I recently test drove a 2019 Heritage Softail (114 ci). Very impressed with the bike but noticed a slight buzzing feeling in the handlebars (more noticeable at speed) and seemed to ride on the rough side. I currently own a 2016 Ultra Limited which doesn't have these issues. I've never owned a Softail or any other cruiser style HD. I've only owned the Ultras. My question is: is this normal for this style of bike? On YouTube I only hear how great this bike is. Any advice/replies/comments would be helpful in deciding whether or not to purchase the Heritage. Thanks!

 

No, I have had a 2011 Deluxe 96, a 2013 103 Heritage and a 2015 CVO Deluxe, I don't have any of that. The 2015 has a 110 and it has a little bit more motor vibration than the 96 and 103 but that's about it. The ride on the CVO is better because they put nicer everything on a CVO but my other Softails road really well except when you hit pot holes lol.

 

The Softails have what used to be called the "B" engine (i dont know if it is still designated that with the new M 8 engines) but the "B" has a counter balance and it is smoother at idle and low RPM but dos produce a little more vibration at higher RPM. This is one of the reasons the Softails are rigid mounted to the frame.

My Touring Bikes (04 RK and 11 RG ) were much smoother at speed due to the rubber mount but much more vibration at idle and slow speed, my Fatboy is the opposite, after long higher speed rides Ill sometime have a little buzzing in my hands. The more I ride it the less I notice it

 

I test rode an 18 when they came out .
It was the Heritage. I thought it had more vibration
in the bars than my 00 or my 03 Heritage.
The brakes are FAR superior, as is the overall ride.
The 114 was quick, but ran out of steam real soon (Poor things
are so plugged up stock)
The overall gearing was pretty tall too.
Nice bike, I guess.
If I was going to drop the big coin on a new
one, I'd go for a touring model. They are dead nuts smooth.

 

I replaced te handlebars and got numb fingers too due to the vibrations. I installed (rammed in is probably a better description) weights in to the bar ends. This chances the dynamics/resonance in the handlebar ends and reduced the vibrations significantly

Here is a picture:

 

The answer is maybe...... possibly...... could be...



As mentioned above, what you were feeling IS normal for a Twin Cam bike.... I will add, I rode softails before ever getting a touring (rubber mounted/ unbalanced engine) bike. Although on some high speed trips, I felt the "buzzing", it wasn't until I bought a touring bike and would switch between the two that I really noticed the difference...


I suspect this could still true with M8 bikes. I don't know for sure.... I believe there is a different balancing mechanism between the touring M8 & softail M8...

If they have the same balancing mechanisms, but if one is hard mounted and the other rubber mounted, the difference between the two might still be felt as a buzzing in the hand grips at speed....

FWIW....

 

Changing riser bushings to poly might be another option to change the resonance of the bars. Pretty cheap easy fix to try anyway if you end up with one...

 

Do to no rubber motor mounts, you will have a slight vibration.
Check your tire balance. I was getting vibration on my new 2019 heritage 114. Turned out front tire wasn’t balanced, no weight.
The dealer added 1/2 oz of weight and it made a difference.