Hi all. My 2013 1200S Touring vibrates a hell of a lot when cruising. I mean it comes through the bars, the seat etc and when I accelerate hard, goes well but feels really rough. I know they have “character” but I surely not this much. I did a 250 miler yesterday and I’m still tingling now! Does anyone have any idea what could possibly cause this or is this just normal. I can’t imagine touring on it?
The 13 was pretty smooth, for a big twin, whilst cruising, could be any number of things. If the engine feels rough check the plug leads, maybe getting a bit of a miss fire, especially the centre front lead/cap which is a common fault on those. Check engine mount bolts, could be a loose one. Chain too tight? That can feel bad. Wheel balancing?
Thanks a lot. I’ll check those things out. I replaced the front lead and cap already as the old one did fail. Maybe chain. I didn’t think that could make it feel that bad but I’ll slacken it off if it’s too tight and check the mountings.
No expert but you need to plug in to get a reading, it’s not mechanical so a screwdriver won’t help. Someone will soon explain it as this forum is amazing with amazing knowledge and members. Or try google?
Worth checking, they are very fussy about chain tension, could always tell when mine needed adjustment, just felt rough and false neutrals were common. Pop the cover off the front sprocket whilst there if you've not checked its condition for a while.
On a quick check of the chain, it’s about right. If anything, a little too slack (a very little). Not had a chance to check the front sprocket but will later. Rear sprocket is within spec so I’d be surprised if the front was worn differently but I’ll check anyway. Next is engine mount bolts. Good suggestion as that would definitely make it vibrate if loose. Do you know if they have bushes and, if so, are they prone to failure?
Do you have a standard front sprocket or have you gone down a tooth? If the latter, give it a check as it will wear faster than the standard. Tingling fingers a day after riding is not normal, and having owned a 1200S and ridden it across Europe, I can't say I ever wanted off of it because of vibrations. You mentioned both seat and bars are vibrating, is this vibration happening over the entire bike, regardless of rpm? Is the vibration matching rpm or consistent regardless? Have you noticed a difference in fuel consumption? I'm guessing here as I'm not an expert, but could badly installed belts also cause this if it's a tooth off? They are not the smoothest of bikes, certainly not the silkiness of an IL4, and yes the bars will always give some form of feedback, but again, that feedback should be 'you're wringing my neck, I'm letting you know', not vibrating enough to cause discomfort after a short 250 mile stint.
I exaggerated a bit with the tingling fingers. It starts when the RPM is around 3000 but goes when it gets to 4000ish. If it was there a day after, I would probably need medical help. The vibration though is pretty constant whatever the RPM. The bike pulls well but feels "lumpy". Not like a misfire though, just not as smooth as it should be. Fuel consumption is around 160miles per tank which hasn't really changed. Front and rear sprockets are standard and I think original as the bike hasn't done many miles. I've uploaded some photos of the sprockets and the adjuster (I know I need to clean the chain). You can see the chain being slightly looser than spec. Would that cause excessive vibration though?
Judging by the photograph, the rear sprocket is wearing at the rear of the teeth. Can't really tell on the front due to the angle. I've seen worse
I've seen and ridden a lot worse, I can't see it being the chain/sprockets unless you have a really bad tight spot. But it is hard to tell from pictures. I used to have a consistent issue with one of my 748's that would ride lumpy when the HT lead went 'bad', meaning it would not provide consistent spark. Not sure how it would feel/behave on a Multi though, worth a check. I'd also check front and rear wheel play to see if it's a bearing issue.
Thanks for that. Would you be changing the chain and sprockets based on the photos? I can’t see any tight spots in the chain
