Am I Being Unreasonable?
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,482
Likes: 631
From: NorCal Rocklin
If you have the 114, then yes, it vibrates at an rpm above 3k. It doesnt matter what model Softail M8 it is either. If you ride and cruise at high rpm the vibes are there. When you hit the sweet spot, the RPM's are so low that it feels like your lugging the bike.
No, your not being sensitive since I have experienced that issue with ALL of the softails. Especially with the 114's. Some softails vibrate less than other but it is there, You are not crazy.
Also you are lucky to have a dealership that troubleshot that issue for you and verifying it on multiple bikes. I would definitely stick with that dealership for service work especially if they took the time to do that for you.
No, your not being sensitive since I have experienced that issue with ALL of the softails. Especially with the 114's. Some softails vibrate less than other but it is there, You are not crazy.
Also you are lucky to have a dealership that troubleshot that issue for you and verifying it on multiple bikes. I would definitely stick with that dealership for service work especially if they took the time to do that for you.
Last edited by vizcarmb; Mar 21, 2019 at 04:15 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 32,851
Likes: 17,887
From: Newcastle, OK
I got my 2019 Heritage last week. Monday I took it on the highway and got up to 75-80. When it reaches 2500 rpm it starts a vibration and at 3000 rpm it's very annoying and you can't see in the mirrors. I wouldn't enjoy 10 minutes of ride at 3000 rpm's with this vibration. It's the best handling Harley I've owned except for this vibration.
Yesterday I took it to the dealer and had them look at it. The service tech sat on it and rev'd it up, turned it off and started feeling around on the engine and frame. Then he took it for a ride. When he came back he did the same thing except this time he spent about 10 minutes looking and feeling around on it. Then he went over to the used bikes and started a Heritage up I guess to compare the vibration. Then he came back an repeated what he already did. THEN, he went back to the used Heritage and repeated that process again. When I approached him and asked what he thought he said they all had the vibration issue, but mine was more than most. Then, the service adviser came out and they talked, looked and felt around it for another 10 minutes. He took me over to a 3rd used Heritage and we fired it up and at around 3000 rpm's it did have a lot of vibration and distorted the mirrors. The service adviser said reluctantly that they could put it up on a lift and check it out next week or I could wait until the 1000 mile service. I got the feeling they weren't excited about looking for a non-billable "needle in a haystack" vibration.
I guess my biggest issue is the time that the tech and the service adviser looked and talked about it. I would have rather heard "You're just being hyper sensitive about it and it's just fine" or "Yeah, there's something not right".
I really do hate to be nit picking especially if I'm fretting over something that's normal, but I like to ride between 2500 - 3000 rpm's and this is bugging the crap out of me. Am I over thinking it? Would you have them break it down and look for a cause?
Yesterday I took it to the dealer and had them look at it. The service tech sat on it and rev'd it up, turned it off and started feeling around on the engine and frame. Then he took it for a ride. When he came back he did the same thing except this time he spent about 10 minutes looking and feeling around on it. Then he went over to the used bikes and started a Heritage up I guess to compare the vibration. Then he came back an repeated what he already did. THEN, he went back to the used Heritage and repeated that process again. When I approached him and asked what he thought he said they all had the vibration issue, but mine was more than most. Then, the service adviser came out and they talked, looked and felt around it for another 10 minutes. He took me over to a 3rd used Heritage and we fired it up and at around 3000 rpm's it did have a lot of vibration and distorted the mirrors. The service adviser said reluctantly that they could put it up on a lift and check it out next week or I could wait until the 1000 mile service. I got the feeling they weren't excited about looking for a non-billable "needle in a haystack" vibration.
I guess my biggest issue is the time that the tech and the service adviser looked and talked about it. I would have rather heard "You're just being hyper sensitive about it and it's just fine" or "Yeah, there's something not right".
I really do hate to be nit picking especially if I'm fretting over something that's normal, but I like to ride between 2500 - 3000 rpm's and this is bugging the crap out of me. Am I over thinking it? Would you have them break it down and look for a cause?
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 762
Likes: 264
From: Timnath, CO.
If you have the 114, then yes, it vibrates at an rpm above 3k. It doesnt matter what model Softail M8 it is either. If you ride and cruise at high rpm the vibes are there. When you hit the sweet spot, the RPM's are so low that it feels like your lugging the bike.
No, your not being sensitive since I have experienced that issue with ALL of the softails. Especially with the 114's. Some softails vibrate less than other but it is there, You are not crazy.
