Vibration

Energy One

Teror

New Member
Dont own a Big Dog yet! Test rode an Husky, there was a vibration in the handle bar during the ride, so much that the mirrors were unless. It lighten up when the speed increased. Is this normal? Any ideas? Thanks
 

Slider

Active Member
rigid mount vibrates just take the mirrors off, go HD, or live with it. Welcome to the lb. :up:
 

Nukeranger

Nukeranger
A certain amount of vibration is normal. I can make out the vehicles behind me with stock mirrors on my 2008 Ridgeback. I can say before I purchased my 2008 Ridgeback, I rode at least a couple of K-9's and was not impressed. I told the shop in Kenner Louisiana (now closed) something was wrong with the bikes. One bike vibrated so bad the speedometer was useless and my feet were going to vibrate off the pegs. The other resulted in the mirror falling completely down and being useless. In my opinion, they did not know how to care for their bikes and just accepted the severe vibration. My 2008 Ridgeback does vibrate more than my modern day Triumphs. As far as my BSA is concerned, the two K-9's vibrated worse and my BSA is 40 years old. I am not picking on K-9's. As I said, it was a dealer problem in my opinion. They were substandard in their knowledge and care of their bikes. My 2008 Ridgeback is much smoother than the bikes I test rode there. At about 2,000 RPM, the mirror vision is actually quite good.

Also, the individual I bought my Ridgeback from said he experimented with other mirrors and found the stock mirrors to be the best for what it is worth.

I am told the Ridgebacks are a kick in the butt! Also, women like the ride but I wouldn't know because my baby rides her own custom Triumph Bonneville lowered, chromed out, and has a custom paint job.
 

BBChopper

Supports 2 Disabled Vets
Troop Supporter
Mirrors are for looking back, I don’t. Twist the throttle Roll on!!!:2thumbs:
 

Ray

Well-Known Member
Mirrors are for looking back, I don’t. Twist the throttle Roll on!!!:2thumbs:
I thought the mirrors were just on there to make sure you had your helmet strapped properly before you took off, and a place to hang your helmet when you stop. I never thought they were "Looking Back",, they vibrate way too much for that anyway!! The only time thay are of any use at all your stopped and the engine ain't running.
I can understand why people riding "Scooters" would be concerned with what is behind them, you might want to see what is fixing to run all over the top of you.
The dog is different , hang on to the grips "Both Hands",engage twisting action with the right hand quick and hard. You will never think of your mirors vibrating again.

Ray :2thumbs:
 

Nukeranger

Nukeranger
I must be lucky because I can actually use my mirrors for viewing vehicles behind me. Although, I do use them to check my helmet strap, etc also.:roll::roll::roll:
 

kmalysa

Active Member
Well these bikes do vibrate (part of the fun). However, Mine was excessive, turned out the top motor mount bolt was missing. Replaced and now is much much better.

BTW... I can actually see out of my mirrors
 

erldawg

Guru
With the motors being solid mounted to the frame there will be vibrations in any motorcycle including HD. When I took my first ride home on a brand new 04 Wide Glide I though what the hell did I buy that bike vibrated like crazy. As the bike broke in and air filter, pipes and remap almost all vibration was gone.

On my K9 yes it vibrates upon hard acceleration but it has gotten smother over time and while cruising in the 2500-3000 range it's rather smooth and can see just fine out the mirrors. It may be a loose motor mount if it's excessive vibration..
 
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mcgroom

Well-Known Member
Isn't the Husky a rubber mount?

Motor mounts or more than likely something as simple as handlebar dampners. If so, cheap fix.
 

BigDogBro1

Made in the USA
Loose motor mount bolts on the ignition cover and upper frame mount. Engine mount flange and tranny bolts as well. These bikes cruise pretty smooth when they are tightly bolted together.

Obviously you will get some minor vibration at different RPMs due to the rigid mount V-Twin Evo engine. It's not a Goldwing.
 
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Ray

Well-Known Member
You know I must say the vibration isn't as bad riding the country roads I usually ride on versus the interstate doing much faster speeds. I really noticed it watching one of the videos I did watching the mirrors. Doing 40-50 mph they don't really vibrate much at all, but doing 70-90 they do. When I am riding those crooked country roads I don't watch the mirrors a lot, watching what is in front of me. You can tell that by the video at the Dragon, the Po-Po proably rode me a couple miles before explaining the speed limit laws, but his first comment was "Nice Bike".

