Ethang Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 The wife and I left for our first tour Saturday and had to cut it short. Just into Ohio my 03 XX started to vibrate through the pegs, then I began to feel it in the bars. It gets worse when decelerating with the throttle closed and I can hear kinda a rumble noise or rattle noise coming from the engine. If you pull in the clutch it gets less but is still there. If you accelerate it gets rises with the rpm. I checked the chain tension before we left and it was good. I have just over 5K on it. I searched the forum and there is not alot about vibrations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethang Posted August 22, 2004 Author Share Posted August 22, 2004 The last thing I changed was the rear tire about 2000 miles ago. Oil was changed at 100, 1000, and 4000 miles using Honda oil and filter. I don't ride it hard either. Since it was new I have felt the 1st to 2nd shift was clunky. It feels very notchy unless you shift at a low RPM. Other then that it has been trouble free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 What kind of tires? Maybe it's the tire deplying (my own word) comeing apart internally. Will it do it standing still just reving it? Is it gear dependant, road speed dependant or only RPM dependant? Hope you're still under warantee. Keep us up on this problem, never heard of it. :???: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pai Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 how is it? i am curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azxx Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Does it do it with just you on it or only when two riders on it, chain gets tighter with more weight . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethang Posted August 25, 2004 Author Share Posted August 25, 2004 I have been really busy working so have not had too much time to check it out. Brief version. It does it will just me on also. I took it up to the local Honda dealership (who shall remain nameless) Looking at their repair area it was a pig pen, which had me wondering if I wanted them to touch my bike anyway. The tech said, with an attitude, I should take it where I bought, it sounded like a setup problem. I completly disagreed as it just started to happen with 5k, but given how their shop looks and the attitude I will take all my business back. (BTW- I bought from the only dealership to have a Blackbird and did check with this one first.) On the way home had time to check it out some, it is worse when the bike gets hot. The vibration is definately comeing all the way through the bike. You start to feel it in both pegs, then it goes into the bars. The noise is really difficult to explain. I'm having trouble isolating it while going down the road but it seems to be coming from the clutch/trans area. The vibration gets much worse as the rpms climb. it is not road dependent. Coasting in nuetral it goes away. It might be in the chain, but I have kept it lubed and adjusted and have had the bike since it was new. I will be taking it to the dealership I bought if from next week. I'll let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azxx Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 I would check engine mount bolts and exhaust mounting bolts/nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Counter balancers adjustment bolt loose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethang Posted August 26, 2004 Author Share Posted August 26, 2004 I'm going to check the engine mounts this weekend before I take it in. Without a shop manuel any ideas on checking the counter balancers or is that best left to a shop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azxx Posted August 27, 2004 Share Posted August 27, 2004 Here's the pages, front adj. is on the rt. side front at oil filter level. Rear is behind cylynder no. 4 rt. side as I remember last time I had the fairing off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethang Posted September 1, 2004 Author Share Posted September 1, 2004 Took the XX to the dealership today. The tech rode and checked it, and came to the conclusion it is a stretched chain. When you spin the wheel there was a definate topward bump in the chain travel. His theory is that when we went on the trip we overloaded the bike and hit a bump, stretching the chain. In thinking about it, we must have been close or over depending on how much the wife lies about HER weight. Anyway, he said the stock chains are not great and put on an aftermarket. Sprockets where fine. It cured the vibration when rolling off the throttle, so maybe he knows what he's doing. He did leave some nasty fingerprints all over my paint though. On the way home I was still feeling a vibration at 130mph. I'll have to see if it goes away if I go faster. :wink: Ethan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXTi Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 That's the first time I've heard anyone say the OEM chain is "not great". I got over 20K miles out of my OEM RK and it seems like the OEM DID's have about the same life span. Many folks replace their OEM chains with DID ZVM's. It's very nearly the same chain as stock. I think your mechanic is full of shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdie_xx Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 he said the stock chains are not great Whaaaat ? I'm not a mechanic nor service mgr...... But I thought the stock chain was a very good chain ! And you have only 5K on the bike ?! :shock: If it is the chain in fault, that my guess would be it was set up wrong, or you adjusted/maintained it wrong...... My current chain is shot now, but I think I have about 30K on it maybe even more.... For the longest time it didn't need an adjustment, then it started to show slack and then I notticed that it has tight and stretched spots... But, even being in a bad shape, it doesn't create bad vibrations ! I can hear it, I feel surges but it "feels" better under load and at higher speeds and higher RPM's.... When I pull the cluch, I feel the "kinks" of the chain..... You'd definatelly feel the overtight chain on the trip... But maybe I'm wrong.... :roll: On the way home I was still feeling a vibration at 130mph And this is definatelly NOT GOOD ! Cheers, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethang Posted September 1, 2004 Author Share Posted September 1, 2004 I questioned it also, but he suggested this as the first step. They put the DID chain on. The tech said it was an upgrade over the stock chain. Whatever it was or how it was caused the off throttle vibration is gone. He did not think it was adjusted wrong, he thought the bike being somewhat over the suspension limits weight wise caused it. I have followed the owners manuel method and specs and lubed with Honda lube. My last bike was shaft drive so I suppose I could have messed up. My last bike was a V45 Sabre and the engine was fairly smooth but at speed it vibrated alot. My XX seems to now vibrate more then it did new but I have 2500 miles on the replacement Bridgestone Bt-14 and 5300 on the stock Battle ax. This could be two seperate things causing two different vibrations. I guess now my question is, how much vibration is normal for the XX? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdie_xx Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 how much vibration is normal for the XX? What Joe said... Enough that you nottice but not enough to be annoying. I haven't ridden as many bikes as some editors, but one thing that appears in most XX evaluations (and I agree !), is that it's one of the smoothest engines out there... I think the GL1500/1800 is smoother. I mean, they complain that the ZZR and FJR are buzzy ! :shock: I definatell wouldn't call the XX engine "buzzy", but you can feel it a bit that it's working... :wink: Few things can affect the bikes "vibrations", as far as my unedjucated (mechanicaly !) experience tells me .... - bad adjustment of the carbs and fuel injectors - I think these can be ballanced as well...someone correct me if I'm wrong ! - adjustment of the counterballancers, - misalignment of the engine, wrong torque of the engine mount bolts..... - the tension and alignment of the chain... - something is fucked up inside the engine ! :twisted: You could also feel "vibrations" from the chasis, not connected to the engine - bad tires, alignment, bearings, warped brake discs.... To many posibilities. Can you determine if the problem is just the engine ? Put the bike on the centerstand, fire it up and rev it. Do you feel the wibes ? Maybe try to put it in gear and CAREFULLY !!! rev it to see if that's any different...now you'd add the chain into consideration. Then go for a ride and see if it's any different.... Unless you know some good independent mechanic, I'd take it to another dealership for a second opinion.... The service guy where I go, hates when I come and say I heard "something" through the Internet... But on the other hand, he'd not put the new chain with the old sprockets, especially knowing that the chain wore out that fast. I have a new chain to be installed and the mechanic that's going to help me, asked me to buy a new front sprocket, rather then put one that was given to me, with about 5-6K on it. Not that it wouldn't work, but he want's me to keep the new chain longer. And he wasn't trying to sell me the sprocket ! Good luck ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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