Also you are lucky to have a dealership that troubleshot that issue for you and verifying it on multiple bikes. I would definitely stick with that dealership for service work especially if they took the time to do that for you.
No, your not being sensitive since I have experienced that issue with ALL of the softails. Especially with the 114's. Some softails vibrate less than other but it is there, You are not crazy.
Also you are lucky to have a dealership that troubleshot that issue for you and verifying it on multiple bikes. I would definitely stick with that dealership for service work especially if they took the time to do that for you.
Just my experience.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 330
Likes: 116
From: USA
I'd say keep trying to isolate it. My 2019 114 is very smooth (to me, and compared to my Sportster), though I have less than 500 miles so far on it. I have about 50/50 highway/city. If I remember correctly these have the dual balancers, maybe you have something not quite right in that department? Hope you find a solution.
I have about 1500 miles on a 2019 114" SG and it's been much smoother than my 2014 103" SG. Neither one had any unusual vibration above 2000 rpm.
Last edited by TexasMotorcycleRider; Mar 22, 2019 at 09:14 AM.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 444
Likes: 92
From: xx
Bike vibrations are a VERY personal thing. What one person will call horrible, hand/foot-numbing vibration, somebody else will call buttery-smooth, and vice-versa. I've many v-twins, inline-4s, singles, etc., over the years. They all feel different.
For me personally, my Sport Glide is very smooth. It feels smoother than my '15 Road King or '16 V-Rod. The vibrations that it does have, feel "better", for lack of a better term, than my Kawasaki Z900 with its inline 4.
When I test-rode Herritage 114, it was definitely not as smooth as my 107.
For me personally, my Sport Glide is very smooth. It feels smoother than my '15 Road King or '16 V-Rod. The vibrations that it does have, feel "better", for lack of a better term, than my Kawasaki Z900 with its inline 4.
When I test-rode Herritage 114, it was definitely not as smooth as my 107.
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 575
Likes: 263
From: Spokane, WA
Bike vibrations are a VERY personal thing. What one person will call horrible, hand/foot-numbing vibration, somebody else will call buttery-smooth, and vice-versa. I've many v-twins, inline-4s, singles, etc., over the years. They all feel different.
For me personally, my Sport Glide is very smooth. It feels smoother than my '15 Road King or '16 V-Rod. The vibrations that it does have, feel "better", for lack of a better term, than my Kawasaki Z900 with its inline 4.
When I test-rode Herritage 114, it was definitely not as smooth as my 107.
For me personally, my Sport Glide is very smooth. It feels smoother than my '15 Road King or '16 V-Rod. The vibrations that it does have, feel "better", for lack of a better term, than my Kawasaki Z900 with its inline 4.
When I test-rode Herritage 114, it was definitely not as smooth as my 107.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 444
Likes: 92
From: xx
It's true no two people perceive vibration the same. My 107 Low Rider does buzz through the bars. About 2500 rpm and up. The pegs and seat are smooth as can be. It could be my arthritic worn out old machinist's hands. In any case it is not a very pleasant vibration to me. It is a low amplitude high frequency vibration due to the twin counter balancers and the fact that HD left some vibes in by design. I have tried all manner of checks and tweaks but the vibes remain. I felt it in other twin counter balanced softails too. I didn't notice as much at first, but my hands have hyper sensitised to the vibration. I'm playing with a weight in the left grip since that side is worse.
With my V-Rod Muscle, when I switched out the exhaust, the vibrations increased dramatically for me. After playing with it, I could affect the vibrations by torquing sequence and torque values of the exhaust. It became like a big tuning fork...
Of course, this entire discussion is predicated on the fact that the bike in question does not have an abnormal vibration, which can be a PITA to diagnose, and even harder to fix.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 667
Likes: 189
From: U.K.
It's true no two people perceive vibration the same. My 107 Low Rider does buzz through the bars. About 2500 rpm and up. The pegs and seat are smooth as can be. It could be my arthritic worn out old machinist's hands. In any case it is not a very pleasant vibration to me. It is a low amplitude high frequency vibration due to the twin counter balancers and the fact that HD left some vibes in by design. I have tried all manner of checks and tweaks but the vibes remain. I felt it in other twin counter balanced softails too. I didn't notice as much at first, but my hands have hyper sensitised to the vibration. I'm playing with a weight in the left grip since that side is worse.
