[Crispyduck]

I've read a few threads on handlebar vibration. I never gave it much thought until i changed to a long stroke crank. Then it became an issue for me even with the crankshaft balanced.

I tried a few things i'd read about including handlebar weights and filling the bars with rubber compound but nothing seemed to help much.

Finally i read that handlebar struts are good for reducing vibration but i didnt like the look of the bolt on ones so i bought some stainless steel handlebars and had a 10mm dia strut welded in place. Was amazed how effective it was. The vibration issue has gone.

Just thought i would share this incase anyone else is struggling with handlebar vibration.

Cheers

Crispy

[AmBraCol]

Hey, Crispy. Do you have a pic you could share of how it turned out?

[AzCal Retred]

Alumnum has vibration deadening properties, lots of alloy handlebar bends available too.

[Guaire]

The stainless steel bar ends use their filled contents to translate motion into heat. It's the same physics principle that makes brakes work. The video uses a CGT. If you have a stock Bullet handlebar, the mounting is very simple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpc8j6_OxRw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAGxfTyq7y0

[Richard230]

Cheap foam over-grips can also help to reduce vibration a little.

[AmBraCol]

The stainless steel bar ends use their filled contents to translate motion into heat. It's the same physics principle that makes brakes work. The video uses a CGT. If you have a stock Bullet handlebar, the mounting is very simple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpc8j6_OxRw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAGxfTyq7y0

Thanks! Interesting concept indeed.

[Carl Fenn]

I must be the lucky one no vibration at all, no numb feet or tingling fingers for me, the mirrors don’t hardly shake either, not as bad as those old brits l used to ride they would fracture metal mudguards.

[Richard230]

I must be the lucky one no vibration at all, no numb feet or tingling fingers for me, the mirrors don’t hardly shake either, not as bad as those old brits l used to ride they would fracture metal mudguards.

It is the same with my 2011 B5. While I can feel vibrations though the grips, they are not irritating. No vibrations at the foot pegs, and no tingling fingers like I can get with some in-line four cylinder bikes.

[Keef Sparrow]

It is the same with my 2011 B5. While I can feel vibrations though the grips, they are not irritating. No vibrations at the foot pegs, and no tingling fingers like I can get with some in-line four cylinder bikes.

Similar on my 2020 Bullet Trials. At tickover the whole bike shakes visibly if it's on the stand, but most of the time riding I am not conscious of vibration unless I push it to at least 70 MPH (indicated) but at 75 the mirrors become useless and rotate out of adjustment so the bike is telling me that's enough. I have never felt any vibration through the footrests and very little through the bars even cruising at around 65 MPH which seems to be my bike's 'happy speed'. Maybe I am just lucky and got a 'good 'un' regarding how well the crankshaft was assembled at the factory - from what I have heard they can vary enormously in this respect.

[Carl Fenn]

Well l know some shake bad they do the dance on the centre stand l took a chance on mine because it came from dealer the other side of the country and kept my fingers crossed, luckily no vibration, l think all parts in the engine should be fabricated identical, but in the case of the bullet is some turned manually this could at least offer some explanation has something been machined a few thou out of spec.

[dickim]

Anyone who remember Wildbill' s NUMEROUS C5's will know how variable they can be...from memory he had 2 that zero vibrations, a couple REALLY BAD .....and a number in between 🤔 My 2014 C5 has negligible, even on Ctr stand it ticks over  with little movement anywhere until you blip it and then it skips backwards 😊 quicker than Trump being asked to pay taxes.....🤣

[Silverback]

Mine had a bit of buzzing until i put hitchcock head stays on both sides. One headstay on left side reduced it a bit but when i added lne to the right side as well it all but went away.
I did a carb conversion now the right side wont fit. I am going to get longer screws and add a spacer to get it to fit again.

[Carl Fenn]

I have seen video about those and the plate but mine does not vibrate enough to justify the out lay, engine mounting bolts also worth a check and good oil, but l must say they are chalk and cheese when it comes to vibrations there is some engineering reason, l must hang on to mine now l got a good one.

[Keef Sparrow]

Mine had a bit of buzzing until i put hitchcock head stays on both sides. One headstay on left side reduced it a bit but when i added lne to the right side as well it all but went away.
I did a carb conversion now the right side wont fit. I am going to get longer screws and add a spacer to get it to fit again.

Some people have said if you loosen off all the engine mounting bolts, and then tighten them with the engine actually running that helps. Mine has never vibrated enough to bother me so I leave well alone.

[Keef Sparrow]

l must say they are chalk and cheese when it comes to vibrations there is some engineering reason, l must hang on to mine now l got a good one.

According to Wild Bill who has had quite a few it's all due to how well the crankshaft is assembled at the factory - they are put together by hand and some are much better balanced than others. I'm lucky that I got a good one, but other people haven't been so lucky and ended up with dogs and ended up selling them before they were even run in because they couldn't handle the vibration. I think the newer UCE motors are generally much better than the older ones and quality improved a lot when production was moved to the new factory.

[Carl Fenn]

Could be an explanation mine is a late one last of production run l guessed this was the issue or hand machining cause the vibes, l agree on some every bit of metal shakes on the bikes on tick over not a good thing, and when you rev them they would vibrate the fillings out of your teeth.

[Morgan65]

Only on my 2010 G5 Bullet 500 did I have excessive handle bar vibration. Why? Because I took the handle bar weights off to put on bar end mirrors. I remember I took back four left mirrors under warranty to Cycle Gear because vibration was so bad it would vibrate it apart right where the stem attached to the mirror. After the motor got good and broken in, about 3,500-4,500 miles I don’t notice any excessive vibration at all. Now that I have almost 9,000 on it, it’s the smoothest of all the RE 500s.

[Crispyduck]

Here's a photo of the handlebrace i had welded on.

The vibrations are almost gone.

[AmBraCol]

I've considered doing that on my Rumbler.  Looks good.

[Crispyduck]

If your handle bars are chromed just make sure you know a good electro plating company so can get them rechromed afterwards.

As i was changing my bars aswell i went for the stainless steel option instead.

[AmBraCol]

If your handle bars are chromed just make sure you know a good electro plating company so can get them rechromed afterwards.

As i was changing my bars aswell i went for the stainless steel option instead.

That's the major reason I've not done so yet. Have to pull the bar to have it welded and then rechromed... So it's been on the backburner for a while.  If I could find a similar bar in stainless I'd go that route instead, but the Rumbler uses a higher rise bar than any of the other bikes from RE I've seen.

[richard211]

Could try a bolt on handlebar brace and some soft handle bar grips. On my Thunderbird 500, I found that the handle bar vibration seems to be more between 2500-3000 rpm. So I just avoid that rpm range as much as I can.
 But when comparing the UCE 500 engines, the smoothest engine is on the Indian Standard Bullet which uses much heavier flywheels, while it does reduced the acceleration of the motorbike and does not have the best top speed among the UCE 500 range, it does run very smoothly with very little vibrations.

[Carl Fenn]

I have heard these can reduce it, but a moment mine is just OK.