Good Vibrations ??

[RTRandy]

The service group at my local dealer as well as track instructors always preach keeping the RPM high especially in traffic situations or on twisty turns. With more miles and experience, the RPM's are certainly much higher for me than when I first started out, but I still get considerable vibration at high revs.

There is a point around 4100 rpm where the grips vibrate and will smooth out again around 4300 rpm. It's consistant enough that I can tell when I'm passing through 4100 rpm in any gear without looking at the tach. Above 5000 the grips start to vibrate again and at 5500 the grips and the foot pegs are really buzzing.

Is this a common experience for the boxer engines? My sales rep tells me the bike was not run at high rpm for a long time and will "break in" better being flogged at high rpm and the vibration will dissipate with more miles. Is this the shoe salesman telling you to wear the tight shoes and they'll stretch or is there really some merrit to smoothing out with time? My 04 RT is at 19.5K miles so far.To me it sure feels more like somethings out of balance.

[lorazepam]

It is normal, and the range is slightly different depending on the bike. This is a harmonics point that will always have more vibration than at other rpm. The R850R had one that was very slight, the R1150RS has one too. You dont need to see the tach to know you are there ;) . 15 years calibrating centrifuges along with repair and maintenance of a couple hundred different types of equipment, I see it often enough not to worry about a narrow band of vibration.

[DarrylRi]

It's definitely true that your bike will get smoother over the miles. But we're talking about a good chunk of miles. My '94 R1100RS seemed to get smoother over the course of the first 50 or 60,000 miles. My R1150RS is still getting smoother, even though it has 56,000 miles on it.

But when I say that these bikes smooth out, it's not like the vibrations are going to go away completely. You'll still be able to estimate the RPMs by the feel at the bars (and above 6k, the pegs).

[LeRoux Strydom]

When shopping for my '02, I test drove several 1100's and 1150's. They all exhibited some vibration at various rpm's, regardless of the recorded mileage.
I seem to be lucky as my bike is quite smooth, especially at the rpm range I like to cruise at.

[jdcoffman]

:brow My r1100rs smooths out considerably after I adjusted my valves.But is has over 60k on the clock so that may help some. When I first bought the bike with 24.5k I couldn't handle the vibs espcially in my right hand and went ahead and purchased a throttle lock device.

[kbasa]

:brow My r1100rs smooths out considerably after I adjusted my valves.But is has over 60k on the clock so that may help some. When I first bought the bike with 24.5k I couldn't handle the vibs espcially in my right hand and went ahead and purchased a throttle lock device.

Exactly. Our RS has been just like that. At 66K, it's smooooooooth. I can tell when it's time for a valve adjustment because it'll idle noticeably rougher.

[lkchris]

It is TRUE that

- your bike will break in quicker using higher rpms
- it will feel different once broken in

It is NOT TRUE that

-high RPMs are necessary especially in traffic situations or on twisty turns

This is testosterone-overdosed BS.

Just use common sense.

-In situations where more available power = a better safety margin, get in a lower gear

-Don't lug your engine

[RTRandy]

Exactly. At 66K, it's smooooooooth.

Even holding it above 6000 rpm in a lower gear ?

[BouncinBob]

My last K12RS had this "feature". It went away somewhere around 60k miles.

[RTRandy]

It's interesting that the vibration diminishes over the higher milage with more engine wear. Is there some common explanation for this phenomenon ?

Currently I'm just under 20k so I may need another couple of years to smooth out. At least I can look forward to getting better with age.

[LeRoux Strydom]

It's interesting that the vibration diminishes over the higher milage with more engine wear. Is there some common explanation for this phenomenon ?

Currently I'm just under 20k so I may need another couple of years to smooth out. At least I can look forward to getting better with age.

Racers have an old saying:
"They always run best just before they blow!"
:D

[RTRandy]

Racers have an old saying:
"They always run best just before they blow!"
:D


That's great !!! I'm going remember that one.

. . . The color of your bike is actually "Titan Gray" if you use the BMW vernacular. :brow

[LeRoux Strydom]

. . . The color of your bike is actually "Titan Gray" if you use the BMW vernacular. :brow

No, my bike really *is* Titan Silver (German: "Titan Silber"). Titan Grey is a much darker color than my bike.
:thumb

[RTRandy]

I'm familiar with that color.

[LeRoux Strydom]

Looks strangely familiar.....

[hwunger]

Wow, haven't logged in for a while and what do I see ... good, good, good, good vibrations (a la Beach Boys). Indeed the boxers vibrate, right around 4,100 where you may want to be. It got too much for me and I bailed out. But there is some merit in the higher mileage story - I could not wait, 60K is 100,000 kms and that is too long a wait for me.

[knary]

Even holding it above 6000 rpm in a lower gear ?

I don't ever do that on my GS. I regularly bang around in the upper RPMs when riding a twisty road, or when looking for grunt at elevated speeds. But for puttering down the road at a steady speed (e.g interstate at 70 mph), I'm usually down under 5k and often around 3k.

[j-budimlya]

My experience is that the "vibes" can , for the most part, can be tuned out by very carefully adjusting the valves, balancing the throttle bodies and the valve rocker end play...and 20,000 is enough miles to have a smooth runnng engine.....

Jim Bud

[knary]

My experience is that the "vibes" can , for the most part, can be tuned out by very carefully adjusting the valves, balancing the throttle bodies and the valve rocker end play...and 20,000 is enough miles to have a smooth runnng engine.....

Jim Bud

"Smooth" is a very relative. A smooth running boxer is not, for example, K-bike smooth.

[bikerfish1100]

i know that when the vibes on my R11S get annoying, i need to:
a) top off the oil
b) sync the TBs

btw- the only time my bike runs at 3K is on it's way to 4K or above. got in the habit years ago on airheads of keeping the revs above 3500 for full charging of electrical system, and to encourage better performance. not sure if the oilheads' charging system is similar to the airheads, but the bikes just plain run better above 4K. less likely for carbon build up as well.

[mikeb921]

Hello everyone,
This is my first post. My 95 R1100RS has the same problem. It's very smoothe at 3500 rpm, but above that vibration creeps in and can be annoying over time in the saddle. The bike has 67k miles and has had very good maintenance. I think it's just part of the "twin" experience. I've owned and ridden BMW's for the past 30+ years, seems like the more power they make, the more they vibrate. I'm glad I found this site. I have many questions that I think you guys can help answer.
MB

[j-budimlya]

Hello everyone,
This is my first post. My 95 R1100RS has the same problem. It's very smoothe at 3500 rpm, but above that vibration creeps in and can be annoying over time in the saddle. The bike has 67k miles and has had very good maintenance. I think it's just part of the "twin" experience. I've owned and ridden BMW's for the past 30+ years, seems like the more power they make, the more they vibrate. I'm glad I found this site. I have many questions that I think you guys can help answer.
MB

http://www.advrider.com/Wisdom/OREPADv1.0.pdf

The above link will take you to a procedure to adjust your "rocker end play" on the ADVrider site...this procedure eliminated my upper RPM vibration, making the good old Boxer run smoother than it ever has...if you can't do it, find someone skilled who will do it for you, all it takes is basic tools and the patience to do it right......first time it will take 3-4 hours, next time I could do it in two hours.....and Oh, what a difference, not just eliminating vibration, but increased upper rpm power noticable....

Cheers, :twirl