Author Topic: Black rubber things  (Read 4638 times)

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aikischmid

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on: August 13, 2011, 03:18:49 am
Just got my new G5 today - has these black rubber things on either side of the big single, in between the ridges. What purpose do they serve? Can I remove them? The pictures of the bike inside my owner's manual do not have them. Are they just packaging remnants? Does anyone even know what I'm talking about?
2011 Royal Enfield G5 Classic, British Racing Green


Ice

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Reply #1 on: August 13, 2011, 03:31:51 am
Congrats on your Bullet aikischmid !!

Many happy miles to you.

The black rubber things are vibration dampeners to keep the cylinder fins from ringing and do not hinder cooling.

Some bikes not need, them some may not, and others only ring at a particular RPM.

Modified to add

Nice avatar too  8)
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Arizoni

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Reply #2 on: August 13, 2011, 03:39:24 am
Those are vibration dampers placed there to reduce engine noise.

Without them in theory the cooling fins will vibrate.

When I first got my G5 I was concerned with removing them because in my old line of work (jet engine design) vibrations were known to fatigue metal parts leading to premature failures.

After talking to my dealer about removing the dampers I found that he didn't think it would be a problem and told me it wouldn't effect the warranty.
I also read several posts here on this forum where people had removed them and had no ill effects.

Living in the hot desert as I do (up to 116 degrees F in the shade)  I was more concerned with heat than vibration and IMO these dampers block off quite a bit of cooling air in addition to covering valuable cooling fin area that could (should) be transferring heat away from the engine.

With this in mind I removed mine.
I cannot hear any difference in the amount of noise the fins might be making and I am sure my engine is running cooler than it would be if I had left the dampers in place.
Jim
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r80rt

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Reply #3 on: August 13, 2011, 03:55:39 am
I threw them away one day one, couldn't tell any difference.
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Ducati Scotty

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Reply #4 on: August 13, 2011, 04:52:56 am
I threw them away one day one, couldn't tell any difference.

+1 except the difference I noticed was a decline in dorkiness.  For the bike, not me  ::)

Scott


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Reply #5 on: August 13, 2011, 05:23:09 am
I have had mine off, on and off again.....can't tell the difference and I would much rather have free flowing air on the fins.......so off they will stay.
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Okie Enfield

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Reply #6 on: August 13, 2011, 08:54:39 pm
Took mine off on the second day. no issues far as i can tell. They look funky.  ;)


GlennF

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Reply #7 on: August 14, 2011, 12:47:35 am
They are probably just there because of noise control restrictions in some jurisdictions.


prof_stack

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Reply #8 on: August 14, 2011, 01:01:48 am
Took mine off on the second day. no issues far as i can tell. They look funky;)
They look great on a funky bike!    :D
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Chiefharlock

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Reply #9 on: August 14, 2011, 04:29:50 am
My dealer told me that when he talked with the factory folks in India, they told him that folks there buy a bike on how it sounds and will actually start up every bike in a shop to listen to each one of the bikes in the model line they may be looking at to see how they sound and goes with the one that sounds the best.  Apparently the fins on the UCE model make a particular noise that folks were picking up on and wouldn't get the bike SO RE puts these things on and it eliminates that particular frequency range of vibration cause noise and sales increased... or at least that is how it was explained to me. 

I took mine off.  I'm with the more airflow crowd on this one.  Being a guy who has driven air cooled vehicles since he first got his driver's license, I have been very familiar with the need to have unrestricted airflow over cooling surfaces.
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jlehberger1

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Reply #10 on: August 14, 2011, 01:49:39 pm
Mine have been falling off gradually, one by one.
~J


P. Schraub

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Reply #11 on: August 14, 2011, 03:29:40 pm
Hello Aikischmid,
          Those rubber things are useless ! Yank em' They restrict airflow and look stupid. I've not noticed any change in the sound of the engine. I'm sure they were put there to satisfy some EPA law. My G5 Deluxe looks and sounds great ! It always draws a crowd where ever I go.


bman734

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Reply #12 on: August 14, 2011, 06:15:01 pm
Am I the only one who likes the look of them? I actually tucked them in tighter afraid that they may fall off. I'll have to take them off and see what you guys are talking about.
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prof_stack

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Reply #13 on: August 14, 2011, 07:27:22 pm
Am I the only one who likes the look of them? I actually tucked them in tighter afraid that they may fall off. I'll have to take them off and see what you guys are talking about.
No, you are not the only one.   :)
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bman734

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Reply #14 on: August 17, 2011, 12:41:34 am
Good cause when I saw them in the show room I went up to touch them and just loved them! So I'm gonna keep them on and not even see what it looks like with them off.
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