Ray
 

BigDogBro1

Made in the USA
Was riding 70 to 90 MPH yesterday down I-94 near Jackson to Chelsea MI. and the dog was smooth and solid. I couldn't ask for anything more from this bike. Of course the mirrors are going to shake a little bit, it's a solid mount engine with mirrors hanging out on long handlebars mounted in cushioned tree bushings.
 
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liferider

Looking forward to retirement
You haven't had vibration till you let a HD mechanic work on your BigDog!!!!!! Last yr a week before Sturgis I was in Alexandria La. and had a flat on the front of my 04 Bigdog Chopper. So I trailered it over to the local HD dealer ( this was on a Saturday) plus there was no other bike shop in that town. After 2-3 hrs, I went back in the service area, they had told me it might take 45 min. but crap 3 hrs??? So finally my bike was ready. On the ride back to Shreveport I noticed a vibration I had not had that morning. I ran into the HD dealer in Shreveport that afternoon and asked them to reballence my front tire. I ran the bike through Sturgis with the vibration going from bad to HOLY SHIT. The week after Sturgis I brought my Chopper to my regular mechanic who was a Bigdog dealer. He called me the next day saying I was the Luckiest SOB on the planet and wanted to know whom I had pissed off!!!! I told him what had happened and who had touched the bike and he started making phone calls while I sat on a stool looking confused!! When he got the truth out of the HD Service manager in Alex I was pissed. TheNEW Mechanic the HD dealer had hired the day before did not loosed the pinch bolt on my forks. He then drove the front shaft out using a punch, vertually destroying my front shaft. He then panicked and replaced the shaft with a Dyna Wide Glide. The differance is the Dyna's shaft is .08 larger than bigdogs shaft. He drove the new shaft in. What was happening was the front bearings were dealing with a oversized shaft so when my mechanic in Shreveport removed the shaft and the bearings the bearings were purple and blue from the heat build up. The vibration was from the bearings trying to seize!!!! I replaced everything!!!!! Now NO vibration, and NO MORE HD WANT TO BE MECHANIC'S!!!!!!!
 

Ray

Well-Known Member
You haven't had vibration till you let a HD mechanic work on your BigDog!!!!!! Last yr a week before Sturgis I was in Alexandria La. and had a flat on the front of my 04 Bigdog Chopper. So I trailered it over to the local HD dealer ( this was on a Saturday) plus there was no other bike shop in that town. After 2-3 hrs, I went back in the service area, they had told me it might take 45 min. but crap 3 hrs??? So finally my bike was ready. On the ride back to Shreveport I noticed a vibration I had not had that morning. I ran into the HD dealer in Shreveport that afternoon and asked them to reballence my front tire. I ran the bike through Sturgis with the vibration going from bad to HOLY SHIT. The week after Sturgis I brought my Chopper to my regular mechanic who was a Bigdog dealer. He called me the next day saying I was the Luckiest SOB on the planet and wanted to know whom I had pissed off!!!! I told him what had happened and who had touched the bike and he started making phone calls while I sat on a stool looking confused!! When he got the truth out of the HD Service manager in Alex I was pissed. TheNEW Mechanic the HD dealer had hired the day before did not loosed the pinch bolt on my forks. He then drove the front shaft out using a punch, vertually destroying my front shaft. He then panicked and replaced the shaft with a Dyna Wide Glide. The differance is the Dyna's shaft is .08 larger than bigdogs shaft. He drove the new shaft in. What was happening was the front bearings were dealing with a oversized shaft so when my mechanic in Shreveport removed the shaft and the bearings the bearings were purple and blue from the heat build up. The vibration was from the bearings trying to seize!!!! I replaced everything!!!!! Now NO vibration, and NO MORE HD WANT TO BE MECHANIC'S!!!!!!!
What I have found around here HD mechanics and shops don't even want to touch the "Dog". I let a friend on my daughters , he owns the shop in Lebanon Tn put, the new Cobras on my scooter. He knows I am kinda :eek: about the scooter, and he would lose a lot of business if he screwed it up. But I had much rather them say I don't want to/ won't or whatever else than to screw up the scooter. Then we couldn't be friends!!!!! :rant:

Ray
 

BOBE

Member
The only thing I find uncomfortable is to the nut sack at high rpm's. Mirrors are useless even on my wideglide. The Ultra's mirrors are useable.
 
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