Author Topic: Carberry vibration reduction plate (Read 3946 times)

Manjirider · **on:** July 14, 2020, 11:04:21 am

Has anyone fitted one of these to their Classic 500 Efi themselves? Any issues? Do they work?

Snotball · **Reply #1 on:** July 14, 2020, 01:07:50 pm

I haven’t fitted one myself but know of two people who have. One thought it might have made a difference and the second thought it did not.

majstevetrevor · **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2020, 01:53:33 pm

Here are two videos on the plate, one on installation and one on the effects. The guy's a fan, though he recognizes that others are not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRidt9V3Dcw&list=PLmVgB9c9_om2V2eVrcKzMUPkQOyzEP154

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OXn9ec954Y&t=187s

Boxerman · **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2020, 06:31:14 pm

I fitted one, couldn't tell any difference so took it out again.

Frank

Bilgemaster · **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2020, 11:15:38 pm

Our esteemed Forum member 'Brad the Maddman' did an installation video as well: https://youtu.be/SLnhYPl3_Cs

GSS · **Reply #5 on:** July 16, 2020, 05:22:23 am

I put one in a couple of years ago and it helped reduce vibrations, but I had also simultaneously changed the piston, pushrods, valves and porting etc with ScooterBob and GHGs help.....still in the bike but my riding has been minimal recently so can’t provide a long term report.

GHG put one in but found that the bearings had worn out prematurely and took it out.

Carlsberg Wordsworth · **Reply #6 on:** July 16, 2020, 08:32:44 pm

Was it really a couple of years ago it came out?

Feels like yesterday

MaxW · **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2020, 10:55:51 am

I haven't fitted one myself, but I've seen them fitted, and it looks pretty straightforward: just make sure you have access to a magneto puller (27mm, if I recall correctly.

Now, as to whether or not they work... Like all things RE, it seems that it depends on the bike. Some people claim amazing results, whereas some people say it made no difference. I actually know of one dealership that refuses to sell them anymore as they have fitted several to customers' bikes over the years, and have not noticed any difference.

Just my tuppence worth....

Rattlebattle · **Reply #8 on:** July 17, 2020, 02:56:44 pm

Snake oil. I’m taking mine off when I service my bike after I rebuilt the engine. It never had any noticeable effect and anyway nobody said there was an issue with the timing side main bearing until the solution arrived.....

Narada · **Reply #9 on:** July 17, 2020, 03:06:24 pm

I installed one on my C5 and liked it at first...

I think it changed the vibration into the foot pegs, and after awhile I started feeling the vibration in my spine.

It all became very unpleasant, so that combined with fear the bearing may be bad, I took it it out.

Immediately my bike became the awesome ride I knew and loved again!

Rattlebattle · **Reply #10 on:** July 18, 2020, 07:16:59 pm

Yes, I’m hoping for the same when I remove mine. I have a feeling it’s holding the l/h crankshaft rigidly and that it would be better off flexing a little. It reminds me of Matchless and AJS back in the fifties. They derided Triumph’s use of only two main bearings and the resultant flex in the crankshaft and hence vibration this set/up caused. So they decided to put in a third main bearing in the middle (an extra one on the drive side would have been a better idea). Result: worse vibration and, until they fitted nodular steel crankshafts to the later 650cc bikes, crankshaft breakages. The inherent vibration in these UCE bikes is down partly to the nature of a large capacity single without a balance shaft, partly because the engine is a stressed member in a potentially inaccurately built frame and partly because of indifferent quality control in crankshaft assembly at the factory. Occasionally all these factors come together to produce a bad ‘un. A weedy little needle roller bearing isn’t going to help much IMHO. Other opinions are available....

GlennF · **Reply #11 on:** July 21, 2020, 04:24:08 am

Quote from: MaxW on July 17, 2020, 10:55:51 am

I haven't fitted one myself, but I've seen them fitted, and it looks pretty straightforward: just make sure you have access to a magneto puller (27mm, if I recall correctly.

Now, as to whether or not they work... Like all things RE, it seems that it depends on the bike. Some people claim amazing results, whereas some people say it made no difference. I actually know of one dealership that refuses to sell them anymore as they have fitted several to customers' bikes over the years, and have not noticed any difference.

Just my tuppence worth....

Yep ...by all accounts, it seems like if your bike has a certain sort of shake to it the plate does wonders and the owner raves about it, but if its a relatively "good" bike or your vibration problems are of a different sort, it does nothing or can actually make the vibrations worse. Seems very bike specific, will fix one bike and make the next one worse.

Arizoni · **Reply #12 on:** July 23, 2020, 05:47:47 pm

In my opinion, the Carberry vibration reduction plate is an answer to a question that was never asked. Much adieu about nothing that introduces one more bearing that can possibly fail.

Farmer_John · **Reply #13 on:** July 24, 2020, 05:05:34 pm

I’ve had one I mine since new. Smoother than I’d imagined (much better than what I remember my 535 to be.

Going to go to a 19t. Countershaft soon, I’ll take a peek at it then.

Markus Oz · **Reply #14 on:** August 01, 2020, 08:44:18 am

Dealer installed one on my first service at 500km. 2019 Classic 500. Not sure if it really made much difference as I was still treating the bike gently anyway. However I have now done 2000 km and vibration seems to be what you would expect of a big single. Hasn't really bothered me at all, no sore hands etc. Dealer swore by it, so I just went with his advice. Watching the Youtube video it looks straight forward to do. I did buy myself a puller if need to use it in the future.

Arschloch · **Reply #15 on:** August 01, 2020, 08:54:38 am

I've tested it, can't say anything negative about it. Worked as advertised, however the effect was rather small and if I wanted an totally smooth engine I would have bought one with an counterbalancer in the first place. Therefore I removed it from my bike.

...and more cylinders.

2bikebill · **Reply #16 on:** August 02, 2020, 09:40:20 am

I've had one on for a couple of years - 2010 G5 with Hitchcocks 535 conversion. My bike was never a shaker, but there was a really unpleasant vibration up my spine when I straightened my back while riding. With the Carberry plate fitted this no longer happens. It was worth fitting for this alone.
I wouldn't say there's much difference otherwise, but as I said, my bike never had a vibration problem, apart from the spine thing when I was trying to be more disciplined about my tendency to slouch.

Taurim · **Reply #17 on:** December 27, 2020, 02:40:21 pm

I installed one in my CGT 535 recently which was a shaker, almost unusable over 4500 RPM. I already lost my licence plate, the plastic cap of the rear light and some rear light bulbs...

The Carberry plate made a HUGE difference. Now I have only some gentle vibration at any RPM up to 6000 (tuned engine now), the horrible shake is gone

But I noticed something. When I removed the magnetic rotor, this one got out with almost no torque set on the extractor nut !
I used an impact wrench for reassembly.

Do you think that an improper seating of the rotor on the conical end of the crankshaft may be the initial cause of the shake ?

I don't know what was the cause of the shake but I'm really enjoying my tuned engine now

ace.cafe · **Reply #18 on:** December 27, 2020, 04:27:09 pm

Could have been the loose rotor.

Reviews of the Carberry plate have been mixed.

Guaire · **Reply #19 on:** December 28, 2020, 01:07:00 pm

I’ve pulled the nut off the rotor and stator with my handy powered air drive. The air drive gun was silly overkill.