Yet another vibration post
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,932
Likes: 45
From: Stockbridge GA
Yet another vibration post
Ive got a 2008 883L with about 9K on it that I picked up as a second bike. Havent rode it much but did notice it had a pretty bad buzz between about 70 and 80 MPH. Today I took it out for a 100 mile ride on back roads and a little interstate. I was able to do some experimenting and found out its rpm dependent, not speed. It will buzz between 4000-4500 rpm no matter which gear. I can feel the buzz on the entire bike, feet, ***, hands, mirrors become useless.
Read the service manual......not any help. Read for about 2 hours on here and the 2 most common comments are, its a Harley, you dont like vibration get a metric and motor mounts. I dont buy the Harley comment because I happen to own two of them now and my other (2011 48) doesnt do it. So that leaves motor mounts. Ive checked the torque on front and rear and check all 3 stabilizer links. Ive pried and shook to see how much movement there is and compared it to my 48, they seem the same.
Could it be possible the rubber in the mounts are bad even though they seem to move as much as my 48? Anyone know of anything else I can check?
Read the service manual......not any help. Read for about 2 hours on here and the 2 most common comments are, its a Harley, you dont like vibration get a metric and motor mounts. I dont buy the Harley comment because I happen to own two of them now and my other (2011 48) doesnt do it. So that leaves motor mounts. Ive checked the torque on front and rear and check all 3 stabilizer links. Ive pried and shook to see how much movement there is and compared it to my 48, they seem the same.
Could it be possible the rubber in the mounts are bad even though they seem to move as much as my 48? Anyone know of anything else I can check?
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,188
Likes: 24
From: New Hampshire
I think you might find it's gearbox related. have you checked things like wheel balance and primary chain and drive belt tension? loose motor mounts tend to vibrate worse on idle than when rolling with the rubber mounts. i can cruise in that rpm range and my mirrors hardly vibrate so i think you do have a problem.
Last edited by IRON1250; Jul 14, 2012 at 07:36 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,119
Likes: 7
From: USA
I don't know if this will be much help.
But the dealer just replaced the two rear isolator motor mounts on my 2011 1200C due to the right size mount being assembled in a twisted configuration. And the vibrations at 65 up are mostly gone and the mirrors are now usable. So in my case the vibrations I have been experiencing (and told was normal from the dealer) are fixed now.
Also I have noticed a windshield at least in my case can cause extra vibrations.
But the dealer just replaced the two rear isolator motor mounts on my 2011 1200C due to the right size mount being assembled in a twisted configuration. And the vibrations at 65 up are mostly gone and the mirrors are now usable. So in my case the vibrations I have been experiencing (and told was normal from the dealer) are fixed now.
Also I have noticed a windshield at least in my case can cause extra vibrations.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,188
Likes: 24
From: New Hampshire
I don't know if this will be much help.
But the dealer just replaced the two rear isolator motor mounts on my 2011 1200C due to the right size mount being assembled in a twisted configuration. And the vibrations at 65 up are mostly gone and the mirrors are now usable. So in my case the vibrations I have been experiencing (and told was normal from the dealer) are fixed now.
Also I have noticed a windshield at least in my case can cause extra vibrations.
But the dealer just replaced the two rear isolator motor mounts on my 2011 1200C due to the right size mount being assembled in a twisted configuration. And the vibrations at 65 up are mostly gone and the mirrors are now usable. So in my case the vibrations I have been experiencing (and told was normal from the dealer) are fixed now.
Also I have noticed a windshield at least in my case can cause extra vibrations.
Last edited by IRON1250; Jul 14, 2012 at 08:15 PM.
Thread Starter
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,932
Likes: 45
From: Stockbridge GA
I think you might find it's gearbox related. have you checked things like wheel balance and primary chain and drive belt tension? loose motor mounts tend to vibrate worse on idle than when rolling with the rubber mounts. i can cruise in that rpm range and my mirrors hardly vibrate so i think you do have a problem.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,188
Likes: 24
From: New Hampshire
These sportsters might be the only make of motorcycle that that you could have a half dozen of the same model and year and all of them have a different sound or vibration than the others. i don't know if that would be called character or poor quality control!
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,415
Likes: 8
From: virginia
Just a long shot here but check to see that the exhaust is not up against the frame somewhere could be transfering the motor vibs.
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 7,604
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From: Landrum, SC , elevation 986'
Put you hand on the gas cap and the front and back of the gas tank when its buzzing. 
Check and see if the rivits on the front fender are loose.
Hopefully its that easy.
Check and see if the rivits on the front fender are loose.
Hopefully its that easy.
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Thread Starter
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
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From: Stockbridge GA
Tried revving it in neutral, the only thing I noticed at a high rpm (dont know exactly dont have a tach) the top section of the belt vibrated violently. It was bouncing up and down a good half inch at a very high rate of speed, it was just a blur but seemed to be at about the same frequency as the buzz I was feeling. Turned the bike off and checked belt tension......it was perfect. Tried the same thing on the 48.......same belt bouncing at a high rpm. So, both bikes produce the same high frequency buzz, difference is I dont feel it on the 48, I do on the 883L. The belt is connected directly to the engine so thats why they both vibrate like that. The engines are isolated from the frame by the mounts. Apparently the 48 mounts are doing their job, the 883L mounts are not. Gonna read up in the manual to see what kind of job changing the mounts are.