I've got an 08 street bob. 11k miles.
for the last few months I've noticed a slight vibration that seems to be getting worse. originally i thought it was just coming from the front end, but now I'm not sure. the entire ride just feels really 'rough' for lack of a better term. feels like i can feel every single bump and pebble in the road. I've replaced the bushings and all the crap in the forks, so i don't think its that. everything seem to be tight from what i can tell. not sure what else to look at? could it be a cracked motor mount or something? would that cause a feeling like this?
any other suggestions?
reeeeally trying to avoid taking it to the dealership. this seems like the sort of thing that would wind up costing me a damn fortune just for them to figure it out.
thanks.

 

i should also mention, its not an issue with unbalanced tires or anything like that. I've run two sets of wheels/tires on it and both feel the same.

 

I'd bet the vibration to be the front motor mount. Have you replaced it in the past? Jim

 

Check the front motor mount.

 

replace sparkplugs if you haven't before.

 

+1 front mount, first suspect. Check to see if there's any gap at the top, if not then the engine vibration is transferring to the frame.

 

with only 11K why did you replace bushing and all that crap in the forks. That and what else did you change out from stock. while it could be motor mount I would look at any work you did that may have brought it on first. Too few miles for drastically worn out parts IMO

 

Could also be crank going out of wack if it's getting worse, but before you even go down that road check the front motor mount to see how the rubber is sagging or if it's torn.....mine was ripped.

If mount is 100%
Might need to open up the cam cover and check the runout on the crank.

 

thanks for the replies.

i did check the front motor mounts a few weeks ago. i suppose i didn't look for a ton of wear, just to make sure they were tight. each was a tiny bit loose, but nothing major. should they not be tightened down all the way? didn't notice anything completely crumbling. i'll check again. it does make sense that it might be that, since i do seem to notice it a little more when under power, vs. with the clutch pulled in and just coasting.

as for bushings, i swapped in progressive springs, replaced fork seals as one cracked and had leaked most of the fork oil out by the time i finally got around to fixing it. i took the bike to a friend of a friend who suggested the bushings, or rather small copper rings, might be worn and that would cause a little bit of play in the front end. they were indeed worn but that wasn't the problem.

ive noticed this getting worse over the last few months. maybe 1,000 miles or so?

 

what am i looking for on this motor mount?
do i need to pull it in order to really check it out?