration to my bike, mostly in the grips, and im hesitant to go faster. I dont notice this at lower speeds. Would this be the tires out of balance or something else? Air pressure is good and no other noticeable issues.
Check shocks rubber mounts as if they harden up or wear will cause vibration. I had about 5000 on my bike when shock mounts went bad and couldn't hardly see anything in mirrors until I changed the mounts. This was on VTX1300 so might not apply to 750s.
/forum/images/HondaShadow_net_2015/smilies/tango_face_smile.png
My mirrors vibrate so bad, i cant see anything clearly through them unless i hold it.
 
#17 ·
2006 Honda Shadow Aero VT750C. Bought it used with 3500 miles, its up to about 4100 now. I assume they are the original tires, the tread depth based on a state inspection a few weeks ago is 5/32 front, 3/32 rear. This is my first bike, >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yeah I`d say this is MOST of the problem!
D