Handlebar brace

[Bendy toy]

I borrowed a BMW handlebar brace to see if it reduces vibrations. It does just a little so maybe there are more effective aftermarket bar braces.

Can anyone recommend anything else to stiffen up the bars.

 

[The Prospector]

Viagra?

 

[Sandman]

Some have tried filling the bars with silicone sealant to dampen the vibes.

Cheapy bee and queue stuff apparently flows well but remember to plug the drain holes on the underside of the bars first

You might want to try Grip Puppies if the you are struggling with vibes....again they seems to work for some riders.

 

[Stuntman]

I fitted a set of grip puppies about about 2 weeks ago along with a set of risers, it's completely changed the feel of the bike, reduced vibrations through the bars and the different angle means less strain on the old back

 

[Bendy toy]

On A roads its no big deal but 100 miles on motorway causes numb fingers.

Touching the top yoke and then handlebar grips suggests the bars amplify the vibration. With the bar brace they are a bit better but fingers still get numbed.

Grip puppies might help but I use the heated grips.

I have even considered these but they deal with vertical (offroad) shock rather than horizontal vibes.
http://www.motohaus.com/acatalog/LEN.00.156.100BIG.jpg

 

[Bendy toy]

More info

These are the Rox risers on the blocks I had made

I did this to get the bars to more or less standard GSA height. The bars will move up and down on the rubbers but hardly at all forwards and back (where the vibes seem to be).

I have turned the blocks around and put the risers vertical. This does reduce the vibes better but raises the bars about 2" over standard. I am thinking of fitting a 1" lower seat and dont want to be like ape hangers.

I looked at a bar snake, but apart from weight they dont work on tapered bars. The liquid bar snake isnt available any more

 

[birdseye]

I borrowed a BMW handlebar brace to see if it reduces vibrations. It does just a little so maybe there are more effective aftermarket bar braces.

Can anyone recommend anything else to stiffen up the bars.

Stiffening the bars doesnt reduce the vibration though it may alter the frequency at which vibes peak by altering the resonance of the bars. If you want to reduce the vibrations then mount them in rubber. Havent tried it myself but self amalgamating tape between bars and clamps might well help a bit. So would filling the bars with lead ( rolled up roofing lead) and altering the resonant frequency.

A lot of numb fingers comes from the riding position and the angle of the wrists. Try altering that too.

Finally I use a throttle rocker to allow me to ride with a very loose right hand on the motorways - that helps too.

 

[Bendy toy]

I've tried it with :

# Standard GSA bar mounts (both ways around) -
Zero difference in vibes

# Rox anti vibe risers with special clamps -
A little better with risers close to vertical not much reduction with risers as shown in image. The snag is I want to fit a 1" lower seat so higher bars are not good for my future needs.

# With the bar brace a slight improvement -
I believe because it reduces the amplifying effect of the bar length from mounting point.

# With throttle lock tightened up -
Helps a bit but on UK roads you never have very long before the speed needs to change. The (very small) vibe benefit isnt worth the driving hassle.

I'm sure that rubber tape in the clamps isnt an option
# the clamps are not large enough
# if they were opened out for rubber bushes the bars would spin inside the rubber bushes or be pulled up too tight to be effective.

Special clamps with Sorbothane bushes might be an option worth looking into. Not a simple fix though.

Sorbothane sleeves on the grips might help but they are likely to stop the heat from coming though.

I have also emailed [email protected] to see if their tuned mass dampers will fit my GS model.

 

[Ali-bear]

Have you got the standard bar end weights, or have you modified them or fitted anything else instead?

One thing you could try which may not work but won't cost much. Put a thin rubber washer between the bar end weight and the end of the bar.

 

[jogo]

Before you start with modifications on the handle bar, you should ensure that your valves and rocker end float are adjusted correctly. Not just within spec but as good as you can get it.

In addition make sure the throttle bodies are balanced, also here not just within spec but as good as you can.

When my bike still was under warranty I had it serviced by the dealer. After service when I got it back, it was vibrating far more than I thought it should.

I did the steps above, found everything more or less within spec, but adjusted it all carefully and precise. Afterwards the vibration level was very much lower and the engine was very smooth.

Usually better to get the cause of things than try to cover the symptoms.

 

[Sandman]

Grip puppies might help but I use the heated grips.

Apparently not an issue

Was thinking of getting some myself

 

[Sandman]

Before you start with modifications on the handle bar, you should ensure that your valves and rocker end float are adjusted correctly. Not just within spec but as good as you can get it.

In addition make sure the throttle bodies are balanced, also here not just within spec but as good as you can.

When my bike still was under warranty I had it serviced by the dealer. After service when I got it back, it was vibrating far more than I thought it should.

I did the steps above, found everything more or less within spec, but adjusted it all carefully and precise. Afterwards the vibration level was very much lower and the engine was very smooth.

Usually better to get the cause of things than try to cover the symptoms.

Wise words as nothing will help if it a badly adjusted bike causing the problem.

When I first rode my GS I thought what the hell have I done...this is terrible

But after a service at Adventure Bike Warehouse by Johnno it was a different beast, nearly all the horrible vibration had gone and all that was left was the expected vibe of a GS.

 

[Bendy toy]

Ive not done the valve clearances and still to get a balancing tool for the TBs. But in comparison to my brother's 14K miles GSA, mine only vibes slightly more. The issue is 2 hours on the motorway are a problem.

If the TBs are are out (and they might be) I would expect more vibes at low throttle and an uneven tickover. I dont have either. I actually get a smooth engine at 100 (on a private road). But its rough when keeping up with traffic on the M40. Its also adequate at 60 in the slow lane but I get bored and fall asleep.

Edit:
Just found this http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1978
Post 15 might be showing where my problems lies.

 

[trainman]

Ive not done the valve clearances and still to get a balancing tool for the TBs. But in comparison to my brother's 14K miles GSA, mine only vibes slightly more. The issue is 2 hours on the motorway are a problem.

If the TBs are are out (and they might be) I would expect more vibes at low throttle and an uneven tickover. I dont have either. I actually get a smooth engine at 100 (on a private road). But its rough when keeping up with traffic on the M40. Its also adequate at 60 in the slow lane but I get bored and fall asleep.

Edit:
Just found this http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1978
Post 15 might be showing where my problems lies.

is this a GSA issue, cannot recall seeing GS users complain, whats different about the GSA that might make it more prone, weight?, c of g?

 

[Blobby]

Have you had your bike remapped at http://hilltopmotorcycles.com ? If not, worth giving them a call as when I took a bike there the tuner chap was saying how many people notice how much smoother the bike is afterwards. My bike has minimal vibration to the extent I just don't notice it and can ride it for 5+ hrs without a problem. They used to offer your money back if you were not happy with the results in which case you'd have nothing to lose. Worth a thought anyway.

 

[steveboy]

Vibes

Hi all

Has anybody here tried a product called "bar snake" ooer missus ! It's an American product but with a uk distributor, apparently it is threaded through the bars and stops a lot of vibes, the web site has lots of claims and reports from happy customers, do they work or is it just snake oil ? I would be interested to know.

 

[Ali-bear]

GS bars do not have open ends so no way to get snake in the hole so to speak.